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{"id":1166,"date":"2020-11-01T15:00:37","date_gmt":"2020-11-01T20:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lovelabworld.com\/?p=1166"},"modified":"2020-11-01T15:00:37","modified_gmt":"2020-11-01T20:00:37","slug":"overweight-labrador-things-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/puplore.com\/overweight-labrador-things-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Overweight Labrador? Things to Know to Keep Your Lab Healthy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Just like with humans, being an overweight Labrador Retriever is not a fun thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After all, for the most part, obesity can result in many health complications that may limit your Labrador\u2019s activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For this reason, if you want to help your Lab lose some weight, we have prepared this article to help you know what an overweight Labrador\u2019s diet should be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is my Labrador fat?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If your Labrador weighs more than the ideal weight for their height and age, then your Labrador is fat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also ask a veterinarian to make sure so you know <\/a>if you have to change their diet and make them do more exercise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another quick way to know if your Lab is fat is by looking at their ribs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should be able to see the last rib when they twist, bend, drink, or eat. If you can see more than the last rib, they are too thin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also feel their ribs. If you can just feel your Lab\u2019s ribs, your Lab is not fat. However, your Lab is overweight if you cannot feel their ribs!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More protein, fewer carbs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you want to make your Labrador lose weight, you need to focus on what your Lab is eating first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The nutrition that the food offers is more important than how much you feed a Labrador<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, you might be feeding your Labrador the normal amount of food for their weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, your Labrador can quickly become overweight if they are eating food full of carbohydrates and fat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, you need to make sure their diet is high in protein and low in carbs and fat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are studies<\/a> that show that dogs who ate a high protein diet lost a lot of excess weight and fat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Protein helps your dog feel full and strong. Protein helps their muscles stay strong and it takes longer to digest, so your dog may not feel hungry as quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Labs need to eat some fat and carbs, but they mostly need diets high in protein no matter how much they weigh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Too much fat and carbs in their diet would be the same as you eating junk food all day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It would be \u201cempty\u201d calories that make your dogs gain weight without providing any nutritional value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are buying dog food<\/a>, you should choose brands that have 30% protein.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are making your Lab\u2019s food, you should aim to give them 3-4 grams of protein for each pound that they weigh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can ask your vet how much protein they believe your labrador specifically needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How much should an overweight Labrador eat?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
How much should you feed an overweight Labrador? Just enough that they don’t go hungry.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Now that we know what your Lab should eat, we can talk about how much your Lab should eat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A big mistake that people make when they change an overweight Labrador\u2019s diet is that they give too little food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You need to make sure your Labrador still eats enough to not feel hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is especially true if your Lab is on a low-calorie diet. Healthy weight loss should be slow and supplemented with lots of exercise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, you do not want to shock your Labrador\u2019s stomach. Suddenly giving them half or a quarter of what they normally eat will upset both your Lab and their stomach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Depending on how much your Labrador eats, you can try to slowly lessen their food until it reaches the recommended amount they should eat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before you decrease your Labs meal, you need to cut out any extra snacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If they eat a lot of treats during the day, you need to stop giving them those for now. You should also stop giving them food scraps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best way to know exactly how much your Lab should eat is to consult a vet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each Lab has different needs, so you need to ask a vet how much your particular Lab needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choosing home-cooked or raw foods<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Some people will choose raw or home-cooked diets for their overweight Labs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They believe that it gives them more control over what their dogs eat because they know exactly what they are feeding their Labs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you choose a raw diet, you need to make sure you choose natural and organic ingredients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep in mind that raw food and a home-cooked diet can be tricky. It takes some experimenting and research to know if you are giving your Lab the right foods with enough nutritional value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some ingredients that you can use in a home-cooked diet include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  • Brown rice<\/li>
  • Ground turkey<\/li>
  • Carrots<\/li>
  • Salmon<\/li>
  • Eggs<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Some ingredients that you can use in a raw food diet include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    • Raw organic eggs<\/li>
    • Muscle meat (can be on the bone)<\/li>
    • Organ meats like kidneys and livers<\/li>
    • Bones (whole or grounded well)<\/li>
    • Veggies like celery, spinach, and broccoli<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      Best dog foods for overweight Labrador Retrievers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Some dog foods are specially formulated for overweight dog diets. They normally are high in protein and low in calories and fat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Some popular choices include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      1) Wellness Complete Healthy Weight<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      This artificial-free, low-fat dog food is high in protein like whitefish and chicken meal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Another bonus is that it has tons of whole grains that give your dog more energy but keep them full. Plus, it has lots of vitamins and minerals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      2) Dr. Tim\u2019s Premium Weight Management Pet Food<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      This is a low-calorie dog food specifically made to speed up your Lab\u2019s metabolism. However, the recipe still makes sure that your dog feels full between meals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      3) Nutro Ultra Weight Management Dog Food<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      This dog food is low in calories and high in whole proteins like real chicken, chicken meal, and lamb meal. It also has a good mixture of carbohydrates, veggies, and fruits to keep your Lab healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Best treats for overweight Labradors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      You should avoid giving your Lab high-calorie treats while they lose weight. However, you can still reward them with some low-calorie and healthy treats like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      • Apple slices (with no seeds)<\/li>
      • Carrot slices<\/li>
      • Zucchini slices<\/li>
      • Cucumber slices<\/li>
      • Small pieces of some baked sweet potato or regular potato (never give uncooked or unripe potato plants)<\/li>
      • Cooked lean meats<\/li>
      • Bananas<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        To conclude<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        If your Labrador is overweight, you can change their diet to make it high in protein and low in fat and carbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        You can also follow the tips above to learn what kinds of dog foods are best for weight loss and low-calorie treats to help your Lab lose weight.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Just like with humans, being an overweight Labrador Retriever is not a fun thing. Read this article to help you know what an overweight Labrador\u2019s diet should be.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":1169,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[471,472,473,474,475],"class_list":["post-1166","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-facts","tag-best-dog-foods-for-overweight-labrador-retrievers","tag-dog-foods-for-overweight-labrador","tag-how-much-should-an-overweight-labrador-eat","tag-is-my-labrador-fat","tag-treats-for-overweight-labradors"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/puplore.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1166","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/puplore.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/puplore.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/puplore.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/puplore.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1166"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/puplore.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1166\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/puplore.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1169"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/puplore.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1166"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/puplore.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1166"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/puplore.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1166"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}