Obesity in Dogs
The definition of obesity is: grossly fat or overweight. Obesity is the most common nutritional disease in companion animals and one that can be easily prevented. Obesity is a serious medical condition that shortens the lifespan of pets. It is caused by excessive dietary intake coupled with inadequate energy utilization. In simple terms that means we are feeding our dogs too much and not offering them enough exercise.
When I speak with clients about their dog's weight, the majority of them do not believe that their dog is obese. To help clients and veterinarians standardize the level of obesity, body scoring systems have been devised. The scoring systems are based on a scale of 1-5 or 1-9. Purina company has published a scoring system based on 1-9 and most veterinarians score, based on this scale. Either scale is acceptable as long as it is understood by the owner and veterinarian.
Weight Chart - courtesy of Ralston Purina
- EMACIATED
Ribs, lumbar vertebrae, pelvic bones and all bony prominences evident form a distance. No discernable body fat. Obvious loss of muscle mass.
- VERY THIN
Ribs, lumbar vertebrae and pelvic bones easily visible. No palpable fat. Some evidence of other bony prominence. Minimal loss of muscle mass
- THIN
Ribs easily palpated and may be visible with no palpable fat. Tops of lumbar vertebrae visible. Pelvic bones becoming prominent. Obvious waist and abdominal tuck
- UNDERWEIGHT
Ribs easily palpable, with minimal fat covering. Waist easily noted, viewed from above. Abdominal tuck evident.
- IDEAL
Ribs palpable without excess fat covering. Waist observed behind ribs when viewed from above. Abdomen tucked when viewed from the side.
- OVERWEIGHT
Ribs palpable with slight excess fat covering. Waist is discernable viewed from above but is not prominent. Abdominal tuck apparent.
- HEAVY
Ribs palpable with difficulty, heavy fat cover. Noticeable fat deposits over lumbar area and base of tail. Waist absent or barely visible. Abdominal tuck may be absent.
- OBESE
Ribs not palpable under heavy fat cover, or palpable only with significant pressure. Heavy fat deposits over lumbar area and base of tail. Waist absent. No abdominal tuck. Obvious abdominal distension may be present.
- GROSSLY OBESE Massive fat deposits over throrax, spine and base of tail. Waist and abdominal tuck absent. Fat deposits on neck and limbs. Obvious abdominal distention.
Body scores 1-3 are under fed; 4-5 are ideal and 6-9 are over fed.
There are several factors that can predispose dogs to develop obesity. Genetics can play a role, there are many breeds of dogs that seem to develop a slow metabolic rate as they age. Chihuahua, Shetland Sheepdogs, Labrador Retrievers, Bulldogs, and many others. Diseases can also play a role in unexplained weight gain. Examples are Hypothyroidism, Cushing's Disease, and Diabetes. Having a pet spayed or neutered will also play a role since losing reproductive hormones will slow a dog's metabolic rate. All obese dogs should be screened for these diseases before embarking on a weight loss program.
Obesity itself can cause severe disease conditions that will shortened a dog's life. Purina company did a study with dogs fed free choice (as much as they wanted to eat) and those fed a measured amount of food, maintaining them at a perfect body condition score. The dogs fed the proper amount of food lived two years longer than the dogs fed free choice. Some of the diseases known to be caused by obesity are Degenerative Joint Disease, Respiratory Disease, Liver Disease and Diabetes. It is devastating to the body systems to carry extra weight. Excessive fat causes a negative energy balance which in turn can cause more obesity to develop. Once the metabolic rate slows down it is extremely difficult to speed it up.
Once an animal is diagnose as obese a treatment plan must be developed. Total calories fed per day need to be decreased and total energy used per day needs to be increased. The first step is to calculate how much food is actually being fed. Measure, in a measuring cup, the total amount of food fed through out the day. This includes all treats, table food, bones, rawhide etc. Then decrease calories by about one third of the current amount fed. We hope that dogs will lose weight at approximately 1-2 percent of body weight per month. It is important increase the activity of the dog at the same time. Any exercise program needs to be a gradual increase in activity so the dog does not get injured. Walks can be increased in small increments 2 minutes to 3 minutes to 5 minutes, etc. Most obese dogs do not like to go for walks but once the weight starts to be lost the dogs begin moving much better and they start enjoying the walk. During a diet plan the dog should be weighed monthly to ensure that the plan is working. If decreasing the amount of food fed isn't effective a prescription diet may need to be used. Prescription diet foods are formulated so that the dogs gets all of their required nutrients with less calories. If we simply feed a smaller amount of regular diets we may be depriving the dogs of some essential nutrients. There are some dogs that need to have calories greatly restricted in order for them to lose weight. Prescription diets are available through veterinarians.
