How do you get a dog to lose weight?

Question

I have a shih tzu. She weighs about 20 pounds but ideally she should weigh about 11 pounds

Answer 1

Did your vet tell you the dog was overweight? If so, the vet would have also recommended a weight loss program for your dog.

If you're just deciding this on your own, then you need to talk to your vet about it. "Ideally" could mean that you've looked at a breed standard that *told* you how much they could weigh, but depending on your individual dog, it might not be overweight for it's size.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

Make sure your dog is really overweight. Our friends have shih tzu that is too big for the breed standard but he's not overweight, he's just big for his breed (he's about 19 lbs.). If you can't easily feel ribs (though they should not be protruding), he probably could lose a bit of weight. Your vet can also help you assess if your dog is a bit overwieght.

Feed a high quality reduced calorie food (or even a regular food in lesser quantities) following the package instructions for the size you want him to be, not what he is. Don't free-feed - leave food out all the time. Any thing not eaten should be picked up after 15 minutes. And no people food or treats. Try and get him some exercise too. Two 20 minute play sessions or walks a day should work for his breed.

One thing to check in overweight dogs is thyroid function. We had an overweight dog and it was because of low thyroid (hypothyroidism). Once he started treatment for that, the weight problem resolved easily.

Answer 4

There really is only one answer: Feed her less & exercise her more.
Your vet should be able to put you on track with a weight loss program for her.
Sometimes a prescription diet is needed to lose the weight.
A dog of that size who is 10 pounds overweight is like a 350-400 pound human.
Obesity shortens lifespan, causes undue stress and sometimes permanent damage to the heart and joints, can predispose to many disease conditions like diabetes and some cancers, as well as make life quite uncomfortable for your pet.
Everyone in the house needs to be on board with a STRICT program, one person can derail the whole program with the whole "But she's so hungry" story.
Good luck

Answer 5

You need to stop feeding her so much, and feed her a different type of food. Check with your vet to see how much food a shih tzu should be getting, and limit her to that. Also, there are foods that are weight loss foods. Finally, no table scraps. The weight could cause her serious health problems. We have a diabetic dog who is on insulin twice daily, and she gets a specific food that helps lower her blood sugar, but most stores will carry low-calorie foods, too. She weighed 104 pounds (she's part Weimeraner & part chocolate lab), and she's now at 90 pounds. You may have to steel yourself, though--those big brown eyes are hard to resist.

Answer 6

Instead of leaving food out all day, only feed her 2 portion sized meals a day or diet/indoor formula dog food...or better yet, get one of those Kong toys and make her "work" for at least one of her meals. This will help her be a bit more active, as well as stimulate her mind. You can also exercise her more, play games, or go on walks. Limit treats and don't feed her table scraps or any human food at all. It'll take time for her to lose, but keep working at it and you'll start to see success!
Good luck.

Answer 7

Feed her a little less and exercise her a little more. Gradually, though, especially the exercise, because if she's out of shape, she could get hurt more easily. Always measure your dog's food carefully because with a tiny breed, even a small variation in the amount you feed her can make a difference in her weight. Also ... no table scraps and limit or elimate the treats.

Answer 8

Put her on a low-calorie food like IAMS Weight Control Food and exercise her well. Take her out for walks everyday but take it easy on her because a small dog can get tired easily. I would limit the walks to 10 to 15 minutes at a slow to steady walk. Good Luck!

Answer 9

Feed her a tiny bit less, week by week. Get a cheap food scale if that helps. Feed her such a tiny bit less that she doesn't really notice it. Decrease as weeks go by. You need to give her about a year to lose that much.

At same time, increase her exercise - take her for more walks, play more actively with her.

Decrease the people food - if you give her bites of what you are eating, start slowly decreasing that.

Answer 10

Control her food habit, try this product (8 Day Autopetfeeder)
reduce overall daily chores. The feeder allows owners to continue feeding their pet’s canned and dry food for up to 8 times a day by keeping the food cool for up to 12 hours a day with the help of the ice trays provided.