A New Perspective on Canine Obesity

Your dog is probably fat. It’s also probably your fault. Don’t worry, I’m not going to spend the entire article telling you what a bad dog owner you are, because you aren’t a bad dog owner. I know you love your dogs to the moon and back, but I am going to hold you accountable and help you change the way you think. I am also going to give you solutions for helping your dog lose weight. However, the reality is that the majority of dogs in America are overweight/obese. Canine obesity is an epidemic.

I struggle with this with one of my own dogs. It’s a nearly constant battle. One that I have to win for the sake of my dog.

Yes, my sweet, precious, wonderful Rocket has always struggled a little with body condition. When I started writing this, he weighed 56.5 pounds and was a little tubby. Yes, I’m nitpicking him, but his life could literally depend on it. He only needs to lose about 3 pounds for his body condition to be where I want it. I know this because we’ve been fighting this battle since he got neutered at 15 months. He’s almost 6.

Dogs don’t need treats to be happy. You give them treats to make YOU happy.

Every Dog is Different

When Rocket was about 2 years old, he got up to a whopping 66 pounds, which was significantly overweight for him. On the surface, 66 pounds might seem like the perfect weight for a Golden Retriever male, maybe even a little underweight. But my Rocket is only 22.25-in. tall at the withers and isn’t a heavy-boned dog. 66 pounds was very heavy for him and it was my fault. He was eating a food that was way too rich for him and his metabolism slowed down after he was neutered.

In contrast to Rocket, 68 pounds is ideal for Eevee. She is an inch taller than him and is very muscular. If you look at her hip x-ray in the Decoding OFA post, you can see how muscular she is and why we call her “The Beauty and the Beast”. Her body condition is perfect at 68 pounds, whereas Rocket would be obese at 68 pounds.

In the height of his Rally career, Rocket’s current weight would have been totally fine because his body condition was better. He was in shape and we were training and competing regularly. He had to be in good shape to take bar jumps and high jumps in the upper level Rally classes. It’s not all about the number on the scale – it’s about overall body condition.

The Canine Obesity Epidemic

As of 2018, 55.8% of American dogs were classified as overweight or obese by their veterinarian according to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP). This is an increase of more than 10% since 2008 when only 44.3% of dogs were classified as overweight/obese. Just as in humans, when dogs are overweight/obese they have a much higher risk for serious health conditions.

The Consequences of Canine Obesity

The consequences of canine obesity are similar to those in humans: increased risk of several health issues and shorter life spans. The health issues include:

• Type 2 Diabetes
• Osteoarthritis, particularly in the hip
• High blood pressure
• Increased risk of cruciate ligament injuries (cranial and anterior)
• Skin diseases
• Heart disease
• Respiratory disease

Additionally, there is some correlation to increased incidence of cancers, although causation hasn’t been proven yet. Keeping your dog in an overweight/obese condition can take up to 2.5 years off of their already short lifespans.

Treats Aren’t Always That Sweet

Remember, treats add up quickly for dogs. Humans tend not to think about the number of calories per treat because those calories don’t affect us. They do affect our dogs though. Every time you give your dog a treat or a piece of your own food, you are adding calories the dog doesn’t need. Every time you give your dog a licky mat covered in peanut butter, greek yogurt, and smashed bananas, you’re giving them hundreds of extra calories.

Those afternoon snacks? Unnecessary. That piece of fat from your steak? NOPE. The leftover turkey and gravy from Thanksgiving dinner? Definitely not.

I’m not saying to never give your dogs treats, just don’t make it a habit because those calories add up unbelievably quickly. Since most dogs don’t need as many calories for basic body functions as humans do, that 100-calorie spoonful of peanut butter could be more than 25% of a small dog’s calorie needs for a day.

Anyway, dogs don’t need treats to be happy. And here’s the hard truth: You give your dogs treats to make YOU happy. I don’t want to hear any “but Bella LOVES bananas! I can’t not give her half of my banana!” Bella loves bananas because you taught her to love bananas. She would be just as happy as she is now if you had never given her half of your banana. She wouldn’t know the difference.

The New Perspective on Canine Obesity

And this is where I’m going to approach things a little differently: We teach our dogs to love treats. It’s instinctive for dogs to love food, but we teach them about treats. Every interaction we have with our dogs is teaching them something. It’s training them. And for some things, it only takes once. It only takes ONE time of letting your dog lick extra peanut butter from a spoon for them to always be in the kitchen when the peanut butter comes out (I may or may not know this from experience…). If you aren’t careful, that mostly empty spoon will become a spoonful. And then it will become an every day thing.

Suddenly, your dog is getting 100 calories extra every day, not including whatever else you give them. And you can’t say no because they show up with their cute face and wagging tail like clockwork. You like giving them peanut butter because you think it makes them happy. But here’s the hard part – dig deep here: are you really doing it for them? Or are you doing it for you?

Your dog would be just as happy if you had never given it any peanut butter at all. Because you taught it to like peanut butter.

Guess what happens if you don’t make up for that extra 100 calories with exercise…? Canine obesity is what.

Canine Obesity Misconceptions

Honestly, besides spoiling our dogs to make ourselves happy, another major issue with overweight and obese dogs is that people just don’t know what a healthy dog looks like. This isn’t a rare misconception either. According to APOP, 95% of owners of overweight/obese dogs thought their dogs were at healthy weights. NINETY-FIVE PERCENT, y’all.

There are so many “cute” photos of fat dogs on the internet that we’re becoming desensitized. Fat dogs are the “new normal”. Therefore, many people just don’t know what a healthy dog looks like.

