Struggling to help my overweight dog lose weight

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    • #137562
      Myname5james
      Verified Participant

      I need some serious advice about my dog, Cooper. He’s a five-year-old Labrador Retriever, and he’s about 20 pounds overweight. I know canine obesity can lead to serious health issues like joint pain and heart disease, and I’m doing my best to help him slim down, but nothing seems to be working. I’m hoping you can offer some expert weight loss tips before my vet gives me another stern lecture at his next check-up.

      I’ve already cut back on treats and switched him to a high-protein, low-calorie weight management dog food, but he still seems to be gaining or maintaining his weight rather than losing it. We go on daily walks, and I try to keep him active with swimming and fetch, but he gets tired easily and isn’t as playful as he used to be.

      The hardest part is that he always acts hungry! No matter how much I feed him, he looks at me with those big, pleading eyes, and I feel like a monster for not giving him more. Am I feeding him too much? Too little? Should I be incorporating a different type of exercise routine? I don’t want to push him too hard, but I also don’t want his extra weight to shorten his lifespan.

      Please provide some effective dog weight loss strategies, diet recommendations, and exercise tips that will help Cooper shed pounds safely and stay healthy.

    • #138137
      thanks4allthefish
      Verified Participant

      Hi, my dog Scout was a bit on the heavy side a few years ago. I worked with my vet to get him on a better diet. One thing that really helped exercise-wise was playing games, especially fetch. He would happily play for hours a day if we let him. I didn’t overdo it, but this extra activity really seemed to help. I also started hiking with him, nothing super strenuous, but giving him some new places to explore. It kept him excited to go out and also helped with the weight loss. Now fetch and hiking are part of our regular routine and keep us both more fit.

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