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(Last Updated On: 6th August 2022)Low-calorie dog food is what is needed to help a dog lose weight fast. The best dog food for weight loss can be purchased for any breed or size of the dog as well as special food recipes to increase metabolism.
The best dog food for weight loss is the Annamaet Grain-Free Lean Dry Food that is designed purely for overweight dogs. It is grain-free, holistic, and naturally preserved with a chicken and duck taste for the dog to enjoy.
There are several types of weight loss dog food types where they can be in the form of wet or dry and include secret formulas. However, the simple solution for a dog to lose weight is to consume fewer calories than they burn.
Table of Contents
Best Low-Calorie Dog Food For Weight Loss
Weight Loss Food | Calories | Our Rating |
---|---|---|
Annamaet | 350 | 4.9 |
BLUE Freedom | 360 | 4.8 |
Hills Science Diet Perfect | 291 | 4.9 |
Instinct Raw Boost | 385 | 4.7 |
Purina Pro Plan Wet | 305 | 4.7 |
An overweight dog is 9 times out of 10, not a healthy dog. You can’t simply stop feeding them, you must provide them with the best weight loss food for dogs that contain large amounts of protein, low fat, and not exceed 400 calories per serving.
Failing to keep your dogs weight under control with diet dog food can results in health problems. Such problems include heart disease, diabetes, poor movement, and much more. However, don’t be too worried, there is plenty of tasty low-calorie dog food that is recommended for weight loss.
Regular exercise is not enough to ensure your dog is fighting fit. In order for a dog to lose the extra weight, they need low-calorie food. Below is a list of the best dog food for weight loss that your dog will enjoy eating every day. It is also suitable for dogs that suffer from pancreatitis and require certain dog food to keep healthy.
Annamaet Grain-Free Lean Dry Dog Food
The US-made Annamaet weight loss dog food is a grain feed dry food for overweight dogs needing to lose weight. It is a tasty chicken tasting low-calorie food high in omega 3 fatty acids and chelated minerals.
In the recommended servings, this weight loss dog food contains 39 grams of protein, 11 grams of fat with just 350 calories. This is the perfect balance required for a dog that needs to lose weight but maintain a healthy balance of nutrients. Considering that this is a grain-free formula, it has a large amount of protein that is hard to find.
The five main ingredients to the Annamaet dry dog food are lamb, lamb meal, lentils, chickpeas, and venison meal. These are all high-quality ingredients needed to keep your dog healthy and bring the weight down. The chelated minerals included a benefit from being able to strengthen the immune system and help the digestion of food.
No need to worry about buying for certain breeds, dog age, or whether or the dog is a puppy, it’s suitable for all dogs. It is the best low-fat dog food with all the vitamins and minerals required to lose weight.
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BLUE Freedom Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
The Blue Freedom dog food is very popular across the US with its excellent chicken recipe designed to help dogs lose weight. The healthy chicken formula has reduced calories but still provides a satisfying meal with high-quality protein and additional L-Carnitine to maintain muscle.
There is 20% of crude protein in this weight loss dog food, which has no corn, wheat, or soy. It contains real meat without any fillers and contains 360 calories per cup of dog food, which is mid-range in terms of low-calorie dog food.
Compared with the alternatives in this article, this is the cheapest dog weight-loss food and is highly rated. There are many other flavors produced but the “Healthy Weight Chicken Recipe” is the flavor with the least amount of calories per cup.
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Hill’s Science Diet Perfect Weight Dry Dog Food
It’s not often that you see dog food manufacturers claim staggering figures such as Hill’s Science do. They claim that over 70% of dogs lost weight within 10 weeks using their high-quality dog food.
There are no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives with the Science Diet formula. All ingredients are natural with vitamins, minerals, and amino acids for a healthy diet.
The main 5 ingredients are chicken, cracked pearled barley, brown rice, pea fiber, and corn gluten meal. Per serving of food, there are just 291 calories, which is the lowest within this article.
Many dogs can lose a fair amount of muscle as part of the weight loss but with 24% crude protein within this low-calorie dog food, the dog will be able to maintain muscle more easily.
Both the Hills Science weight loss dog food and the Annamaet alternative are similar prices and just as good as each other. However, the Annamaet wins the top spot for having the added benefit of being grain-free for those dogs with sensitive stomachs.
However, Hill’s Science dog food is much more popular with more of a success rate. This may be down to the low amount of calories in the dog food. It is the best low-calorie dog food on the market and certainly able to help your dog lose weight.
Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Boost
The Instinct Raw Boost high protein and grain-free dog food can be bought in a wide range of flavors but its the chicken that has been designed for weight loss. As the name of the dog food expresses, the food is in the form of dried raw pieces for a nutrient-rich diet.
All ingredients used are natural with no artificial coloring, flavors, or preservatives as well as being grain-free and gluten-free with no corn, wheat, or fillers. It includes the most amount of Omega 3 and Omega 6 that we have seen in any dog food to support healthy digestion and provide a shiny coat.
There is a large amount of L-Carnitine that is a metabolism booster to help burn fat. However, the main selling point of the Instinct raw boost is the high protein kibble and dried raw chicken for lean muscles.
Compared to the regular instinct raw food, it has 25% less fat and 15% fewer calories but it is the highest in the article with 385 calories. However, this is a small amount to pay with a crude protein of 37.5%. It is the highest protein dog food on the market that is ideal for weight loss because it keeps the dog fuller for longer and helps maintains muscle during the weight-loss period.
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Purina Pro Plan Wet Dog Food
Not all dogs will eat dry food and finding wet dog food for weight loss is like finding a needle in a haystack. However, Purina Pro Plan Focus does exactly that with a wet dog food made with real turkey designed for adult dogs that are overweight.
If you have an older dog of the age of 7 and over that requires some weight management, this is the best buy. It offers balanced nutrition to boost the immune system, support healthy skin, and contains large amounts of omega 6.
It has been designed to help the dog lose fat and not muscle mass. Purina has almost a century in experience with dog foods and have been highly rated all this time. Per can of Purina Pro Plan Focus is just 305 calories, which is very low for wet dog food.
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How To Tell If Your Dog Is Overweight
To tell if your dog is overweight, you need to measure their body condition score and compare against the same dog breed with the ideal shape. You will find many variations of the comparison chart with a scale of 1 to 5 or 1 to 10. You should be aiming for scores that are the middle section of the rating with the start and ending scores being associated with dogs that are under or overweight.
The WSAVA comparison chart to measure body condition score can be shown via this link. However, the majority of dog owners know their dog breed very well already and know exactly what their ideal body shape should be. There will be a specific body condition score for each dog breed for the most accurate comparison.
What Does An Overweight Dog Look Like
There are telltale signs that your dog is overweight and can be shown with certain characteristics such as:
- Ribs palpable with excess fat covering the rib cage area.
- Noticeable fat covering the lumbar area and base of the tail.
- The waist is barely noticeable with no abdominal tuck
- Fat deposits over the thorax and spine
- Fat covering the neck and limbs
An overweight dog will find it harder to move around which will be noticeable within its posture and walking motion. If the pressure on the joints continues throughout its life, it may have joint pain in the future.
Apart from just looking at your dog, you can also run your hands over the rib cage of your dog to see if the skin will move freely. Fatty deposits will reduce the movement across the rib cage making it harder for the skin to move. Getting into a routine of checking your dog’s body is an excellent way to check whether they are both losing weights and gaining much-needed muscle.
How To Help a Dog Lose Weight Fast
Unlike humans, dogs do not have the ability to research the best dog food for weight loss or plan a healthy dog diet of their own. However, we as dog owners can do just that and plan the ultimate low-calorie dog diet for fast weight loss. Below are 5 actions that you should incorporate into any dog diet for weight loss.
Realistic Weight Loss Goals.
Many dog owners will but dogs onto a crash diet to lose a silly amount of weight too soon. This is not the way to go round a dog diet and it should be planned over 3 to 6 months and longer for the best results. You don’t want your dog to suffer from an extremely low-calorie diet and fasting, which could affect their health.
Low-Calorie Feeding Plan.
Every dog needs a routine to abide by and strict feeding times. Feeding them treats even if they are healthy dental chews can increase the calorie intake, which is not good for a dog trying to lose weight. Once you have a routine in place, you need to use the best weight loss food for dogs to get the results you both want to achieve.
Daily Exercise.
Once you have found low-calorie dog food, you need to match it with regular exercise and long walks to increase the number of calories the dog can burn off.
Track Progress With Regular Weigh-Ins.
Weighing your dog weekly on the same day before their first meal is the best way to track their progress with weight loss. If they are not starting to lose any weight in the first month, reevaluate your low-calorie dog feeding plan.
Do Not Give Up.
