my dog is losing weight on homemade diet

How to Help Your Dog Lose Weight

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In the U.S., 56% of dogs are overweight or obese, and that excess weight is tied to an astonishing array of health problems. When it comes to preventing dog obesity, or even the slow creep of excess pounds, simple awarenessknowing what your dogs weight should be, and keeping on top of any fluctuationsis the first step. Just a few pounds can make a big difference.

You can seek your vets counsel on your dogs ideal weight, but a quick way to assess good canine condition at home is to ask:

• Does your dog have an hourglass shape when you stand behind them and look at them from above?
• Do they have a waist?
• Can you easily feel their ribs?

If youre answering no for all three, theres a good chance your dog needs to lose weight. Now what? Here are some vet-approved tips for helping your dog safely shed excess pounds and keeping them in good condition.

The Food Factor

For dogs, as for humans, losing weight really comes down to two things: food and exercise. And for a dog owner trying to manage or reduce their dogs weight, food is most important by far.

Weight loss begins and ends at the food bowl for dogs and cats, Ernie Ward, DVM, and founder of the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP), tells us. Weight loss for humans and dogs is 60-70% diet and 30-40% exercise.

For dog owners who have active lifestyles, its easy to overestimate the impact of physical activity on weight maintenance. So even for active dogs, its important to establish clear guidelines for daily caloric intake.

Get Specific With How Much Youre Feeding

Heres where things can go sideways. Humans may or may not choose to count calories as a guide for what theyre eating, with some opting for other methods of keeping to a healthy regime (Do my pants fit? Great!). But when it comes to the long-term management of your dogs weight, its essential to establish a concrete benchmark for how much to feed. This means determining the number of calories your dog needs every day.

Its not a good idea to rely on the feeding guidelines on the average pet food package. There are many factors that will influence your dogs dietary needs, including breed, size, activity level, and whether theyre spayed or neutered. Standard kibble-bag feeding ranges are generally too broad for your dog, and many owners end up over-feeding based on too-generous and too-vague suggested portion sizes, typically measured in cups and scoops.

The feeding guidelines on pet food packages, says Ward, are based on active adult dogs for all life stages. Spaying or neutering, for example, reduces energy requirement by 20 to 30%, he says. So, if your pet is spayed or neutered, and not particularly active, you can already be overfeeding by 20 or 30% or more.

When it comes to determining the ideal caloric intake, its important to consider a number of factors. We take a couple of things into considerationwe look at body condition score, we look at muscle condition score, we look at lifestyle, and any concurrent medical conditions, Dr. Ward says. We start by determining, OK, how many calories should you be feeding?

As a starting place, there are also many tools online to provide rough feeding guidelines based on weight and breed. You might start by consulting the guide published by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention.

For at-home calculating, you can use the Resting Energy Requirement (RER) formula. Take your dogs weight in kilograms, multiply by 30, and add 70 (or, take their weight in pounds, divide by 2.2, multiply this figure by 30, and add 70). You can then factor in a metabolic energy requirement (MER), depending on things like health and whether theyre spayed or neutered.

Typical MER factors include:

• Weight loss1.0 x RER
• Neutered/ Spayed Adult1.6 x RER
• Intact Adult1.8. x RER

Ask your veterinarian about the MER and calculating and determining how your dog can lose weight safely. Tools like the MER multiplier table on the web provide estimates, but every dogs metabolism is different, so be sure to keep monitoring your pets weight.

You can also sign up for a fresh-food plan (like the ones offered to customers of The Farmers Dog). A plan like this makes it easy to determine the correct total caloric intake and food portions based on your dogs very specific requirements, and also makes it easy to adjust daily calories based on changing weight-management needs.

Food Quality Is Also Key

In addition to calorie counting, another important part of weight maintenance or weight loss is feeding lower-carb, whole, fresh food.

Many ultra-processed dog foods are full of carb-based fillersas Dr. Ward has noted, when you actually break down the ingredients on the label, many of them top out at over 60% or more carbohydrates. Fresh diets provide quality protein, but also the fiber and moisture that can keep your dog satisfied, without carb-y fillers.

Feeding nutrient-dense, bioavailable food will keep your dog healthy as they reduce their overall intake of food.

Treats Count, So Count Them

Another way to help your dog drop some extra weight is by controlling, and possibly reducing, their treat intake. Here, again, quality and quantity matter.