Dog World vs. Pet World Perspectives on Canine Obesity

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard Dog People say that a random Pet Person told them their dog was too skinny. No, your dog is fat random Pet Person. You can’t use the “oh he’s just big-boned” or “she’s just really fluffy” excuses either. No matter how much hair a dog has, you should still be able to easily feel their ribs.

The reason body condition is a Dog World versus Pet World issue is that Dog People know what a healthy dog looks like. They generally keep their dogs in fantastic shape because most Dog People are competitors of some type. Show dogs need to be kept in good shape according to their breed standards. For instance, the Golden Retriever breed standard calls for dogs to be shown in “hard working condition”.

Obedience, agility, rally, hunt test, herding, etc. dogs have to be in great shape to be competitive and most importantly to avoid injury. A lean dog is a healthy dog, a faster dog, and a safer dog.

Proper Body Condition for Your Breed

Truly, most breeds should be kept lean bordering on thin. You should be able to feel your dog’s ribs with ease. You should be able to lay a hand on their side and be able to feel ribs without pressing down. If you can’t, your dog is probably a little fat. Again, it doesn’t matter how much hair they have, you should be able to feel ribs with ease.

For example, sighthound breeds (think Greyhound, Whippet, Saluki, etc.) should have visible ribs. If you can’t see the ribs on your sighthound, it’s fat. And no, these dogs are not too thin or malnourished. This has to do with breed purpose and breed type.

Sporting breeds, working breeds, and herding breeds all need to be kept very lean in order to do their jobs and to keep their joints in good shape. You don’t need to be able to see their ribs, but you should be able to feel them without effort. Even breeds from cold-weather climates should be kept pretty lean – they have double coats to keep them warm.

How to Read Your Dog’s Body Condition

If you are in that 95% that think their fat dog is healthy, it’s gut check time. Denial isn’t doing anyone – especially your dog – any favors. The first step is to let go of your pride and admit that there’s an issue. The second step is to accurately and objectively assess your dog’s body condition.

Look at the chart below and your dog, then assign her/him a number. If that number is greater than 5, your dog is overweight. If the number is greater than 7, your dog is obese. As of right now, Rocket is about a 6, maybe a 7. Slightly overweight, but not obese. Eevee is a 4.

How to Help Your Dog Lose Weight

If your dog is a 6 or above, they need to lose at least a few pounds. The solution for dogs is the same as humans: calorie deficit.

Here’s where my engineering perspective comes in: it’s just physics. Energy can be neither created nor destroyed. Calories = energy. For a dog to maintain weight, then calories in (food) must equal calories out (staying alive + exercise). For a dog to gain weight, calories in are greater than calories out. The extra energy is stored in fat cells. To lose weight, yep: calories in are less than calories out.

You basically have three options if you want to help your dog lose weight:

1. Cut out the treats (decrease calories in).
2. Cut down their food (decrease calories in).
3. Increase exercise (increase calories out).

For Rocket, I typically decrease his food. I don’t give a lot of treats, but if I do, it’s during training. If I need to take a pound or two off of Eevee, I usually increase her exercise first, and then cut food if necessary. I am constantly keeping an eye on their body condition and adjusting their food accordingly.

Don’t Go By the Bag

In my experience, dog food bags recommend too much food for most dogs. Eevee’s food bag, for instance, recommends about 2.75 cups/day, which is at least 0.5 cups too much for her on most days. Most adult Golden Retrievers that are not working dogs only need 2-2.5 cups of food per day. A larger, active male might need a little more, but the vast majority of dogs don’t need that much. Trust me, I know they act like they are starving ALL THE TIME, but trust me again: they are not starving.

You also need to make sure that the cup you are using is an 8 ounce measuring cup. If you are using a solo cup or anything larger than an 8 ounce measuring cup, you could be feeding your dog double or even triple what it actually needs. And if you are free feeding – stop. Transition your dog to two meals per day, carefully measured.

Alternative Spoiling Methods

Regardless of whether you are a Dog Person or a Pet Person, we all love spoiling our dogs. We all love them to the ends of the earth, it’s just that some of us spoil them without food. If food is your primary way of spoiling your dog, here are some alternatives to those bananas and spoons of peanut butter.

Training!

Most dogs love to learn new things. You don’t need to be into competitive obedience to train your dog regularly. Teach them a bunch of tricks from the AKC Trick Dog program. They’ll love it!

Exercise

Yes, most dogs actually like exercise. Unless your dog is morbidly obese, they will probably relish the increased activity. However, if your dog does need to lose weight, consult with your vet regarding a safe exercise plan. Some of these may be obvious, but here are some ways to keep your dog active:

• Long walks
• Running
• Swimming
• Intense games of fetch
• General play
• Dog sports, like FastCAT, Lure Coursing, and Dock Diving

Grooming

A lot of dogs actually love to be brushed and/or combed. Do you know why they love it? Because they are spending time with you! Duh. I love grooming my dogs. It’s cathartic for me, but they love it too.

Cuddles

Whether you let your dogs on the couch or not, cuddles are a great way to spoil them. I know that not all dogs like cuddles, but for the ones that do, extra cuddles are better than extra treats. Just sitting on the floor and letting them lay next to you makes them incredibly happy. And we already know that making them happy makes you happy.

When the Weight Just Won’t Come Off

If you have genuinely tried everything above and your dog still hasn’t lost weight, it may be time to get a thyroid panel. Many breeds, including my beloved Goldens, are prone to thyroid issues. Ask your vet about it and have a frank discussion with them about everything you’ve tried. If your dog does not end up being hypothyroid, then let your vet know that they can be honest with you about your dog’s weight. Come up with a plan together. Working with your vet instead of being offended by their honesty is the best bet for putting those 2.5 years back on your dog’s life.

If more and more people start being honest with themselves, we can end the canine obesity epidemic in America.