This post is sponsored by Hill’s. We are being compensated for helping spread the word about Hill’s® Science Diet® Perfect Weight 10 Week Turnaround, but MyDogLikes only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. is not responsible for the content of this article.
Did you know that over 50% of pets are overweight?
A startling statistic isn’t it?!
As humans, we know the health risks associated with being overweight; diabetes, cardiovascular disease, increased risk for cancer, arthritis, etc. While a pudgy puppy may seem cute, research indicates that each of these conditions is likely in overweight dogs and cats as well. Scary!
As pet parents, our desire to make our pets happy (and the extra treats and table scraps that we sometimes associate with it) can be a major cause of obesity. We may also mistake changes in behavior associated with being over weight as our dog being “tired”, “hot”, or “slowing down with age”.
No one wants their dog to be unhealthy. One of the ways to ensure a long and healthy life is to gain a better understanding of what your dog’s appropriate weight should be. Every pet is different and it may take more than simply looking at a breed standard chart to find their #perfectweight!
How do you determine an appropriate weight?
The most straightforward answer is to consult your veterinarian. They will be able to take into consideration your pets specific shape, size and age to help determine their ideal weight. Partnering with your veterinarian early will also help create continuity in care, particularly as your dogs needs change with age.
To give you an idea of the importance of working with your veterinarian; the breed standard for a male Golden Retriever is between 65-75 lbs. Harley, is a very large Golden Retriever and that weight would be unhealthy for him. Our vet recognizes this and has always recommended that he stay between 88-90 lbs.
For comparison, Charlie, our little “shrimp”, has a much smaller frame and we have been told to keep his weight around 65-70lbs.
Sticking to It
On a recent trip to the vet, we were told that Harley could stand to lose a few pounds. As a large dog approaching 9 years old – carrying a bit less weight would make a big difference in his ongoing joint health. Not only would he be able to get around easier, but it would lessen the chances of arthritis causing him pain and discomfort in the coming years.
The scale lies Mom! Look, I don’t weigh anything at all!
Believe it or not, when Harley first came to live with us at the age of 2, he was obese, weighing over 110 lbs!
Having been through this dog weight loss experience once before, we wanted to break down some of the fundamentals.
Key Elements of Weight Loss for Dogs
Just like for humans weight loss is essentially calories in – calories out. Its that simple. A healthy weight loss program is all about diet and exercise.
Exercise
The best part of dog fitness is that you don’t need any special equipment, a standard 6 ft leash should do the trick! Daily walks, particularly of varying intervals of intensity, are an excellent way to provide the mental and physical stimulation your dog needs to jump start his/her weight loss. Exercise really is everywhere for dogs, whether it’s a hike, agility class, or swimming – be creative! Just like for us humans, find what your dog loves and do more of it!
Its OK Harley, you don’t need to start a lifting regimen!
Diet
What your dog eats and how much they eat of it goes a long way in maintaining a healthy weight. Thankfully, selecting a food that is appropriate for the size, age and activity level of your dog has never been easier.
If your dog requires fewer calories in their meal, Hill’s® Science Diet® Adult Perfect Weight is an excellent option to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. While providing a balanced diet, this food has a proven track record of helping pets reach their weight goals. Amazingly, 70% of pets who used Science Diet’s Perfect Weight, lost weight within 10 weeks!
With chicken as it’s first ingredient, Science Diet Perfect Weight helps to support weight loss while maintaining lean muscle mass. It also contains Prebiotic fibers from beet pulp which help to promote nutrient absorption and gentle digestion. 
It is important to remember that due to their smaller size, a pet carrying around a few extra pounds is much more significant than you or I doing the same. This effect is even more pronounced for smaller breeds of dogs. Don’t worry – Hills has just introduced a formulation specifically designed for our Small and Toy Breed friends!
Prolong That Precious Time
Our pets love to eat, and we love to feed them. We all want to have as much time with our pets as possible so it is very important to keep their long term health in mind over short term satisfaction from a few extra treats or a scoop of food.