Nobody wants to deny their dog treats, as they are often helpful training aids, and its fun to see the excitement they generate. But its important to keep a close eye on how many treats your dog actually eats in a day and what their caloric impact is. Treats should be factored into, and comprise no more than, 10% of total daily calories.

Dog owners who feed their dogs healthy food, yet still feed them highly processed, high-carb, high-calorie treats, are potentially missing a big source of weight gain and health issues. And if you feed your dog too many treats (more than 10% of their daily intake of food), you can undo the benefits of the balanced diet youre feeding.

Many vets recommend using single-ingredient treats like fresh veggies and fruit. Baby carrots, celery, broccoli, green beans, cucumbers, blueberries, apples, and bananas all make healthy treats and, unlike mystery-meat treats, can contribute to your dogs health (use apple and banana in smaller amounts due to higher sugar content).

As for peanut butter, make sure its truly a special (rare) treat, and doled out in limited amounts; this dogand humanfavorite has a hefty 100 calories per tablespoon. Also, ensure that the peanut butter youre using doesnt contain Xylitol, which is toxic to dogs. For a lighter, and perhaps better, substitute, try plain canned pumpkin, which weighs in at just five calories per tablespoon.

Its also worth stepping back and considering why youre giving your dog treats. Our bond with our dogs is so special, and every dog owner wants to see the happy excitement a treat brings. But you can get that joyful response with healthy treats, or with smaller portions. I typically tell owners that dogs get the same enjoyment, and you can get the same reaction, from a small piece of a treat as you can from the whole thing or a handful, says Alex Schechter, DVM. There are many ways to show love and bond with your pet. It doesnt have to be all about food.

Safely Increase Exercise

Food is key, but no weight loss plan, or health maintenance plan, is complete without exercise. The most obvious, and important, activity for your dog is walking. Regular walks dont just exercise your dogs body; they provide crucial mental stimulation and that all-important opportunity to sniff. The amount of walking your dog needs, or wants, depends on their breed and general health. But while conventional wisdom says that some dogs need less exercise than others, all dogs need to move.

While the recommended minimum of daily exercise is 20 minutes, twice a day, many dogs will need much more. For many breeds, an hour of exercise a day is a good target. If your dog needs to lose weight, try to increase the amount of exercise they currently do. So, if thats none, or barely any, start with short intervals of walking. If youre already exercising, try lengthening your walk or other activity by 10-20%.

Ask your vet about the best types of activities based on your pets breed, age, gender, and current physical condition. Introduce new activities slowly to avoid injury. And, unless your dog has been trained for or slowly introduced to these kinds of activities, leave the extreme sports to your own weekend hourstoo-vigorous, or repetitive activity can put your dog at risk of joint problems. Also, keep weather conditionslike high sunin mind if your activities are outdoors. The sun creates the potential for heat stroke and burnt paw pads.

Rule Out a Medical Condition

If youve established and are staying within caloric boundaries and youre still not having any luck helping your dog lose weight, a visit to the vet could be in order to rule out a medical condition. Weight gain and lethargy can be symptoms of conditions like hypothyroidism and Cushings syndrome. The latter, also known as hyperadrenocorticism, usually occurs in older dogs, and can also cause frequent urination, hair loss, and weakness.

Weight Loss (and Maintenance) Is a Long Game

If you determine that youre overfeeding, work with your veterinarian to create a weight-loss schedule based on the appropriate calories so that your dog doesnt lose weight too fast, which is unhealthy.

Overall, the best weight management strategy is to develop good habits that are applied, consistently, long-term.

People (humans) want to rush weight loss, says Dr. Ward. Thirty days to bikini season! But this is a long process. Its years of making small decisions that help. When youre deciding on sharing your pizza crust with your Pomeranian, if you do it once, OK. But if you do it once a week for five years, thats a problem.

This article was vetted by a vet. Reviewed by Alex Schechter, DVM, founding veterinarian atBurrwood Veterinary.He was previously founding veterinarian atPure Paws Veterinary Care.

5 Homemade Weight Loss Dog Food Recipes: Vet Approved Tips

The information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research.

