Senior Dogs and Weight Loss
There is currently an epidemic of overweight dogs and I have my personal opinions on why this is taking place and what can be done to change the trend. Today instead of overweight dogs I want to talk about Senior Dogs that need a little help putting back on some weight. With the super long winter this year I have been seeing the question pop up more and more.
Help! Dog friends my healthy senior dog is loosing weight any suggestions?
As long as you know that your dog is healthy has maintained their ideal weight for most of their lives and has been seen by a Vet and given a clean bill of health the solution is really simple and your dog will love it! Add a bit of extra protein to their diet. I am not talking large amounts in fact it doesn’t necessarily need to be on a daily basis. A spoonful will do (the size of the spoon you use should be determined by the size of your dog). Sharing an egg with you at breakfast time or a chunk or two of baked chicken to dinner. Something a little above and beyond what used to be your dogs daily intake.
I suggest eggs because they have a lot of other vitamins and nutrients especially if they are not overcooked. In fact your dog would love a soft boiled egg or egg done sunny side up and get to lick the yolk because that is where all of the really good stuff is. You don’t need to worry about salmonella as long as your dog is otherwise healthy but of course fresh from the farm eggs are best! When I make eggs I generally make an extra so that Davinia and Indiana can share it. Yes, they share a single egg. It is all about serving size. You want to offer your dog the nutrition they need to stay health and not continue to loose weight. The more vibrant the yolk the more nutrition is found in the egg. Plus eggs are easy to make and don’t take a whole lot of time from your already overbooked schedule. If necessary you can always make a few boiled eggs and store them in the refrigerator.
If you are of the school that does not believe in human food for dogs consider purchasing a can of really high quality grain free food. There literally does not have to be rice or potatoes or anything else in it. The can will be expensive but you are only using a spoon a day and the high quality protein will help get your Senior Dog back on track. I wouldn’t personally go with a novelty protein but something that they have had and loved at some point in their life. Check the back of the can and go with something on the lower fat content side. Senior dogs need added protein and while protein comes with some fat you don’t want to pick the richest one. It isn’t necessary and will create added strain on your Senior Dog’s internal organs.
Senior Dogs and Weight Loss is not necessarily an issue but if your dog was their ideal weight and all of a sudden drops a pound or two it is something that you will want to monitor. Add the additional protein to their diet slowly. Start once or twice a week and if that isn’t enough you can raise it to daily. If you see that your dog is still loosing weight it is time to go back to the vet for a full blood work up as there might be something going on that wasn’t caught initially or the results might have been in the lower part of normal and have now dropped below that. Senior Dogs and Weight Loss is certainly something that your vet should be made aware of and monitor every six months but as long as you can keep it under control there is no reason to think the worst. If on the other hand your dog isn’t eating and it isn’t because they are tired of their old food and want something different that is something you need to make an immediate appointment at your vet about.
This is great to know. My dog is still young, but I will be on the lookout for this as he gets older.
I’m so used to reading about dogs and obesity lately, we sometimes forget about senior dogs losing weight. These are some great tips to add some healthy calories into the diet.
Elaine recently posted..How to Stop Your Dog From Getting Into the Trash
It is so hard too with winter. They don’t want to go for walks outside!
My mom’s dog is an older dog. We definitely watch her diet. She tends to be a little overweight, so we have to make sure she gets enough exercise and the right food.
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Those are awesome suggestions. I agree that winter can be hard on dogs and humans
Ourfamilyworld (@OurFamilyWorld) recently posted..Things I COULD Not DO Before Boot Camp Fitness Class
When we had a senior dog, she started getting chubby. This would have been great info.
Eggs are awesome. My dogs love them. My senior has battled her weight for a while now. Since she has such a sensitive stomach we can’t switch her food. I finally took the plunge last year to try a new one the pet store recommended. Best risk I took. Now if I could just find out what it is she is allergic too.
Chrystal @ YUM eating recently posted..Vegan Avocado Breakfast Toast
Putting pets on a diet is really hard. My cat is really overweight and despite my best attempt he hasn’t lost any weight.
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So far we haven’t had to worry about. Most of our dogs are within normal range.
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Your doggies are absolutely adorable! Thanks for the wonderful tips on how to care for senior dog weight loss.
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Great info! My dogs are all 4 and under but the time flies so this will be great to know!
Great info for the future! Our boy is six this year, so we consider him middle-aged with a puppy attitude! 🙂
It seems like this winter has been hard on everybody! Pets included.
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We keep a close eye on Katie’s weight especially since she stopped eating her breakfast in the fall. She is now maintaining and since we have her on the new supplement she is eating most of her food again. We all get an egg at least once a week, and Katie gets some extra treats, the healthy kind which are more like food.
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This is informative. Good tip on the vibrancy of the yolk too.
They are so cute! This is great information as well I have an overweight cat myself 🙂
This is great information. I have a 14 year old pug that is a tubby. She really needs to shed a few pounds!
Theresa recently posted..Cocoa For Chocolate Lovers On A Cold Winter Day!
Great tips! I always say I wish I was a dog then dieting might be easier 🙂
So informative. I will have to share with my dog lover friends.
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My dogs are not overweight. But they are pretty active and eat a high protein food.
Great post of info – fortunately my 3 dogs have maintained – I like the ideas of eggs for them – I do give them cooked sweet potatoes – which they love and seems to help keep them a bit healthier – thank you for your ideas!
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My mom’s dog is getting older now and has been overweight for years. I will definitely share this information with her.
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I don’t have a dog so I never thought of such things – this was really good to know especially if I am to adopt one in the future.
They are absolutely precious. My older dog is getting a bit big himself.
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I never thought about dogs losing weight during their aging process. I really thank you for this post, I’m going to pass it along. Our furry friends need more attention.