Half of all family dogs in America are fat. Overweight dogs don’t live as long, have more health problems, and therefore have larger veterinary bills.
We, the humans in the family, are the first line of defense against canine obesity. This serious disease is a complex problem with many factors, some of which are beyond our control. But, in most cases it comes down to the amount of calories consumed through food and treats compared to the amount of calories used by the dog in daily activities. It is a simple as calories in, calories out.
According to recent studies, many of us don’t realize our dogs are overweight. If you think your pup or adult dog is too heavy, chances are she is and you should probably reduce the number of calories you feed her while increasing the amount of daily exercise. To be sure, you should always consult with your veterinarian who can perform a body condition score evaluation.
Food and treats
Most of us feed our dogs once or twice a day, and many give treats throughout the day. Most snacks are not balanced and do not contain all the essential nutrients that dogs need to be at their best. Too many unbalanced treats can lead to nutrient deficiencies, especially with puppies. Two minerals to watch closely are calcium and zinc. Ideally, 90+% of the calories you feed your dog should come from a complete, balanced, minimally-processed, whole-food-based food.
Watching our dog’s weights starts when they are puppies, just like it does with human children. Overweight puppies usually grow up to become fat dogs. It is for this reason why the pet owner needs to be vigilant to prevent your puppy from gaining too much weight. If she starts to put on excessive weight, switching from a highly active to an active formulation may be warranted. In some instances, it may be appropriate to switch to a less active growth food (it is important that you not feed your puppy food which is designed for adults; they should only be fed foods specifically formulated for growth).
Many young adult dogs start to gain fat instead of muscle when they are fully grown and their activity level (thankfully in many cases!) starts to decrease. This is an especially dangerous time because they can gain unwanted pounds before we notice it. Overweight young adult dogs grow up to be fat older adult dogs, and, like obese puppies, have a greater likelihood of developing degenerative diseases such as arthritis. Don’t let this happen. Reduce the amount of calories you’re feeding before your dog gets fat. For example, switch from an energy-dense food which has lots of calories per cup, to a food with fewer calories per cup.
Decreasing calories no longer has to mean reducing the amount of food, and giving our dogs partially empty bowls of food, rather than the full bowls they are used to. Dogs are smart; they know when a bowl is not full, and how to guilt us into feeding them more. “Hey Mom, what’s with the empty bowl?”
We formulated Humankind® Dog Food so that it’s easy for you to feed the same amount of food, volume-wise, and reduce calories as your dog’s activity level inevitably decreases with maturity. The three activity levels of Humankind are designed to help you control your dog’s caloric intake, without resorting to partially empty food bowls, which can make both canines and humans feel sad.
Be careful with treats!
Watch what treats you give. I love to give treats to my dogs, and, of course, they love them. But I’ve known people who give more calories in treats than they do in food. When you give snacks, use the low calorie versions most of the time. One medium-sized biscuit can have 10 times more calories than some of the low calorie treats on the market.
By being a food advocate for your dog, you can choose the right diet based on activity level (Active, Less Active or Highly Active). This will help to ensure that he is fed a complete, balanced, minimally-processed diet that is made from whole foods that will support good energy, health and digestion while maintaining the ideal body condition score.
