Causes for this can include:.
Since there are so many potential causes, the best thing you can do if you notice that your dog or cat is losing weight is to visit your veterinarian. For more information on feeding guidelines and eating habits, visit the nutrition section on Banfield.
All Banfield Optimum Wellness Plans offer unlimited office visits, including consultations about weight loss and other nutritional concerns. Find the right preventive care plan for your dog, puppy, cat or kitten today.
At Banfield we prioritize safety and require face coverings. Why is my Dog or Cat Losing Weight?
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Feeding in smaller portions can also be helpful. Multiple, small meals require energy to digest, which burns calories, she says.
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In addition to calorie counting, another important part of weight maintenance or weight loss is feeding lower carb, whole, fresh food. Many processed dog foods are full of carb-based fillers—Dr. Ward and Osborne both generally recommend diets that have balanced protein and carbohydrates. Fresh diets provide quality protein, but also the fiber and moisture that can keep your dog satisfied.
Feeding nutrient-dense, bioavailable food will keep your dog healthy as they reduce their overall intake of food. Another way to help your dog drop some extra weight is by controlling, and possibly reducing, their treat intake. Here, again, quality and quantity matter. Dog owners who feed their dog healthy food yet still feed highly processed, high-carb, high-calorie treats are potentially missing a big source of weight gain and health issues.
Osborne, and many other vets, recommend using single-ingredient treats like fresh veggies and fruit. For a lighter, and perhaps better, substitute, try plain canned pumpkin, which weighs in at just five calories per tablespoon. Our bond with our dogs is so special, and every dog owner wants to see the happy excitement a treat brings.
But you can get that joyful response with healthy treats, or with smaller portions. Food is key, but no weight loss plan, or health maintenance plan, is complete without exercise.
Cat and Dog Weight Loss – Banfield Pet Hospital®
The most obvious, and important, activity for your dog is walking. The amount of walking your dog needs, or wants, depends on their breed and general health. But while conventional wisdom says that some dogs need less exercise than others, all dogs need to move. While the recommended minimum of daily exercise is 20 minutes, twice a day, many dogs will need much more. For many breeds, an hour of exercise a day is a good target.
If your dog needs to lose weight, try to increase the amount of exercise they currently do.
Is Your Dog Losing Weight but Acting Normal and Appears Healthy?
Introduce new activities slowly to avoid injury. And, unless your dog has been trained for or slowly introduced to these kinds of activities, leave the extreme sports to your own weekend hours—too-vigorous, or repetitive activity can put your dog at risk of joint problems. Also, keep weather conditions—like high sun—in mind if your activities are outdoors. The sun creates potential for heat stroke and burnt paw pads.
Why is my Dog or Cat Losing Weight?
The latter, also known as hyperadrenocorticism, usually occurs in older dogs, and can also cause frequent urination, hair loss and weakness. Overall, the best weight management strategy is to develop good habits that are applied, consistently, long-term. But this is a long process.
This article was vetted by a vet.