Is it OK to have a fat dog

Do I Have A Fat Dog? How To Tell If Your Dog Is Overweight

Theres no doubt about it - Americans love their dogs! We know that your pooch is the best breed, but have you wondered which are the most favored dog breeds in America? Forbes surveyed 10,000 dog owners across the 50 states to find Americas top dog breed. The survey involved the top 25 most popular dog breeds nationwide, according to the American Kennel Club. So, what is Americas top dog? As it turns out, no breed in particular is the countrys favorite at 13%.However, if Americans had to decide, theyd pick the Australian shepherd as a favorite, followed by the German shepherd and the bulldog.The highly intelligent and energetic Australian shepherd was ranked as the top dog breed in 10 states, including Alabama, Arizona, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Montana, Missouri, New York, and Virginia. This breed was also voted the second favorite in nine states. Although Aussies won the popularity vote, the German shepherd was the number one pick in 16 states. Thats more than any other breed!Known for its loyal and courageous nature, the German shepherd is the most common breed to serve as a police K9 but also makes a wonderful family companion. They ranked as the second favorite dog breed in nine states. Interestingly, more men than women picked German shepherds as their favorite breed (9% compared to 6%). Americas 3rd favorite breed, according to Forbes, is the bulldog. The English bulldog is a medium-sized dog breed, best known for its stocky build, large head, and wrinkled face. The bulldog ranked as the top dog in eight states, including Illinois, Connecticut, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, and Utah. Among all states, Nebraska ranked the bulldog lowest, placing this breed at 24th place, The lovable and friendly Labrador retriever ranked as the nations 4th favorite breed. Thanks to their affectionate, friendly, and energetic nature, Labs make great companions to people of all ages and families with children. Labrador retrievers ranked as the most favorite dog breed in 10 states, including Louisiana, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oregon, South Dakota, and West Virginia. Bernese mountain dog is the 5th favorite dog breed in the United States. Large in size and built for hard work, Bernese mountain dogs are easy to train and make affectionate, loyal, and faithful companions. So, its no surprise that this doggo ranked as the most favorite breed in nine states. Compared to four other top-ranked breeds, the Bernese mountain dog had the most varying results, with 10 states ranking this breed in the bottom 10.The beagle is the nations favorite small breed. Ranked as the 6th favorite breed overall, the beagle was placed in the top 10 favorite breeds in all but seven states. This breed received the lowest ranking in Utah, where it was voted as the states 3rd least favorite breed.The golden retriever comes in at 7th place, after being voted as the most favorite dog breed in Michigan and Wisconsin. Medium in size and best known for their gorgeous golden coats, golden retrievers are loving, loyal, and affectionate companions to active people and families with children. Goldens were the 2nd favorite dog breed in four states, including New Hampshire, North Dakota, Connecticut, and Vermont. This breed ranked the lowest in Alabama, where it received 17th place.These are Americas most favorite dog breeds, but the nation also has the least favorite doggo. This title goes to the Havanese, which was the bottom-ranked breed in 33 states.The Havanese is followed by Pembroke Welsh Corgi which was the least favorite dog breed in 17 states. And what about you? Whats your favorite and least favorite dog breed?Join the PetGuide community. Get the latest pet news and product recommendations by subscribing to our newsletter here.

How to Tell If Your Dog Is in Shape Or Overweight

If your pooch is looking a bit more pudgy than usual, its actually quite common. The battle of the bulge isnt just something people face so do pets. In fact, according to a 2018 survey conducted by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention,55.8 percent of dogs in the United Statesare overweight or obese. And that extra weight can cause a lot ofhealth issues for your dog, includingcanine diabetes, heart problems, and painful arthritis.

Wondering how to tell if your dog is fat or overweight and needs to lose a few pounds? Read on to examine the signs you can look for to determine whether or not your dog is fat and how you can get your pup into shape to stay healthy and happy for years to come.

Check Your Dogs Body Shape

One of the simplest ways todetermine if your dog is fatis to look at the body shape. Looking at your dog from above, if you notice that the pup looks rather rotund and oval-shaped, its likely that your dog is fat. If, on the other hand, you notice that your dog has a defined waist toward the rear and a straight build down the sides, then theyre probably at a healthy weight.

