Why is my overweight Rottweiler so tired on walks? Is it his food?

Question

Hi there! I have a 4yr. old rottweiler I rescued from the shelter. He seems to be in good health but he gets tired really fast. Every sunday we go to dog walking class and half way he's already panting and ready to laydown. All the other dogs are fine. I was wondering why he gets tired so fast and if I should change his diet to half kibble/raw. He's about 95lbs ,trying to get him down to about 90lbs. Eats Canidae now..will changing his food give him more energy? What would you recommend? Pet's info: Dog | Rottweiler | Male | neutered | 92 lbs

Chad Brown, DVM · Accepted Answer

I must say that I love the name of your pet. It is very unique. The question that needs to be answered is whether the getting tired is due to your dog possibly being overweight or if he has a medical condition that is causing him to get lethargic during the walks. So before you start decreasing the food or changing the food to a diet, I urge you to make an appointment with your regular veterinarian to have a complete physical examination performed. Things like cardiac disease, diabetes, hypothyroidism, etc. can all cause dogs that are similar in size and breed to exhibit the symptoms yours is displaying. The vet will probably need to run a few tests like a full CBC chemistry profile, thyroid hormone analysis, urinalysis, and possibly x-rays of the chest and abdomen. I realize that this may seem like a lot but trust me it is always better to error on the side of caution. And if all of these tests come back normal, you will have a great baseline to go by if he ever experiences any sickness in the future. Thanks for your question. I hope I have given you some help.

Why is my overweight Rottweiler so tired on walks? Is it his food?

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