How to Help a Dog Lose Weight: 7 Effective Methods

According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, over half of dogs in the United States are obese or overweight. Just like in humans, obesity can lead to a variety of health problems as dogs age. These can range from painful joint conditions to more serious conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

To prevent these problems and keep dogs at a healthy weight, veterinarians may recommend weight loss for dogs. If you’re wondering how to help a dog lose weight—and do it safely—we’ve rounded up some effective methods and tips. But first it helps to understand more about what causes obesity in dogs and how excessive fat can impact your pet’s health.

Understanding Obesity in Dogs

Obesity in dogs is caused by excess body fat. Dogs that weigh more than 30 percent of their ideal weight are generally defined as obese. Veterinarians use body condition scores (which are similar to BMI measurements in humans) and breed standards to determine the ideal weight for a dog. 

Overweight Dogs: How it Impacts Health

Excessive fat on a dog is not just a cosmetic problem—obesity comes with significant health consequences. In fact, obesity is likely the greatest health threat that dogs face. We now know that obesity is an inflammatory and hormonal disease, and is linked to many diseases in dogs, including osteoarthritis, cancer, kidney disease, urinary tract problems, underactive thyroid, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and liver disease. 

The good news is that you can drastically reduce your dog’s risk of most of these diseases and live longer, healthier, and more pain-free through proper diet, exercise, and weight management. 

7 Ways to Help Your Dog Lose Weight

Fortunately, if your dog is carrying around extra weight, it is fairly straightforward and simple to help your dog slim down. Here are seven tips to get you started. 

Ask Your Vet for Target Weight and Daily Calories

You know your dog needs to lose weight, but how many pounds? And how much should you be feeding your dog every day? This is where your vet’s knowledge comes in. Don’t hesitate to ask your vet for a healthy dog weight, and how many calories you should be feeding your dog every day to facilitate weight loss. This calorie amount includes dog food and any treats the dog receives during the day. You can also calculate calories yourself (but it is much easier to ask your vet).

Do Monthly Weigh-Ins

Just like Weight Watchers, you need to see your dog shed pounds to feel successful and make sure you are on the right track. Most veterinary clinics will let you come by and weigh your dog for free, and keep a record of their weight loss journey. If you have a small dog, you can always check progress at home by weighing yourself while holding your dog, then weighing yourself alone and subtracting to get your dog’s weight. However, your vet office may have a more accurate scale. Most healthy dogs should be able to reach their target weight within 3-6 months.

Use a Weight Management Dog Food

It is a good idea to switch your dog to a veterinarian-recommended weight management dog food instead of just restricting the amount of their regular food. This is because restricting a maintenance food leads to imbalances in micronutrients. Instead, switch to a low-calorie, low-fat, and high-fiber diet that is designed for weight loss to ensure your dog does not develop an imbalanced nutritional state. 

Many veterinarians prefer to use therapeutic foods that have been clinically proven to facilitate rapid, safe weight loss in dogs, such as Hill’s Prescription Diet Metabolic Weight Management Dog Food or Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets OM Overweight Management Dog Food.

However, depending on your dog’s specific weight management needs, your budget, or your preferences, your veterinarian might suggest an over-the-counter weight loss food like Hill’s Science Diet Perfect Weight Dog Food or Purina Pro Plan Weight Management Dog Food, instead.

In addition to feeding your dog the weight loss diet your veterinarian recommends, you can make easy changes to your pet’s feeding routine to help them keep the weight off.  For example, if your dog eats their food too quickly and then begs for more, try giving them their food in a food puzzle or slow feeder bowl.

Discover more veterinarian-approved weight management dog food options, along with the pros and cons of each formula, here.

Weigh Your Pet’s Food

Using a measuring cup to measure pet food turns out to be fairly inaccurate, and feeding even a kibble or two extra each day to a small dog can sabotage your weight loss goals. This is why it is most accurate to weigh the food daily on a gram scale. Again, you will need your veterinarian’s expertise. Just tell them that you weigh your dog’s food, and you would like to know how much, in grams, to feed each day. Your veterinarian will need to know the exact brand of food you are feeding to calculate the amount to feed. 

