Weight Management in Dogs
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by Christine Daigler, DVM
It’s that time again, the birds are singing, the sun is out, and it is time to worry about those extra pounds that we as well as our 4 legged furry friends put on during the winter. We want to start an exercise program but don’t know where to start. Dogs are like people. The more they eat and the less they exercise, their weight increases. Starting an exercise program is important to our health as well as it is to our pets. Exercising consistently is very important too. The first thing we need to decide, is our pet overweight? What is our dog’s Body condition Score or BCS? There are various scales to determine this, but I prefer the BCS 1-9 scale designed by Purina.
The ideal BCS is 4-5. This is where the ribs can be felt, there is a waist, but the back bone is not easily felt. Most dogs do not fit into this category. So here are a few tips to get our dogs down to the ideal weight and staying there.
First, decreasing the food by 10% can help decrease those excess calories. I do not recommend doing more than that in the beginning. You want to start off slow, and not make them feel like they are too hungry. That can lead them to bad behaviors such as getting into the trash, jumping on the counter, or trying to steal your dinner, to name a few.
The second is starting an exercise program. Walking at least three times a week and then increasing their activity from there is important. You don’t want to start off too quickly to create injuries. The pet’s body needs some time to adjust to a new program. Once they are acclimated to an exercise routine, the sky’s the limit. Walking, running, Frisbee, hiking, swimming, and agility are great ways to keep our furry friends healthy, fit, and out of trouble.
The third tip to success is to cut back on the treats. Most treats are empty calories and full of fat. When you are supplementing their food with treats they are consuming too many calories in one day. Vegetables such as carrots are a good treat without the high calories. But PLEASE stay away from grapes and raisins for they are toxic to animals.
Once the weight has come off and your dog is out there running the agility courses in light speed, it is important to make sure that not too much weight has come off. When they are very active they can require more calories. Go back to the BCS intermittently to make sure things are looking good. If your pet is losing weight too quickly, go back to the original amount you were feeding. If we can keep our 4 legged friends lean and healthy they will be in our lives longer with less health problems in the future.
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Note from Online Dog Coach
When using extra treats for training, make sure you decrease their meals accordingly. We recommend high-quality treats and foods found at specialty pet stores.
About the Author
Dr. Christine Daigler Graduated from Colorado State University and has been practicing in the Denver area for the last 10 years. She now owns her own mobile practice that offers routine veterinary care as well as at home hospice for terminally ill pets and in-home euthanasia. Feel free to visit her website at A Peaceful Passage. She can be contacted at 303-948-1540.