Should I change my dog's food to prevent weight gain after spaying?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There is no need to do that for now at all even if she is spayed as she is growing now. You said it best. It is more important to look at their body and determine if they are gaining or losing weight. That is the best way to know how they are doing with the food intake. Best of luck!

She has a lot of fur but her weight looks good. She will continue to grow at a slower rate until she’s about one year old. I gradually switch to adult food now that she’s been spayed. I like for dogs to have a nice tuck at the waist and to be able to feel their ribs but not see them. After spaying some dogs are less active and gain weight so now is the time to keep a watch so she doesn’t get fat. As far as the training it will take many months of training to get her to be reliable at the heel and learn commands. A six month old dog is very energetic and has a short attention span. Keep with the training and you’ll have a wonderful, well trained dog when she’s an adult. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Sienna.

Cats can be prone to weight gain after being spayed due to the hormonal changes this causes. I would recommend switching her to a weight management food that is lower in calories than a regular adult diet. If you are able to, feeding her canned food only will also help, since canned food is less calorie dense due to its water content. If you want to leave some dry food out for her, consider feeding it from a puzzle toy like an Eggcersizer or Kibble Nibble - this way, she has to play with the toy to get the food out, which provides her with some additional exercise and also limits how much she can eat at a time.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Do no worry about the weight gain. If you feed your Mini good quality food and make sure that gets daily exercises she will not be overweight. Overweight in neutered dogs is usually caused by too rich, inexpensive diet from supermarkets. Removing one ovary is completely pointless from medical perspective. Now, after the surgery you should not allowed Mini to run, jump or go up and down the stairs. She will be ok to walk on a leash. You need to do that for about 10 days. You can feed her as normal. Please, make sure she does not lick the surgical wound. You can put a head cone on her, but if she doesn't like it you can use a baby t-shirt or buy a special recovery suit. In 10-12 days the wounds should be fully healed and you vet will probably remove her stitches.

Great question! In general, there should be no reason that you would need to change her diet after her spay. She may not be as hungry as usual this evening since she may be sore and still a bit sleepy from the anesthesia, so I would suggest feeding her about half of her normal dinner tonight. Starting the following day, it should be fine for her to go back to her normal amount of food :)

Getting her spayed would definitely be the most effective and easiest way, if this isn't something you would consider then i would recommend switching to a better quality food such as Orijen, Acana or Taste of the wild.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lacey. Spaying a dog has the potential to slow her metabolism. This can lead to weight gain. Some dogs will require a 25% reduction in calories after the surgery. Since she has gained weight, I recommend that you accurately measure her daily calories and decrease the amount you are feeding her. Only offer very small treats and avoid human food as this can extra unnecessary calories. I hope this information helps!