An overweight dog is never a happy dog. Helping it slim down through exercise or a tailored diet can prevent health problems and complications, both immediate and long-term.
Loving your dog also means feeding it properly. A dog can be fed in various ways, from home-prepared food to commercial products. Almost everyone knows that a healthy, well-balanced dog is one that is fed adequately. An obese dog, on the other hand, can suffer from a range of conditions, because the dangers of obesity are real. An overweight dog, just as with humans, is prone to various disorders, which can also translate into a significant shortening of its life.
Leftovers, sweets, chocolate and other treats, sweet or savoury, must be absolutely forbidden for stocky and diabetic dogs, and kept to a strict minimum for all others. Everything, in fact, comes down to moderation: an occasional treat is perfectly fine, but certainly not every day, otherwise it will simply add to the dog's daily ration, constituting an excessive intake of fats and calories. Careful attention must be paid to excess weight and the problems that can arise from it, such as rheumatism, herniated discs, constipation, cardiac and respiratory strain, and a predisposition to diabetes.
"The breeds most at risk are the Labrador Retriever, the Dachshund, the Beagle and the Basset Hound, which have a natural tendency to put on weight. The Cocker Spaniel, on the other hand, is a special case: unfortunately it can gain weight rapidly even without overindulging," explains Dr Angela Ricci, a veterinary surgeon from Modena. "There is a quick way to tell whether your dog is overweight. The ribs of a dog in good shape are not visible beneath the skin, but you should be able to feel them easily by running your hands along its side."
However, if a simple reduction in portion size does not lead to weight loss, you should consult your vet promptly for a proper diet plan. A dog's ideal weight is calculated with reference to the breed standard (for pedigree dogs), but it is also assessed through a careful hands-on examination by the vet. It is the professional, ultimately, who can help us understand whether our companion is in good shape or not. If an individual exceeds the so-called "excess weight" threshold by 15 per cent, the animal is classified as obese. The figures speak for themselves, and the overall picture is worrying: between 24 and 40 per cent of dogs are obese. More simply, however, any dog with a very thick fold of skin at flank level can be considered overweight.
31 per cent of owners of overweight dogs consider their "pup's" weight to be satisfactory and have a rather vague idea of nutritional balance. By the time they realise, it is often too late, and getting a dog to lose weight through a diet is no small feat. The dog will wonder why it is suddenly being denied what it was always allowed before, with no way of understanding why. Being forced to put a dog on a diet is very hard for both the animal and the owner: prevention is therefore far better than cure.
"If you absolutely want to reward your dog for good behaviour, or simply show it that you love it, without harming its health in the process, there are also some low-calorie treats available," continues Dr Ricci. These include sugar-free dietary biscuits, as well as dried meat or fish, which are commonly sold in pet shops. And, every now and then, to tickle the palate of our four-legged friend, you can even turn to its usual daily kibble, or perhaps a little wet food. Without overdoing it, though, and always respecting its nutritional needs.