What dog food is recommended for overweight dogs?

Brooke Anderson: What dog food is recommended for overweight dogs?
My dog is overweight and I need to help her lose weight. I am going to have her exercise more, but I would also like to change her food. What brand/type of dog food is recommended to help with this?

Answers and Views:

Answer by Rachel Rose Griffin
Do you let your dog feed itself? I mean, just letting her eat whenever she feels like it? That could be the problem. I think there’s a certain amount you should feed your dog daily (like, example, 2 cups for 30lbs of dog). That could be the issue. There’s also treats that help with overweight dogs (not 100% positive if they work…but my dog certainly isn’t chunky and I let her feed herself 🙂
Exercise should be enough… most dogs have a pretty high metabolism so it’ll burn off the fat quickly. I feed my dog the all natural Taste of the Wild and so far no issues there.

Answer by Lizzie
Exercise HELPS but the real KEY to losing weight is to EAT LESS. Any good dog food will do, just feed less, and cut out snacks and treats or only give one per day. You can substitute raw fruits and veggies for fatty snacks, if your dog will eat them. Keep her mind off food by giving her new things to do. Walk her in new places, teach her new things, buy some new toys to play with, with her. A very LARGE (so the dog won’t choke on it) fresh (never frozen) bone to gnaw on will give her hours of fun and very few calories.

Answer by Jenny Manyteeth
I cannot recommend feeding any of the commercial varieties of meat-flavored baked paste with chemicals added. Instead, why not feed your dog actual food? The dog’s natural diet is raw meat on the bone. Try it. The dog will love it, the diet will help him teethe properly as a pup, satisfy his lifelong need to chew, keep his teeth clean and his feces innocuous.

https://www.rawmeatybones.com
https://www.rawfed.com
https://www.rawfeddogs.net

https://barxx.com/

The basic idea is to approximate a wild diet as closely as possible; raw meat on the bone and small amounts of organ meat [liver is most important, but also kidneys, pancreas, spleen, lungs and what is called green tripe]. Amount to feed is calculated as 2-3% of the dog’s ideal adult body weight. Your veterinarian can help you estimate that; then you just do the math. You don’t have to be exact; all amounts are to be averaged over a week or two. Dogs [not toys or puppies] that get big, complicated meals sometimes will eat for two days and then not again for five. All perfectly normal.

Answer by Nutro Pup
I’ve had a lot of people tell me that after trying almost every “diet” food out there, even the prescription foods, Nutro Natural Choice Lite is the only food their dogs actually lost weight on. It is a good food too. All natural with no by-products (heads, feet, intestines, etc.), no ground yellow corn (allergen and filler), and no artificial colors or flavors.