We know that it’s important to keep our dogs from becoming overweight, but how do we know what our dog’s ideal body weight should be?
The quick and easy way to estimate your dog’s ideal weight is looking at a breed chart, but these charts are just guidelines and don’t offer much help for mix-breed dogs.
When it comes to understanding the ideal weight for your pooch, keep the following in mind:
– The age of your dog,
– The breed,
– Their gender,
– If or when they were spayed/ neutered
Typically, male dogs are built heavier than females. Dogs that have not been spayed or neutered, especially male dogs, tend to have more muscle mass, which would make them heavier. Spaying and neutering before dogs are fully grown actually results in them being taller than dogs that are not spayed or neutered. Furthermore, spaying and neutering slows down the metabolism so they are more likely to gain weight compared to “intact” dogs. As dogs age, they often pack on the pounds- mostly in the form of increased fat and decreased lean muscle, just like people.
How to determine your dog’s healthy weight
The Body Condition Scoring System (BCS) is one of the best ways to figure out your dog’s ideal body weight based on their body condition. Veterinarians use the BCS to figure out when dogs and cats are under, over, or at an ideal weight.
The BCS scale is a nine-point scale, and an ideal body condition should be a 4.5-5 out of 9. Every point over 5 equates to 10% overweight, so if your dog is a 7/9, this means they are 20% overweight. For example:
A male neutered Labrador weighs 85 pounds and has a BCS of 7/9 (20% overweight). To figure out his ideal weight:
85 x 20% = 17 pounds overweight
Ideal body weight: 85-17 = 68 lbs
How to help your dog maintain a healthy weight
Most pet parents find it difficult to maintain their dog’s ideal body weight. Here are some tips:
1. Food and treats in moderation: First things first, remember to practice moderation. Weight gain happens when there are more calories consumed than burned. And unless your dog is highly active, they are not burning a tremendous amount of calories. Here is a link to a calorie calculator that can give you a ballpark estimate of how many calories your dog needs in a day.
If we use the example of the 85 lb Labrador above, this dog would need 755 calories/ day (again, this is an estimate to start with). 10% of these calories can come from treats, so he should get about 680 calories from his primary food and 75 calories from treats or supplements.
2. Chose the right diet: Chances are, if you are following the recommendations for feeding on the bag of dog food, you are feeding too many calories. If you feel like you are barely giving your dog any food, it might be worth switching to a diet that is less calorie dense (meaning they get to eat more food with fewer calories in each bite). Weight loss formulated foods and fresh cooked foods tend to be less calorically dense. Talk to your vet about what the best diet option might be for your dog.
Dogs that are over 7/9 BCS should be on a weight loss formulated food in order to ensure their nutritional needs are being met despite caloric restriction.
As our pets age, their nutritional needs change, and your vet can help you choose the right diet to best support their overall health.
3. Exercise can help, but it wont make up for over-feeding: Regular, low-impact exercise, such as walks, hikes, swimming, or scent work is a crucial part of arthritis management. But it takes a fair amount of exercise to contribute to significant weight loss. If your dog is sedentary or recovering from surgery, their caloric needs will be lower because they aren’t burning as many calories. Dogs that engage in vigorous exercise get to eat a few extra calories!
If you like math, here is the formula for calories burned with exercise:
• 0.5 cal/lb/km at 10 min/ km pace (~ 16 min/mile)
For example, a 65 lb dog walking 5k (3.1 miles) at a brisk pace would burn 160 calories in that 50 minute walk (less than 2 tbsp peanut butter)
4. How to feed: Studies show that dogs are more likely to be overweight if they are free-fed, meaning that the bowl is kept full on the floor at all times. Instead, you should feed your dog meals, typically twice a day, unless they are puppies or your vet recommends more frequent feeding. If your dog doesn’t finish their meal after 5 minutes, pick up the bowl and then feed the regular amount at the next meal. Your dog will quickly learn what meal time means and you will be better able to track how much they eat. This is also important so that you can truly recognize when their appetite is decreased, which could signal a medical concern, especially if your dog is taking medications for arthritis management.
If your dog is a speed-eater, slow feeders, or enrichment toys (another option) are recommended.
We recommend feeding dogs with arthritis using an elevated feeder.
If you have more than one dog, its generally a good idea to separate them during meal time to avoid any potential conflicts or competition for food.
When introducing a new type of food, mix the old and new food together to transition to the new food over 1-2 weeks.
5. Regular weigh-ins make a big difference: Weigh your dog at least once a month, or more ideally once a week, to track their weight loss. It is important to use the same scale, so either use a bathroom scale at home for small dogs or talk to your vet about regular stop-ins to use their scale. They wont mind this at all, in fact, this can be great training for making vet visits less stressful. Teach your dog to stand or sit on the scale, give them a treat, tell the receptionists what their new body weight is, and leave! It should be as quick and easy as that.
Weight loss should be slow and steady, aiming for about 1-2% body weight loss per week. Its OK if there are minor fluctuations in weight, but there should be a clear trend of weight loss over the first month. If not, talk to your vet or veterinary technician about the plan to make sure you are on the right track.
In summary, ideal body weight depends on factors like breed, age, gender, and spay/neuter status. Instead of relying on online weight charts, veterinarians recommend using the Body Condition Score (BCS) system to assess a dog’s body condition and determine whether they are at a healthy weight. Maintaining that weight involves portion control, choosing the right diet, regular low-impact exercise, structured feeding practices rather than free-feeding, and regularly tracking progress.