Obese dogs are increasingly becoming a problem in the US. Luckily, controlling your obese dog’s diet is much easier than controlling your own! Just as for humans, the treatment for obese dogs is more exercise and less food.

Make sure your obese dog is getting the exercise he needs.

   Not only will a daily walk help his weight, but regular exercise can prevent many of the painful and expensive to treat ailments that frequently occur as a dog ages. Exercise in a large backyard is not enough for an obese dog—instead, obese dogs need you as a “personal trainer” to help them get the exercise they need.

Cutting back on food is even easier.
   But you should avoid “weight management” labeled food: many times the calories are lowered in food labeled for obese dogs by adding fillers like sawdust (masquerading as “plant cellulose” in the ingredients list). Instead, feed a premium quality food with no corn, wheat, or corn or wheat by-products listed in the ingredients list (All Science Diet, Iams, Purina, and Eukanuba foods should be avoided for this reason) and which has a meat listed as one of the top 3 ingredients. Feed a smaller portion of this higher quality food and your dog will begin to noticeably slim down in a few weeks. If your obese dog still seems hungry after finishing his food you can try adding handfuls of chopped carrots or any other vegetable the dog likes to add volume but not calories without adding calories.

 

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