If your dog could benefit from some healthy weight loss, then turning to a low-calorie dog food formula can be a smart move to make.
These days, more and more dogs are suffering from obesity, and there’s no denying the negative impact this can have on their long-term health, not to mention the number of problematic health issues it can lead to such as joint pain, diabetes, and more.
In this guide, we’re going to show you some of the best low-calorie dog food options currently on the market, so if you choose any of these brands you can rest assured that you’ll be picking a reliable formula that will help your dog lose weight.
Here’s an excellent formula that’s specifically designed to cater to the needs of an overweight dog, and it even makes the claim of being one of the lowest calorie formulas on the market. Of course, it still does a great job of providing a well-rounded blend of key nutrition, giving you a balanced formula that should help your dog to steadily lose weight, just as long as you ensure the portion sizes are correct.
There’s plenty of protein in the product (with a guaranteed analysis showing 26%), along with natural fiber sources that help to maintain a healthy digestive system. The primary ingredients are chicken meal and salmon meal, which most dogs will enjoy, and it also features garbanzo beans, dried peas, pearled barley, and oatmeal.
Here’s another great product from the Natural Balance brand that’s again formulated for overweight dogs, as well as dogs who happen to be less active.
It uses a range of premium quality ingredients which include brown rice, chicken, chicken meal, potato fiber, and more. The analysis shows there to be around 18% protein in this formula, so it’s a useful choice for older dogs and less active dogs who won’t have the same requirements as others.
There’s no use of artificial flavorings or colorings, and it generally contains a good blend of core ingredients that should keep your dog in good health without giving them an excess of calories.
The Wellness Core brand has been a popular bestseller for many years now, but some dog owners may not be aware of the reduced fat version they produce, which is certainly a top option and well worth a closer look.
It comes with the usual grain-free formulation which is great news for sensitive dogs, and it’s generally very well balanced to provide all of the key nutrition your dog will need despite being on a diet.
There’s a strong focus on reducing the fat content, but there’s no loss of protein quality, so it still uses a blend of real chicken and turkey along with salmon oil to maintain a healthy coat and skin. What’s more, the ingredients are focused on the natural, with no use of artificial preservatives, colorings, or flavorings. It’s also made exclusively in the USA.
Blue Buffalo is another very famous name in the dog food world, and their Life Protection formula is definitely a great buy on most occasions. This particular version is their ‘healthy weight’ formula that’s designed to help a dog stick to their ideal weight, and it’s a solid choice for any dog’s diet, too.
It uses tasty deboned chicken as the primary protein source, which your dog is sure to enjoy, and it pairs this with whole grains, vegetables, and fruit to provide a reliable source of energy along with all the essential vitamins and minerals your dog needs.
Importantly, there’s no use of artificial colorings or additives, nor will you find any wheat, corn, or soy. There’s also no chicken by-products or chicken meals used in the formula.
This weight management formula from Nutro is perhaps a lesser-known product compared to some of the other brands, but it still scores great reviews from most buyers and gives you all the essentials you may be looking for.
It’s a blend that focuses on quality protein and fiber as the main components of the formula, and it uses tasty pasture-fed lamb as the main ingredient (which your dog will certainly love). There’s plenty of important vitamins and mineral in the blend as well, along with vitamin E that’ll help to maintain a healthy immune system along with healthy skin and coat.
Here’s a formula from the Earthborn Holistic line by Wells, and it features a range of quality ingredients that should help to keep your dog well-fed while still providing steady weight loss.
It focuses on providing excellent digestibility thanks to the use of natural fiber, and it’s also entirely free of grain, too. The blend still contains several key vitamins and minerals, and there’s plenty of omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids that will go a long way towards keeping your dog’s skin and coat in great condition.
The primary ingredient comes in the form of chicken meal, followed by peas, tapioca, pea fiber, tomato pomace, and chicken fat.
If you’re looking for an affordable and cost-effective formula that can still help your dog to lose weight, then this blend from Eagle Pack is a worthy choice. It offers a complete and balanced blend that has a focus on reduced fat content compared to their standard blend, and it comes with real pork, chicken, and fish to keep the formula appetizing to your dog.
There’s a focus on natural ingredients with no use of meat by-products, artificial colors, or preservatives that would detract from the quality on offer here. It uses pork meal, dehulled barley, peas, ground brown rice, and oatmeal as the main ingredients.
Merrick is a top dog food company that offer an impeccable healthy weight formula that won’t disappoint. It uses deboned beef as the primary ingredients, and it comes with some of the highest protein levels you’re likely to see in a weight loss blend, coming in at a whopping 32%.
The first 5 ingredients consist of deboned beef, chicken meal, potatoes, peas, and sweet potatoes – which gives your dog a broad basis of important nutrition that’ll keep them in good spirits while still steadily losing weight.
The ingredients are all assembled in US-based kitchens for peace of mind, and it comes with plenty of omega 6, omega 3, glucosamine, and chondroitin to ensure your dog’s skin, coat, and joints stay in great shape.
The Blue Buffalo brand makes a range of top-rated formula, and here’s a high-protein blend that also falls under the ‘healthy weight’ category to help dogs that need to shed a few pounds.
It uses deboned chicken, chicken meal, and turkey meal to provide plenty of tasty protein, and it uses sweet potatoes, peas, and potatoes to provide all of the complex carbohydrates your dog needs to fuel their day. Additionally, it uses blueberries, carrots, and cranberries for some much-needed antioxidants that’ll help to maintain your dog’s health.
Useful Weight Loss Tips
If you’re purchasing a low-calorie dog food formula to help your dog lose some excess weight, then it’s worth going over a few important tips that’ll help you to get the best results when you’re helping your dog to shed those excess pounds. With this in mind, let’s take a look at a few of our top tips for you.
- Measure the portions. A weight loss formula is a great way to improve your dog’s dieting results, but getting the portion size right is key. Just like humans, overeating will quickly reduce the effectiveness of any diet plan.
- Count the calories. Different breeds and different sized dogs will have a range of nutritional requirements, but counting the calories will be the key to success. Most weight loss formulas will come with detailed instructions regarding how much to feed your dog based on their current weight, and you should certainly take your time to follow this advice if you want the best results possible.
- Watch the treats. While it’s still possible to give your dog the occasional treat while dieting, you’ll obviously need to take this into consideration when calculating their overall calorie intake. Of course, it’s also wise to invest in some low calorie treats as well if you like to dish out those treats regularly.
- Increase activity. Again, just like with humans, increased activity levels can greatly contribute to a healthy weight loss plan. In general, taking your dog for more walks can really help to keep their metabolism revving and those pounds dropping off.
