What's the best low-fat dog food?

It's not just humans who struggle with weight problems – dogs can be affected just as much by obesity, extra pounds, or just a podgy tummy! If you notice that your dog is gaining too much weight, you should do something to rectify the problem before it becomes serious – obesity brings its own problems, such as digestion difficulties and various diseases. Fortunately, a bit of weight gain is really not very difficult to deal with.

Firstly, you need to look at what you dog is eating. Not just what goes into his bowl at meal times, but also how much of it, and what he eats in between meals! Giving your dog snacks between meals is the number one cause of weight gain, particularly if you aren't selective with the treats that you offer him. It wouldn't be so bad if you were giving your dog a careful ration of specially formulated dog snacks or treats, but when all members of the family are secretly giving the dog leftovers, scraps, or pieces of their own food (and usually every person doing this will think that they're the only one, not realizing that 3 or 4 others are doing the same thing – it's not like the dog's going to tell tales!), it can quickly become a problem. The best thing to do is cut out all treats, and only feed your dog at meal times. Make sure all the family knows that they're not to offer any more snacks, for the sake of the dog's health. Suggest alternative ways of showing the dog that he's loved, like taking him for a short walk or playing ball with him instead of giving him extra food. Most dogs will love this just as much as getting something extra to eat – and they'll be in much better condition as a result, in the long run.

 

Also check that you are feeding the correct amount of food according to the guidelines on the packaging. It goes without saying that you should be feeding a good, high quality food, and that you should designate meal times for your dog as opposed to just filling up the bowl and leaving the food out for him to come and graze at it whenever he feels like it. The food should be offered at specific times, and then removed. Constant grazing will lead to dietary problems and very likely weight gain.

There are plenty of good quality reduced fat dog foods out there if you want to help your dog to shed that excess fat. Just make sure that the one you choose doesn't also reduce other important nutrients along with the fat. An example of a reduced fat dog food is Bil Jac Reduced Fat Dog Food – although the first ingredient here is “Chicken by-product”, which is normally something you'd want to steer clear of, the manufacturer has been specific about what exactly this means – and in this case, it's organs such as chicken liver, which are very good ingredients for a healthy dog's diet. Another sample food is Wellness Core Reduced Fat, which offers good meat content and potatoes. Search around, and check the ingredients list, and you're sure to find a reduced fat food that is right for your dog.

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