Beyond Calorie Restriction: Nutritional Strategies for Weight Management in Dogs

Overweight and obesity represent significant and increasingly common challenges in canine veterinary practice. Beyond excessive body fat accumulation, obesity is associated with numerous health consequences that may negatively affect a dog's quality of life and overall health. However, successful weight management requires much more than simply reducing daily calorie intake. Effective nutritional management should focus not only on achieving a controlled reduction in body weight but also on preserving lean body mass, ensuring adequate nutrient intake, improving satiety, and supporting long-term dietary compliance. This lecture will provide an overview of the key principles of canine overweight and obesity management, with particular emphasis on the nutritional strategies that influence the success of weight-loss programmes. Special attention will be given to energy density, protein and fat content, dietary fibre, and their roles in regulating energy intake and supporting healthy weight management. Using selected products from the Brit Veterinary Diets portfolio — Obesity, Veg High Fibre, and Hydrolyzed Low Fat — as practical examples, the presentation will explore different nutritional approaches and their potential applications in veterinary practice. The discussion will also highlight the importance of individualising dietary recommendations, particularly when obesity is accompanied by additional nutritional requirements or concurrent health conditions. Finally, the lecture will address the importance of appropriate feeding plans, regular monitoring, and long-term nutritional strategies aimed at achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight in dogs.