It is easy to give up the low-calorie diet early on but it’s for the good of the dog. Many dog owners may fall into a shortcut where they fast the dog, which is a bad mistake. Keep the plan going for at least 6 months and see the results that you can achieve.
Once you have achieved the target weight for your dog, you will need to learn to maintain them. You can start feeding them healthy treats but do not overdo it.
Health Risks In An Overweight Dogs
As a dog owner, you will fully understand the health risks concerned with obesity in humans but the same can apply to your dog. Your dog’s body shape is a strong indicator and being aware of the health risks associated with their extra fat needs can become fatal.
Some health risks include poor movement, fatigue, arthritis, joint pain, diabetes, and heart-related problems. Your dog may look happy with a waggy tail but they may be holding down a secret overweight issue.
The main reason dogs are becoming overweight is primarily due to the kindness of their owner. Feeding them juicy bones and chews is adding to their calorie intake and not to mention the leftovers from their owner’s food.
You do not need to overstress about your dog’s weight. The majority of dogs find it very easy to lose weight fast and return to their ideal body size.
Most Common Overweight Dog Breeds
You will probably here many dog owners say that a certain dog is always overweight. This is true to a certain extent because certain breeds are prone to become larger than the ideal body size. The most common dog breeds to become overweight are the following:
- Sausage Dogs (Dachshund)
- Labrador
- Beagle
- Pug
- German Shepherd
- Basset Hound
However, any dog can become overweight if they are fed too much food and little exercise. Most dogs will not stop eating until the food bowl is completely empty.
Weight Loss Dog Food Buying Guide
The best low-calorie dog food for weight loss above will certainly aid the result you are looking for. To go into further detail regarding the food, in particular, we have compiled our research into a brief buyers’ guide.
High Protein and High Fiber
Protein will provide vital nutrition and fill the hunger gap from the increase of exercise. High protein dog food will often contain less fat and increase your dog’s muscle for movement. Puppies in particular who are overweight need the highest protein dog food for the vital nutrients.
For an increase in metabolism, fiber is required, which will also help them use the toilet easily with less food intake. Both high protein and fiber values are major factors in your purchase decision.
Low-Fat Content
One way to reduce the fat coverage on your dog is to reduce the fat content within their dog food. Dogs that suffer from pancreatitis should primarily only eat low-fat dog food in order to stay healthy. However, for normal dogs, you will want to maintain some fat such as omega 3 acids to aid to gain the benefits such as healthy kidneys, skin, and allergies.
Low-Calorie Dog Food
As a rule of thumb, you should aim to feed your dog a serving of 300 to 400 calories per cup of food (dependent on your breed). Of course, the less the calories they eat, the fewer calories they will need to burn in exercise.
However, this does not mean you should just buy the lowest calories foods. Some weight loss dog food contains vital nutrients that may add to the calorie intake but will provide additional health benefits for your dog.
Taste Factor
You will want your dog to enjoy their new weight loss diet with their new food, so it’s important that you factor in the taste. Dogs love the meaty taste with the chicken taste being a strong contender for the best tasting dog food.
If there is a bad taste, you could end up wasting a fair amount of money on weight-loss food because your dog will simply not eat it.
Dog Weight Loss Safety
Before you take on a new weight loss diet for your dog, you should consider the dog’s health and age. If the dog is very old, do you really want to put them under stress? You should consult with your vet for a checkup before starting any new weight loss diet with a dog that is ill or very senior.
Conclusion
Your dog’s health is paramount and a weight loss diet should only be carried out safely. There are many dog owners that will try to make a homemade cocktail of food themselves to help the dog lose weight but this is the wrong way to go about things. The best low-calorie dog food listed above has been scientifically tested with a variety of dog breeds for the top results. On top of these tests would have been carried out on a large scale to ensure no dogs will suffer from sensitive stomachs and other illnesses.
The benefits of helping your dog lose weight are never-ending and you can both work towards a goal. Countless hours of research have gone into finding the best weight loss food for dogs and as the years go on, there will be further dog food to increase the healthy nutrients that the dog will digest.
A low-calorie dog diet will not mean that they are expected to lose weight in a matter of days. The dog’s diet needs to start of gradual and at a slow pace without any fasting. Avoid spending your money on miracle treatments because all that is needed is steady exercise and high-quality weight loss dog food.
Ian is an avid outdoorsman and dog lover. He lives in Central Florida with his wife Heather, and their 2 dogs – Panda (Purebread Rough Collie X English Golden Retriever) & Kuma (Blue Merl Purebread Rough Collie)