How to Help a Dog with Overweight
Obesity is a common problem in dogs, but you can help your pet lose weight. Identifying the causes and following the Total Weight Management Program can reduce and maintain weight in a controlled manner. The Total Weight Management Program includes animal evaluation, educating pet owners, behavior modification, and tailoring the program to each individual’s situation quoted from winchesterrawstore.
Definition and Causes, and Factors Contributing to Dog Obesity
Obesity is defined as an increase in body weight, beyond the limits of skeletal and physical requirements, resulting from excessive accumulation of body fat.
Obesity occurs when calories in exceed calories out. This means a dog eats more energy (calories) than it uses and stores that excess energy as fat.
There are many factors that can cause obesity:
• Overfeeding
• Not active
• Descendants
• Age and gender
• Castration status
• Blood Sugar Disease
• Hyperadrenocorticism
• Hypothyroidism
• Owner’s Body Weight
Fats, Fiber, and Fatty Acids in Your Dog’s Weight Loss Program
Fat
• Dogs use fat as their primary energy source.
• Foods that replace some fat with highly digestible carbohydrates provide good low-calorie alternatives. Easily digestible carbohydrates contain fewer calories than half the same amount of fat and still have digestible fiber.
Fiber and Fatty Acids
• Normal fiber levels in fermentable fiber sources are essential in assisting and maintaining a healthy gut especially for dogs on a Weight Loss Program.
• Some weight loss products for dogs reduce calories with high levels of fiber. High fiber foods can reduce digestion and absorption of many nutrients, including fat. These foods reduce weight by providing what could be considered poor nutrition. These high-fiber foods can also cause bulky stools and more frequent urination, as well as decreased skin and coat condition.
• Foods with a fatty acid regulatory profile maintain healthy pet skin and coat, despite lower fat content.
Carbohydrates and Specific Ingredients in Your Dog’s Weight Loss Program
Carbohydrates and Special Ingredients
• Giving foods containing carbohydrates such as corn, cereal, and/or barley can lower blood sugar and insulin levels compared to foods containing rice as the main carbohydrate source. Lowering blood sugar and insulin levels can also help maintain ideal body weight.
Additionally, foods containing L-Carnitine can help dogs burn fat. L-Carnitine is a vitamin-like compound that helps burn fat.
Your Dog’s Weight Loss Should Be Gradual
• The goal of a good Weight Loss Management Program is gradual weight loss. This is especially important in cats, as strict nutritional restrictions can lead to hepatic lipidosis (abnormal fat accumulation in the liver).
• Dogs should lose 1 to 2% of their initial weight per week.
• A good way to start a weight loss program is to reduce calorie intake and switch to a weight control or fat reduction formula. Dogs and cats that do not respond quickly should be taken to a veterinarian for a special weight loss program.
The Total Weight Management Program can be successful in reducing weight in obese dogs. A complete evaluation by a Veterinarian is always recommended, and Owner compliance is critical to success.
IAMS™ and professional veterinary products provide optimal nutritional benefits for animals undergoing a Weight Management Program.