Canine Fitness Month 2025 – Pet Obesity & Diet Choices

As we come to the end of Canine Fitness Month 2025, let’s take a look at some statements in relation to overweight pets, obesity and weight loss and diet choices

by Deborah Burrows

Table scraps make dogs overweight

First of all, let’s define table scraps. UK Pet Food, in its 2024 Obesity report, loosely defines them as ham and cheese (for example), but I would define it as anything that is on our plates that isn’t hazardous to a dog or cat. I think it’s important to recognise that table scraps don’t make our companion animals overweight. Table scraps can be healthy bits of anything.

We have eaten alongside dogs since we started sitting at campfires! Take a look at the blog we wrote about this topic here. Let’s focus on what’s really going on – feeding too much or inadvertently reinforcing unwanted behaviours – for example, animals sitting or standing, watching us with cute puppy eyes. Many call this ‘begging’ and it has a negative connotation, but it’s just really a learnt behaviour. The animal simply gets something they like, so they do that action over and over again.

Furthermore, UK Pet Food recommends feeding no more than 10% of the dog’s daily food intake as ‘tidbits’. We will get to the potential of confusing percentages and daily allowance later, but if we are now asking caregivers to work out what 10% table scraps of a dog’s daily amount of food, is this really feasible?

Carbohydrates make dogs overweight

What happens with complex carbohydrates in pet food (rice, potato, sweet potato, quinoa and such like) is that they are used for energy. With most companion animals not performing a hard-working task nor being latch-key dogs out and about these days, this energy intake is not expended. This could lead to weight gain. There is nothing wrong with a small amount of carbohydrate in any pet diet and it can be useful for specific lifestages. Again – moderation is key.

Our advice, though, is to always choose commercial food that has animal ingredients as its top set of ingredients above carbohydrates. It will be more expensive, but it is false economy to look at anything less because the on-pack feeding guidelines will be much higher for food that has rice, maize, or potato as its first or second ingredient.

Fat makes dogs overweight

Without carbohydrates, dogs will use protein and fat for their energy source. Too much protein or too much fat could lead to weight gain. Coupled with excessive carbohydrates, it’s a recipe for disaster! Too much of a good thing can lead to weight gain. We also agree with UK Pet Food that supplementary oils, such as salmon oil, should be used sparingly.

You need to feed a complete and balanced diet in order for your dog or cat to achieve or maintain a healthy weight

This is a statement suggested by UK Pet Food the logic of which I cannot follow. A diet lacking key nutrients is likely to cause other issues rather than weight gain. Personally, I feel this is a statement to push an agenda, and as such, I find it an attempt at fear-eliciting. At Healthy Pet Store for example, our aim is to support customers to achieve a balanced and varied diet with products and ingredients of their choosing and their animal’s preference.

It’s not what you feed. It’s the amount that’s being fed that is causing obesity

The interesting thing here is that UK Pet Food highlights a very relevant point that current and target weight, on-pack guidelines and guessing actually produce wildly different portion sizes! Imagine – if a dog or cat is already overweight, but their caregiver is not really aware of the extent of it, so they follow the on-pack guidelines, which relate to the pet’s current weight. The animal is never going to lose weight! After a while, the caregiver also stops using a measuring cup or scales – and turns to guessing – normally adding a bit on here and there. So not only is the caregiver not feeding to an ideal weight, they may be inadvertently adding to a current weight guideline. Our suggestion is to have a look at a body condition diagram, have your vet, a trusted friend or us give you a proper opinion and a new target weight.

We were one of the first retailers to run a weight loss programme with rewards – The Lean Club. We agree with UK Pet Food; it is all about gaining trust and not shaming for having overweight pets, but at the same time, we need to be clear that lean dogs are healthier – that is simply a fact. In most cases, we are conditioned to think that lean dogs look unwell, and overweight dogs are the norm.

You’ve got to count calories

Calorie counting is a popular mechanism for monitoring and controlling food intake for humans. We believe it complicates matters for pets and as a result, it doesn’t appear in our recommendations when looking at weight loss. You will also find that calorific values are not required on EU or UK pet food labelling.

You’ve got to get everyone on board with trying to reduce the pet’s weight to a healthy one

100%! There is no point one person in the household following good habits, only for them to be undone by others in the home. It can be useful to bring the whole family to the vet or the pet store so that everyone is asked about food intake and so there is more chance of success in bringing everyone along.

Reduce food and increase exercise. Simple!

This is the correct basic equation, but it’s important not to shock the animal’s body with drastically reduced food intake and/or exercise. We advise it is a good idea to ask your vet or a canine health professional for advice.

Our motto: everything in moderation – food, table scraps, treats, snacks, food reinforcers

When we focus too much on the numbers, the percentages, what we are told we should and shouldn’t do, we may lose sight of the animal in front of us. If the animal is healthy, then we should be able to feel their ribs with a very thin layer of fat over them.

Grisha Stewart, Ahimsa Dog Training, shows us a useful way to understand what that feels like in a simplistic way. Make a tight fist and:

Cats deserve a special mention

As a general rule, cats are predators, so in order to recreate this functional need, play and games are needed. This also avoids a sedentary lifestyle which could promote weight gain. There are some fantastic products available to mimic a cat’s need to hunt, such as the Doc & Pheobe Hunting Feeder. Remember, as well, cats have absolutely no need for carbohydrates.

Celebrating wins

In agreement with UK Pet Food, the route to meaningful and long-lasting habit formation and human behaviour change is quick wins, easy to understand guidance and reinforcement! That is why we were the first UK pet food retailer to introduce our own weight loss programme called The Lean Club. We, too, are careful to try to use the right language with caregivers.

Vet check!

If your pet isn’t losing weight or there is a real hunger, a vet check and a blood test can give peace of mind.

Remember the power of food

Using food in training isn’t the forbidden fruit! Part of sharing food with dogs, for example, is to create a bond, and also an imperative part of training, which never actually ends. Dogs are making associations and learning every day, so opting for healthy snacks and a mix of high and low value food reinforcers allows us to knock back on the on-pack daily allowance of meal times. We can then offer a mix of giving the remaining daily allowance from a food dispenser or giving freely. Our recommendation, based on the latest findings, is that dogs in particular probably shouldn’t have to get their food from puzzles and food dispensers all the time. Giving food freely, without contingency or condition, is a preference shared by the animal themself and also lots of positive reinforcement trainers.

We hope this has been insightful. Do you have any tips for our readers on a pet’s weight loss?