How can I help my 27lb dog lose weight safely and effectively?

Great question! Walking Buddy every day is a good idea, and I would see if you can walk him twice a day for at least 30 minutes a time to help him lose weight. One tip is to cut out all treats. No human food, no scraps from dinner, and no dog treats. These can really add up over time and cause a dog to gain weight. You can try cutting back a bit on his dry food and adding some wet food instead with the dry food. Canned dog food has fewer calories because it has a higher moisture content, so adding some into his dry food while removing dry food to compensate can help him lose weight. Finally, you can speak to your vet to see if they feel a weight loss food would be appropriate for him. I hope this helps!

Before cutting down on her food, I would try limiting her treats. They are loaded with fat and have relatively few nutrients. From this photo, it is apparent that she has a "waistline." which is good. If when you run your hands down her sides you can't feel her ribs, she is too heavy. (If you can see her ribs, she is too thin.) Calories are not the only factors in a dog's weight gain or loss. Remember fat, too! Spayed females may be less active and more prone to weight gain, but it doesn't have to be this way. How about throwing a ball or Frisbee for her to chase? Finding another dog for her to play with? Perhaps a dog park (well-supervised!)? Good luck with trimming Chloe down a bit!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I highly recommend that you consider feeding her a diet called Science Diet metabolic weight management diet. This diet in itself can help with weight loss in dogs. Also, it is important to avoid feeding her human food as that will likely continue to result in weight gain. You can also consider exercising her more including long walks and things like playing fetch. This is all likely to result in weight loss. Good luck and have a great day!

I think cutting the food in half may be a bit drastic at first. You don't want the weight loss to happen too quickly. I suggest you start by cutting the food by 25%. So, give her 3/4 cup twice a day and then weigh her after 4-6 weeks to see if you are making any progress. Keep in mind that any treats will increase her caloric intake so be careful and don't give her too much (if any). This is where I would start. Hope this helps. Best wishes!

The easiest thing to do without being overly scientific is to just cut back her daily food ration by 25%. Example, if she get 1 cup of food per day, cutting her back to 3/4 cup per day. Do a weight check once every 2 weeks. If she starts to get too thin then you can increase the food a bit (ex: 10% increase) and if she is not losing enough weight you can cut back more (ex: an additional 10% decrease). This is the best way to do it without changing too much.

Specialist weight loss diets are the most effective way to manage weight issues as they are designed to provide all nutrients required, promote fat loss and maintain muscle mass whilst also allowing the dog to feel full. Reducing weight on standard foods is very difficult and requires feeding of approximately two thirds of the recommended amount, based on target weight which can leave patients hungry

Royal Canin has a weight control food you can give Pax to help her lose weight, and I would recommend making sure she exercises at least twice a day for at least 30-45 minutes at a time. I would also have her seen by a vet to determine how much weight she needs to lose.