Feel for Your Dogs Ribs

The feel and prominence of your dogs ribs are a major indicator of weight issues, says Dr. Sara Ochoa, DVM, a veterinary advisor forDogLaband practitioner atWhitehouse Veterinary Animal Hospitalin Whitehouse, Texas. If your dogs ribs arent extremely prominent and you can easily feel them without having to press hard, then the dog is fit, she says. For overweight dogs, its very difficult to feel their ribs because there is too much fat in the way.

Look at Your Dog From the Side

Asagging waistor swinging stomach is another tell-tale sign of a fat dog. When viewing your dog from the side, look for a waist that is slightly raised rather than simply hanging down and oval-shaped. A dogs abdomen should not be the same level as the chest and should be tucked up, says Dr. Ochoa.

Check Your Dog for Fat Pads

Excess fat on your dogs body is also a major indicator of being overweight. Some animals will have fat sacks between their legs that will waddle when they walk, says Dr. Ochoa. She also recommends inspecting your dogs hips during petting sessions. Overweight dogs will have fat pads on the top of their hips.

Examine Your Dogs Behavior

Overweight and obese dogs are typically inactive and spend a lot of time scarfing down their food. If you notice that your dog has become a couch potato, has trouble walking, exhibits trouble breathing when walking, and generally appears to have trouble moving about, they might be fat. Also, if youfree-choice feed your dogthroughout the day, this can encourage obesity.

Weigh Your Dog

The best way to tell if your dog is overweight or obese is with a weigh-in at your veterinarian. Your vet can then tell you whether your dog is overweight according to yourdogs size and breed. Remember that a healthy weight will look different for every breed. For example, most sighthounds should have visible ribs.

They will also examine your dogs body and compare it to abody condition score chart, which ranks a dogs body type by shape. Typically, scores range from one to nine, with one being very underweight and nine being extremely overweight. The target body condition usually lies in between, around four to five.

Consider the Health Effects of Being Overweight

While having a portly pup may seem adorable, those extra pounds can pack quite the punch when it comes todogs developing obesity-related health issues. Overweight dogs can develop a number of serious health conditions, including:

• Diabetes.
• Skin problems.
• Heart problems.
• Joint problems.
• Kidney disease.
• Canine arthritis.
• Certain cancers.
• Liver problems.
• Mobility issues.
• Breathing problems.
• High blood pressure.

Carrying extra weight is especially hard onbreeds like dachshundsbecause they can develop back problems andchubby brachycephalic dog breedsmay experience trouble breathing. Large dog breeds may even developcanine orthopedic issues, especially when theyre still growing, if they become overweight.

Canine obesity-related health issuescan cause long-term problems for dogs and can shave years off your pups life. Fortunately, by losing weight, your pooch can avoid or even reverse many of these conditions.

Develop a Dog Weight Loss Plan

If your veterinarian determines that your dog is overweight, youll have to start a weight-loss plan. The two things to target are reducing calorie intake and increasing the amount of time youexercise your dog.

Encourage yourdog to exerciseby going on 10 to 15 minute walks each day to start, recommends Dr. Ochoa. Gradually increase the amount of time you spend walking your dog per day and the briskness of the walks toup to 2 hours total each day, depending on your dogs breed and age, according to the Peoples Dispensary for Sick Animals. Most importantly, make the walks fun by praising your dog for being active and rewarding your pup with lots of attention. You can also sign your pooch up for acanine agility class as part of an exercise routine.

If agility isnt the right fit for your dog, there are many other AKC Sports that can provide fun and exercise for you and your pup.

With the help of your veterinarian, develop a calorie and portion-control weight loss plan for your dog. Just decreasing the amount of food your dog eats per day by about 10 percent will help your pet lose weight, says Dr. Ochoa. Your vet can also recommend a high-fiber, lower-calorie food for your pup that will keep them feeling fuller for longer.

