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Have you ever wondered why some dogs seem a bit heavier than they should be? Dogs, like humans, can face weight issues, and it's crucial to ensure that they are in their best shape. In today's world of treats and limited exercise, more and more pet parents find themselves asking, 'Why is my dog fat?'. Dealing with dogs and weight loss can be tricky to work along if you don’t know how to go about on this journey of weight loss in dogs. Yet, how should you know if your dog is gaining weight and how to make your dog lose weight?
These days, dogs are grappling with weight issues. And as a dog parent, you must take a closer look at your pet’s body condition. Be curious about questions like, can you feel your dog's ribs easily? Is there a visible waistline? These observations play an essential role in assessing whether your canine companion needs assistance in the weight department. If you find your dog needing help with weight loss, then you must act promptly. Let's explore canine weight management and how to help dog lose weight.
Maintaining a healthy weight for your dog is not just about the appearance; it's about their overall well-being. Dogs with excess weight face health risks, including diabetes and heart diseases. Understanding why your dog is gaining weight would be the first step towards ensuring a longer and healthier life for your furry friend. Overweight and obese dogs often have shorter life spans, emphasizing the need to act promptly. This is why it is essential for you to start considering weight loss by providing your pooch with a healthy and hearty lifestyle.
Struggling with dogs and weight loss can be stressful for pet parents. However, fret not. Here is what you need to do to start your dog’s journey towards weight loss:
A balanced diet contains all essential nutrients required for your pooch’s healthy growth. Consulting your vet for a tailored meal plan is suggested when planning your dog’s weight loss journey. It is also important to choose high-quality, low-calorie dog food to maintain a balanced diet. Portion control should be practiced to avoid overfeeding and excessive calorie intake.
One of the key elements to dogs losing weight is regular and consistent exercise. Develop a regular exercise routine tailored to your dog's breed and age. Take your floof for brisk walks, play a game of fetch, or simply plunge into the pool for swimming to keep them active. Gradually increase the intensity and duration of exercise for gradual weight loss. It is also recommended to combine regular exercising with healthier food for best results.
Your pooch’s weight problem can also be linked to numerous medical conditions. It is best to schedule regular vet visits to rule out underlying health issues causing weight gain. Conditions like thyroid problems may contribute to weight gain in dogs. Discuss appropriate medications or supplements with your vet for well-guided canine weight loss.
Consistently monitor your dog's progress and adjust the plan as needed. Gradual weight loss is ideal to prevent health complications. If you notice your fur baby losing or gaining too much weight within a short period, then you should get them checked by a vet. Stick to the plan even after your dog achieves their target weight for overall well-being.
While it's essential to encourage weight loss, it's equally crucial to ensure your dog doesn't lose weight too quickly or in an unhealthy manner.
While shedding that extra weight is essential, you need to make sure your fur baby’s weight loss journey is healthy and effective for a longer period. Given below are a few things you should be mindful of to avoid abnormal weight loss in dogs:
Helping your dog achieve and maintain a healthy weight is essential for their overall well-being. By following the aforementioned steps, consulting your vet, and observing your furry friend closely, you can contribute to a happier life together. Create a healthy weight loss plan, so your dog leads a happy life.
Regular exercising, healthy eating, and treating any underlying illness can lead to adequate weight loss in dogs.
Dog’s ideal weight is determined by its breed, age, and size. If you feel your dog is turning lethargic, low in energy, and overeating then it might be overweight.
Overeating or odd eating habits, lesser energy, little to no exercise, and poor frequent illness are some of the many signs of an unhealthy dog.
Giving your dog the right nutrients and a complete, balanced diet does not have to be a head-scratcher. All you need to know is what can dogs eat, how much to feed your dog or puppy, how to feed dogs, how many times to feed a dog, how to handle treats and supplements, etc. And this article tries to answer commonly asked questions on dog feeding.
When deciding which dog food is right for your pet, consider these three factors:
Puppies should be fed three times a day from weaning (3 to 6 weeks) to 4 months of age. After 4 months, they should be fed twice a day. Most dogs should continue to be fed twice a day throughout their life, although some pets do well with one feeding.
The answer to this question depends on your dog’s age, size, and activity level. Feeding guidelines, which list the daily-recommended portion, are included on all IAMS™ packages. Start feeding your dog with this amount and adjust according to its needs. Remember to divide the portion accordingly if you feed more than once a day.
The amount of food you need to feed your puppy depends on 3 main factors — breed, weight, and age. However, you can look at this puppy feeding table that we recommend for puppies:
Puppy | Adult Target Weight (KG) | Recommended Daily Feeding (g/day) | ||||
<3 months 3-6 months 6-9 months 9-12 months 12-18 months | ||||||
Toy breed | 1-3 | 15-72 | 32-83 | 37-83 | ||
3-5 | 33-106 | 72-121 | 83-121 | |||
Small breed (25-50) | 5-8 | 48-151 | 106-172 | 111-172 | 111-170 | Transition to IAMS™ Proactive Health™ Adult Dog Food |
8-10 | 69-178 | 151-204 | 170-204 | 170-201 | ||
Medium breed | 10-20 | 82-299 | 178-343 | 201-343 | 201-339 | |
20-25 | 137-346 | 339-404 | 339-404 | 339-404 | ||
Large breed | 25-40 | 136-492 | 346-575 | 404-575 | 396-575 | 396-563 |
40-50 | 191-509 | 493-675 | 575-681 | 563-681 | 553-676 |
This diet contains 390 kilocalories of metabolizable energy (ME) per 100 gms. Remember to have clean, fresh water available for your dog always.
