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WEIGHT MANAGEMENT IN DOGS AND CATS 



Is being overweight a problem for dogs and cats?


The increasing number of overweight and obese pets is an area of concern for veterinary professionals but there is variation in opinion between pet owners and vets on how they see the issue. While vets report that 50 per cent of dogs and 43 per cent of cats they see are overweight, in contrast, only 4% of owners think their pet needs to lose weight, with 77% believing their pet is the right size and weight1.


OBESITY IS ASSOCIATED WITH:


  • REDUCED LONGEVITY

  • OXIDATIVE STRESS

  • OSTEOARTHRITIS

  • INFLAMMATION

  • INSULIN RESISTANCE / DIABETES

  • MELLITUS

  • HEPATIC LIPIDOSIS (FATTY LIVER)

  • ORAL DISEASE

  • DERMATOPATHIES

  • LOWER URINARY TRACT DISEASE

  • CARDIORESPIRATORY CHANGES

  • HYPERTRIGLYCERIDEMIA (HIGH

  • BLOOD FAT LEVELS)

  • AND MORE…


Assessing the body condition of dogs and cats


The first step in tackling the problem is developing the skills to assess your pet’s body condition. Although keeping an eye on body weight is good practice, weight alone is just one component of a healthy body condition. Assessing body weight, body condition score (BCS) and lean body mass is a better indicator of overall health in dogs and cats than body weight alone.2 


The variation within breeds, especially crossbreeds, means that we can’t simply set an “ideal” weight for dogs or cats of a certain breed. It’s also possible for an animal to maintain a stable weight by gaining fat mass but losing muscle (lean body mass), which is not a healthy change and would be missed by monitoring bodyweight alone. 


Purina® scientists have developed and validated a hands-on, 9-point Body Condition Score (BCS) system for dogs and cats.3-4 The BCS system allows pet owners and veterinary professionals to assess external body fat and estimate a pet’s optimal body weight, regardless of breed or body size. This practical tool to support weight management has been independently validated in peer-reviewed studies and is recommended by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association.5-8


An ideal BCS for dogs is 4-5, and 5 for cats. Above this, they are overweight, and pets with a score of 8 or 9 are classified as obese. 



It can also be useful to learn how to assess your pet’s muscle condition score using the WSAVA system for cats Muscle condition score chart-01.jpg and dogs Muscle-Condition-Score-Chart-for-Dogs.pdf. Lean body mass includes muscle and all other soft tissues except fat. It is responsible for 95 per cent of an animal’s energy demands, and having a higher percentage lean body mass compared to fat increases energy needs.9 Maintaining lean body mass is vital for overall health.10-12


Why should we care about pets being overweight or obese? 


Fat tissue does far more than simply storing excess energy and being a source of extra mechanical stress (weight for the pet to carry around). Fat is an active endocrine organ, secreting a variety of hormones and signalling molecules that influence the rest of the body – these are collectively known as adipokines. Studies have shown that obesity is associated with higher levels of inflammatory adipokines, a chronic inflammatory state as well as oxidative stress. These changes can predispose pets to illnesses such as osteoarthritis and diabetes. The good news is that many of these adverse effects can be reduced or reversed with weight loss.13-31


In a 14-year study, Purina® scientists proved the importance of keeping dogs in lean body condition from puppyhood and throughout life. 9 In this landmark study, the health of 48 Labrador retrievers was monitored throughout their lives. One group was fed 25% less (lean fed group) than their siblings (control group). Some key findings included that the dogs fed to a lean body condition from puppyhood onward:


  • Lived an average of 1.8 years longer

  • Had delayed onset of signs of chronic disease

  • By 2 years of age the frequency of hip dysplasia was 50% less than the control group and was less severe. The proportion of 12-year-olds with osteoarthritis was almost the same as the control-fed dogs that were half the age

  • At the end of the study, 83% of the control group had radiographic signs of hip osteoarthritis, compared to 50% in the lean-fed group 

  • Prevalence and severity of osteoarthritis in the shoulder and elbow joints was also lower in the lean-fed dogs. At 8 years of age, 77% of control dogs had OA in two or more joints, yet only 10% of the lean-fed dogs did. 

