Homemade Recipes for Obese or Overweight Dogs

We are used to seeing chubby pets as cute - and they are! - but we must draw a line if we want to preserve our dog's health. Excess weight can result in mobility and health issues, and it must not be enhanced or promoted. Some breeds are more prone to obesity than others: if your dog is among them, you should pay even more attention.

While it is the vet who should assess whether your dog is overweight or not, you can perform some preliminary checks yourself. Check your dog's ribs with your hands: if you can feel them, as if the waist is evident to the naked eye, your dog's weight is normal.

When a dog is overweight the ribs are difficult to feel and the waist is not easily perceived. In the most serious cases, when a dog is obese, its ribs cannot be felt with the hands and you will notice a prominent belly.

A dog's diet is vital to its health, and therefore to treat excess weight there is nothing better than making a dietary review and naturally solve this condition through a better, more balanced diet.

While you can find special, low-calorie dry feed in the market specific for overweight or obese dogs, it can be quite expensive. However, you can also offer your dog a homemade, low-fat diet that is even more natural and healthy.

Before going on to describe the recipes, we recommend going to the vet for a thorough check-up. Excess body weight can act as a trigger for various pathologies that should be taken into account before switching a dog's food.

Understanding a dog's dietary needs can be complex, but there are some general guidelines you can take into account. Before starting to cook, you'll need to know the proportion of nutrients that should be included in a dog's meals regardless of its weight:

• Animal protein: 50%
• Vegetables: 30%
• Carbohydrates (cereals, potatoes): 20%

The best low-fat recipes for overweight or obese dogs are the following:

• Potatoes and beef stew: Simply cook the potatoes, beef and carrots respecting the cooking times of each ingredient. If you want to make it tastier you can add olive oil, but with a sprayer to avoid an excessive amount.

• Chicken with rice and vegetables: Boil the rice along with a handful of spinach, carrots and tomatoes. Meanwhile, grill a low-fat cut of chicken breast, chop it and mix it with the rice.

• Potatoes with hake: Cut the potatoes into thin slices and put them in the oven with a little water for about 15 minutes. Before the potatoes finish cooking, add the hake fillets without skin.

• Mix of vegetables with ham: Boil potatoes, spinach, carrots and leeks. Then, tear the ham to bits and and mix it in. You can sauté the mixture slightly to make it tastier.

• Pasta with tuna and tomato: Crush a tomato and fry it with a little oil. Then boil the pasta and mix it with the tomato sauce. Finally you can add some canned tuna, but it must be natural, without oil and salt.

• Mashed potatoes with salmon: This recipe includes healthy fats, which are not harmful if consumed moderately and through quality food. Boil the potatoes, drain them and add very little oil. Then, mash them. Steam the boneless salmon fillet or bake it in its own juices.

Your dog should eat 3 times a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and do so in moderate amounts. Besides following a proper diet, an overweight or obese dog must perform daily physical exercise. Take it for outdoor walks and play games, or even join a dynamic dog sport.

Here you can learn more about diet and care for dogs with obesity.

If you want to read similar articles to Homemade Recipes for Obese or Overweight Dogs, we recommend you visit our Diets to lose weight category.