PDSA Vet Nurse Nina Downing shares expert insight into how to know if your four-legged friend is carrying extra weight around the edges.
Nina said: “It sounds obvious, but dogs who eat too much and don’t exercise enough, get fat! If you feed your dog a lot of treats as well as their normal food, most of the extra calories will turn into excess inches.
“Dogs come in all different builds and sizes depending on their breed-type, but a healthy shape is the same for every dog. Your dog’s body shape will help to give you an idea of whether they’re carrying too much weight. The veterinary term for this is ‘Body Condition Scoring’ (BCS), and it is simple and easy to do at home with your canine companion, by following these steps:
●
Run your hands along your dog’s sides. The skin should move freely over the ribs, which you should be able to feel with a light touch.
●
Run your hands along your dog’s back. You should be able to feel the spine and hipbones under the skin without being able to see them – they shouldn’t be sticking out.
●
Gently feel the base of your dog’s tail, there shouldn’t be a build-up of fat where the tail joins the spine.
● Feel under your dogs tummy, it should go in, not bulge out.
● Look at your dog from the side and from above. You should be able to see a waist. If not, your dog may be overweight.
“Knowing your dog’s body condition score helps you to know if they need to lose some pounds, but it’s also important to know your dog’s current weight – use both together to work out what their ideal weight should be. Weighing them regularly means you can quickly spot any changes, and then tweak their diet and exercise to correct it. You can visit your vet to weigh larger dogs, and small dogs can also be weighed at home quite easily using bathroom scales.
“Maintaining a healthy weight is down to feeding the right amounts of a balanced diet, as well as appropriate levels of exercise. All dogs need daily exercise, but how much they need depends on lots of factors, including their age, breed, fitness level and any health conditions they may have.
“Every dog is an individual, so it is very important to consider your dog’s specific needs when exercising them – young dogs won’t need as much exercise as they grow, and that may be the same for some senior dogs, who could benefit from resting their aging paws! For dogs with health concerns, the levels of exercise they need will be best discussed with your vet and adjusted appropriately.
“Unless your vet advises otherwise, all dogs need at least one walk a day for their physical and mental health – some dogs prefer a long leisurely walk, and others prefer multiple shorter walks split up throughout the day. You can also incorporate games and playtime into your dog’s daily routine to keep things fun in-between walks.
“Your dog’s breed plays a large part in their natural energy levels, which affects how much exercise they need. Some high-energy breeds need significantly more exercise than others, as well as mental stimulation throughout the day. Flat-faced breeds such as Pugs, Bulldogs, and Shih Tzu’s still need exercise, but often struggle to breathe due to the shape of their face so they need extra consideration to not over-exert them during walks and playtime.
“Being a healthy weight and shape will improve your dog’s quality of life, as they can enjoy walks and activity, which in turn improves their mental health, and can delay the onset of long-term diseases, helping them to live longer.
“It can feel like a big challenge to get a dog to lose weight or keep off the pounds, but trust us, it’s worth it for the long term – we all want our dogs to be in our lives for as long as possible! When your dog is their ideal size and shape, they will be healthier, happier and more active. They will also have the best chance of living a long, healthy life. If you are struggling with your pet’s weight, contact your vet for help and advice.
“Overweight pets are more likely to suffer from a number of health problems including diabetes and urinary tract disease, but it can also worsen other health problems such as arthritis. That’s why it’s so important to keep our pets at a healthy weight – what that healthy weight is will be dependent on many factors so discuss this with your vet.
“Starting a weight loss journey with your pet can be daunting but there are some simple lifestyle changes you can make which will make a huge difference in the long run.”
Top tips to stop your pet piling on the pounds
●
Have your pet weighed and body condition scored by your vet team, to understand what weight they should be so you can feed accordingly.
●
Once you know your pets’ weight and condition score, make sure you are feeding them an appropriate diet for the weight they should be. If they are neutered, they will need around 30% less calories than if they are not neutered so bear that in mind, too.
●
Make sure young pets are fed the correct amount of a lifestage appropriate, complete diet and don’t overdo the treats! They may be growing and active at this age, but it doesn’t mean that over feeding doesn’t matter.
●
Feed a complete diet, suitable for your pet’s age, lifestyle and neutered status. From a growing energetic youngster through to our older pet companions that have differing needs from their diet. Treats should be healthy and can be used as a reward in training, but be careful not to give too many, remember to reduce their daily food allowance by 10% to compensate for the extra treats given or use their daily food allowance to reward them when training.
To find out more about keeping your dog a healthy weight, head to;
