Foods For Overweight Dogs

There are a variety of different types of very dog food that is specially formulated for overweight dogs. In most cases this food is designed to have a lower caloric value, which typically translates into a lower percentage of fat in the food. Generally dog foods for overweight dogs will have a low fat content however in the case of canned foods this can be misleading since the water percentage in the food as well as additional fiber added can make the food appear lower calorie than it really is. In order to compare a dry food and a wet foot, the caloric value on the label of the wet food needs to be multiplied by four which will equal the same amount of dry food.

Foods for overweight dogs don't need to include a bunch of bulking products, rather they need to focus in on healthy options and monitoring portion size like Canidae dog food & Taste of the Wild pet food. Many dogs fed on very low quality and low cost dog foods tend to have the worst problems with obesity because the food has lots of carbs and very few proteins with higher fat percentages to make it palatable. This combination leads to weight gain as the dog constantly keeps eating to try to get the nutritional requirements met. The carbs are converted into sugar which packs on the weight without providing the necessary protein for health and muscular growth.

When trying to help your dog lose weight it has to be approached from a systemic and holistic way. The dog needs to have an increase in their activity level to burn off the stored fat, plus the food has to be switched to a highly digestible protein food with slightly lower fat content and whole grains and other healthy fibers. All treats and snacks need to be eliminated from the diet, especially any sugary, processed or commercial treats. To give the dog a little reward a small piece of boiled chicken is a healthy option.  These dogs have to be completely weaned off of any table scraps they may have been getting and all salt should be removed from the diet.

Often cutting out the treats and snacks and reducing the food ration by ¼ of the total amount per day while increasing the structured exercise for the dog will result in weight loss without the need for a food change. This is, of course, assuming that the food is a good, high quality protein source. If you are feeding canned or semi-moist foods switching to a high quality dry kibble is often all that is needed. If the dog won't eat dry food soak it in a bit of no sodium added chicken stock or even some warm water, gradually decreasing the water or liquid until he or she is eating the kibble.

It is never advisable to keep a dog on a low fat diet for extended periods of time. Before drastically changing the diet it is important to have your dog checked by the vet, weight gain can sometimes be caused by edema, poor circulation, cardiovascular health problems and even worms and parasite problems.