How to maintain your dog’s optimum weight

Maintaining your pet’s weight so that they are in optimum health is extremely important. Here, Julie Butcher from Webbox offers some tips for maintaining your pet at a healthy weight.

Pet obesity is becoming an increasing problem in the UK, with a 2021 study by the Royal Veterinary College finding that 1 in 14 dogs in the UK was recorded as overweight by their vet. What’s more, Statista found that 9% of pet owners reported that their dog had gained weight during 2020. So, it’s more important than ever to ensure that you are maintaining a healthy weight for your pet to avoid health risks like arthritis, diabetes, breathing difficulties and heart issues.

Here, we will offer some tips on how you can care for your pet and maintain their weight to ensure that they remain healthy and happy.

Schedule meal times

It can be tempting to portion out your pet’s daily food intake at the start of the day, and then leaving it out and letting them choose when to eat it. But ‘free feeding’ (letting your dog decide when to eat) is unhelpful when trying to maintain a healthy weight for your pet.

There are schedule feeder bowls available for dogs, so you can schedule their food ahead of time. Keeping mealtimes the same every day, and not filling their bowl outside of these times is a useful way to control your dog’s intake and keep them healthy.

Try lower calorie food

Cutting the amount of calories in the food you feed your pet, as opposed to the amount of food, is another great way to keep them at a healthy weight. Different brands of both wet and dry food will have varying amounts of calories, so if you are worried about your pooch’s weight, finding a new food with less calories can be a good option. Animals can be picky eaters and develop particular tastes, but if you are persistent, you’ll often find your four-legged friend will find a lighter meal that they enjoy.

As part of lowering your pet’s calorie intake, you should also stop (or avoid) feeding them leftovers or scraps from the dinner table. These foods are often higher in calories than you may think, and feeding pets from the table can instil bad habits such as begging people for treats when they should be sitting quietly.

Limit treats to training and special occasions

It’s tempting to give your pets treats all the time, especially as some animals are extremely food-motivated, so they will give us puppy dog eyes to convince us they deserve a snack! But offering your dog treats constantly can be less than beneficial, and it can also disrupt their scheduled mealtimes. Reserve treats for training and special occasions rather than giving them out all the time, and let your pet get used to this routine.

You can also try to choose treats that are low in fat and sugar, and get your pet to think of healthier foods such as fish and lean meat as treats.

Make sure your pet exercises

As well as focussing on their diet, making sure that your pet gets the right amount of exercise is extremely important. Different breeds often vary wildly in how long or how intense their daily activity should be, so finding out what your four-legged friend’s needs are and planning them into your day can make a big difference.

Dog breeds vary hugely in how long they need to walk and run for each day, so look up your breed or crossbreed and check with your vet to plan their exercise. For more details, read this guide on deciding how much exercise your dog needs. For small dogs such as dachshunds, under an hour of exercise per day might be enough, while bigger dogs such as collies will need multiple walks per day and time off their leads.

As pets being overweight becomes more of an issue in the UK, it’s important to know how to maintain our dogs at a stable weight. Use these tips to get started, and to help ensure that your four-legged friend is in their best health.