If you're anything like us, you'll find it hard to resist a pleading look from your pooch – but giving into their every want could lead to long-term health problems. Canine obesity is the most common nutritional disorder seen in dogs and, as with humans, is caused by taking in more energy than giving out.

Spotting that your dog is overweight or obese

When you see your dog every day, it's not that easy to spot gradual weight gain until it becomes really noticeable. Aside from weighing them on your bathroom scales or at the vet, there are a few things you can look for in your dog that'll help you determine whether or not they’re becoming obese:

• Struggling to see or feel your dog's ribs, spine or waistline
• Abdominal sagging
• A bigger, rounder face
• A reluctance to go for walks or lagging behind
• Excessive panting
• Appearing tired and lazy

Obese dogs may even need assistance getting up and down, in and out of vehicles, and often refuse to move or play games. If you’re unsure about your dog’s weight, call your local vet and ask to have your dog weighed and their body condition scored. This is where the shape of the dog is taken into account as well as the number on the scale; it uses points such as fat coverage over the ribs and waist to give the dog between 1 and 5 or 1 and 9, depending on the specific chart applied. In both cases, the idea is the same: 1 represents a too-thin dog; 5 or 9 is a morbidly obese one; 3 and 5 are considered ideal; while any dog scoring greater than 4 or 7 is considered overweight, respectively. PFMA’s dog weight chart is a handy resource.

Risk factors that can cause canine obesity

There are numerous reasons why dogs might put on weight. Excess energy is stored primarily as fat but other factors also contribute to canine obesity including age, sex, reproductive status (neutered animals tend to put on weight more easily), inactivity, owner's decisions on dog's food intake, diet and palatability, environment, lifestyle, and any underlying disease that impairs exercise and results in excessive weight gain. Some breeds appear to have a higher incidence of obesity, indicating that genetics may play a major part, with unneutered adult dogs often weighing less than neutered dogs of the same breed too.

Neutering is usually carried out at a young age – the same time as a natural decrease in growth and energy needs occurs. Neutering removes some aspects of hormonal influence on weight and metabolism, which can result in weight gain after the procedure Owners who are unaware of this change may continue to feed their dog the same amount of food, which is typically followed by weight gain.

Just like us humans, aging dogs become less active and need less daily energy too – so it's no surprise that, if food intake is not decreased proportionately, they can easily pile on the pounds.

Feeding table scraps and other fatty treats may encourage many dogs to overeat and gain excessive weight; in some adult dogs, up to half the calories they need are supplied as human food, particularly in toy breeds. Plus, some owners are simply unsure about how much to feed their dog, failing to measure food accurately, and sometimes in denial about how much they feed.

Health risks of canine obesity

Obese dogs can have greater risks from anaesthetic and surgical complications, heat or exercise intolerance, complications from cardio-respiratory disorders, hormone problems, skin disease, cancer, urogenital disorders and even early death. Canine obesity may even contribute to tracheal collapse and laryngeal paralysis. Common canine problems suffered as a result of obesity include diabetes (where the pancreas fails to secrete enough insulin in order to regulate blood glucose levels); heart disease (caused by high cholesterol levels); as well as arthritis directly affecting mobility, making it even harder for your pooch to lose weight.

Treating canine obesity

As with human weight loss, the easiest way to deal with canine obesity is to prevent it. Ask your vet to assess your dog’s weight and give you guidelines of what your dog’s optimum weight range is.

Before you reduce their calorie intake, we highly recommend you to speak with your vet – the last thing you want to do is deprive them of essential vitamins and minerals. There are special calorie controlled diets available to provide everything your dog needs while helping them to lose weight. Your vet can advise which of these might be suitable for your dog. A few examples include:

• Feeding dogs smaller meals more often. This helps dogs burn calories more efficiently. However, no more food per day should be fed. Instead, owners should use measuring cups to divide their dogs’ daily rations into three or more feedings.
• Feeding dogs less of their regular food per day is another option. If a dog is being overfed (such as when owners don’t measure the amount of food), simply cutting back to a measured amount of food per day can facilitate weight loss. As a general rule of thumb, reducing their food intake by 15% can be a good place to start, but make sure to check in with your vet to make sure you are not cutting back too much.
• Instead of feeding your dog less, gradually switching them to a low-calorie food may be more effective for some.
• Many vet practices run weight loss clinics, often led by specialist nurses.

Another way to help your pooch lose weight is to up their exercise – even ten to twenty minutes more a day can make all the difference. Keep them entertained with toys, fetch, playing with other pets, regular walks, swimming, and tricks for low-calorie treats. Dogs eat out of boredom too! And resist the urge to give them treats and your leftovers, no matter how convincing those puppy dog eyes.

Our articles are not a replacement for face-to-face vet advice. It’s important to consult with your vet on a regular basis to raise any pet concerns that you may have.