Tips for Feeding a Hungry, Overweight Dog

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Keeping your dog at a healthy weight can be challenging. Many dogs today are overweight, and it can increase the risk of or cause many illnesses including joint problems, heart disease, and diabetes.

If your dog is overweight, you might be having trouble figuring out how to feed her in a way that will be healthiest for her. She might be begging for food all the time, too, which doesn't make things easier. Here, we've compiled a few tricks that might help you keep your hungry dog happy while not adding to her weight problem.

First, Visit the Veterinarian

The first step in helping your overweight dog is to visit her doctor, who will help you determine what your dog should weigh, how much and what type of food is best for her current life stage and medical history, and how much exercise it is safe for her to have.

Once you have these answers, you can form the base of your dog's feeding plan and use the following tips to help you.

Feed Multiple Small Meals per Day

Depending on your schedule, it can help your dog to receive multiple small meals throughout the day rather than one or two large ones. This type of feeding can keep your dog more full and satisfied as the day goes on, so she isn't begging for treats and handouts as much.

Add Some Fibrous Vegetables

If your veterinarian OKs it, consider adding some carrots and green beans to your dog's diet. Chop them up and steam them until they're a bit soft, then let them cool and add them to your dog's food or use them as treats.

Be sure to begin adding the vegetables gradually rather than giving too many at once initially because your dog might get stomach pain if her fiber intake increases too quickly.

Save Treats for Training Time

If you can, avoid giving your dog treats unless you are having a training session. If your dog gets used to having treats throughout the day, it can be a hard habit to break. Instead, if treats are only associated with training sessions, your dog may be more attentive, learn better, and will also be working off any extra calories as she ingests them.

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