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Many dog owners across the US struggle with their dogs weight and are trying to help their pets lose that weight. Before you start to panic or worry too much, try these homemade dog food choices, as they can help your pet healthily lose weight. They are all high in protein and low in fat or carbs, providing your dog with all the healthy nutrients they need.

Read the recipes we have listed for you below and try some of them outyoull surely notice an improvement!

The 5 Homemade Weight Loss Dog Food Recipes

1. High-Protein, Low-Fat, Beef, and Cod Recipe

Ingredients:	Lean ground beef, beef liver, cod, bell pepper, pumpkin puree, walnut oil, vitamin supplements
Total prep time:	45 minutes1 hour
Calories per recipe:	784 kcal
Fat:	19%
Protein:	60%
Carbohydrates:	21%

This high-protein, low-fat beef and cod homemade food is fantastic for your dogs, especially if you want them to lose weight. It has around 60% protein and other necessary nutrients to nourish your dog. While you may want to reduce carbs and fat, your dogs diet must contain a certain amount of healthy fats and proteins to prevent nutrient deficiencies. The beef in this recipe contains beneficial vitamins and minerals such as zinc, iron, selenium, vitamins A, B, B12, and B6. The pumpkin puree is an excellent source of fiber, and the whole bell pepper contains vitamins C, B6, and K1.

2. Healthy, Low-Fat, Homemade Dog Food

Ingredients:	Carrots, sweet potato, lentils, ground turkey or chicken, spinach, water
Total prep time:	30 minutes
Calories per recipe:	301 kcal
Fat:	37 g
Protein:	60%
Carbohydrates:	32 g

This healthy homemade meal will provide your dog with all the essential nutrients in a balanced amount to allow them to lose weight while staying healthy. The recipe contains plenty of animal-based protein, healthy fats, fiber for a healthy digestive tract, and vitamins. It is delicious too, so even the pickiest pups will adore this meal.

It takes only 30 minutes to prepare the entire meal, and you can make bigger batches and freeze them to save yourself some time.

3. Low-Carb Chicken Dog Biscuits

Ingredients:	Ground chicken, egg, coconut flour, fresh parsley
Total prep time:	40 minutes
Calories per recipe:	40
Fat:	2%
Protein:	4%
Carbohydrates:	0%

Another fundamental food to consider is the treats you give to your puppy. Especially when your puppy is still growing, too many treats during training can quickly lead to weight gain. Finding the perfect treats that are both healthy for their bodies and delicious enough can be tricky, but with this low-carb recipe, you wont have to search anymore. These chicken biscuits are incredibly healthy and only have four ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.

The entire prep time takes about 40 minutes, and your puppy can enjoy these delicious treats right away.

4. Healthy High Animal-Protein Dog Food

Ingredients:	Ground beef, ground turkey, tuna, chicken gizzards, cottage cheese, eggs, rice, sweet potato, green peas, cauliflower, broccoli, apple, coconut oil
Total prep time:	1 hour
Calories per recipe:	132 kcal
Fat:	5.2 g
Protein:	12.7 g
Carbohydrates:	5.2 g

This homemade recipe is incredible for your furry friend because it contains all the best ingredients to keep them healthy. All the ingredients that go into making this recipe will ensure your dog gets enough protein, vitamins, and minerals while keeping the fat and carb level to a minimum. It is advisable to use calcium and vitamin supplements along with this recipe to make sure your dog has a balanced meal.

5. Low-Calorie Carrot Dog Treats

Ingredients:	Whole wheat flour, carrots, egg white, bone broth, unsweetened applesauce, chia seeds
Total prep time:	2 hours
Calories per recipe:	125
Fat:	8 kcal
Protein:	0.8g
Carbohydrates:	1.5 g

Another excellent idea for low-calorie treats is these lovely carrot treats with only six ingredients. This recipe is filled with amazing vitamins and minerals that will benefit your dogs mental and physical well-being. It contains vitamins A, C, and B3, along with zinc, iron, magnesium, calcium, and potassium. Following this recipe will give you around 125 treats, saving you a lot of time and money on buying commercial dog treats, and it is a much healthier alternative.

Conclusion

After reading these amazing recipes, we encourage you to try some of them out. They require minimal time and effort and usually contain ingredients you already have in your kitchen. One thing is for surethey are delicious! Your dogs will adore eating these homemade meals and hopefully lose weight while doing so.

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Featured Image Credit: angelbandala, Shutterstock