If your dog is looking a little pudgy and squishy around the edges, it might have you wondering, \u201cIs my dog overweight?\u201d It\u2019s an important question to ask \u2014 everyone wants their furry friend to be around as long as possible, and obesity can affect your dog\u2019s quality of life and contribute to the development of some diseases. So we\u2019ve got some tips on how to tell whether your dog\u2019s body weight is in the unhealthy range and what to do about it.<\/p>\n
There isn\u2019t an easy answer for what your dog\u2019s ideal body weight is because it depends on their breed and age. Your veterinarian is the best person to answer that question as they will be able to take those factors into consideration when advising you of the ideal body weight for your dog<\/a>. Additionally, they will likely use your dog\u2019s body condition score (BCS) to determine if they are within a healthy weight range. You can estimate BCS at home, though, as you\u2019ll read in the next section.<\/p>\n People typically use body mass index (BMI) to check whether their weight is within a healthy range. Instead of BMI, veterinarians use BCS to determine if your dog is overweight by evaluating body fat on their ribs, waist and hips. Your vet is the best person to assess your dog\u2019s BCS, but here\u2019s how you can estimate your dog\u2019s BCS at home.<\/p>\n When evaluating your dog\u2019s ribs, you should ideally be able to lay your fingers flat to feel the bones. If you have difficulty finding your dog\u2019s ribs with your fingertips, or you can\u2019t feel them at all, then your dog is probably overweight. Similarly, you should be able to feel your dog\u2019s hips pretty easily with no squishy layers on either side. If you’re feeling some \u201clove handles,\u201d your dog may need to lose weight.<\/p>\n Looking past their ribs, you should be able to see your dog\u2019s waist from above, and from the side you should be able to see a tuck by the abdomen, starting where the chest ends and going up toward the hips. If you\u2019ve got a fluffy dog, try observing them while they\u2019re wet. If you don\u2019t see a waist or a tuck, they are likely overweight.<\/p>\n At its simplest, obesity in dogs is typically caused by feeding too much tasty, calorie-rich food and treats, which can be made worse by genetics for some dog breeds, and getting too little activity. All those little tidbits and food scraps your dog consumes eventually add up to weight gain, which is why it\u2019s recommended that you avoid feeding your dog table scraps. You should also make sure that treats account for no more than 10 percent of your dog\u2019s recommended daily calorie intake.<\/p>\n When dogs consume too many calories over a prolonged period of time, the extra energy gets stored as increased amounts of body fat, not just under the skin or in the abdomen, but in and around other tissues and organs such as muscles, heart and kidneys. Increased body fat also changes how the body\u2019s metabolism, hormones and inflammation are controlled, which can lead to impaired function, related health issues and reduced quality of life<\/a>.<\/p>\n In fact, research has shown that obesity can reduce a dog\u2019s life expectancy<\/a> and be linked to several health problems, including arthritis, diabetes or insulin resistance (decreased sensitivity to insulin), high blood pressure and certain types of cancer.<\/p>\n The good news is that obesity can be prevented and, if your dog already needs to lose a few pounds, weight loss can help improve your dog\u2019s health. Here are four steps you can take \u2014 starting today \u2014 to prevent excess weight or help your dog lose weight<\/a>:<\/p>\n If you\u2019re concerned about your dog\u2019s weight or body condition, be ready to have an honest conversation with your vet about it. If your dog is overweight, your vet can give you advice on the appropriate corrective steps and help your dog lose weight.<\/p>\n This is especially important if your furry friend has access to unlimited amounts of food. If you\u2019re not sure of the amount of food your dog should be eating, check the feeding guidelines on the dog food package and talk with your veterinarian. And don\u2019t forget to factor in treats, which are often high in calories. Automatic pet feeders can be a solution in helping control the portion size of kibble your dog eats for each meal.<\/p>\n If your dog has been a couch potato, going for walks is a great way to help with weight loss. You\u2019ll want to start slowly, gradually building up time, distance and speed. Try to aim for at least 30 minutes a day, depending on your dog\u2019s health status. If your dog has an underlying health issue, talk to your veterinarian before starting an exercise program.<\/p>\n If you’re feeding your dog a complete and balanced dog food, they are receiving all the nutrition they need from that food. They don\u2019t need table scraps, other human foods or treats. Instead of rewarding them with food, try replacing food with other rewards, such as extra playtime, belly rubs, a new toy or snuggles.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The good news is that obesity can be avoided and, if your dog is overweight, weight loss can help improve your furry friend\u2019s health. What and how much food you feed are among the most important things you can do to help your dog live a long, healthy life, and our pets depend on us to make good choices for them. Be sure to talk with your veterinarian about your dog\u2019s weight, food and strategies for keeping them at a healthy body condition. You can also learn more about dog obesity by reading our guide on overweight pets<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If your dog is looking a little pudgy and squishy around the edges, it might have you wondering, \u201cIs my dog overweight?\u201d It\u2019s an important question to ask \u2014 everyone wants their furry friend to be around as long as possible, and obesity can affect your dog\u2019s quality of life and contribute to the development […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":12322,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"Overweight Dogs: Recognizing the Signs of Dog Obesity","_seopress_titles_desc":"Pick up a few tips to identify if your dog is overweight, the risks of obesity and actionable steps to help your dog lose weight for a healthier life! Learn more!","_seopress_robots_index":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_searchwp_excluded":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[28,241],"tags":[134,10,710,54,45],"class_list":["post-12319","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-weight-management","tag-diamond-pet-foods","tag-dog","tag-dog-obesity","tag-dogs","tag-pet-obesity"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12319","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12319"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12319\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12322"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12319"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12319"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12319"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}How to Tell If Your Dog Is Overweight<\/h2>\n
Understanding Dog Weight Gain<\/h2>\n
Why Is an Obese Dog a Problem?<\/h2>\n
Treating Obesity: How to Help Your Dog Lose Weight<\/h2>\n
1. Ask Your Vet, \u201cIs My Dog Overweight?\u201d<\/h3>\n
2. Measure How Much Food You Are Feeding Your Dog<\/h3>\n
3. Get Your Dog Moving More and More Often<\/h3>\n
4. Help Reduce Your Dog\u2019s Weight by Eliminating Table Scraps<\/h3>\n
An Overweight Dog Isn\u2019t Furever<\/h2>\n