Nutrition & Support In Weight Loss Diets
Being overweight is a serious issue for many dogs- comprising the majority of the dog population in the United States. Excess weight can lead to diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, exercise intolerance, decreased immune function, respiratory distress and joint pain (to name a few). Often times switching to raw or cooked fresh food diet helps facilitate weight loss because of the drastic reduction in carbohydrates (if the previous diet was kibble).
The most obvious cause of weight gain is because of a positive energy balance. This occurs when too many calories are going in beyond what the body needs. While certainly too much energy will cause weight gain regardless of the source, the body is complicated and the source of energy matters. 100 kcal from simple sugars, for example, is certainly different than 100 kcal from protein or even complex carbohydrates. Especially in altered dogs, the presence of a high carbohydrate diet in addition to excess calories often leads to weight gain.
Non-nutritional reasons for overweight pets can be extensive and so it is important that you are working with your veterinarian. Age, breed, certain conditions (such as hypothyroidism), spaying and neutering, sedentary lifestyle, and some medications can contribute to weight gain or complicate weight loss.
A fantastic example of this would be Miss. Pepper Potts the boxer. She was overweight even from a young age and was possibly spayed too early in life. She was eating a kibble diet and her daily feeding amounts were being reduced further and further to try and reduce energy intake. However, she seemed to be getting heavier and heavier. Her overall body condition, including coat and oral health, declined. The fix? Increasing calories and moving to a higher protein, moderate fat food, thus feeding lower carbohydrate. When food (especially commercial food) is reduced, the nutrients are reduced which can make weight loss even harder. We were able to increase energy, increase nutrients, and decrease carbohydrate to achieve our goals.
However, raw fed dogs are eating low carbohydrate. The most common mistake I see in raw fed dogs that are gaining weight is not that they are feeding too much food by weight, but that they are not paying attention to the fat content in the food.
Choose Your Guide
All guides meant for adult dogs.
Ratio Feeding (PMR, BARF)
NRC Feeding (Nutrient Guidelines)
Kibble Feeding
Macronutrient Considerations
If your dog is currently eating kibble and has not eaten raw or home cooked, I suggest that you aim for a bit more carbohydrate and work your way up to moderate fat and high protein so that we do not risk digestive upset. Note that these guidelines are highly generic and you may need to go up or down in any category (ex: you already know your dog does or does not do better on moderate fat). You might find that weight loss simply occurs naturally after switching to a fresh food diet. If you already know your dog does not do well with these levels then skip this section.
All macronutrient recommendations given on a caloric basis.
General Macronutrient Goals For Dogs Already Eating Raw or Cooked
%
Carbohydrates
5-20%
%
Fat
20-30%
%
Protein
40-50%
General Macronutrient Goals For Dogs Transitioning From a High Carbohydrate Diet (Kibble)
%
Carbohydrates
%
Fat
%
Protein
%
Fiber on a Dry Matter Basis
Fiber
You might already be tracking your dog’s fiber intake. If you have found their sweet spot for stool formation, you do not need to address this. More may be useful if your dog likes more bulk to their food.
If you have not formulated before, aim for 3-4% fiber on a dry matter basis. You may need to adjust this number.
Energy Intake
The best way to determine how many calories your dog should be eating is by tracking how many calories they have been eating. You might try changing the macronutrient profile first to see if weight loss results. If it does not, start by reducing the amount of calories fed by 2-5% and continue until gradual weight loss is achieved. Calories may need to be adjusted continuously throughout this process.
Weight loss should be gradual. Rapid weight loss can result in nutrient deficiencies.
%
Reduction in Energy
Formulation Considerations
As the dog loses weight, the diet should be adjusted. If the dog requires exceptional weight loss (more than 10-15% of body weight), provide enough nutrients to support the current weight and adjust as weight loss occurs. This is primarily important for the B vitamins and vitamin E. If only a small percentage of weight needs to be lost, simply formulate according to the goal weight.
B Vitamins
You will want to make sure B vitamins are fed in plentiful amounts. They can often fall short in weight loss diets. Do not be afraid to supplement. I like mixing Thorne B Complex Vet directly into the food (because the amounts are very high). Smaller dogs can use Mercola B Complex Pet fresh, daily.
Vitamin E
Excess fat creates a high-inflammatory environment with increased oxidative stress. You don’t need more than what is typically needed for a well-formulated diet, but you should certainly error more on the side of more than on the side of not enough. Supplementing is typically needed here. I recommend NOW, Solgar, or Standard Process if your vet sells it.
