Obesity in Dogs. Why We Should Care

Obesity in Dogs and Why We Should Care

Being overweight and obesity is a growing concern for dogs worldwide, with its prevalence occurring in 34% to 59% (Linder, 2014) of dogs. This condition poses significant health risks, including increased markers of inflammation, which elevate the chances of cardiovascular disease, exacerbate joint stress, and promote lethargy (Marchi et al., 2014). Obesity also heightens the risk of diet-related illnesses like diabetes and can reduce life expectancy.

As pets depend on their owners for care, ensuring a balanced diet tailored to their lifestyle is essential. The key contributor to obesity in dogs is overfeeding, often due to a lack of clear guidance on pet food labelling and limited understanding of canine nutritional needs. Many owners inadvertently feed their pets beyond their daily caloric requirements, leading to weight gain and associated health complications.

Fostering a healthy relationship between owners and pets begins with education about proper feeding practices and understanding on nutritional profiles of food and what their pets truly need to thrive.

Understanding Pet Food

Dogs, much like humans, require healthy, non-processed foods for optimal functionality. Commercial kibbles are often subjected to high-heat processing, which can degrade the nutritional profile, leaving behind carbohydrates that are hard to digest and may not provide the necessary nutrients for overall health (Tvarijonaviciute, Muñoz-Prieto, & Martinez-Subiela, 2020). The rise of raw foods has put into perspective the current industry downfalls in pet nutrition. Balancing kibble with fresh, raw foods is an excellent approach to mimicking a dog's natural diet, ensuring they receive a more complete range of nutrients that are essential for health and vitality.

Utilising raw foods provides variety for your dog but also a holistic diet with less processed foods. Changing your dog’s diet by even 10% (Rodney & Habib, 2021) has been shown to reduce weight, increased energy and improve digestion and mobility.

Treats also play a significant role in a dog's daily calorie intake. Many pet owners may overlook how treats can contribute to excess calorie consumption, leading to weight gain. Monitoring both the quantity of food and the calories from treats can make a substantial difference in maintaining a healthy weight for pets.

The Role of Supplements 

Supplements are essential in ensuring that pets meet their full nutritional needs, particularly when dietary gaps arise due to seasonal variations or changes in food production. While kibble and raw food diets provide a solid base of vitamins and nutrients, they may not always cover every requirement, especially during times when ingredients fluctuate in availability or quality. Providing a well-rounded supplement helps fill these gaps, supporting your pet's overall health and boosting their chances for successful weight loss by improving metabolic efficiency.

Incorporating the right supplements can also enhance energy levels and contribute to maintaining a healthy coat, joints, and immune system. However, it's important to choose supplements that complement the existing diet and are appropriate for your pet's specific needs, as excessive supplementation can lead to imbalances.

Calculating your dog’s energy requirements 

Every dog is different and therefore their required energy will differ. Calculating the number of calories your dog needs is an imperative part in determining their weight loss diet plan. We base the number of calories required off their Resting Energy Requirement (RER). This is the base calories required each day to fulfill optimal function for their organs and cellular tissues. To get the RER for each animal we use the following equation:

Resting Energy Requirement (RER) = 70 x (Ideal Body Weight)0.75

Once this has been determined, your pet’s diet should be specifically tailored to these energy requirements to ensure we aren’t over OR under feeding them. However, we also need to determine their activity level and account for any additional/reduction in calories. 

What is a Body Condition Score?

Body Condition Scores (BCS) are a method to determine if your pet is within an ideal range for healthy body fat and we base this scale off two factors, visual and feeling. Typically, they are measured on a 5- or 9-point scale with 3/5 or 5/9 being ideal (Chun et al., 2019).

