There is an advertisement in here for buying a product--You can simply ignore or read to get some idea of ingredients you may want to feed! (or -guess you could buy if you were interested in it!)
Obesity in Dogs
Did you know that obesity is one of the most common nutritional medical disorders, with approximately 24-40% of pets being classified as overweight? The medical classification for this condition is "obesity".
Reasons for this include a more confined and sedentary lifestyle for pets, availability of highly-palatable, energy dense pet foods and treats, and a strong human-animal bond which leads to overfeeding and snacking.
Did you also know that an overweight dog owner is more likely than a slim dog owner to have an overweight dog?
The cause of obesity is of course excessive food intake as compared to energy depletion. The surplus is stored as fat.
There are many factors which affect this balance, including age, breed, sex, hormonal abnormalities, as well as external factors such as lifestyle, diet formulation and intake.
Hound breeds, Cocker Spaniels, Labradors and Shelties are some of the more common breeds affected, although obesity is certainly not breed specific. Neutered females, and dogs older than 4 years of age are more prone to excess weight gain.
The risk of certain health problems increases proportionately with weight gain, as well as an aggravation of existing clinical disease, such as arthritis and respiratory disease. Health problems likely to arise as a result of obesity include the following:
Joint or locomotion difficulties ... Extra pounds put added stress on joints, bones, ligaments and muscles. Conditions such as arthritis, hip dysplasia, disk disease and ligament ruptures may be caused or aggravated by obesity.
Heart and Respiratory Disease ... Heart and lungs have to work harder to provide adequate oxygen and circulation. Also, extra fat in the chest cavity and around the heart muscle can decrease the efficiency of the heart and lungs.
Diabetes ... Just like people, diabetes is much more common in obese dogs and cats.
Liver Disease ... Obese animals are prone to liver disease.
Heat Intolerance ... Insulating properties of excessive fat make obese animals uncomfortable and unable to tolerate heat.
Skin Problems ... Obese animals often have trouble grooming themselves. The rolls of skin built up by fat deposits can often harbor dirt, bacteria and other harmful organisms.
Gastrointestinal Disorder ... Pancreatitis is seen all too often in obese dogs. This condition is painful and life threatening.
Wow - who'd have thought that pet owners could potentially be exposing their beloved animals to all these types of problems, when all they thought they were doing was giving their dog a few fattening treats?
Weight reduction is achieved by lowering of food intake, and increased exercise (subject to your vet's advice as to how much is best for your overweight dog). Concurrent medical conditions which have arisen as a result of your dog being overweight will need to be treated as well.
For any weight reduction program to be successful, you as your dog's owner must first acknowledge that a problem exists, and then be committed to its correction.
Although calorie reduction in dogs can be achieved by dramatically reducing food intake, it's generally accepted that the best way to put your dog on a weight loss program is to feed 10-20% fewer calories. Restricting calories also restricts protein, vitamins and minerals, so it's important to ensure that these are kept in balance.
The principle in all therapeutic diets is to offer a reduced energy density coupled with a compensatory supplementation of protein, vitamins and minerals. A number of different formulations are used by different manufacturers. The best one to my mind, and it's beyond comparison with the others, is the Canine Zone Diet formulated by Dr Barry Sears, the well known author and creator of the Zone Diet for humans. It follows a 30% protein, 30% fat and 40% carbohydrates balance of nutrients to allow the body to use its fat reserves as energy.
Of course, even though most cases of obesity can be corrected, early pet owner education remains the best preventative measure. Overfeeding puppies and kittens may lead to an excess production of fat cells and a tendency to being overweight later in life. In puppies, overfeeding may also accelerate the growth rate, which in certain breeds may increase the risk of certain skeletal diseases.
So the clear message is - if you haven't already overfed your dog - don't! And if you have, the time to act is now - take a look at the Canine Zone Diet by clicking here.
Guess you won't see this ad after all and I tried to find it on the net and couldn't but did find more info on overweight dogs here: Is Your Dog Fat?
And here are some general, common sense, tips that I found, for putting your dog on a diet:
Putting Your Dog on a Diet
If you are thinking of putting your pet on a diet, you must consider the pet's overall lifestyle. The two most important factors that will require change are food and exercise or input and output. Most pets are overweight because there is more input than output.
The commitment for your pet to lose weight must come from you. You are the one who can control your pet's eating habits and exercise regime.
Here are the necessary steps to follow when putting your pet on a proper diet.
Step 1
Review the pet's current lifestyle, eating habits and exercise routine.
Step 2
Take your pet to a veterinarian for a physical examination. Sometimes the obesity can cause physical problems or sickness. As well, if you are planning to increase your pet's exercise regime, it is important to ensure he or she will be able to endure the demands. You and your veterinarian can discuss your pet's nutritional requirements according to his/her level of activity.
Step 3
Stop any snacks or treats. This is the number one cause of obesity in pets. A complete and balanced pet food will provide your pet with adequate nutrition and eating enjoyment. All of those little bite-size treats of table scraps add up in calories! If treats are used for training purposes or rewards, the amount of energy included in those treats should be subtracted from the total daily intake.
Step 4
Take you pet for lots of nice long walks. Exercise is very important provided the pet is physically able.
Overweight Dogs 
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