There is one thing that almost all of us who have dogs just can’t help - feeding our pups! We not only feed them at meal times, we also feed them while training, out walking, bathing, when we eat and whenever they give us those irresistible puppy dog eyes. But over feeding comes with some real health concerns, as does under feeding. In this blog post I will be going over the risks of inappropriate feeding, exercise, how to body score your dogs at home and the importance of knowing how much your dog should be eating.
The Risks of Overfeeding and Underfeeding Dogs.
Although all dogs have the capacity to become overweight with incorrect feeding, certain breeds of dog are more prone to obesity than others. The most well known of these breeds is the Labrador Retriever, which also happens to be the UKs most popular pet dog breed. Other breeds prone to obesity include Beagles, Daschunds, Golden Retrievers and Bulldogs. However, with an appropriate diet and adequate exercise all of these breeds are capable of maintaining a healthy weight.
Any type of dog which is overweight is likely to live a shorter lifespan than their leaner counterparts, usually by around 6-12 months. Scientific evidence has discovered that fat tissue is biologically active, meaning it can secrete inflammatory hormones creating stress of the body’s tissue contributing heavily to disease. Obese dogs have an increased risk of developing various types of cancer, diabetes mellitus, heart disease, hypertension, osteoarthritis, urinary bladder stones and anaesthetic complications meaning they are often unable to undergo life changing surgeries.
It is also important to mention that obesity may in fact be an indicator of disease, rather than a cause. Some diseases such as hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid gland) and Cushing’s disease (overactive adrenal glands) can cause a dog to become overweight without a change in diet, making it all the more important to monitor your dog’s weight.
Underfeeding your dog can severely compromise their health long term as well as their overall quality of life. However, even if you are feeding your dog the correct quantity of food it is possible for dogs to be malnourished if they are not fed a good quality, balanced diet. Weight loss due to a lack of appetite may be an indicator of many underlying issues such as dental issues, pain and internal obstructions. However, a dog refusing to eat is much different to a dog which isn’t offered the correct quantity of good quality, nutritional food.
Any dog suffering from a nutritional deficiency will have some key health and behaviour changes which act as tell tale signs that the animal is malnourished. Changes in the dog’s skin or coat is one of the main symptoms of malnourishment because they need a variety of minerals and vitamins to maintain healthy skin and fur. When there is a lack in these vitamins and minerals in their diet, they are more prone to hair loss, skin disease and infection. Changes in the colour, consistency, content and coating of a dogs feces may also indicate a nutritional deficiency. ‘Normal’ feces should be chocolatey brown in colour, malleable, free of mucus and contain no foreign objects or blood.
Some alterations in a dog’s behaviour such as a lack of energy due to a lack of carbohydrates, the main energy source, are also caused by underfeeding. Alongside energy loss, depression is usually one of the first signs of a malnourished, underweight canine. This is because a dog’s gut biome controls not only what type of bowel movement will be produced but also the mood of the dog. An unhealthy gut biome due to underfeeding can lead to chronic depression and lethargy, reducing the dog’s quality of life.
How To Check Your Dog’s Weight at Home.
Apart from the obvious method of weighing your dog on a set of scales, body condition scoring your dog will give you a rough idea of your dog’s overall condition. This is method which was developed by vets and mainly involves observing and palpating the ribs and waist, using guidance charts to help you assess your pet correctly. However, always remember that different dog breeds are built differently and may not all fit into the same category. For example, a healthy weight Lurcher will not look the same as a healthy weight French Bulldog. If you are unsure, or feel you dog is either over or underweight, don’t hesitate to speak to your vet or veterinary nurse. They will be able to talk you through how to body condition score your dog correctly and help put a plan in place regarding your pet’s nutrition.
The body condition scores range from 1 being emaciated to 9 being obese. The bullet points and diagrams below will provide you with a rough guideline of how to adequately score your dog.
Underweight
1. The ribs, pelvis and lower spine are all obvious to an observer at a distance, with all bones that lie close to the surface easily visible.