Choline
While we do not need to meet the recommended allowance for choline, providing as much as possible may be useful for weight loss. Choline helps the liver mobilize fat and is required for fat digestion and metabolism. Remember that choline is often missing in nutrient analysis.
Nutraceuticals
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is not an essential nutrient for dogs. However, because of its function to rejuvenate vitamin E, fresh sources in the diet may be beneficial. Vitamin C will be richest in raw plant matter. However, in some instances, gentle supplementing may be useful.
L-carnitine
L-carnitine is an amino acid that helps the body burn fat for energy. It has been useful in facilitating weight-loss for dogs. I would not reach for this one unless other options have been exhausted.
Hepatoprotective Herbs
Weight-loss requires work from the liver. I recommend working with a canine herbalism for dosing herbs. Milk thistle is one of the safest and easiest herbs to use. Animal Essentials makes a blend that I like.
Exercise
Exercise can be extremely difficult to work into the daily routine but physical activity is crucial for encouraging weight-loss.
Weight-loss will inevitably result in loss of both fat and muscle. Lean muscle mass requires more energy per pound and helps increase the resting metabolic weight. Reducing calories while not also increasing exercise can reduce lean muscle mass. This can decrease the resting metabolic weight even further. Exercise also supports the gut microbiome, which may play a role in weight-loss.
Exercise is key in maintaining long term weight-loss by increasing lean muscle mass and resting metabolic weight.
Conclusion
A weight loss diet often requires a combination of the strategies above. As weight loss occurs, you will need to adjust the diet to the current weight. Both nutrients and exercise are critical for weight-loss.
Caution
I strongly recommend that dogs who are severely overweight work with a professional.
It is also my preference that nutrient guidelines are used as I feel that provides the dog with the best tailored nutrient experience.
Feeding well below average food portions can result in malnutrition.
Most of the time owners of dogs that gain weight on raw diets (who are otherwise healthy) are often unknowingly feeding high fat foods. Fat is the chief energy supplier in a raw diet at 9 kcal/gram. If your dog is not very active, check to see if large portions of the diet are consisting of:
-Tripe
-Dairy
-Anything higher fat than 90/10 ground beef (or pork etc)
-Duck
-Lamb (Varies depending on cut)
-Treats including peanut butter
-Large amounts of skin
If your raw diet is comprised of high fat foods, consider switching to leaner cuts of muscle meat.
PMR diets are often very low in fiber. Consider adding fiber to support healthy gut bacteria, add bulk to the meals, and requires the body to spend more energy on the digestion process. Lower calorie additions might include fresh pumpkin*, butternut squash*, small amounts of leafy greens, small amounts of organic apples, and celery.
*Should be fed cooked
Once you have verified that you are feeding lean cuts of meat, you can try reducing the food. You should not reduce the food if you are feeding foods high in fat because fat displaces many other nutrients. Decreasing a high fat diet will only displace critical nutrients such as the B vitamins and amino acids. Weight loss should be gradual to reduce risk of nutrient deficiencies.
General guidelines for lower energy dogs is feeding 2% of body weight. It is in my personal experience that 2% or less results in low nutrient intake and indicates the use of nutrient guidelines.
A lot of commercial raw blends use high fat ingredients to keep the cost down. If your dog is gaining weight on premades, you may consider DIY with leaner ingredients or selecting another commercial raw where they are transparent about the calories and macronutrients.
If your commercial food provides calorie information, you can track the calories you have been feeding and use a calorie calculator to help determine a new goal.
You might also use these calculators to compare fat and protein levels between different commercial foods
B Vitamins
B vitamins can often be short in reduced calorie diets. The best way to determine if B vitamins are short is to audit the diet. Selecting lean protein sources will increase b vitamins. If you need to supplement, I like using Mercola B Complex Pet.
Vitamin E
Excess fat creates a high-inflammatory environment with increased oxidative stress. Most raw diets do not provide enough vitamin E for a regular proactive diet. I recommend a combination of plant matter and NOW, Solgar, or Standard Process if your vet sells it. Not sure how much your pet needs? Use the calculator here.
-Toy to small breeds 25-50 IU daily.
-Small to medium breeds 50-100 IU daily.
-Large to giant breeds 100-200 IU daily.
Reach for d-alpha tocopherol with mixed tocopherols.
