If your dog is overweight then he/she is either eating too much or too much of the wrong kind of food, or, not getting enough exercise, or, a combination of both.
A structured diet for your dog, plus an exercise plan should be enough to do the trick and bring its weight down. The first thing to remember is not to feed your dog table scraps or junk food of any kind. This is tantamount to killing with kindness - it will put weight on and become a habit that, once established, can be hard to break.
Before starting on a weight loss regime it is a good idea to weigh your dog and then to do this every couple of weeks to check on progress. If you don't have scales at home then most vets have scales in the waiting room where you can weigh your pet free of charge.
Establish two or three set mealtimes per day rather than leave food down all the time. Use a measured scoop for dried foods, and give only the recommended amount.Try adding hot water to kibble, just enough to cover, and leave for ten minutes before serving. The kibble will absorb the water and swell. This makes the dog feel fuller for the same amount of food, and avoids stomach cramps that can occur from dried food expanding in the stomach.
There are two basic ways to cut down on calories for your dog. One is to feed less of the food your dog is normally eating, whilst the second is to alter the diet by feeding more protein, more fibre, and less carbohydrate. This can be achieved by giving your dog more lean meat, preferably some raw or home-cooked meat like chicken rather than tinned dog food that contains all sorts of rubbish, plus some special commercial weight loss diet meal. Premium dog foods like Wellness and Hill's Science Diet are a little more expensive, but they supply better nutrition with less calories. Many dogs won't eat vegetables but some will if they are covered with meat gravy .
Remember that to lose weight your dog must take in fewer calories than it uses so you need to be sure you are feeding the right amount for the dog's age and size. It is important to maintain protein in the diet to prevent loss of lean muscle mass.
The other part in the weight loss equation is exercise. Read on....
