Obesity and weight gain is a rapidly accelerating epidemic in the pet world. According to VCA Animal hospitals, 25-30% of dogs in the general population are considered to be obese, with 40-45% of dogs over the age of 5 being overweight. As pet owners, we all care about our animals and we want our dogs to be healthy. While no one intends for their dog to be obese, many pet owners unknowingly contribute to their dog becoming overweight through over feeding.
There’s a fine line between ideal body size in dogs and being overweight. Sometimes these subtle visual cues are overlooked by owners. While using a scale to weigh your dog is a good starting point, it can sometimes be inaccurate as dogs do not always fall within “the standard” weight for their breed, even if they are at a healthy weight. Where weighing your dog does come in handy is to record changes in their body weight. It is important for owners to keep an eye out for any rapid or progressional changes in weight gain or weight loss over time.
The best way to determine if your dog is overweight is through a visual and physical assessment using a body scoring system. Body condition score (BCS) is a number assigned to dogs based on evaluation of fat at a few key locations on their body. Generally, a lower number indicates that a dog is underweight and a higher number indicates obesity. Below is the BCS chart we use here at Kabo. What would you score your dog?
Here at Kabo, we know that dogs come in all shapes and sizes. We know that some of our pupstomers may be looking for some assistance in helping their dog lose a few pounds. Kabo uses only healthy, whole ingredients that are high in nutrients. We have created a number of diets that can be custom portioned to help your dog lose weight! Check out the diets we recommend for weight loss:
Our fresh chicken kibble is low in fat (only 10%!) and is still absolutely scrumptious. There is also a great balance of extra fruits and vegetables for added fibre to help keep your pup full throughout the day.
Our fresh turkey and salmon kibble is a grain free diet, which means that it is packed with fibre and low in sugars. Grain free carbohydrates like peas and lentils also provide an extra source of low fat protein.
If you’re looking for a fresh food option for weight loss, our fresh-cooked chicken recipe is the way to go. It is low in fat compared to other fresh food options and is specifically portioned to your dog’s caloric needs!
One of the biggest reasons why there are so many overweight dogs today is because of overfeeding. We all love to treat our dogs and give them a little extra snack or an extra helping of food. Unfortunately, this extra intake of calories is having a negative impact on many dogs.
According to a recent survey Kabo conducted on obesity in pets, it was found that most pet owners use a standardized scoop or measuring cup to feed their dogs. This is one way that pet owners are accidentally overfeeding their dogs. While the dogs are getting a consistent quantity of food, the scoop may be more food than they actually need.
There are many different factors that go into determining how much food a dog gets, such as activity level, sex, size and age. It can be a little confusing trying to determine how many calories your dog needs in a day and how much to feed them. Fortunately, Kabo is here to help! Kabo customizes and portions out your dog’s food based on your dog’s custom profile.
It’s no secret that one of the major factors in weight loss and living a healthy life is through a balance of good, nutritious food. Dog’s benefit greatly from a diet with wholesome, digestible ingredients.
A fatty diet will inevitably make your dog a little chunky. The more fat that is in your dog’s food means that there are more calories that your dog is consuming. A high calorie diet is fine for those high activity dogs who are running and working but for the average companion dog, a high fat diet does them no favours while they are lounging on the couch. For the best weight loss results, we suggest looking for a diet that is less than 15% crude fat dry matter.
If you are concerned about your dog gaining weight, look for a diet with lean sources of protein like chicken or turkey. While tasty and good for picky eaters, protein sources like beef and lamb tend to have a higher fat and calorie content. It is also important to look at the added sources of fat like chicken fat, tallow and oils.
Fibre is a type of carbohydrate that helps with digestion and keeping your dog full. Fibre is digested more slowly than other carbohydrates like starches and stays in the gut for longer. This means that your dog will stay full and won’t be begging for extra snacks!
Unlike fibre, high starch ingredients like cornmeal and wheat flour can also contribute to spikes in blood sugar and extra weight gain. Look for ingredients like flaxseed, peas, lentils, and chickpeas for an extra kick of digestible fibre in your dog’s meal.
Weight loss is a battle for everyone, even dogs. A great way to start is by body condition scoring your dog to determine if weight loss is something they need. If you find that they are on the chunky side, consider redistricting the amount of food and treats you’re feeding them and switch them over to a low fat, high fibre diet. Don’t forget, Kabo is here to help!
