What's a safe monthly weight loss for my dog with a leg injury?

A safe weight loss is 3-5% per month. If he started at 112 and is now 105 he lost 7 pounds which is about 7% weight loss. So, you accelerated it a bit but that is still fine. We don't want them to lose weight too quickly. I think you should have the owners do exactly what you have been doing because you know they will not be as strict as you and they will likely feed him a bit more. That should still keep him at 5% weight loss per month. When he gets to his ideal weight though they will need to evaluate if they need to increase the food a bit or leave the amount as is. The best recommendation is to have them work with their vet. Here is a good online resource for them to use: http://petobesityprevention.org/ I hope this helps and thanks for getting this dog back on track. Obesity is a HUGE problem in our pets! I hope this was helpful. Best wishes!

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.

You can continue to feed her the normal diet she normally gets, but feed according to the package instructions on the bag. Do not give her any treats or human food at all. Feed her twice a day, morning and night (divide the daily amount of food she's allowed into two portions). I would then make sure she gets exercise twice a day for at least 30-45 minutes at a time. By feeding her only her the recommendation daily amount of dog food, cutting out all treats, and making sure she has plenty of exercise, you can help her lose weight is a slow and safe manner.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Tasha. I suspect that her thighs are thin secondary to the hip dysplasia. She likely has developed arthritis due to the malformation of her hips. This causes a dog to bear more weight on their front limbs and they subsequently lose muscle mass in the hind limbs. As far as weight loss, her resting energy requirement is around 1400 calories per day based on her weight. So feeding 1100 calories per day should be sufficient for weight loss. If you are feeding 3 cups per day, that equals about 367/cup. This is fairly high for a weight loss food. I recommend prescription weight loss diets as they are much lower in calories per cup, high in protein to support lean muscle mass and high in fiber to keep the dog full longer. I hope this information helps and I am available for a consultation if you have additional questions.

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!

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!