  • Lean dogs also had better insulin sensitivity, better maintained immune defence responses over time, and delayed age-related declines


In summary, the studies show that dogs fed to maintain a lean body condition from puppyhood and throughout life, live almost two years longer, have reduced severity and delayed onset of osteoarthritis and delayed onset of other chronic and age-related diseases.10, 32-34

Why do animals become overweight or obese?



Essentially, fat accumulates, and obesity follows when a pet consumes food with an energy content exceeding their needs. Of course, there are huge differences between individuals when it comes to their daily energy needs and their tendency to store excess energy as fat. The physiology underlying these processes is complex and beyond the scope of this article. 

FACTORS THAT INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD OF A PET BECOMINGOVERWEIGHT OR OBESE INCLUDE, EXCESSIVE CALORIC INTAKE, NEUTERING, MIDDLE AGE, GENETIC PREDISPOSITION TO WEIGHT GAIN, SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE, SOME MEDICATIONS AND ILLNESSES (35-36)

A common factor in developing weight gain is feeding the pet more than they need, and this may be by a caring and well-intentioned owner. In the same way, a pet owner is critical to the success of a weight management plan, and it is important to understand their motivations and the behaviours that contribute to their pet gaining weight.43-45


Several owner-related factors have been shown to be associated with overfeeding and poor weight outcomes. These include the owner not realising that their dog is overweight, not understanding the risks associated with obesity, their levels of physical activity and amount of exercise the pet receives, using food as a way to bond with their dog, allowing the dog to be present when preparing or eating their own food and excessive use of treats.35-43, 46


When it comes to encouraging weight loss, interventions in a real-world environment are associated with low levels of compliance, with only 60% of dogs referred for a weight loss programme completing it. Reasons for stopping included not following advice. 46-49

Collaborative work between the University of Sheffield and Purina® has resulted in a new study detailing the development and preliminary evaluation of a comprehensive weight care pack designed to support dog owners. Researchers adopted a behavioural science approach focussed on pet owner education and behaviour modification, leveraging established behavioural change theory, specifically the COM-B model.46 While progress is being made in understanding the factors that influence pet owner feeding and exercising behaviours, new research such as this is helping to bridge the gap between understanding and the development of practical, acceptable interventions.


What to feed obese and overweight dogs and cats


In overweight pets, it’s a good idea to feed a veterinary diet that is formulated to provide complete and balanced nutrition designed for weight loss. Obesity management diets have a range of adaptations making them ideal at their job.


Firstly, maintenance (ordinary life stage) diets are designed to be fed according to the feeding guide to maintain a pet’s healthy weight. If you need to calorie restrict the pet for weight loss, you may have to reduce the amount of the maintenance diet fed, well below the feeding guide. This can run the risk of restricting other important nutrients, leading to nutrient deficiencies. Specially tailored obesity diets contain a higher concentration of nutrients per calorie to prevent this. Obesity management diets have a lower energy density / are lower in calories, meaning that enough can be fed to keep the pet feeling full. If pets are constantly hungry, this is likely to derail any weight loss program. 



The role of nutrients in weight loss


Keeping the metabolisable energy content of weight loss diets low can be achieved through an increased fibre content. As well as keeping down calories in the diet, fibre improves satiety. 51-53 Fat is the most energy dense nutrient, so levels are typically lower in weight management diets. 


Dietary protein is also a key consideration. Lean body mass burns more calories than fat tissue, so preserving lean body mass (muscle) during weight loss is important for helping prevent rebound weight gain. 54-58 Purina® research has shown that high protein diets can help protect lean body mass during weight loss by increasing the proportion of weight lost that is fat, rather than lean body mass.54,55 Other benefits of a high protein diet for weight loss may include improved satiety, reduced oxidative stress and minimising the decrease in energy expenditure that occurs after weight loss, potentially due to the higher thermogenic effect of protein vs carbohydrates and fat (more energy is used during the metabolism of proteins).57, 59-62 Feeding a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet has more significant impacts on the gut microbiota in overweight animals than in lean animals. The shift in bacterial species present could contribute to weight loss.63-65


Carnitine is an animo acid derivative that transports long chain fatty acids into mitochondria to allow them to be oxidised for energy. Restriction of diets not designed for obesity may reduce protein intake and compromise carnitine biosynthesis. Studies suggest that carnitine supplementation may help dogs preserve more lean body mass during weight loss and enhance weight loss in cats.66-68 The role of protein as a source of carnitine versus carnitine supplementation has not been explored. 


