Low-calorie dog food - the best way for your dog to lose weight

Does your furry friend have one or two treats too many on their ribs? Would you like your dog to be able to jump across the meadow like a feather again? Here you can find out which food you should switch to and how you can help your four-legged friend get back to their ideal weight.

Obesity in dogs is caused by excessive energy intake through food. Big beady eyes don't necessarily make it any easier for masters and mistresses. The problem: being overweight increases the risk of various chronic diseases. On average, overweight dogs live 20 % shorter than dogs of normal weight. The only way to combat obesity is to reduce the daily energy intake. An ideal way to do this is to switch to low-calorie diet food. Find out what this food does and what you should look out for here!"

"Diet dog food" or "light dog food" - what should you look out for?

When looking for the right low-calorie dog food, the terms "light food" and "diet food" are often used. But what's the difference?

The term "diet food" is legally protected. According to feed legislation, manufacturers are only obliged to use the term if the special nutritional purposes are fulfilled. There are also EU quality guidelines that must be observed. The advantage: All information must be visible on the packaging for dog owners.

In contrast, there is no legal framework for the term "light". The term is therefore often used for marketing purposes. The disadvantage: manufacturers can set their own standards based on their own product range. The term "light" could therefore simply describe the lowest-calorie product in their own range, but have the same number of calories as a normal dog food from another manufacturer.

Low-calorie food put to the test: What does high-quality dog food need to contain?

A good low-calorie diet should contain less energy, but more vitamins, minerals and, if necessary, trace elements. Minerals and vitamins are particularly important during your dog's weight loss phase to prevent malnutrition. Despite the often low fat content, the reduction diet should contain all important fatty acids such as omega-3 and 6 fatty acids. These are important for a healthy metabolism. A sufficiently high content of protein and, above all, essential fatty acids is also particularly important in a reduction diet. can be important for targeted fat loss sein.Das not only makes the food tasty, but also prevents muscle breakdown when the dog loses weight. In addition, low-calorie dog food is often supplemented with fiber or dietary fiber. These support healthy intestinal flora and increase the volume of food.

Stretching dog food - a sensible method?

In the past, overweight dogs were often advised to stretch out their food or even give them nothing to eat from time to time. This is not only heartbreaking, we now also know that it is unhealthy. If the food is reduced by more than 10%, your four-legged friend will receive fewer vitamins and minerals than if it was fed 100%. This can result in deficiency symptoms that can lead to secondary diseases. A reduction in food can also lead to a loss of muscle mass, as there is a lack of protein to maintain it. However, there is not only the risk of deficiency symptoms, but also an increased risk of the yo-yo effect if the dog gains weight too quickly verliert.Die A safe method of removing excess fat from the dog's hips is to switch to special low-calorie reduction diets. This is not only less complicated, but can also prevent many of the consequences of poor nutrition.

Types of low-calorie dog food

Low-calorie dog food, like all dog food, comes in different varieties:

Wet canned food

Wet and dry food hardly differ in terms of ingredients. The advantages of wet food lie particularly in water absorption. Wet food is therefore particularly suitable for lazy-drinking pets, as it consists of 75% moisture.

Dry food for overweight dogs

Dry food is of course very easy to handle. Furthermore, dry food has a very long shelf life of up to 12 months. The disadvantage of dry food compared to wet food is the dog's water intake. If your dog does not automatically drink a lot, you should consider switching to wet food.