You should not change your puppy’s food to adult abruptly. Giving your pet time to acclimatize to the new taste of adult food is very important. Also, if you suddenly switch your pup’s food, it can cause digestive problems. Go through this schedule that will help you understand how much to feed your dog and transition your dog’s diet from puppy food to adult food:
If you are wondering how much to feed your puppy by weight and age, check out the weight and age-wise breakdown on when to transition your puppy’s diet to adult food:
Weight Range | Age to Begin Transition |
Small breeds that weigh < 9.07 kgs | 9 and 12 months of age |
Medium breeds that weigh between 9.07 and 22.6 kgs | 12 to 14months of age |
Large breeds that weigh more than 22.6 kgs | 12 to 24 months of age |
While transitioning from adult dog food to senior dog food, it is important to factor in your dog’s weight. Look at this weight table to know when to transition your dog’s food from adult to senior:
Weight Range | Age to Begin Transition |
More than 40.8 kgs | 5 years |
23.1 to 40.8 kgs | 6 years |
9.5 to 23.150 kgs | 7 years |
Up to 9.07 kgs | 7 years |
When changing your dog’s food diet, it’s important to slowly introduce new food. Start by offering your dog’s daily portion in a ratio of 25% new food to 75% current food. During the next three days, gradually increase the amount of new food and decrease the amount of the old food.
If your dog has gained unhealthy weight, make sure to cut down on fats along with increasing regular exercise. We recommend you browse through IAMS™ products and choose dog foods that are low on fat. How much food to feed your dog if they are overweight is another major concern. You can consult your vet to understand the right amount of food your furry friend needs for each meal.
It’s important to understand that your dog’s nutritional needs change during pregnancy and ensure you feed her nutrition-rich food. For pregnant dogs, we recommend IAMS™ Puppy food as it’s full of proteins that can help your pregnant dog during the gestation period and improve the quality of milk to nourish her puppies post-delivery.
Wet food is an excellent treat that can be fed alone or mixed with dry food. Although IAMS wet dog foods are nutritionally complete and balanced, it is not necessary to offer wet food at every feeding. Our dry foods are formulated with high-quality protein sources such as chicken and contain all the essential nutrients pets need. The crunchy texture of dry food also promotes healthy teeth and gums, and aids in overall good oral hygiene. In addition, some of our dry dog foods contain a dental enhancement to help block tartar buildup on teeth during and after meals.
No. Unlike humans, dogs have fewer taste receptors. Hence, they won’t feel the urge to eat something different every day. In fact, if you find something that suits your dog’s overall health and preferences, stick to that food.
Soaking dry food will ease up the initial job of the digestive enzymes. While water will not change its nutritional value, the food should be eaten relatively soon. Moreover, ensure that the leftover portion is discarded to avoid spoilage. We recommend providing your dog with IAMS™ dry food because it is beneficial to your dog’s dental health as well.
No. Cats and dogs have different nutritional requirements. Moreover, cat foods are made with higher fat levels, which can be harmful to a dog. While it is okay for dogs and cats to sniff and lick some food from each other’s bowl, you shouldn’t let dogs eat cat food.
We recommend feeding your dog approximately two to four small biscuits per cup of food. Keep in mind that when you add biscuits to your dog’s daily diet, this increases its daily calorie intake, so you should reduce the amount of food you feed. Check the calorie content of the biscuit since biscuits vary in size and formulation.
Since IAMS™ dog foods are nutritionally complete and balanced, adding more vitamins, minerals or oils can disrupt the balanceour dog food provides. The reason why you provide your dog with a high-quality product is that it has been developed to offer nourishment in proper ratios and ensure optimal nutrition. Hence, nothing needs to be added.
Protein is one of the essential elements that should be a part of your dog’s diet. Including protein in your dog’s diet will strengthen its muscles, ligaments, and cartilages. A protein-rich food also brings about a healthy shine to your dog’s coat!
It is important to maintain a feeding schedule for dogs so that they are conditioned to expect food at that time and avoid irregular snacking in between.
You should never feed your dog home-baked goods, candy, gum, chocolate, limes, onion, and grapes. They can harm your dog’s digestive tract and cause infections as well.
IAMS™ dog food is full of key nutrients that your dog needs for its healthy growth. The basic ingredients in our food include chicken, fish oil, beet pulp, wholesome grains, and natural prebiotic.
Follow our blogs to know more about pet nutrition & and dog food diet. Feel free to contact us here in case of any queries.