Once you know just how much to feed your dog each day, divide your pups meals into a morning and evening portion. This way, your dog wont become hungry later in the day.

Most importantly, keep treats to a minimum, says Dr. Ochoa. Treats and cookies have added calories. By decreasing the amount of treats given or totally eliminating them from their diet will help your dog lose weight, she recommends. You can also supplement your dogs diet with healthy, low-calorie snacks like steamed or rawvegetables that are safe for dogslike celery, carrots, green beans, broccoli, and cucumbers.

Can Dogs Eat Beef Or Steak Fat?

Fat is an integral part of dogs diet; they rely on it in order to stay healthy.

But, while our canine friends can eat more fats than we do, too much fat can also be bad for them.

And today, I want to focus on steak or beef fat.

As responsible dog owners, we want to provide our dogs with all the nutrients that they might need in their diet for healthy functioning.

So how do you strike the right balance of fats in your dogs diet?

And are all meat-based fats created equal or are some better for your dog?

Today well be covering all these questions, and more, in detail.

1. Steak fat vs beef fat- is there a difference?
2. Does beef fat have any nutrition?
3. Why do dogs need fat in their diet?
4. What happens if a dog eats too much fat?
5. How much steak fat should I feed my dog?
6. What is beef tallow and should dogs eat it?
7. Raw vs cooked beef fat. Which is better?
8. Steak vs pork vs lamb vs chicken fat
9. Is there any difference between these fats?
10. Conclusion: Should dogs eat beef fat?

Steak fat vs beef fat- is there a difference?

To keep things simple, there is not real difference between steak and beef- they are both cuts of meat from a cow.

Beef tends to be a larger piece of meat which is used to feed a group of people, whereas steak is a cut of meat which is used to feed one person.

And so beef fat and steak fat are the same thing.

Beef can be cut from any part of the cow, just as steak can.

And the best cuts of beef and steak come from muscles in the cow that havent been used much- such as the ribs.

Does beef fat have any nutrition?

The most important part of any diet is the nutrition one might get from it. So well start with this question.

A 100g serving of steak fat contains 902 calories, is chock-full of concentrated fat, has a moderate amount of cholesterol, and little to no carbs and proteins.

To summarize, you can feed your dog beef fat, but only in moderation; since high steak fat diets are linked to a variety of health issues in dogs.

It also doesnt contain other essential nutrients, like proteins and carbs, that your dog needs.

Why do dogs need fat in their diet?

As mentioned earlier, dogs need fat in their diet. Their metabolism relies on it for energy when theyre resting, and during light to moderate intensity workouts.

But dogs dont just need fat for energy, its responsible for reducing inflammation in their body, is needed for a healthy skin and coat, it slows down the rate of their stomach emptying (so they feel fuller after meals), and is important for the absorption and digestion of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K).

What happens if a dog eats too much fat?

Both too much, and too little, fat in your dogs diet can cause issues.

While its true that dogs can tolerate more fat in their diet than we can, overloading your dog with fat will still him/her at a higher risk of pancreatitis and obesity, along with other complications.

Obesity in dogs comes with its own set of issues, including but not limited to: shorter life span, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and osteoarthritis.

How much steak fat should I feed my dog?

You can include beef fat in your dogs daily diet, as long as you make sure that s/hes getting all the other nutrients that a dog needs.

As a rule, your dogs daily diet should contain 10-15% of fat; at times you can go as high as 25-30% but make sure not to do it on a daily basis.

Feeding your dog too much fat will lead to him/her feeling full without consuming essential nutrients. As mentioned above, too much fat can cause a variety of issues in dogs.

What is beef tallow and should dogs eat it?

Beef tallow is a very popular, and cheap, diet for dogs.

Its considered unhealthy for humans, and you might be concerned if its safe for your dog.

The simple answer is that beef tallow is perfectly fine for your dog to eat, as long as you make sure that your dog is getting a balanced diet.

Raw vs cooked beef fat. Which is better?

The kind of fat youre giving to your dog matters more than whether youre giving it raw or cooked.

Make sure that the fats youre feeding your dog contain Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids.

