My dog needs to lose 2.5 lbs. Should I cut food or use a diet formula?

Question

Should I cut down on my dogs diet by 10 or 20% I want her to lose about 2.5 pounds. She's 18.5 pounds right now and I'm looking for her to be 16 pounds. Do I need to put her on a weight loss formula? She's on Acana singles currently and has been eating 2/3 cup per day. It's hard to find a nutritious weight loss formula on the market. Pet's info: Dog | Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | Female | spayed | 5 years and 5 months old | 17 lbs

Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH · Accepted Answer

You are correct that it is difficult to find a good quality weight loss diet. Good quality meats and fats are high in calories. At the end of the day, weight loss is about calories. So, a weight loss food is beneficial because they can eat the same amount of food. But you can achieve the same decrease in calories by feeding less of the Acana that you are currently feeding. A 10-20% decrease in daily calories is exactly what I recommend for weight loss, so you could simply decrease from a level 2/3 cup to heaping 1/2 cup for a month. If Chloe is losing weight, then continue at that amount. If she is not losing weight, then decrease to a level 1/2 cup. Since she is a small dog, it should take her a number of months to lose the weight, so don't be discouraged if she only loses a few ounces in that first month. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

My dog needs to lose 2.5 lbs. Should I cut food or use a diet formula?

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