I have a reputation among my friends and family for telling people that their dogs are overweight – so it may come as a surprise that I have been struggling for a few months to reduce my dog Woody’s weight. He turned 8 years old in November, and it was about that time that I first noticed he was looking a little pudgy. Viewed from above, he still has an indented waist, but he’s just thicker everywhere than he used to be. A recent trip to the vet and a formal weigh-in confirmed what I already knew but had been in denial about: He weighs too much! I need to get about 8 pounds off of his now-80-pound body.
Recently, I switched his food to a couple of lower-fat, lower-calorie products, and I’ve cut back the amount I am feeding him. I’m also making an effort to get us out for more walks (I have been struggling with weight gain, too!). I’ve also been pointedly using smaller treats for training and reinforcing his recalls and other good-manners behaviors on walks. But his weight has been staying stubbornly the same.
And, like many owners, I’ve noticed that my dieting dog is becoming increasingly food-obsessed. He clearly feels hungrier on the smaller portions.
My latest idea is to switch both dogs (Woody and Boone, whose weight is ideal) to once-a-day feeding, which has enabled me to cut their total daily portion size much more dramatically while increasing the size of the one meal per day they are eating. We’ve been at this trial for a week so far, and I must say, both dogs are taking the switch to the new regimen very well; they aren’t making a nuisance of themselves at their former dinnertime.
There is some evidence for the benefits of once-a-day feeding; I just hadn’t tried it before, as (again, like most owners), I enjoy feeding my dogs a meal when the family eats. And I should note that the study that provided information about those benefits also noted that because some of the dogs in the study may have been fed once a day for varying lengths of time, the researchers “cannot rule out the possibility that dog owners shifted to more frequent feeding in response to health conditions, and observed associations are due in whole or part to reverse causality.”
Nevertheless, given the mountains of evidence for the benefits of intermittent fasting in humans, I’m going to maintain this schedule for at least a few months – and try to increase our exercise, too – and see if it helps me get some of those excess pounds off of my darling Woody.
If you’ve managed to reduce your dog’s weight to a healthier one, how did you do it? Share your dog-diet tips!
How about Ditch the Bowl? That is what I use to keep my dog’s weight under control and still be able to train as much as I want. Calculate the dog’s daily allowance and then dole it out situationally as reinforcement, behavioral modification, passive enrichment in lickey mats or kongs, etc. This has the added advantage of increasing the value of the food to the dog, as they are contrafreeloaders, and thus also the value to them of the behavior being rewarded and thus the likelihood it will be repeated.
Thank you Deirdre Doyle. You are absolutely right and I appreciate your clear explanation. Almost all neutered dogs invariably gain weight. I can usually tell if a dog is intact just by looking at its body shape and muscle tone. I also agree that real, unprocessed food is best, and has been shown to decrease the likelihood of bloat in large breed dogs. I’ve been feeding raw, once a day, for 23 years and never had an overweight dog, with the – yes, exceptions – of two who had to be neutered for medical reasons later in life. Both gained 10-13lbs and died a year later of bone cancer, which is another common outcome of neutering, but that’s another subject.
Has Woody’s thyroid been checked? Some dogs need
the more sensitive full panel with Dr. Gean Dodds? Her practice is called Hemopet.
Replying to Linda Wroth: Feeding one large meal a day (instead of smaller meals) has been associated with HIGHER rates of bloat (gastric dilation-volvulus). So if you have a breed or individual who is prone to bloat, more frequent and smaller meals is advised. See https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/health/bloat-in-dogs-is-deadly/
To keep dogs lean, feed real food, not highly processed food products such as kibble. “Diet” kibbles are often high in carbohydrates; high protein, low carb, and moderate fat foods are best. Don’t de-sex your dog, especially young. You can sterilize without removing gonads (ovaries or testicles). In most de-sexed dogs, metabolism and energy levels are adversely affected, and that makes sense as the reproductive system and the endocrine system are symbiotic (please don’t bother to tell me about your exceptions; the fallacy of exceptions is the bane of my existence). Letting a dog be overweight reduces his/her lifespan and increases his/her cancer risks, as well as risks of orthopedic bad development and susceptibility to orthopedic injuries, especially if they are de-sexed.
My husband and I adopted a husky mix that was dumped in our neighborhood about 2 years ago. He was very lean and was living off the land, we suspect. This tip offers an exercise tip, rather than a feeding regimen. We are both approaching 70 and this dog was obviously less than 2 and very active … LOVES to run. Though we walked him multiple times a day, he still had pent up energy, since we have no fenced yard for him. Neither of us is a jogger, and my husband’s efforts to run Gus on a leash while riding a bike ended in the unfortunate way I predicted (husband in the road with dog still pulling). After months of living with a hyper dog, we bought a golf cart. He runs beside us now: minimum of 4 miles a day, up to 8. We live on a lake and there is a loop around it, so we head out every morning and every night. His husky heritage means he loves to wear a harness and pull; he sometimes runs so fast he’s actually pulling the cart. It is such a joy to watch him dig in and “gallop” along; he clearly adores the whole process. We do not have any weight issues with him (he’s at an ideal weight of 60 lbs) and I believe that is because we discovered the perfect exercise for him.
Just skimmed the article you referenced and wonder if once-a-day feeding would be recommended for breeds prone to bloat. Any thoughts about this?
My 9 year old female Lab/Golden was starting to look like a sausage. My 4 year old Lab is allergic to chicken. I had 2 different dry foods (one with no chicken and one low-fat) and also bought assorted canned foods. Our integrative vet gave me recipes to make their food. I now buy one bag of high quality kibble (no chicken) and make wet food and freeze it in containers that hold a day’s worth of food. Both dogs love it, look great and it is really not that hard to make. My female hates veggies but I put in organic blueberries (great antioxidents) and sweet potatoes (not regular potatoes) and she devours it.
My 9 yr 8 mo. old Am Staff has not fluctuated weight since he was ~1 1/2 yrs. old. He eats a commercial raw diet with a few treats daily, no veggies (he won’t touch them). He eats breakfast at 6:30 am, dinner is 3:30 pm on most days, and 7 pm on days I work. He and I live alone, so no kids or spouses sharing pizza . One thing that I am sure has an effect: he is NOT neutered, something not taken into account in the study.
To reduce our dogs weight, we cut the amount, but added green beans and broccoli (blanched for 2 minutes if fresh – defrosted if frozen) so they felt as if they were getting the same amount. Also used the green beans and broccoli as treats.