Fat dog problem

[bruceH]

Hi everyone. My dog's overweight and I want to help him trim down. My family and I are definitely guilty of feeding him too many treats and people food. I'm not wondering how he got the weight he is (nor am I looking for a lecture) but now I want to help him trim down.

I know I need to reduce his food and exercise him more, but how should I go about doing that in a safe and healthy way? I have talked to the vet, but I want the opinions of other dog owners, too.

[legendarytroy]

Definitely take the advice of your vet but mostly all you really should need to do is give him the exercise he requires for his breed. Take it slow at first if he's not used to exercising much, like if he's ideally supposed to be exercised for an hour a day, start with a half hour and increase it from there.

As for food, feed him what he would require for his breed (or ideal height and weight) and age. He doesn't need more food than that. Cut out ALL other foods. Don't give him human food and don't give him treats either. He may beg or act like he's hungry and he may even steal food...but you can't give in. He'll get used to eating a regular diet over time.

[Penny]

I highly recommend that you just follow your vet's advice. Make a list of questions you want to know the answers to and find them out. Your dog's vet really is the best person to give you the direction you need. Also, you need to be prepared for an unhappy dog as legendtarytroy pointed out, but you can't give in. Just as we have a hard time cutting back on food when we're losing weight, your dog will, too. Have patience, toughen up for your dog's sake and make the right choices.

Also, don't forget that when it comes to giving rewards, often, praise and attention are far better than a treat!

[ffviifan]

Honestly, exercising your dog and feeding it only the food it requires in a day (no human food and no treats) is what you need to help him lose weight. You do need to take it slow and be prepared for an unhappy dog, but as the others suggested, sometimes the best treat a dog can have is praise and attention.

[Beth]

Talk to your vet. Listen to your vet. Do what your vet says. Really, that's the best thing you can do for your dog.

[ChristySmiles]

One of my friend's dogs was obese and when they put him on a diet, it was actually pretty terrible. The dog stole food all the time. It didn't understand why it suddenly wasn't getting all the food and treats that it was used to. It was a pretty miserable time. He's definitely better now, but as a warning, it really may take a long time for your dog to adapt. He'll likely be quiet grumpy. Just remember to be consistent! No matter how much he seems miserable - DON"T GIVE IN. It'll only set you back and make things worse.

[bruceH]

Thanks for all your suggestions.

Here's an update: We have been doing what our vet suggested, but I gotta say it's been really tough on our dog because he definitely is depressed and "acting out" because he's not getting the amount of food and treats that he was used to. Tough love ain't easy, but he is losing weight which makes me feel good. On the plus side, he is liking all the extra attention he's getting and he loves going for his walks :)