Methods for seeing if your dog has a healthy amount of fat are as follows:

1. Look at your dog from a top view and see if their waist tappers in behind the ribs 

2. Look from a side view – does their tummy sag down or does it lift behind the ribs toward the hind legs

3. Feel for their ribs – can you easily feel them?

VCA Animal Hospitals has a great trick to figure out exactly how to know what to feel for:

“A good comparison is feeling the knuckles of your hand: too thin is the feeling of the knuckles with your hand closed in a fist; too much fat is the feel of your knuckles on the underside or palm side of your hand; and ideal is feeling the knuckles when your hand is resting on a flat surface.” – (VCA Animal Hospitals, n.d.)

If your dog is leaning towards the higher end of the scale, evaluation of their diet and exercise routine is a possible requirement. 

How to Feed a Weight Loss Diet 

Feeding a weight loss diet can be tricky but following this simple process reduces the stress of helping your pet be healthier. 

Sourced: Hand, M. S., Zicker, S. C., & Novotny, B. (2011). Small animal clinical nutrition quick consult (Chapter 14- Obesity) Topeka, Kansas: Mark Morris Institute.

1. Begin with weighing your pet and establishing a starting point 

2. Check in at 2 weeks to see if there is any change in your pet’s weight

3. If their weight hasn’t changed by 0.5-2% time to change up their diet, reduce their daily intake and increase their exercise 

4. Recheck every two weeks to monitor for changes 

5. Your pet is on a steady path to reaching a healthy life, keep up the program until they reach ideal weight

When feeding your pet their meals should be broken into 2-3 meals a day, smaller and more frequent is the best way to go (Rodney & Habib, 2021). This allows their digestive system to adequately cope with meals. 

The Role of Treats

Everyone loves to give their pet treats as a reward and as a form of positive enforcement to show love and affection. However, lots of treats are often fed multiple times a day to our furry friends, consuming many of their allocated daily calories leading to over feeding (Morelli et al., 2018).

Everyone enjoys giving their pets treats as a form of positive reinforcement, affection, and reward. However, many pet owners unknowingly overfeed their pets by giving multiple treats throughout the day, which can significantly contribute to exceeding their daily caloric intake (Calancea, Daina, & Macri, 2024). Excessive calorie consumption from treats, on top of their regular meals, can lead to obesity and related health issues like joint strain, diabetes, and heart disease (Tvarijonaviciute, Muñoz-Prieto, & Martinez-Subiela, 2020). It's essential to monitor the number of treats given and understand that they should make up only a small portion of a pet's total daily calorie intake.

Calancea, B. A., Daina, S., & Macri, A. (2024). The science of snacks: a review of dog treats. Frontiers in Animal Science, 5, 1440644.

Instead of offering high-fat treats, using your pet's regular food as a form of enrichment is an excellent strategy for supporting weight loss. By incorporating puzzle mats, food-dispensing toys, or hiding meals for your pet to find, you provide mental stimulation and physical activity, both of which contribute to weight management (Schneck, 2010). This approach not only keeps your pet engaged but also encourages more natural foraging behaviours, which can help burn extra calories. Additionally, these enrichment methods can improve your pet’s overall well-being by reducing stress and anxiety, which are often associated with overeating.

Research indicates that food enrichment helps slow down eating speed, promotes healthier eating habits, and can even improve a pet's mood by providing a purposeful activity. By substituting calorie-dense treats with these more engaging meal options, you can make your pet's weight loss journey both enjoyable and effective.

The Role of Exercise 

Exercise plays a critical role in pet weight management, especially for dogs. Regular physical activity helps burn calories, maintain muscle mass, and promote healthy metabolism, which are all essential components of weight management (Linder & Mueller, 2014). A simple walk is an excellent way to buffer a dogs calorie intake while still maintaining a weight loss program.

One of the most effective forms of exercise for pets is walking, which not only helps with weight loss but also provides mental stimulation and strengthens the bond between pet and owner. For particularly overweight dogs, slowly extended walks by 5min allows for the ability to add movement without overexerting the animal in one go (Hand, Zicker, & Novotny, 2011).

Beyond just calorie expenditure, exercise also supports a healthy gut microbiome, which can play a role in managing obesity and other health conditions (You & Kim, 2021). It's important to tailor exercise routines to a pet's age, breed, and fitness level, ensuring that the activities are enjoyable and sustainable for long-term health benefits.

