Weight Maintenance

It's incredibly important that we manage our pet's weight throughout their lives. We want them to be with us as long as possible by making sure they're at a healthy weight for their age and breed can make their lives with us as fulfilled as possible.

Knowing what size your dog or bitch should be at adult age is a great way to set a baseline for what they should weigh, though it isn't unheard for some to be bigger or smaller than average. My dog Maya for example, was the biggest female in her litter, weighing 8kg at 8 weeks! She is considered above average for an adult female Greater Swiss Mountain Dog so her weight will be above the average for her breed and gender. 

What to look out for

Monitoring their physique can help identify any potential issues that can be fixed if needed. A rule of thumb for checking your dog is at an ideal weight by sight and feel, is that you should be able to feel their ribs with little pressure. This can be very helpful for dogs with long fur as a second way of checking their weight is ideal is by not being able to see their ribs. On leaner breeds, such as Grey Hounds, Whippets, Saluki's etc, this can vary.

They should also have a 'dip' between the bottom of the rib cage, leading to the pelvis. These are basic ways to see if your dogs body is at their ideal weight, it will vary from breed to breed so knowing the baseline for their average weight will be your best asset. Taking your dog to be weighed regularly will also help determine if they are gaining or losing an unusual amount of weight, like humans, their weight can vary from a few pounds gained or lost, but if there is a dramatic change, it can be caught early. 

What can cause weight gain?

Overfeeding

Weight gain can happen for a variety of reasons, but the most common can be overfeeding. Even on the best foods, overfeeding can cause weight gain, especially when human foods are thrown into the mix. It's very easy to give into those puppy dog eyes when you have a bacon sandwich, but a slice of bacon to a dog is the equivalent to a human eating 4 and half bags of crisps! The treats can sadly add up so it's best to avoid human foods as much as possible. 

Medical Reasons

Medical sources can also cause the pounds to pile on, steroids can cause a dogs weight to increase even though they're needed to help fight certain infections. The side effect of increased hunger can also put pressure on owners wanting to satisfy their dogs. Polycystic ovary syndrome and Cushing's syndrome can also be a cause, if you suspect these at all, check with your vet and have the relevant tests performed.

Age

Much like us, with age we tend to slow down and our activity levels drop some, it's the exact same for our dogs. Its common to see dogs in their golden years to be a little chunkier than in their youth, this is where either a dietary or aging food can be helpful for them. The size of your dog determines when they're classed as seniors:

Small Breed: 7 years of age
Medium Breed: 7 years of age
Large Breed: 6 years of age
Giant Breed: 5 years of age

Spaying & Neutering

A common side effect of a dog or bitch being spayed or neutered is gaining weight. This is due to their hormones being affected by the loss of testosterone and estrogen, which can take a toll on their metabolism in the long run. Though it is slightly inconvenient, these procedures have many benefits and this side effect should not put you off should your dog need this.  

Why Wellness CORE?

To conclude, weight gain can happen for a variety of reasons, but it's important not to panic! Every dog owner will have gone through this at least once and we're here to help you on your journey to help get your dog down their ideal weight. Our Wellness CORE Low Fat Turkey is made specifically to help dogs who are a little over than what they should be.

The 30% lower fat content and turkey protein are the perfect combo to allow your dog to feel full whilst shedding those pounds. The food will target the unwanted fat, keep those muscles strong and keep their energy levels up. Paired with suitable exercise and (your dogs may not agree on this part!) cut in treats, you'll start to see a difference in them and their overall health.