The amount of love we have for our dogs is infinite. As such, we tend to go quite far as pet parents to treat our dogs with the utmost love and affection, which often results in us showering them with as many gifts and treats as we can afford.
It can be tough to reign in the level of love we feel for our pups, making refusing them an extra bite of human food from the dinner table feel like an impossible task. Especially given those irresistible puppy dog eyes.
While a one-off treat is perfectly fine (though we wouldn’t recommend letting your pup get into the habit of begging at the dining table), we’re often not the only members of our family to fall victim to that adorable furry face. This means that if parents, grandparents, uncles, aunties, brothers, and sisters are all sliding Rover a snack under the table, chances are the family dog will begin to look more like the family hippo faster than you can say walkies.
In reality, it takes a lot more love and strength to resist your pup’s pleas for extra food than it does to succumb to their Oliver Twist-like begging. Helping your dog to maintain a healthy weight ensures you’ll be able to spend even more precious time with them, and that they’ll be in brilliant health up until the very end. Boundless energy and a playful spirit are just one of a dog’s many charms, so why rid them of the ability to use it?
We are certainly not in the business of shaming pet owners here at ES Best and would rather take a didactic approach to the issue. Not many dog parents can tell when their pet is overweight, nor do they know how to help them lose it. Fear not, for we’re here to break it down.
How do I know if my dog is overweight?
The simplest way to check if your dog is overweight is to take them to the vet for expert advice. However, if you’re struggling on the pet insurance front, you can look up a simple BMI test for your dog. Pop them on a set of scales, measure their weight against the recommended BMI for their age and breed, et voilà, you’ll know if your pup is overweight.
What are the best ways to help manage my dog’s weight?
Just like humans, a healthy amount of exercise and a change in diet can help an overweight pup to shed weight with ease.
We’ve rounded up a selection of the best diet dog foods to buy in the UK, which have been specifically formulated to help your pup lose those all-important kilograms.
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Royal Canin Veterinary Health Nutrition Satiety Dry Adult Dog Food
Ages: 12 months and up
Suitable for dogs from 12 months old, Royan Canin’s Satiety dog food has been formulated with dogs suffering from obesity or diabetes in mind. This kibble contains a high concentration of protein and macronutrients to help your dog maintain muscle mass while losing weight safely and quickly. As part of Royal Canin’s Veterinary Range, it’s important to only purchase this option if it’s been recommended by a professional. Royan Canin recommends avoiding this kibble if your pup has a history of constipation, especially in response to a high-fibre diet.
Buy now £14.99, Pets at Home
AVA Veterinary Approved Optimum Health Weight Management Adult Dog Food 15kg
Ages: 1-7 years
AVA’s vet-approved weight management kibble for adult pups is filled to the brim with hypo-allergenic chicken and L-carnitine to help promote the reduction of fat. Compared to AVA’s Adult Optimum Health Chicken kibble, this option contains 50 per cent less fat and employs an advanced formulation which makes the chicken protein easier than ever to digest. It also contains MOS and FOS prebiotics to help your pup maintain a healthy gut.
Buy now £54.99, Pets at Home
Hill's Prescription Diet Metabolic Weight Management Dry Adult Dog Food 12kg
Ages: 12 months and up
Another vet-approved option that shouldn’t be purchased without professional advice, Hill’s Prescription Metabolic dog food works alongside your pup’s natural desire to release energy, by re-activating their body’s ability to burn excess fat. This helps dogs to turn excess fat into energy which they can burn off, regulate their appetite and increase feelings of fullness to reduce begging.
Buy now £72.49, Pets at Home
Barking Heads Complete Dry Dog Food 2kg - Adult All Hounder Fat Dog Slim Chicken
Ages: 12 months and up
Incredibly clever name aside, this diet kibble certainly isn’t all bark and no bite. This tasty option will have your pup salivating even though it contains 30 per cent less fat than classic kibbles. It’s also imbued with glucosamine and chondroitin, L-carnitine and slow-release carbs to help your dog lose weight and – more importantly – keep it off.
Buy now £12.92, Amazon
IAMS Low Fat Complete Dry Dog Food for Adult and Senior Dogs with Chicken 12 kg
Ages: 12 months and up
A value-for-money option that will help overweight pups to lose kilograms on a budget, IAMS low-fat chicken kibble is wheat-free, non-GMO and contains no artificial colours or flavouring. This dry food has also been boosted with vitamins A, E and C, as well as L-carnitine to help keep the kilograms off while supporting a healthy immune system.
Buy now £27.54, Amazon
Pooch & Mutt Slim & Slender Dry Food
Ages: 12 months and up
Pooch & Mutt Slim & Slender is packed with wonderful, health-boosting ingredients including 45 per cent lean free-range chicken, a protein source rich in L-carnitine to help burn fat, as well as high-fibre sweet potato to help speed up the metabolism. This kibble additionally contains an innovative supplement known as Nutra-Bionic which helps to maintain your pup’s skin, coat, digestion and urinary tract health.
Buy now £15.99, Pooch & Mutt
Vet’s Kitchen Sensitive Care Turkey & Sweet Potato 22kg
Best for: golden oldies (dry food)
Sensitive Care Turkey & Sweet Potato is a dry food from Vet’s Kitchen which is specially formulated for senior dogs. It’s grain-free, contains no beef, wheat or dairy, and has no artificial flavours or colours. As dogs age they become stiffer and their joints could do with extra support (just like us), so this food contains glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM, which all help with mobility. It also contains l-carnitine and taurine, which are good for heart health, as well as added vitamins, minerals and prebiotics.
Fiona Firth, head nutritionist at Vet’s Kitchen says: “All of Vet’s Kitchen foods and treats are hypoallergenic. This does not mean that a dog cannot be allergic to the food, but it does mean that the most common food allergens (dairy, beef and wheat) are not included in the recipe, so the risk of an allergic reaction is reduced.”
Buy now £8.20, Pets at Home
Forthglade Salmon Grain Free Cold Pressed Natural Dry Dog Food
Ages: 2 months and up
Available to shop via a one-off purchase or subscription, Forthglade’s grain-free salmon feast is the latest recipe in the brand’s Cold Pressed range. It’s great for pup gut health and even better for pooches with poultry allergies. It’s solely made from natural products, with no cheap ingredients to cause food to swell. With added vitamins, minerals, fruit and botanicals, this dry dog food is bursting with everything your dog deserves.
Buy now £16.50, Amazon
