Abbie my 3 year old Cocker Spaniel weighs in at 20kg according to the vet he needs to lose 5kg. He was neutered at 2 years old. He receives plenty of exercise 3 to 4 miles daily for me obviously he covers a lot more ground than that as he is off the lead also a daily swim. I feed him on James Wellbelove dried food (180g daily) and plenty of water. He just does not seem to be losing any weight according to the daily weigh in. Is there any advice you can give me?
Hi Tim and thanks for your post. Getting already active dogs to loose weight can be difficult. There are several factors to take into consideration however the most important thing when designing a weight loss plan is to make sure that the weight does not come off too fast as this can lead to problems with both the heart and the liver. Making sure the diet is high in protein will help prevent these problems but your dog should not loose more than about 1.5% of its weight in a week.
You do not say which product from the James Wellbeloved range you are feeding but I would recommend using the light (weight loss) product. Weight loss formulas tend to be lower in fat and and less calorie dense which will help. A good weight loss formula should also have a high fiber and protein content so consider comparing your current brands weight loss formula with other natural brands weight loss formulas.
Along with this try using only really light healthy treats. James Wellbeloved has light treats available or you could consider alternatives such as a little plain unsalted unbuttered popcorn.
You may also be able to encourage your dog to burn some more calories by getting him to play fetch or by walking him at the park with another dog as dogs off lead tend to run around a lot more when they have dog company.
Finally, because your dog should only be loosing 1.5% of its weight a week it may take several weeks before you can see a definite weight loss. This is because if your dog has lost 300 grams in a week but you weigh it when its just had a big drink and hasn't gone to the toilet for a while for example the weight loss may be hidden for a while. Try cutting back to just weighing your dog once a week or fortnight rather than daily to help you get a better idea of how it is progressing. You could also consider measuring its girth in particular areas and comparing these every week or so.
I hope this helps and if you have any further questions please don't hesitate to ask.
