Guest blog by Dr. Donna Spector
After Faith’s big weight loss, the scale didn’t budge an ounce during Week 3. Although it is actually quite common for dogs to experience a weight plateau for a week or two after a big loss, Faith actually gained a little during Week 4–which is a red flag!
After taking a critical look at her calories, I spotted some problems. Faith had seemed hungrier this week to her mom, so she received quite a few extra calories as treats. One day Faith ate 60% more calories than she was supposed to! These calories came in the form of a 120 calorie biscuit and an extra 350 calories of extra kibble. This “extra” can obviously wreak havoc on weight loss attempts–but we do understand how tough it is having a dog who seems hungry. Having tips to deal with hunger is crucial during the weight loss process.
Tips to Deal with Hunger:
- Incorporating low-calorie fresh veggies to your dog’s diet can be a great snack to really fill them up! Adding zucchini is a great way to add a lot of extra stomach fill and fiber for only 20 calories per cup (or try green beans for 30 calories per cup). If your dog has a bit to lose, cut the higher calorie treats and consider some lightly steamed veggies (no butter!).
- Try sprinkling a teaspoon of non-fat shredded cheese on the zucchini or on some of your dog’s dry food and put it in the microwave for a few seconds to melt it. Put it in a food dispensing toy (such as the Kong or Buster Cube) and watch a 30 second treat or meal turn into a 30 minute licking and chewing frenzy!
- For really hungry dogs you can feed their entire food ration from food dispensing toys for extra satisfaction.
Faith is the second participant enrolled in the Halo Healthy Weight Challenge on THE EXPERT VET of the RADIO PET LADY NETWORK. Faith is eating a specially designed meal plan of Halo Healthy Weight natural dog food and extra veggies to help her get back to a thin and trim weight.
Check back next week!
Halo is a sponsor on Radio Pet Lady Network, by our invitation.
