~ Last updated on Oct 23, 2021 ~

Research suggests that this is a global problem, with surveys from various parts of the world which shows doggo obesity around +40%. Even worse, around 95% of owners don’t realize that their chonky doggo needs to drop a few pounds.

Below are 4 simple things that you can do to help maintain a proper target weight for your doggo:

Keep Your Doggo Active

Remember, when helping your chonky doggo get healthy, different breeds have different needs. Your veterinarian will be able to provide guidance on the activity level of your breed.

Regular walks or playing in an off-leash area is good for any type of doggo. Being active doesn’t always mean going outside either. You can create stimulating and fun activities that can help your doggo moving  like hide and seek, tug-of-war, or playing fetch.

Proper Dietary Transitioning

Each doggos breed / age has a different healthy weight range and is always best to consult your veterinarian to make sure you are on the right track. They will be able to asses your doggo’s ideal weight range and pair it with a diet plan if one is needed to address their specific needs.

Generally, the dietary change should take a week transitioning from old to new foods:

Days 1–2: Feed 75% of their old food and 25% of the new food

Days 3–4: Increase the new food to 50% and the other half being the old food

Days 5–6: Feed 75% of the new food, and 25% of the old food

Day 7: You should now be feeding 100% of the new food

Measure Food & Limit Treats

Once you have an idea on diet suggestions from your vet, be vigilant and keep track of when the last mealtime was. Be sure to use an appropriate scooping device to measure and ensure consistent portion control.

If you train your doggo with treats, you can look for low calorie / low fat options. You could also consider training with a clicker or a whistle as they contain no additional calories for your dog’s diet.

Consistency is Key

Like hooman, like doggo! Unfortunately, after losing weight, approximately half of all doggos regain weight.

By keeping your doggo active and on diet, rebound weight gain can be reduced to help your them reach their target weight.

An active doggo at a healthy weight will be a happier and will likely have a longer life to share with their hooman family.