Disclaimer: We are not healthcare providers. this article is purely informational based on our review of the most up-to-date literature. For specific healthcare recommendations and before making any changes to your pet’s diet, please seek professional advice.
In a follow up to our previous article about why you may need to help your pup lose weight, We are writing about how to help your dog lose weight. There is endless debate about weight loss for people. With so much content and concepts like counting calories (CICO), protein intake and intermittent fasting, it’s hard to know what to make of it. The authority figures that speak the loudest are usually the ones that get heard, but they are often only partially right. Our objective in this article is to make sense of the data together rather than defend any positions.
As we’ve shared in previous posts, the literature on dog weight loss mostly converges on high protein, low carb, high fiber diets as being the most effective. Below are a two recipes for you to consider.
What exactly is a calorie?
Calories are just a measure of how much energy a food contains. The technical definition of a calorie is the amount of energy it takes to raise one cubic centimeter of water by one degree. When you see caloric values on food packaging what we think of a calorie is actually a kilocalorie, or the amount of energy it takes to raise one liter (a thousand cubic centimeters) of water by one degree. In other words everything we eat (and all energy for that matter) can be measured in heat.
Every macronutrient has a caloric value. Proteins have approximately 4 calories per gram, carbohydrates also have about 4 calories per gram, while oils and fats have about 9 calories per gram. This is why guaranteed analysis gives lower fat amounts as compared to a percentage of calories. Fat is more than twice as caloric per gram.
Is counting calories helpful for losing weight?
Counting calories only gives a rough measure of how much energy an organism needs and isn’t useful as an exact measurement. We just use calories as a starting point. There are several reasons why. First, each dog has a different energy requirement based on their activity level, body temperature and individual biology. Second, calories from protein, carbs and fats are all counted the same despite the fact that protein is not a main energy source for dogs or humans. Third, the balance of these macronutrients, even the order in which foods are consumed, create biological changes. If you want more detail, read on. If not you can skip to the next section.
Animals do not operate on pure physics alone because hormones alter biological functions. Reducing caloric intake can lead to lower metabolic rate. An extreme example of biological changes occurs when diabetics carbohydrate and sugar which can actually put their lives in danger. Type I diabetics cannot produce a hormone called insulin which helps the body to absorb sugars. When they eat too many carbohydrate they develop hyperglycemia which causes excessive urination and dehydration as the kidneys try to remove the sugar. The body starts producing excessive ketones for energy putting evermore strain on the kidneys. Without insulin treatment, hyperglycemia can lead to coma and even death.
For non-diabetics, the biological responses to food are not as extreme, but still occur. For example many studies show that increased protein intake in people increases satiety, the feeling of being full. Similarly, the weight loss drugs ozempic and wegovy mimic hormones that work to increase insulin production and reduce appetite.
How good are commercial weight loss formulations?
As discussed in a previous article, prescription diets are hit and miss. It’s even worse for weight loss kibble. Here’s an example of Hill’s prescription diet for weight management.
Manufacturer’s guaranteed anaylsis:
- Crude Protein 28% min
- Crude Fat 6.5% min
- Crude Fiber 16% max
- Moisture 10% max
Macronutrients as a percentage of calories (calculated by us):
- Protein 36%
- Fat 19%
- Carbohydrate 45%
So even though this is formulation is higher in protein and higher fiber, its macronutrients are grossly out of balance as it has very low fat and is mostly carbohydrates. Dogs are NOT meant to subsist on mostly carbs.
Why more exercise alone is not enough
The additional expenditure of energy from increased physical activity is a small fraction of the energy that animals consume on a normal basis. For example an hour of low intensity exercise in people only burns about 250 calories, or a little more than 10% of a persons’ daily caloric intake. So, if someone uses exercise as a justification to consume more calories, it’s easy to overdo it.
In order to get the weight loss benefits of exercise for you or your pet, caloric intake needs to either stay the same or go down slightly. Diet is the most impactful intervention for weight loss, BUT both the amount and type of food matter.
So how do I help my dog lose weight?
- Start with a high-quality food, ideally human grade with low carbohydrates, high protein and high fiber.
- Be patient. Start by giving them the recommended calories per day for their ideal weight, but keep track of their weight and waistline every week.
- If they are not losing about 1% of body weight per week adjust their portion size down slowly. For a medium sized dog you can reduce by about 1-2 spoonfuls or about 5-10%. Then wait 1-2 weeks to see if their weight improves and reassess.
- Cut out treats and scraps. It’s best if only one person is responsible for feeding to ensure you’re staying on track.
- Continue Stay strong. Dogs will always act like they are starving, especially when reducing food. Just remember that you’re saving them from painful disease and suffering.