As for cooked beef fat, it is fine as long as you make sure that it doesnt contain onions, spices, artificial flavoring, or sauces.

If youre introducing raw or cooked steak fat to your dog, its important to do it slowly or gradually so your dogs digestive system can get used to it.

Introduce very small portions and slowly increase them.

Even after youve increased the portions, the fat should not constitute more than 10-15% of your dogs daily diet.

Steak vs pork vs lamb vs chicken fat

The differences between these fats are nutritional.

Well cover the major nutritional differences one by one.

1. Beef fat contains high levels of saturated fat.

Out of the four mentioned, it also contains the highest number of calories.

While beef fat is generally considered bad for human consumption, its perfectly fine for dogs (in moderation).

It is also high in Omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for your canine friend.

2. Compared to beef fat, pork fat is lower in saturated fat and calories, and slightly lower in cholesterol.

But, unlike beef fat, it contains a lot of protein, which is essential for dogs. Like beef fat, pork fat is also high in Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids.

3. When it comes to calorie count, lamb fat is almost identical to pork fat.

The differences come in the form of roughly 33% lower protein than pork fat and higher vitamin B-12.

Lamb fat is also quite low on Omega-3 fatty acids.

4. Lastly, chicken fat.

Chicken fat contains the second highest number of calories in this list.

It is highly digestible and has high levels of Omega-6 fatty acids. It also has high levels of Vitamin D and E.

Is there any difference between these fats?

Weve mentioned the notable differences between these fats above.

You should use these fats based on what kind of nutrients youre looking to include in your dogs diet.

Switch between these fats so your dog gets a healthy diet of both Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, as well as other nutrients.

We keep mentioning those two types of fatty acids in particular because your dogs cannot produce these on their own, so they have to be included in your dogs diet.

Beyond these major differences, there are minor differences between these fats.

Do thorough research on your part before introducing one of them to your dogs diet.

Which meat has the least fat?

In non-lean meats, chicken has by far the least amount of fat. However, beef, pork, and lamb meats with their fat content trimmed off can be just as lean as chicken.

Which animal fat do dogs tend to stomach more?

The answer to this question largely depends on your dog, and which fat youve gotten him/her used to.

Beef, chicken, lamb, and pork fat are all generally pretty easy for dogs to stomach and digest.

If you want to start your dog off on one of these, start small and go slow; gradually increase the fat serving and your dog will get used to it.

Conclusion: Should dogs eat beef fat?

We covered a lot of stuff about your dogs nutritional needs today. All in all, the following points were discussed.

• Although beef fat only contains concentrated fat and a bit of cholesterol, it is needed as part of dogs diet (in moderation) to help their metabolism, reduce inflammation, and give them a healthy skin and coat. It also helps with their digestion of vitamins A, D, E, and K, while making them feel fuller after meals.
• Not feeding your dog too much fat is just as important as not feeding him/her too little of it. Too much fat in your dogs diet can cause issues like feeling full without consuming important nutrients necessary for his/her wellbeing. Generally, making fat 10-15% of the overall daily diet should be good enough.
• While making sure your dog gets all the other important nutrients, you can sometimes increase the amount of fat to 25-30% as well, but do it only sporadically.
• Just like raw beef, cooked beef is also fine for your dog, as long as you dont cook it with onions, artificial flavoring, sauces, and spices. And, unlike for humans, beef tallow is perfectly fine for dogs as long as the previous points are kept in mind.
• Although they both have high levels of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, beef fat contains high levels of saturated fat and calories, whereas pork fat contains them at lower levels but has a lot of protein which necessary for your dogs nutrition. Lamb fat is quite similar to pork fat, except with lower protein and higher vitamin B-12, while chicken fat has vitamin D and E along with the second highest level of calories.
• Which of these fats to include in your dogs diet largely depends on the kind of nutrients you want to add to the diet. All of the fats mentioned above are perfectly safe for your dog. Gradually introduce any of them into his/her diet and your dog will get used to it.

With that, todays topic comes to an end. We hope you found it informative and helpful. If theres anything you would like us to cover in our next topic, please do let us know.