and Your Pet! By Denise Fleck, The Pet Safety Crusader™
with your veterinarian who can determine your dog’s goal weight, number of proteins vs fiber vs fat that he should consume daily. Tools exist to help you approximate daily caloric needs for the average pooch. If your dog has been spayed or neutered however, he or she will require a 20- 30% reduction in calories since their energy requirements have been diminished by not going through cycles and no longer a need to nourish tissues that have been removed. Says Ward, “With 95% certainty, I can predict that weight gain will occur in most pets around 9 months of age since most get altered at 6 months and their caloric intake is not decreased.” As a very basic guideline for average lightly-active, adult
Dr. Ward’s predictors of success are: You diligently keep at least a 1-week feeding and activity log. Pet parents have the best of intentions but often fail without a strict regimen. Weigh the food as a measuring cup of kibble can vary by 10% so feeding as few as 10 extra pieces of kibble daily can cause weight gain. Talk with your pet about what aerobic activity your dog can do daily. 30 minutes a day, walk or play. Swimming might be best for canines with joint issues. Your motivation to make a difference. A final recommendation of Dr. Ward’s is fitness feeding. “Rotate food puzzles to keep your dog mentally stimulated and engaged, which is particularly important when they are seniors. Make them ‘learn to earn’ by making your dog do a ‘sit’ or ‘down stay.’ It becomes a learning opportunity, so your dog gets a two-fer. You can even make your dog find the food by splitting it up in bowls in different rooms, using a snuffle mat or hiding kibble under a blanket.” Make it fun, but make sure what you are feeding is not ‘extra,’ but rather part of your dog’s daily calorie allowance. It isn’t just about how your best friend looks, it’s about how he feels, and the inflammation and other problems exacerbated by fat. Do your best to keep your senior dog, or dog of any age, as close to his ideal weight as possible for a longer, healthier life by your side! Denise Fleck is the Pet Safety Crusader™ having personally taught more than 25,000 humans to rescue Rover or help Fluffy feel better. Her mission is to help YOU make a difference in the life of an animal through Pet First-Aid, Senior Pet Care and Disaster Preparedness classes, her “The Pet Safety Bible,” and the dozen other books she has penned. Learn more at www.PetSafetyCrusader.com.
spayed or neutered dogs: 10 lbs. dog should consume
200-275 calories daily
50 lbs. dog 90 lbs. dog
700-900 calories
1,100 – 1,350 But to lose weight, approximately 80% of those calories should be consumed and close to 30% should be protein. Move slow, or in Dr. Ward’s words, “Step down the weight. Determine a conservative monthly weight loss of 3-5%, so a 90 lbs. Labrador, who ideally should weigh 75 lbs., should lose no more than 3-5 lbs. per month and will take about 4 months to achieve goal.” Your dog will pester and beg if you cut calories too drastically. Adds Ward, “Never reduce calories below 70% of your dog’s RER (Resting Energy Requirements) as you can run the risk of nutritional deficiencies.” As for the best food to feed, “There is no perfect food for every dog cause all dogs are individuals,” Ward chimes in. “Find what your dog likes. If he won’t eat it, it won’t help him. Also find a food you like and that has a low caloric density (less than 350 kcals/cup) with higher protein and fiber.” Keep in mind that it must be convenient for your lifestyle as convenience equates to consistency, so you will be more likely to stick with the routine for your dog’s sake. Ward cautions though, to reassess at 90 days, and if you’re not getting demonstrable improvement, talk to your vet and switch it up. Also, treat no more than 10% of daily calories, but less during weight loss. And make those treats functional: the tasty supplement your pooch needs for joint health or for skin and coat; crunchy veggies that provide satiety (cucumbers, zucchini, broccoli, carrots) not formulated to provide all the fats, carbs and micronutrients for a canine diet.
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