Why isn't my dog losing weight on diet food? Treats and scraps?

No, that is too many treats and extras for a dog's diet. At most, they should only get between 5-10% of the diet in treats and extras. Too many treats and extras leads to dogs gaining weight. You can could a scrambled egg as a treat once a week.

There is no evidence that grain free foods promote weight loss in dogs, and unless there is a medical reason to avoid grains I don't recommend feeding these diets. Reducing calorie intake is necessary for weight loss, although increasing exercise can help as well. You can either talk to your vet to help estimate Tasha's ideal body weight and calculate approximately how many calories she should be eating in a day to promote weight loss, or you can try reducing the total amount of food she is getting in a day by 25%. Remember treats and chews have calories too - think of every treat as a piece of candy and try to minimize them as much as possible or replace them with a healthier alternative like a frozen green bean.

1 common reason is selecting an adult food when your pet is technically a senior dog. Make sure Chaos is eating mature/senior version of the brand food you are buying. Also I would try to start feeding your pets in 2 separate bowls if not done so already, and taking a little extra effort to keep their food bowls separate until they get used to the transition. I would only put down about 1/3-1/2 cup food twice daily so maybe a hair less than what you are currently doing. Splitting up the food into 2 meals is ideal for weight loss and maintenance, instead of 1 large meal. Also the begging strips are likely a large source of the fat content. I would limit these to 2-3 times a week and perhaps only 1/2 of the beggin strip. Other less fattening treats are milk ones or dental chews (Virbac dental chews). I hope this helps and just try to actually walk Chaos around the block or neighborhood 2-3 times a week and I am confident you will see a reduction in his weight. Best wishes and take care!

Discontinue feeding any table food and limit treats. Feed a good quality maintenance diet or discuss weight loss diets, such as Hill's r/d, with your veterinarian. Increasing exercise and activity will also promote weight loss. Since Sophie is an older dog, have her thyroid function checked as this could cause weight gain.

Many pets like Brees suffer from being overweight. If you are looking for an over the counter product, try Royal Canin or Hill Science Diet (both brand carry 'light' diets). In my opinion, the prescription food made by Royal Canin called Satiety Support is a great option because the portions are large (which most dogs like) but they still lose weight. The other things that could be contributing to his weight problem could be a condition called Hypothyroidism. This commonly makes dogs heavy and have problems losing weight. A doctor can determine Brees' thyroid status with a simple blood test. Medication is needed to regain normal metabolism.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Chloe is super cute! From your pictures she doesn't look overweight but I understand your concerns. I would recommend 315 calories total per day, which is about what you are giving her (~311). You can increase activity, cut back a bit on treats or change to a low calorie formula with in the brand you are currently feeding. I hope this helps!

It's good that you are concerned about her getting overweight, because she does appear to be somewhat chunky. In order to get started with a weight loss plan it's good to score her current body condition. Below is a link that will help you do this. Riley is likely around a BCS of 7/9, but I would have to physically examine her to be sure. https://www.wsava.org/sites/default/files/Body%20condition%20score%20chart%20dogs.pdf After that, you can use the healthy weight calculator at the following link: https://www.petcoach.co/healthy-weight-calculator/ There are some products in the pet store that are actually formulated for weight loss and these would be the best ones to feed. I know Hills, Purina and Royal Canin all have good products, but don't know of any other. The best thing to check on the bag is the AAFCO statement, which is just below the guaranteed analysis. This will tell if the food has actually demonstrated what it claims. I've included a link to an article below that explains all of this. Make sure you feed the food according to the bag's instructions and try to cut out all treats and table scraps. I understand that this may be impossible with young children, so in this case you should account for the table scraps by feeding even less food than is recommended. https://www.petcoach.co/article/what-to-look-for-when-choosing-your-pet-s-food/ The hardest thing for pet owners is that they feel like they are starving their dog. Trust me, you are not starving them, despite how bad they may make you feel. If your dog likes any vegetables like celery, carrots or green beans, then these are great, low calorie options to give as treats that can make you and your dog feel a bit better about the diet. In the end, know that a skinnier dog will be healthier and live longer, so it's well worth it. I hope that helps and you are able to get a good plan going for Riley. I've given one more link to an article with additional information below. https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-ways-to-help-your-dog-lose-weight/