How to help my overweight dog with luxating patella lose weight?

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!

Dogs with hip dysplasia should be thin to reduce the discomfort so I’m glad you are getting him on a diet. Swimming is the best exercise to maintain his fitness, lose weight and protect his hips from further arthritis. You can also take him to a Rehabilitation veterinarian and they can give you specific exercises to do at home and he can walk in an underwater treadmill to keep his rear legs strong. I do recommend giving an omega 3 supplement as well as a joint supplement to reduce inflammation and improve the joint health. If he’s very painful then getting pain medication from your veterinarian may be needed. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Sakthi.

Hello, thank you for your question about Chispas. Some good exercises to help her recovery include physical therapy exercises such as moving her leg in a cycling motion for 5-10 minutes once a day. Additionally low impact exercises such as swimming will be helpful in keeping her muscles strong. I also recommend starting a joint supplement (one that has glucosamine and chondroitin) to help keep her joints healthy and prevent development of arthritis as she ages. In these cases I usually recommend 10-14 days of exercise restriction and then a slow return to exercise. I would start with a gradual return short walks around the neighborhood on the leash and work your way up to playing/running. With more activity it is possible that Chispas could have another case of limping. Hope this helps!

Dogs rarely lose weight from getting more exercise. It is more about caloric intake. Many studies have shown this. So just cutting back on food/treats should do the trick. Just give her the normal exercise you have been doing. Twenty to thirty minutes a day is good. I think you are doing fine. No worries!

Typically, grade 1 luxations do not require surgery unless they become a frequent problem, progress or cause pain. Time will tell how your pup does. Yes, dogs can have shellfish allergies but it could also be something else in the supplement just causing her stomach to be upset. The best course of action is to avoid execessive hard exercise (daily jogging and heavy running every day) and to start her on a joint supplement. Try Dasuquin. If she does not tolerate that, try an injectable product like Adequan. An omega 3 fatty acid supplement will also be beneficial. I hope this helps.

Hello. In bad weather, just do the best you can. Walking in the snow actually burns quite a few more calories then an easy stroll in the grass. Even just walking around the house or up & down stairs is great exercise ( if Simba has no problems with his hips ). Just like in people, it is not what you eat, but how much. You can easily control how much he eats, but you can also switch him to a weight control diet. There are many available, some you can just pick up, others like Hills w/d or r/d require a prescription from your veterinarian. Cut out all treats & table scraps & if Simba begs for treats you can give him a couple of baby carrots, or a few tablespoons of salt free canned green beans. With time, the weight should come off. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello. I would definitely start Lonnie on a good glucosamine supplement like Dasuquin made by Nutramax. Adding a fish oil to her diet can reduce inflammation ( I like Nordic Naturals ), too. Do talk to your vet about adding an anti-inflammatory medication to make her comfortable, & possibly even Adequan injections to help maintain healthy, lubricated joints. There is much you can do to ease her pain & discomfort. I hope she is doing better soon & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.