Below we explore the best dog food for weight loss and offer some guidance for helping your dog maintain a healthy weight so they can live their best, happiest life.
Low calorie dog food - what’s the deal?
There are lots of ‘diet’ foods out there claiming to help your dog lose weight. They may have fewer calories, but they also have more fibre and carbohydrates than what your dog needs.
Carbs (such as rice) are cheaper than protein, so manufacturers use them to bulk up their products and sell at a competitive price. The problem with these low-calorie diets is they don't give your pet the nutrients they need to thrive.
If your dog isn't exercising enough, you may also find these products cause your dog to put on weight.
The best dog food for weight loss
Dogs are carnivores, which means their bodies are designed to easily digest and absorb nutrients from meat, bones, fat and organs.
The next best thing to a raw diet is ZIWI Peak® - you’ll find 96% meat, organs, seafood and bone in all of our air-dried recipes, without the added carbohydrates or sugars.
How to help an overweight dog reach their ideal weight
It’s time to crunch the numbers and follow a gradual decrease in food to help your dog reach their ideal weight, following these four steps:
- Choose a ZIWI Peak recipe (either air-driedor wet)
- Slowly start transitioning to the new ZIWI diet (see tips here)
- Feed your dog the recommended amount for their ideal weight, not their current weight (use our handy feeding calculator here). If your dog is significantly overweight, you’ll need to reduce their food intake slowly, in very small increments
- Once they reach their ideal weight, keep feeding your dog this amount
Our feeding calculator is a helpful tool, but you’ll also need to consider your dog’s breed, activity levels, and individual metabolism.
Don’t forget about exercise
It’s also important to ensure your dog is getting the physical exercise they need.
If your dog is severely overweight, start with a few short walks and build up their fitness. Swimming is also a great way to exercise bigger dogs, without adding extra pressure on their joints.
Sources:
- https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/08/17/low-fat-diet-for-dogs.aspx
- https://tinyurl.com/yc3r76fn
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1748-5827.1970.tb05621.x
- https://dogsfirst.ie/health-issues/feed-fat-dogs-fresh-not-less/
- https://www.darwinspet.com/health-issues/weight-loss-dogs/
