Reducing Diets for Dogs

Obesity can cause diabetes, heart disease and hypertension in dogs. An obese dog, whose ribs you cannot feel when you run your hand along its side, may require a weight reducing diet to get down to a healthy weight. A diet of these lower-calorie foods along with a regimen of exercise can help get your dog into shape so it can live a long, happy and healthy life.

  1. Ingredients

    • Weight reducing diets for dogs generally contain less calories from fat than other types of foods. Fats contain twice the amount of calories as either carbohydrates and proteins, according to the Pet Education website. Reducing diets also contain more fiber, an indigestible carbohydrate, than regular diets, to give the dog a feeling of fullness after eating. The fiber also stimulates chewing, slows the digestion of the food and stabilizes the blood glucose levels of the dog. Low-calorie diets also contain protein to maintain muscle mass, and added vitamins and minerals.

    Losing Weight

    • For a dog to lose weight, it must eat fewer calories each day than it uses, so it will start to burn the fat stored in its body. An overweight dog requires a reduction in its daily food intake by 20 percent to 40 percent, according to the Vetinfo website. When you reduce a dog's diet, you also reduce the amount of nutrients it gets each day and your dog may require a separate vitamin supplement. Weight-control diets contain the correct amount of nutrients for your dog with a reduced amount of calories, so you do not need to supplement the dog's diet with separate vitamins.

    Types of Food

    • Weight-reducing diets for dogs come in both dry kibble and wet canned formulas. Manufacturers make dog foods in weight loss formulas available in pet supply stores, grocery stores and in specialty prescription formulas. Your veterinarian may recommend putting your dog on a weight-control, prescription diet such as Hill's w/d, Hill's r/d, Waltham Calorie Control, Eukanuba Restricted Calorie, or Eukanuba Weight Loss Formula, according to Dr. Rebecca Remillard of the Pet Place website. When feeding these diets, follow the manufacturer's guidelines based on your dog's weight. Divide the recommended daily amount of food into three or four servings to give your dog throughout the day.

    Changing Diets

    • When dealing with an overweight dog, you need to incorporate feeding a low-calorie dog food into its diet. Slowly add the new, weight-control food into your dog's existing food to prevent gastrointestinal distress. Reduce the amount of your dog's old food over a period of one week, adding a greater portion of the new food each day. Incorporate exercise into your dog's daily routine. Place reduced-calorie dry food into treat ball toys to make your dog work for its food throughout the day. Avoid giving your dog treats in addition to a weight-control food or give it healthy treats, like green beans, carrots or bananas, according to the Vetinfo website.