How to Maintain Healthy Weight

Once your pet has reached a healthy weight, now is the time to keep it off. The best ways for keeping your pet happy and healthy are maintaining their diet at the desired caloric intake, ensuring old habits of overfeeding aren’t restarted. Keeping up exercise and following the following outline will all aid in keeping your pet happy and healthy. 

Sourced: Hand, M. S., Zicker, S. C., & Novotny, B. (2011). Small animal clinical nutrition quick consult (Chapter 14- Obesity) Topeka, Kansas: Mark Morris Institute

Example Diets

Diets will differ on your dog’s age, breed, RER and daily exercise. Here we provide an example of a diet for a small (<14kg), medium (14-28kg) and large (>28kg) dog that may be sitting on the higher end of their healthy weight bracket with the aim of being towards the middle. These diets have been formulated to the standards form AAFCO meeting all nutritional requirements for a functioning healthy dog. It is important in a weight loss diet to reduce the calorie intake while still meeting the vitamin and mineral limits for your pet. 

Small Adult Dog 

Prepared Weight (Approx) = 300g

Total kcal Prepped = 326 kcal

kcal / g prepped diet = 1.11kcal / g

Medium Adult Dog 

Prepared Weight (Approx) = 544g

Total kcal Prepped = 515 kcal

kcal / g prepped diet = 1.22 kcal / g

Large Adult Dog 

Prepared Weight (Approx) = 889g

Total kcal Prepped = 750 kcal

kcal / g prepped diet = 1.01 kcal / g

References:

Calancea, B. A., Daina, S., & Macri, A. (2024). The science of snacks: A review of dog treats. Frontiers in Animal Science, 5, 1440644.

Chun, J. L., Bang, H. T., Ji, S. Y., Jeong, J. Y., Kim, M., Kim, B., ... & Kim, K. H. (2019). A simple method to evaluate body condition score to maintain the optimal body weight in dogs. Journal of Animal Science and Technology, 61(6), 366.

Hand, M. S., Zicker, S. C., & Novotny, B. (2011). Small animal clinical nutrition quick consult. Mark Morris Institute.

Hand, M. S., Zicker, S. C., & Novotny, B. (2011). Small animal clinical nutrition quick consult (Chapter 14 - Obesity). Topeka, Kansas: Mark Morris Institute.

Linder, D., & Mueller, M. (2014). Pet obesity management: Beyond nutrition. Veterinary Clinics: Small Animal Practice, 44(4), 789-806.

Marchi, P. H., Vendramini, T. H., Perini, M. P., Zafalon, R. V., Amaral, A. R., Ochamotto, V. A., ... & Brunetto, M. A. (2022). Obesity, inflammation, and cancer in dogs: Review and perspectives. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 9, 1004122.

Morelli, G., Fusi, E., Tenti, S., Serva, L., Marchesini, G., Diez, M., & Ricci, R. (2018). Study of ingredients and nutrient composition of commercially available treats for dogs. Veterinary Record, 182(12), 351-351.

Rodney, R., & Habib, K. (2021). The forever dog: Surprising new science to help your canine companion live younger, healthier, and longer. Harper Wave.

Schneck, P. (2010). Home prepped dog & cat diets (2nd ed.). ISBN 978-0-8138-0119-3.

Tvarijonaviciute, A., Muñoz-Prieto, A., & Martinez-Subiela, S. (2020). Obesity in humans and dogs: Similarities, links, and differences. In M. Pastorinho & A. Sousa (Eds.), Pets as sentinels, forecasters and promoters of human health. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30734-9_8

VCA Animal Hospitals. (n.d.). Body condition scores. Retrieved from https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/body-condition-scores

You, I., & Kim, M. J. (2021). Comparison of gut microbiota of 96 healthy dogs by individual traits: Breed, age, and body condition score. Animals, 11(8), 2432.