Selenium
Selenium is also part of the antioxidant defense system. I recommend selecting kidney as your other secreting organ unless feeding a pork based diet.
Do not supplement without using nutrient guidelines.
Exercise can be extremely difficult to work into the daily routine but physical activity is crucial for encouraging weight-loss.
Weight-loss will inevitably result in loss of both fat and muscle. Lean muscle mass requires more energy per pound and helps increase the resting metabolic weight. Reducing calories without also increasing exercise can reduce lean muscle mass. This can decrease the resting metabolic weight even further. Exercise also supports the gut microbiome, which may play a role in weight loss.
Exercise is key in maintaining long term weight-loss by increasing lean muscle mass and resting metabolic weight while preventing risk of nutrient deficiency from reduced food.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is not an essential nutrient for dogs. However, because of its function to rejuvenate vitamin E, fresh sources in the diet may be beneficial. Vitamin C will be richest in raw plant matter.
Hepatoprotective Herbs
Weight-loss requires work from the liver. I recommend working with a canine herbalism for dosing herbs. Milk thistle is one of the safest and easiest herbs to use. Animal Essentials makes a blend that I like.
Conclusion
Dogs who move to raw and gain weight may be eating high fat ingredients. Dogs who have historically struggled with weight may need a more tailored approach using nutrient guidelines. A combination of the above strategies is often key to weight loss.
Exercise is still critical for raw fed dogs because it increases resting metabolic weight and is prevents the need to feed extremely low amounts food- which may result in malnutrition.
If possible, subbing in a lower carbohydrate food (that is also nutritionally balanced) can be useful. Consider canned, dehydrated, or raw. Be sure to track the calories that are fed as many of these foods can be higher in calories than kibble. Sometimes all that is needed is not the reduction in calories, but the reduction inc carbohydrates.
Macronutrient content of food cannot be determined by looking directly at the label. Use these calculators to help you determine the macronutrient content of the food. Aim for higher protein, moderate fat, and lowest carbohydrate possible (which won’t be low if feeding kibble).
Feeding well below the recommended feeding guidelines for the goal weight will result in low nutrient delivery and long term malnutrition. All essential nutrients are decreased including essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. If you are feeding well below the recommended feeding amount for the goal weight, switch to a lower calorie food.
The nutrient information on the bag of food will tell you the kcal per kilogram or cup. Use this information when picking out another food. 4+ kcal per gram is considered higher energy density that may make weight loss more difficult
Carefully selected low calorie food can help provide bioavailable nutrients. A balanced kibble topper formulation can help facilitate weight loss while bringing in much needed nutrients.
I have seen success by replacing just 20% of the diet with well thought out fresh additions.
The best way to determine how many calories your dog should be eating is by tracking how many calories they have been eating. From here, you can reduce calories and track the eating history. However, if need be, here is a calorie calculator. Select 90 as your starting pint.
If you are feeding within feeding guidelines for the goal weight, start by reducing caloric intake by 2-5%. Adjust as weight loss occurs.
Weight loss should be gradual. Rapid weight loss can result in nutrient deficiencies.
Antioxidants
Vitamin C and E may be beneficial to include as fresh additions.
Vitamin C is not an essential nutrient for dogs. However, because of its function to rejuvenate vitamin E, fresh sources in the diet may be beneficial. Vitamin C will be riches in raw plant matter.
Excess fat creates a high-inflammatory environment with increased oxidative stress. I strongly recommend adding plant food to kibble and canned diets. Leafy greens, fresh cooked pumpkin, cooked butternut squash, and cooked beets make great additions that are high in antioxidants.
L-Carnitine
Hepatoprotective Herbs
Weight-loss requires work from the liver. I recommend working with a canine herbalism for dosing herbs. Milk thistle is one of the safest and easiest herbs to use. Animal Essentials makes a blend that I like.
Exercise
Exercise is extremely important for dogs eating kibble who are struggling to lose weight.
Weight-loss will inevitably result in loss of both fat and muscle. Lean muscle mass requires more energy per pound and helps increase the resting metabolic weight. Reducing calories without increasing exercise can reduce lean muscle mass. This can decrease the resting metabolic weight even further. Exercise also supports the gut microbiome, which may play a role in weight-loss.
Exercise is key in maintaining long term weight loss by increasing lean muscle mass and resting metabolic weight while preventing risk of nutrient deficiency from reduced food.