My dog lost 7 lbs in a month. Is this a healthy weight loss rate? What tips?

Losing 4 pounds in 6 months, having weighed 29 pounds initially is perfect, and not too fast. Keep up the good work! Check with your veterinarian on whether he needs to lose more weight or has normal weight now.

That's a lot of weight for a dog to lose in a week, and typically weight loss should be slower than that. I would discuss with your vet about bumping up his food intake first before doing it, as that may cause him to gain back the weight and even more. Cut all out treats, don't give him any human food at all, and feed according to the package instructions of his food. You can cut back on the exercise a little, which may help slow down the rate of the weight loss.

It can be hard for owners to know what a good weight is for a pet. So many pets we see on a daily basis on overeeight so it skews our perception. In determining if a pet is at a healthy weight, I look at three things. There should be a thin covering over the ribs (you don't want to be digging through a fat covering to feel them). There should be a distinct waist when viewed from the top and the abdomen needs to tug up tightly from the side view. You only want a dog to lose 1-2% of its body weight per week . Tbis5 is only about one third of a pound at Scrappy's current weight. As long as Scrappy doesn't have any underlying kidney disease the protein content of this diet is fine. You can offer ice cubes, fresh carrots or green beans for low calorie snacks. Make sure he gets plenty of exercise. It sounds like you are off to a good start. Keep it up!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lucy. Dogs should lose 1-2% of their body weight per week. This will result in a healthy amount of weight loss for her. For her size, this is approximately 1-2 pounds per week so 4-8 pounds in a month. I hope this information helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! That is a decent amount of weight to lose in 7 months. A diet change, especially cutting out table food, can cause weight loss. The question only you can answer is, was Marble overweight in July? And is she fit now? If she is an ideal weght now make sure she can maintain that weight. If her appetite changes, she starts having GI problems or starts to drink and pee more age should be examined and have blood work ran. I hope this helps!

Oh yes. I would highly recommend Hlil's Metaboilc diet because it causes weight loss and can help with weight management. This is a highly successful diet that causes weight loss in over 79% of pets within the first 2 months. Royal Canin low calorie, Hill's R/D are two other options for weight loss. THese are all Rx diets and require a vet visit to get your pet started on the weight loss plan in mind. Also if your pet has any overt signs of hypothyroidism, then checking for a metabolic disease like this is recommended; however this is not common in small breed dogs like the Parson Russell Terrier. And of course it goes without saying that daily regular exercise for 30 minutes is recommended to encourage metaboilc break down of stored fats in the body.

I'm not sure I understand your question but that is great that she has lost the excess weight! Good job!!!! Excess weight is bad for pets and maintaining a healthy weight is very important for long term health. She sounds like a very happy girl who loves life! Please feel free to post any additional questions.