05/11/2025
Make sure your dog isnt carrying extra weight on those joints. If the joints are arthritic and painful it is even more important you lessen the load as every gram weighs twice as heavy when you're in pain.
Have an honest look at your dog, can you see their ribs? Do they have a nice tucked in waist? Next time you go to the vets pop them on the scales so you can monitor their weight.
SO MANY of the pets I see are too wellpadded, chubby, overweight, and (to be frank) FAT!
A lot of people are surprised when I tell them their pets need to lose weight for their health and wellbeing.
This is because SO MANY pets are fat (50% at least) that people look around and see so many fat pets that fat becomes the 'new normal).
In fact, I've had clients come in with lovely, lean, healthy pets who have been abused on the street for 'starving' their pets!
Here's how to tell if your pets need to lose weight.
If you have a dog, you should be able to run your fingers over the side of their ribs, running from head to tail with LIGHT pressure and EASILY feel the bumps of ribs.
In short coated dogs, you should be able to SEE the bumps of the last 2-3 ribs.
(Cats tend to store up their chub in a pouch of skin in their groin, between the legs. If you can feel soemthing like a squishy water balloon down there, they are overweight. By the time you can't feel a cat's ribs, they are SERIOUSLY overweight).
Obesity cases MANY HEALTH PROBLEMS: chronic inflammation, damage to the joints and accelerated arthritis, Diabetes, depression, pain, heart disease, skin disease, liver damage, and SHORTENS YOUR PET'S LIFE!
A lot of people ask me; 'What's my dogs ideal weight?' - I tell them that once we can easily feel ribs, then weigh them, and you'll know. However, we can ususally make a pretty good guess.
Dr Ed's infallible pet weight loss diet!
Firstly, get off all kibble and processed food (high in carbs) and onto a fresh whole foods diet, raw or cooked)
Make your best guess at your animal's target healthy weight. Then feed your pets 3% of their target body weight each day.
You'll get better weight loss when you only feed on meal each day.
You'll get even better weight loss (and a healthier immune system) if you fast your pets completely one day each week. (If that's too emotionally challenging, you can give them a meal of bone broth on the fast day!)
WEIGH your pets monthly. Easiest way is to drop into your vet and pop them on the scales.
If they are losing weight, all is well. If not, reduce the amount you are feeding by 20%. If you do that for another month and have no weright loss, better have a blood test to check thyroid function, and hypothyroid dogs will not lose weight even on strict diets.
Let me know in the chat - is you rpet overweight?
Have you tried dieting pets and failed?
What has worked for you in weight loss for your pets?
I help animals all over the world heal and be well + happy with holistic veterinary care, kind training, and energy healing. If you want me to help your pets, message me! Zoom and in person appts available.