Soy isoflavones may also be of benefit in weight loss diets. They are natural antioxidant compounds that can aid in canine weight management. When fed 25% above their maintenance energy needs, neutered dogs fed a diet enriched with isoflavones from soybean germ meal showed 50% less weight gain and reduced body fat accumulation compared to dogs fed similar amounts of a control diet. ​Additionally, dogs fed the isoflavone-enriched diet exhibited increased energy metabolism and decreased oxidative stress.69-72


Another advantage to using veterinary diets designed for weight loss, such as Purina® Pro Plan® Veterinary Diets OM Obesity Management®, is that their efficacy may be supported by clinical trials. Many, such as OM are complete and balanced and suitable for long-term feeding in adult pets, which can help to reduce the risk of rebound weight gain. We know that following weight loss, pets have reduced energy requirements, with one study showing that the mean post-weight-loss energy requirement was only 10 percent higher than the energy requirement for weight loss,50 so it is often recommended to continue a lower calorie diet long term. 


While encouraging physical activity to increase energy expenditure is certainly useful and has benefits beyond its calorie usage, it is vital to recognise that most pet dogs and cats are unlikely to become active enough for it to outweigh the effects of an inappropriately high energy diet. Caloric restriction is more effective than physical activity when it comes to obesity management73, but a combination of the two is ideal. 


Accounting for treats



Perhaps just as important as knowing what should be fed for effective weight loss, is knowing what should not. High energy treats, human foods and table scraps are often responsible for providing the excess energy leading to weight gain. Stopping treats altogether will be difficult for many pet owners, many of whom use treats to bond with their pet. Steps should be taken to reduce the number of treats fed, or helping to make substitutions for lower calorie options, for example high water content vegetables, such as cucumber or courgette. Using a portion of the pet’s daily allowance of weight loss food for treating can also be a good tip. 


It can help if pet owners are aware of just how much of the pet’s daily energy requirements are provided by seemingly small quantities of treats and human foods. It is essential that the calories provided by any treats are then subtracted from the pet’s daily pet food allowance – as a guide, more than 90% of their daily energy intake should be provided by their weight loss diet to ensure that the pet is getting all the nutrients they need. To do this, it’s essential that owners are aware of exactly what and how much the pet is being fed, so the veterinary team may ask for a food diary to be completed as part of the nutritional assessment. This can also help limit issues such as double feeding when multiple family members are involved.


Managing begging behaviour 


It’s worth noting that when dogs and cats beg for food, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are hungry. Begging is a learned behaviour which pets will exhibit irrespective of hunger, where they are rewarded with attention and a treat. It can be extremely difficult to ignore and a strain on the human animal bond when pet owners feel that they are “starving” their beloved cat or dog. Giving the pet other attention besides feeding, such as playing a game, or taking for a walk can help to distract from the begging, and also provide an opportunity for bonding. 


How much to feed


Your veterinary team will provide guidance on the quantities of a weight loss diet to feed your pet. It will often be appropriate to start by following the weight loss feeding guide provided by manufacturers of such diets, however your veterinary professional should also consider what your pet is currently eating and any other individual requirements. It's likely that small adjustments to your pet’s diet will be recommended every 2-4 weeks. Measuring cups are not an accurate way to measure dry pet food73 so weighing scales are advised.


You can expect to see a lot of the veterinary practice during a weight loss program as continuous reassessment of your pet’s feeding is essential, based on their response.


Appropriate aims will generally be for weight loss of 1-2% per week in dogs and 0.5-1% per week in cats, although some pets can take longer.

Your vet professional will be able to give advice to adapt to your individual pet. It’s important to keep engaging with your veterinary practice as this really helps with motivation. Monitoring your pet’s rate of weight loss carefully is important as rapid weight loss can be dangerous and can also lead to lean body mass loss, increasing the likelihood of rebound weight gain.


Don’t be disheartened if your pet’s level of weight loss is slow. Your vet team will support you and give praise for any amount of consistent and appropriate weight loss. 


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© Nestlé Purina Petcare 2025


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