Keeping your best fur-friend at a healthy weight helps to ensure a longer, better quality of life!
Have you ever had any weight issues with your pet? What do you do to help maintain their #PerfectWeight?
Great post! Magical-Dawg is in good condition but my Karma-Kat is on the pudgy side so we’re being careful with him.
Excellent idea! Our cats can be so demanding with food but so far have stayed very thin!
I’m glad that you have been able to keep your dogs’ weights under control. It sounds like Harley had a pretty tough start. He looks great now though!
Thanks Robin! He is a great boy!
Great points! Miley is loving her #perfectweight food and has already loss some weight but our other two can’t understand why they don’t get to have any! lol Just like Charlie, Bruin has a totally different “frame” than Miley. Harley is looking fantastic for his age! 🙂
Are you doing 10 week turnaround? How exciting! Miley keep up the good work, golden girl!
My dogs are in great condition, even my senior dog Bella is a perfect weight. I feed a diet appropriate for their age and measure out the correct amount daily.
Measuring is so important! I wish more people did it! Thanks for stopping by!
I was told once by a vet tech that Mr. N might be verging on the edge of overweight territory. In two weeks, he was back to his normal weight though. His weight fluctuates a bit aside from that one time, he always runs on the thin side. And this is according to the vet!
Sounds like Mr. N is juuuuuust perfect! But we already knew that!<3
Great post! I try to keep the girls right around 30lbs. Zoe’s weight was up a bit a few months ago but now that it isn’t raining every single day it’s much easier to get them out for exercise!
It really can easily sneak up! You do such a great job of making sure your girls stay fit, trim, and healthy!
We had weight issues with Jasmine when she became hypothyroid. We dealt with that by treating the hypothyroidism and adjusting the diet. When one of my dogs starts packing on a bit of extra, I increase water content of the food, while keeping some essentials at the same levels (vitamins and minerals). That’s always worked so far.
Great idea about the water content! Thanks for sharing. I am so glad that you have gotten Jasmine’s hypothyroidism under control!
Teddy lives to eat, but still has a little waist. Hopefully, when the weather improves we can get out and walk more, which will be good for both of us!
Yes, the weather improving will be a great help! Until then do what you can and watch not to give too many treats! Teddy is a lucky dog!
Excellent post! I like that you pointed out that as a dog ages carrying excess weight can negatively impact their joints and arthritis pain. Both my dogs are at a very healthy weight and we work to keep it that way – now if I could just do the same for myself…LOL!
Ha Cathy! We all want that for ourselves. I have told Kevin that it would be easier if I could just portion out my “kibble” so that I never eat too much!
Holy cow he weighed 110 when you got him? Wow. It’s so sad that people don’t realize how much harm they’re doing when they’re giving out treats & goodies so freely.
Yes 🙁 He had been neglected. His previous owner basically took care of his basic needs (feeding him huge amounts of food) but kept him contained in a room by himself. It breaks my heart.
Healthy food and fitness are key.
They sure are Emma! I think you, your sisters, and Mommy all have that down!
Beautiful photography!
Thank you!! That mean a lot because I love doing it!
Great informative post, loved the pictures. Nellie is a bit overweight now that she is spayed and not in training anymore.
Small changes can really impact the way they put on the pounds!
It’s so easy for older dogs to put on some extra weight. We had to cut back on the amount of food we give Haley in order to keep her weight under control. After she lost those 5 or so extra pounds, it made such a difference in her energy level and stamina. Great advice!
Thanks Elaine! Its tough because Harley is just as active as he ever has been when asked to, but otherwise lays around! We are kind of at the point that we have cut his food down as low as it can go without him being uncomfortable!
My dog Theo was really chunky when we adopted him! We changed his lifestyle habits (including feeding him Hill’s prescription diet) and he is much healthier. It will always be a bit of a challenge to keep him at his ideal weight, but I know its worth it!
I think that Harley is always a bit of a struggle too!! We keep working for it for the same reason!
Great tips! Jada needs to lose a few pounds and I just started her on the treadmill!
Keep working hard Jada!