Feeding Management

When considering the management of canine obesity, the primary component that must be considered is what the animal's nutrition is. Before initiating weight loss programs, it is important to seek out a veterinary professional. They will work with you to find the best way to help your animal reduce their weight, taking into account your individual dog's age, sex, activity level, breed, current body condition, and so on. Here is a compiled list of feeding practices that can help with obesity management and weight loss.

OM diets, are formulated with different nutrient compositions compared to standard diets.
Typically contain higher protein, higher fibre, lower fat, and feed additives such as L-carnitine and natural flavourings.
- Higher protein ensures muscle mass is maintained.
- Higher fibre increases bulk in the diet, which will decrease your dog's appetite and keep them feeling full for longer.
- Lower fat reduces the energy content in the diet.
- L-carnitine optimizes the use of fatty acids in the body, reducing their deposition into fat tissues.
- Natural flavourings ensure your dog enjoys the taste of their meals!
We recommend feeding your dog commercial food that has been formulated based on AAFCO.
- AAFCO stands for The Association of American Feed Control Officials. AAFCO is used by pet food companies when formulating balanced diets, to ensure the complete nutrient needs of your animal are met.

Consistent feeding schedules refer to serving two to four meals throughout the day to your animal, rather than 'free-feeding'.
- Free-feeding is the continuous supply of feed to your animal throughout the day.
- An example of a feeding schedule would be feeding breakfast at 7:00 in the morning and dinner at 6:00 in the evening.
Having scheduled meals allows you to monitor the amount of food consumed by your animal in the day.
- Not only with this help you stay on track with the weight loss program, but knowing your animals feed intake can help detect illness early on - since an early warning sign of disease can often be a reduced appetite.

The key component to weight loss is creating a negative energy balance, compared to the positive energy balance that allows for fat deposition and overweightness.
Using the feeding guidelines on the package of commercial feeds is a great place to start understanding the quantity of food that is recommended for your dog, based on their weight.
It is recommended to use precise measuring cups, rather than scoops that allow for heaping portions.
- Even better would be the use of a scale, that allows for very precise measurements in the unit of grams.
- Every extra amount of food given to your dog could be contributing to the problem, so be exact with the portions of food given at each meal to prevent overfeeding.

As said already, the main objective of weight loss is to reduce caloric content
Treat giving undeniably has the good intentions of rewarding your dog. However, it is important to recognize that treats may be contributing to caloric surplus in your animal, resulting in weight gain.
- So, reducing the amount of treats you give to your animal is an important step in your weight loss efforts.
Dogs have a very different body composition and size compared to humans, and different caloric requirements as a result. What may seem like only a little bit of human food can actually be a large amount of calories for your dog.
- In addition, human food can be toxic to your dog, cause digestive upset, and encourage unwanted behaviours such as begging
- Hill's has two great sections on their website that may help you get a better understanding of the amount of calories certain foods are relative to your dog:
  - https://www.hillspet.com/pet-care/nutrition-feeding/human-food-treat-translator
  - https://www.hillspet.com/pet-care/nutrition-feeding/pet-calorie-converter

Swapping packaged, processed treats for whole foods makes for a great opportunity to reduce weight gain while still giving them treats - which is something your dog loves to receive, and you love to give.
Feeding whole foods provides nutritional value to your dog, such as vitamins and minerals, and they often include fibre, which will help your dog feel full and satiated.
Here are some options for treat replacers:
- Broccoli pieces
- Green beans
- Popcorn (unsalted and unbuttered)
- Cooked sweet potato
- Carrots
Yes, these are some healthy alternatives to typical animal treats. But that does not mean they should be given in excess; moderation is still required!

The calorie requirements of your dog are dependent on factors including age, size, activity level, breed, and physical conditions. With differences in calorie requirements in every dog, there are also differences in the amount of food every dog needs.
- There are many resources out there for feeding guidelines of dogs, typically containing information on the weight of the dog, the type of dog food (wet, dry, or mix), and the age.
- You can calculate the basic calorie energy requirements of your dog at their target body weight through this calculation:
  - RER (resting energy requirement) in kcal/day = (target weight in kg ^ 0.75) x 70
  - This RER will be calculated by your veterinary professional. From this value. they will create a weight loss program that gradually reduces the calorie intake provided, to reduce your animal's weight.
- Here, we have simplified a chart designed by Pet Obesity Prevention, showing the daily calorie requirements for maintenance for dogs based on their weight.

With these calorie requirements, we can determine how much we should actually feed our dog.
- On a wet food diet, dogs should be fed 85 grams of wet food for every 1 - 1.5 kg of body weight.
- For example, if a can of wet food contains 630 grams of food, and your dog is 20 lbs (9 kg), you would feed your dog 1.2 cans of wet food a day.
- Below is a table showing how much in general you should feed your dog, when given a suitable dry food diet for their age and weight.
- It is simplified from Pedigree's own Guide for Dog Feeding Amount

It is important to recognize the importance of managing obesity,

Keeping your dog healthy through proper feed management is a lifelong commitment, that requires consistent effort, discipline, and motivation.
There is so much to gain by keeping your animal at a healthy weight and preventing obesity:
- An increased lifespan of your companion,
- A reduced risk of metabolic and musculoskeletal disorders,
- And a healthier, happier bond with your animal.

Exercise and Enrichment

So, what should I feed my dog?

The short and honest truth: Any reputable pet food should be fully packed with the essential nutrients needed. The most important factor is the AMOUNT!

Westbrook Veterinary Clinic carries pet food that is nutritious, backed by science, and affordable!

Shop at Westbrook Veterinary Clinic

References Association for Pet Obesity Prevention conducts survey. 2023. Petfood Industry. Available from: https://www.petfoodindustry.com/news-newsletters/pet-food-press-releases/press-release/15469809/association-for-pet-obesity-prevention-conducts-survey Bartges, J., Kushner, R.F., Michel, K.E., Sallis, R., Day, M.J., 2017. One Health solution to obesity in people and their pets. J. Comp. Pathol. 156:326-333. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcpa.2017.03.008 Cairns-Haylor, T., Fordyce, P., 2017. Mapping discussion of canine obesity between veterinary surgeons and dog owners: a provisional study. Vet. Rec. 180:149. https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.103878 Gossellin, J., Wren, J.A., and Sunderland, S.J., 2007. Canine obesity - an overview. J. Vet. Pharmacol. Ther. 30:1-10. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2885.2007.00863.x Kipperman, B.S., German, A.J., 2018. The responsibility of veterinarians to address companion animal obesity. Animals (Basel). 8:143. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani8090143 Kushner R.F., Blatner, D.J., Jewell, D.E., Rudloff, K., 2006. The PPET study: people and pets exercising together. Obesity. 14:1762-1770. https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2006.203 Mlacnick, E., Bockstahler, B.A., Muller, M., Tetrick, M.A., Nap, R.C., Zentek, J., 2006. Effects of caloric restriction and a moderate or intense physiotherapy program for treatment of lameness in overweight dogs with osteoarthritis. JAVMA. 229:1756-1760. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.229.11.1756 Weber, M., Bissot, T., Servet, E., Sergheraert, R., Biourge, V., German, A.J., 2007. A high-protein, high-fiber diet designed for weight loss improves satiety in dogs. J. Vet. Intern. Med. 21:1203-1208 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1939-1676.2007.tb01939.x Yam, P.S., Naughton, G., Butowski, C.F., Root, A.L., 2017. Inaccurate assessment of canine body condition score, bodyweight, and pet food labels: a potential cause of inaccurate feeding. Vet. Sci. 4:30. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci4020030

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Feeding Management

Paws N' Pounds Plan