Give Low-Calorie Treats

While you are restricting your dog’s calories, it still might be an important part of your bond to feed your dog treats. You don’t have to stop feeding treats, but instead of choosing high calorie milk bones, give your dog raw or cooked veggies. Many dogs love veggies like carrots, cucumber, zucchini, and green beans. You can also give berries and apple slices in moderation. 

If your dog prefers commercial treats, look for low-calorie, high-fiber options. There are even dog treats that are specially formulated to help your dog lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, such as Nutrisentials Lean Treats or Hill’s Prescription Diet Metabolic Treats.

Just remember that 90 percent of a dog’s daily calories should come from their dog food, so limit treats to no more than 10 percent of their daily calorie target. 

If your dog is used to getting more treats than your calorie budget will allow, here’s a helpful tip: Break your dog’s treats up into smaller bits. So, for example, if you normally give your dog a biscuit four times a day, you can switch that to four biscuit halves. It’s an easy way to treat your dog and keep them from feeling deprived without going over your calorie target. 

Walk for Weight Loss

Taking your dog on a brisk 30-minute walk every day can boost calorie burn, reduce behavioral problems including begging, and improve heart health and immune function. Commit to 30 minutes daily of low-impact cardio with your dog, rain or shine. It will be good for you both! You can even train a dog to walk on a treadmill if there is inclement weather or play indoor fetch or other games. 

Supplement for Weight Loss

Talk with your veterinarian to see if they would recommend any nutritional supplements to help assist your dog’s weight loss efforts.

L-carnitine, an amino acid derivative, has been shown to facilitate weight loss and promote muscle building. Many weight loss dog foods contain L-carnitine, but it can also be added to your dog’s diet with a supplement like LiquiCarn. 

Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish oil, have also been shown to facilitate weight loss and reduce inflammation. They can also help dogs that have arthritis pain feel better, so supplementing your dog’s daily diet with an Omega-3 and Vitamin Supplement could offer multiple benefits. 

Always check with your veterinarian before starting any supplements to make sure they are the right choice to support your dog’s overall health and do not cause any imbalances that would derail their weight loss efforts.

Weight Loss Safety for Dogs

It is always a good idea to get your dog checked out by a veterinarian to make sure there aren’t any underlying conditions, like Cushing’s or hypothyroidism, that can make it very difficult for dogs to lose excess weight. Your vet can also make sure your dog is healthy enough for an exercise program, and ensure that any pain from osteoarthritis that might make your dog reluctant to move is controlled. 

If you are changing your dog’s food, do so gradually. Introducing a new food too quickly can cause stomach upset, leading to diarrhea, nausea, and possible refusal of the new food. 

Start any new exercise routine slowly, even with healthy dogs. As long as your dog is healthy, you can use the following guidelines from the Association of Pet Obesity Prevention for a safe dog exercise program:

• Week 1: 10 minutes brisk walk, 20 minutes casual pace (to allow for the sniffing on the way home)
• Week 2: 15 minutes brisk walk, 15 minutes casual pace
• Week 3: 20 minutes brisk walk, 10 minutes casual pace
• Week 4: 30 minutes brisk walk, 5-10 minutes casual/cool down

You don’t need a warm-up at the beginning unless your dog is stiff when they start out. Otherwise, just go for it! If you are walking your dog in cold winter weather, jackets and protective booties may be needed. If you are exercising in the heat, try to time walks during the cooler parts of the day. Use caution in temperatures over 80 degrees. Pavement can become much warmer than surrounding air temperatures when warmed by the sun, and temperatures over 80 degrees can increase heat stress. Avoid walking very old, sick, or brachycephalic (smush-face) dogs in the heat.