Losing weight too quickly costs muscle and can make a dog ravenous and miserable. Too slowly and the plan loses momentum. The usual guidance is a middle path.
The pace
Before starting, the 2021 AAHA guidelines recommend a nutritional assessment that includes body weight, body condition score and muscle condition score, so your vet can set a realistic target.
The 2014 AAHA Weight Management Guidelines recommend about 1 to 2% of body weight lost each week for dogs, and 0.5 to 2% for cats. A 30 kg dog would lose roughly 300 to 600 grams a week. Our goal planner shows the weekly percentage for any target weight and number of days, and flags anything too fast.
The calories
A common starting point is 80% of the resting energy for the ideal weight. Do not go below 60% without a veterinary nutritionist. When we turn a weight change into calories we use about 7,700 kcal per kilogram of body weight, which is a rule of thumb, so treat results as estimates.
What to look for in the food
- Calories: AAFCO allows "light" dry dog food to have at most 3,100 kcal per kg.
- Protein: a research review of weight-loss diets points to more than about 25% protein on a dry-matter basis, which helps keep muscle.
- Fat: the same review points to under about 10% fat.
- Fibre helps many dogs feel full.
There is no official standard for the protein and fat numbers in weight-loss foods, and not every "light" food works well. Treat them as sensible guides.
A few habits that help
- Measure the food. A cup scoop varies a lot; kitchen scales do not.
- Count treats in the daily calories.
- Weigh every two to four weeks and adjust. We keep your streak if you skip one.