One of the most frequently discussed problems with obesity in dogs is the owners thought that their dog is hungry all of the time. When a dog looks at an owner, they feel compelled to feed the dog. Dogs eat to eat, mostly because food has been made available to them. As a species, dogs do not limit their food intake. If food is made available, they will eat. It is a learned response for a dog to " beg at the table". Dogs take food from an owner to please the owner. These calories have to be accounted for in the daily diet. If they are not the dog will gain weight. Portion control is another pitfall in caloric intake. Some dogs are very small. A small piece of chicken is a tremendous amount of calories for a 10 pound dog. A second small piece of chicken is an enormous amount of calories for that tiny dog. When we feed our dogs scraps from the dinner table we have to keep in mind the size of the pet. All dogs are a lot smaller than people. They should not be eating the same amount of food as we do. The best analogy to use is a piece of chicken for the dog is like a person eating a whole chicken cutlet. A second piece is a second chicken cutlet. How many pieces do you feed the dog and how many chicken cutlets do you eat? The same analogy works for everything we feed; pizza crust, steak, veggies, potato chips, popcorn,etc.
The best therapy in weight control for our dogs is to prevent obesity from occurring. Be aware of the body score your dog has as the dog develops. When growth stops decrease the amount of food fed. When your pet becomes spayed or neutered decrease the amount of food fed. When our dogs age and become less active, encourage activity or decrease the amount of food fed. Another way to manage a dog's weight is to think about how much activity your dog does everyday. If the dog exercises a lot then feed the normal amount. If the dog doesn't exercise a lot, on a particular day, feed less that day. We don't necessarily have to feed the same amount of food everyday. All dogs should earn their calories. It is not cruel to manage a dog's food intake, in fact it is essential for your dog's longevity. Dogs rely on their owners for their nutrition. If a dog is obese it is truly the owners fault. If we want our dogs to have a full, long, healthy life we must manage their weight appropriately.
Calorie count of commonly fed food items:
- Milk bone dog biscuit (small) = 20 kcal
- Milk bone dog biscuit (medium) = 40 kcal
- Milk bone dog biscuit (large) = 115 kcal
- Foster and Smith biscuit (bite size) = 5 kcal
- Bonz (small) = 70 kcal
- Science Diet lite treats = 15 kcal
- Baby Carrot = 3 kcal
- Canned green beans (1 cup) = 25 kcal
- Canned Pumpkin (1 ounce) = 10 kcal
- Rice Cake (white cheddar) = 45 kcal
- Popcorn (1/2 ounce) = 54 kcal
- Pizza Hut pizza (1 medium slice) = 258 kcal
- Chocolate Chip cookie = 180 kcal
- Soft ice cream (1/2 cup) = 113 kcal
- McDonald's Quarter pounder with Cheese = 525 kcal
Examples of calories needed (moderately active dog) and calorie count of diets:
10 pound dog </p>
- 411 kcal per day
- Purina dog chow: = 0.9 cups per day
- Iams Chunks = 1.1 cups per day
- Nutramax adult = 1.1 cups per day
40 pound dog
- 1162 kcal per dayPurina dog chow = 2.7 cups per dayIams chunks = 3 cups per day
- Nutramax Adult = 3.1 cups per day
80 pound dog
- 1955 kcal per day
- Purina dog chow = 4.5 cups per day
- Iams Chunks = 5.1 cups per day
- Nutramax Adult = 5.1 cups per day
FOR AN IDEAL DOG: It is easy to feel the ribs without an excess fat covering. Viewed from the side, the belly is tucked up. Viewed from above, there's a noticeable waist in front of the hips Also, you should see a noticeable "waist" between the back of the rib cage and the hips when looking at your pet from above. Viewed from the side, there should be a "tuck" in the tummyÑthe abdomen should go up from the bottom of the rib cage to inside the thighs. Dogs who fail these simple tests may be overweight.
FOR AN OVERWEIGHT DOG: It is difficult to feel the ribs with an excess fat covering. Viewed from the side, the belly has minimal or no tuck. Viewed from above, there's no waist in front of the hips.
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Dr. Ellen Leonhardt
Animal General
East Norwich
(516) 624-7500
THIS SITE PROVIDES INFORMATION, NOT MEDICAL ADVICE
Information on this web site is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your veterinarian or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging. You should not use the information on this web site for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication or other treatment. You should always speak with your veterinarian before giving any medication or nutritional, herbal or homeopathic supplement to your dog, or adopting any treatment for a health problem. For any products or services purchased from this web site, you should read carefully all product packaging and instructions.
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