Need to switch your overweight dog to food that helps keep his weight in check? We’re sharing a few tips on what to look for in dog food that promotes weight loss, plus our top 3 weight loss kibble choices for your pooch!
Like many humans, a large percentage of dogs in modern society are carrying extra weight. Â While we certainly don’t love our dogs any less should they be a little chunky, too much excess weight can lead to skeletal, muscular, cardiovascular, and respiratory problems later in life. Â Since we want our dogs to be with us as long as possible – and to enjoy a high quality of life throughout, it’s best to try to get them to a healthy weight if we can.
There are a number of ways to help your dog get to their ideal weight – active play being one of them. Â Exercise is vital to your dog’s health – mental and physical – and is an excellent bonding experience for you and your dog. Â However, there’s an expression that says “you can’t outrun a bad diet” – it refers, of course, to humans – but the sentiment applies to dogs as well. So what should you look for in a weight loss kibble? Read on to find out!
What to look for in weight loss kibble
The reason why raw food is so good for a dog’s weight loss and maintenance is because it is low in calories and high in protein. Â Raw diets have few added ingredients (some do add fruits or vegetables, but not heavy starches or grains). Â There are many other benefits to feeding raw foods, but this doesn’t mean that if you can’t afford raw, you won’t be able to feed your dog a healthy diet or help them to lose or maintain their weight. Â That being said, ask around. Â Talk to your local independent pet food supplier, veterinarian, pet care companies, etc. – you may be surprised at how inexpensive raw food can be.
If raw isn’t an option, the first thing you want to look for in a kibble is simplicity. Â The food should be largely meat – with maybe a few vegetables – and not loaded with fillers such as wheat, corn, soy, etc. Â Don’t fall for claims such as “light”, “low fat”, “diet”, “weight management”, or even “low calorie” without first reading over the nutritional information. Â If it’s reduced-calorie but loaded with carbohydrates, that won’t likely help your dog to lose weight. Â Also, you want to make sure that they haven’t traded fat, carbohydrates, or calories for chemicals – a common practice in making “diet-friendly” human foods.
In addition, many foods that claim to be low calorie aren’t – they might be slightly lower calorie than that company’s regular food, or they might not be. Â That doesn’t mean that foods marked as being designed for weight loss are necessarily bad or ineffective, just that you can’t believe marketing alone. Â As always, check with your vet before making drastic changes to food – especially if your dog has special health requirements. Â High protein food is often a good bet for your pet, but only if your vet gives the go-ahead – too much protein can be dangerous in some situations – especially with senior dogs.
Below are a few highly-rated low-carb, high-protein dry food varieties to try.
Top Rated Weight Loss Kibble Choices
Affiliate links included below. Thanks for your support!
​1-+ Halo Freeze-Dried Kiblets
Available in beef, chicken, and salmon and turkey, Halo’s Freeze-dried Kiblets
2- Orijen Dog Food
Available in a number of formulas – including a weight loss formula – Orijen’s
3- ​Wellness Core Reduced Fat
A little higher in carbohydrates, but still low-calorie, Wellness Core’s Reduced Fat formula
There are dozens more wonderful dog foods out there, but unfortunately dog food can be a tough one to recommend as different chains, regions, and countries carry different brands and formulas.
Freeze-dried foods tend to be higher protein and lower carb than kibble, but are also more expensive as a rule. Â I personally look for grain-free formulas with freeze-dried raw pieces added (such as Nutrience Sub-Zero – only available in Canada), and my dogs have done well with it. Â It’s somewhat of a compromise between the higher-carb grain-free kibbles and the lower-carb, higher cost freeze-dried foods.
The other thing to look into is homemade dog food – it’s entirely possible that it may be cheaper to make your own, and then you can choose which ingredients are right for your local area, your budget, and your pet. Â You can batch-cook and freeze the extras to use over a period of time, and there is no shortage of healthy pet-food recipes online. Just make sure you consult with your vet to make sure your homemade food has all of your dog’s necessary requirements.
If your dog has a history of food sensitivities, transition his food food gradually. In some dogs,  sudden changes can lead to major digestive upset. Start by swapping out a small portion of their old food, and gradually increase the percentage of the new food. If you’ve already been following a rotation diet, you can change his food a bit faster.
Always keep in mind that a higher-quality food may be more expensive in the short run, but will likely be less expensive later in terms of vet bills and other expenses. Â Do your research, and buy the best quality food you can afford. Â Your dog deserves a long, healthy, happy life with you – and after all, that’s what you want too.
