Dog diet for excess weight

According to the latest studies, roughly 45 % of all dogs in Germany suffer from obesity and all of the resulting ailments. Although all dog owners only want the best for their pet, they often find it difficult to make a realistic assessment of whether a dog is overweight. With the right dog diet plan and special diet dog food, you can help your pet lose weight the healthy way without resorting to starvation. Find out more about the causes and consequences of overweight in dogs and use our expert tips and the dog diet plan to help your dog lose weight the healthy way.

Recognising excess weight

As long as you can see the last pair of ribs or feel them without pressing, you can assume that your dog is the ideal weight. However, if you need to apply pressure in order to feel the ribs, your dog is suffering from excess weight. A dog is defined as being overweight if its weight deviates by more than 10% from the normal weight for its breed. If it deviates by more than 20% from the normal weight for the breed, a dog is deemed to be obese. You should always ask yourself: How much food is my dog really getting between meals? The energy content of in-between snacks is often underestimated. Those who realistically gauge rations will be more successful in managing a dog's diet. Be realistic when estimating daily activity levels: For example, daily activities of 2 hours in total are the norm for a medium-sized dog. Simply by increasing the daily activity level, you are already taking the first step in the right direction.

Cause of excess weight

If the dog consumes more energy (calories) than it burns up over an extended period, this excess energy is converted into body fat, resulting in excess weight. The causes are:

• insufficient exercise
• too many dog biscuits
• excessive portion sizes at mealtimes
• in-between snacks too substantial
• dog food too substantial

In addition, neutered males and older dogs are particularly susceptible to excess weight, which can be attributed to changes in hormone levels and reduced levels of activity.

Consequences of excess weight

Overweight dogs have frequent ailments and suffer from serious illnesses in the truest sense of the word:

• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Respiratory problems
• Cardiovascular disorders
• Premature joint wear
• Lower quality of life
• Shorter life expectancy

Before the dog diet

Even if pre-existing illnesses are eliminated, the dog diet should be supervised by a vet particularly in the case of obesity. This ensures that optimum results are achieved and that any medications are adjusted for weight loss.

Starting the dog diet

It is possible to start a dog diet without having to make the dog go hungry. Calorie-reduced diet dog food provides your dog with balanced and calorie-conscious nutrition, with a long-lasting feeling of satiation.

Take the test - How successful is the dog diet?

• Weigh your dog regularly and record the weight history weekly
• You are also welcome to take measurements to record the change in abdominal circumference. Remember: Muscle is heavier than fat!
• There may be a blood test before the dog diet. Ask your vet if the blood values have improved

Selecting the diet dog food

The comprehensive MERA product range offers first-class dog food for the special needs of overweight dogs or dogs with a tendency for excess weight. All of the nutrients in this dog food are gauged to prevent any deficiencies, even in the long term. We recommend wheat-free MERA essential light diet food. In particularly critical cases and under veterinary treatment, we recommend our MERAVITAL Weight Control food for weight reduction.

How to succeed the dog diet 

Below we give you a precise recommendation of how the ideal weight reduction with MERA essential Light can look like:

You can feed the MERA essential Light dog food for a long time, because all nutrients are measured so that even in the long term no deficiency arises. If the dog has reached the ideal weight, you can slightly increase the feed ration as follows: