Can you put a dog on a diet?

Question

My 5 year old miniature schnauzer looks like a potbellied pig. SInce she was a puppy, we have kept food in her bowl, letting her eat whenever she wants. I know that you are supposed to feed dogs meals. But how much and how often should I feed her? We have tried changing her food to diet, but still she just keeps getting bigger and bigger. I have a toddler and a newborn, so I don't have much time to let her play outside. The only exercise she gets is chasing a tennis ball around the house occasionally. Is that enough exercise for a little dog? Would changing her eating habits make a difference?

Answer 1

No its not enough exercise for her. Obesity is a matter of calories in to calories out. So you can up the exercise (more calories out) or feed her less (less calories in). I suggest you do both. Schnauzers are very prone to diabetes, and obesity predisposes them to it. Also they get hyperlipidemia from overeating.
Most dogs cannot be free fed- lets look to nature. In the wild canids hunt, bring prey down, eat it all until their stomachs are bulging, fighting with each other to get more. Then they lay down and rest for several days until the stomachs are empty again to hunt again. So a dog will by nature eat too much if its always available to them. Limit her intake to the lowest end of the feeding guideline and thats it!!
If like many dogs she is not getting the exercise she needs, even following the lowest end of the feeding guidelines will overfeed her- the levels are based on dogs getting exercise. In this case you need to go to a low calorie food. Look for a diet that has "light" in the name- by law only diets labled "light" have to be actually lower in calories. Don't be fooled by "less active", "lower fat", or other names- look for LIGHT. Feed by the lowest level of the feeding guide, measure it out in a measuring cup (not a big gulp or a coffee cup) and feed it to her in several small meals. And step uo the fetch games. Throw the ball while you are watching TV.
Please do something to help your dog lose weight- obesity is the fourth leading cause of non-accidental death in dogs. And you don't want to have to give your dog shots of insulin every day.
I recommend Science Diet Light- you can get it at Petsmart. or speak with your veterinarian about using Prescription Diet r/d.

Answer 2

Your dog can and should be put on a diet. The best thing to do is check with your vet for suggestions. Otherwise, put your dog on a good, high-quality diet food. Check the package for how much food to feed your dog. I would suggest feeding your dog twice a day. Don't give your dog "people" food and limit snacks. Try and get your dog more exercise. I agree with the previous poster who suggested getting your stroller out. Otherwise, keep throwing that tennis ball.

I know your dog is small, but I must say that I disagree with people on this list who have large dogs and feed their dog once a day. Feeding your dog once a day increases your dogs risk for bloat. Dogs shouldn't exercise vigorously one hour before or after eating either.

Answer 3

My puggle used to be overweight. My vet said to feed her Eukenuba Large Breed Reduced Fat food. Even though she isnt a large dog, it has some stuff in there that will help her. She has lost 6 pounds already after i started her on that food and i'm not even through the first bag. I feed my dog 1/3 of a cup in the morning, around 8am and then 1/3 of a cup in the evening about 6:30pm. She is fine with this amount of food and the times its given to her. I know my dog would eat all the food in one sitting if I left food down for her, she just doenst know when to stop eating. I work 2 jobs and go to school part time as well so I dont have much time to get her out like I would like to.

Answer 4

You should only feed your dog 1 -2 x a day. Maybe an occiational snack onece a day and some chew toys. There are diet dog food avalible too but speak with your vet about what is the best way to do this. Also giving her some extra excerise will help tool.

Answer 5

Yes it would help. My dog is on a diet as well. She eats the Nutro lite dog food. She gets 1 1/2 cups twice a day. She's 80 lbs though. The dog food bag will tell you how much to feed based on her size. A few throws of the tennis ball is probably not enough exercise, If you can't get out out with her, maybe you can try to throw the tennis ball more often?

Answer 6

First you have to talk to a vet. Your dog sounds really overweight and thats not good for a dog. You should stop having food down for him all the time and stick to giving him 3 cups a day , 1 for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Slowly you should take him of the lunch meal and only give him 2 meals per day. He also needs more exercise. Just because he's a little dog doesn't mean he doesn't need as much exercise as a big dog. If you're really cut for time, maybe you could hire a dog walker.

Answer 7

Your dog definitely needs an adjustment to its diet! Obesity works the same way with dogs as humans, it can cause multiple health problems. From personal experience I can tell you that putting her on a diet will be tough, but it will be well worth it when she drops a few lbs and starts to feel better. Talk to your vet - they will prescribe the right food to meet your dog's nutritional needs and come up with a feeding schedule that is convenient for you and less stressful for your pup to adjust to. Good luck!

Answer 8

Changing her eating habits would definitely make a difference. I would suggest one feeding in the evening around 6pm. I would also suggest taking her to the vet and make sure there is nothing medically wrong with her. Dogs can be diabetic and also have thyroid problems as well...both can cause weight problems in dogs just as they do humans. If you read the back of the dog food bag it should tell you how much to feed her....you also want to make sure she is not getting bloat from overeating and being allowed to graze. Only feed her once a day...unless the vet tells you otherwise!

Take her to the vet to be safe...no one here has proof that they are a licensed vet and can give you a vet's perspective.

Answer 9

I agree with Anita...our dog was also overweight. It was a simple case of too much food, the exercise wasn't as big a deal.

Follow the directions on the bag (based on how big she should be) & only feed her that...no table scraps either.

Btw...it doesn't have to be a special diet, keep her on her regular dog food or if you do change it...do it a little at a time to avoid making her ill.

Answer 10

Regular meals, especially of the right sort of food, and no filling the bowl to let her "graze." She will graze too much. Some people feed dogs only once a day, but I think that's extreme. Twice a day, about 12 hours apart, is good. A small portion at breakfast, and a small portion at dinner, and no lunch. The dog will beg, because she's used to having more, but just ignore her. And exercise her! Let the dog and the toddler play outside while you and the newborn watch.