Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Safe and effective weight loss plans for dogs explained
By Laflamme, D P et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·1997·Department of Pet Nutrition and Care Research, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Evaluation of weight loss protocols for dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of overweight dogs was put on different calorie-reduction diets to see which helped them lose weight safely. They were fed between 50% to 100% of their usual energy needs based on their ideal weight. All the diets were found to be safe, but dogs on the strictest diet (50% of their needs) showed some changes in hormone levels. Overall, any of the tested diets can help manage weight in dogs, but results may vary from one dog to another, and very low-calorie diets might lead to regaining weight later.
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Abstract
Several canine weight loss protocols were evaluated to determine their relative safety and efficacy. Dogs were fed 100%, 75%, 60%, or 50% of maintenance energy requirements (MERs) using the dogs' target body weights. No indications of adverse health effects were observed with any weight loss protocol. Triiodothyronine (T3) levels and apparent MERs decreased in dogs restricted to 50% to 60% of their MERs. The rate of weight loss was correlated linearly with degree of calorie restriction, although there was considerable individual variation. Percent overweight by the end of the test was not different between protocol groups for dogs fed 50%, 60%, or 75% of MERs. Therefore, any of the protocols tested in this study may be used in the management of overweight dogs; however, individual responses will be expected to vary, and severe calorie restriction may predispose dogs to weight rebound.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9138236/