2. The ribs, pelvis and lower spine are all obvious to an observer at a distance. You are unable to feel any fat at all with poor muscle mass. When viewed from above, the waist is clear and when viewed from the side, the abdomen tucks up behind the ribs.
3. The ribs are easily palpated and may be visible from certain angles. You are unable to feel any fat and the top of the spine and pelvis is visible. There is also a very obvious waist and abdominal tuck from different angles.
Ideal
4. The ribs are easily felt and have a thin layer of fat covering, meaning they can’t be seen from most angles. The waist and abdominal tuck should be easily seen but not overly obvious.
5. The ribs are easily felt with no excessive fat covering. The waist should be visible behind the ribs from above, and the tummy tuck will be visible from the side.
Overweight
6. The ribs can be felt but with a notable layer of fat covering. The waist should be just about visible from above with a slight abdominal tuck behind the ribs.
7. It is hard to feel the ribs under a heavy covering of fat. There is a noticeable amount of fat covering around the base of the tail and up the spine. There is a barely visible or absence of waist all together.
8. It is impossible to feel the ribs under a heavy layer of fat with a lot of fat covering around the base of the tail travelling up the spine. There is no waist or abdominal tuck at all, with a rounded belly.
9. Obese. There are huge amounts of fat around the base of the tail, spine and the chest with fat deposits on the neck and legs. The dog’s abdomen is large and very noticeably round.
How Much Should My Dog be Eating?
There are various different factors that need to be considered when determining how much your dog should be eating on a daily basis.
This includes:
Body weight
Amount of daily exercise
Type of food
Metabolic weight
Number of meals
The easiest way to check how much your dog should be fed is to look at
the feeding guide on your dog food’s label. Most adult dogs will require two meals a day, whereas puppies often require three or more feedings, meaning the amount stated on the feeding chart on your food’s packing must be divided by the number of meals you provide over a 24 hour period. If you switch to a different dog food, it is important to reassess the portion size because the number of calories in the food will be different to the old one.
Exercise.
The amount of exercise in your dog’s daily lifestyle will affect how much food you give to them, as an active dog requires more calories and energy than an inactive dog. This is often affected by the dog’s age, breed and how many times they are walked a day.
Some dog food brands, such as James Wellbeloved, will offer different dog foods based on the activity level of your dog, making it easier to know exactly how much they should be fed. If your dog is overweight, as well as reducing their calorie intake you can get them out doing more exercise to help them burn off excess calories. The dog food brand James Wellbeloved defines ‘Normal activity’ involves walking on the lead for 2-3 hours a day, and an hour a day spent running off lead of playing. However, it is important to remember that a small dog walking on a lead at 3mph for an hour will burn off a lot more calories than a large breed doing the same thing.
References
James Wellbeloved. (2017). HOW MUCH SHOULD I FEED MY DOG?. Available: https://www.wellbeloved.com/taking-care-of-my-dog/how-much-should-i-feed-my-dog/. Last accessed 3rd October 2020.
Vets4Pets. (Unknown). Body Condition Scoring. Available: https://www.vets4pets.com/services/body-condition-scoring/. Last accessed 3rd October 2020.
Coates, Jennifer. (2020). Are You Feeding Your Dog the Right Amount?. Available: https://www.petmd.com/blogs/nutritionnuggets/dr-coates/2015/july/are-you-feeding-your-dog-right-amount-32905. Last accessed 3rd October 2020.
Anon. (2019). Signs and Symptoms of Dog Nutritional Deficiencies. Available: https://vetericyn.com/blog/signs-and-symptoms-of-dog-nutritional-deficiencies/#:~:text=Without%20a%20nutritious%20diet%2C%20they,is%20a%20lack%20of%20energy.. Last accessed 3rd October 2020.
Anon. (Unknown). What if Your Dog Is Underweight?. Available: https://www.petfinder.com/dogs/dog-nutrition/what-if-your-dog-is-underweight/. Last accessed 3rd October 2020.
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