We're all a bit guilty of overfeeding our pooches, but if you are getting concerned about your dog being overweight, you can switch them over to the best dog foods for weight loss. It's so easy to give our pups an extra scoop of their dog food here, titbits from our plates there, and the odd treat or two on the side. However, all these little bits of additional food can soon cause your pooch to pile on the pounds if you're not watching what they eat. Weight loss dog foods are still packed full of the nutrients and vitamins our hounds need to stay strong, and they taste great but with fewer calories to help them slim down.
To help your mutt shift some timber, we've rounded up the best weight-loss dog foods, whether they prefer wet or dry dog food. We also asked Pooch & Mutt's resident veterinary surgeon, Dr Linda Simon, for her advice on all things to do with doggy weight loss.
Best dog foods for weight loss at a glance:
So, how do you spot if your dog is overweight? "While the numbers on the weighing scale offer some useful information, it is more useful to use the ‘Body Condition Score’ tool. This is because 15kg may be the ideal weight for one Cocker Spaniel who is large and has heavy bones, for example, but maybe 20 per cent over the ideal weight for a smaller, slighter Cocker Spaniel," says Pooch & Mutt's resident vet.
"We should assess our dogs both visually and physically to see what their body shape is like. We want to see a visible waist and tucked-in tummy. The last few ribs should be easily felt and just about visible." Of course, first, speak to your vet if you're unsure or concerned about your pooch's podge.
Best weight loss dog foods for overweight hounds
Tested
Best dog food for weight loss overall
www.petsathome.com
Help your pooch get their weight down while making sure they're full and satisfied with this dry food from Royal Canin. It's full of natural fibres to help reduce begging in between meals and has a high protein content to help your hound maintain muscle mass while cutting down on the weight where they need it.
Our Senior Home & Pets Product Writer, Rosie Floyd, found this food worked wonders when her greedy Lab, Barney needed to get his weight down for surgery and it helped him to lose 12kg in around four months. However, it's worth noting that this food contains wheat and maize so if your pooch has a known allergy, intolerance or sensitivity to those ingredients, you should consider another option.
Reviewed by Rosie Floyd and Barney the greedy Labrador cross: "As we all know, labradors are notoriously greedy when it comes to food, and because of this, our black lab, Barney, had begun to pile on the pounds. We'd tried extra walks, reducing and changing food to get his weight down, but nothing had worked. He then needed to lose a significant amount of weight to be able to have surgery for a non-weight-related issue, and that's when our vet recommended this Royal Canin food. We introduced it slowly at first with his regular food before switching completely to it within a month. After a few months, Barney had lost the 12kg he needed to, was able to have his surgery and had a spring back in his step once more. The packaging has a really handy chart on it to show the amount of food your dog needs in relation to their ideal weight so you know exactly how much your pooch needs."
Read our Royal Canin dog food reviews to find out more about what we thought of this food and other ranges from the brand.
Pros
- We found that it gave quick results when we needed it
- Aids with keeping up muscle strength while they lose weight
Cons
- Contains wheat and maize, so not suitable for dogs with allergies to those ingredients
Food type: | Dry food |
Food weight: | 1.5kg, 6kg, 12kg |
Flavour: | Poultry |
- Ingredients: Vegetable fibres, dehydrated poultry protein, wheat gluten*, tapioca, maize gluten, hydrolysed animal proteins, wheat, maize, animal fats, beet pulp, fish oil, minerals, psyllium husks and seeds, soya oil, fructo-oligo-saccharides, glucosamine, marigold extract (source of lutein), hydrolysed cartilage (source of chondroitin)
Best grain-free dog food for weight loss
www.poochandmutt.co.uk
Rich with an I-carnitine low-fat protein source, this Pooch & Mutt food contains a natural fat burner to help speed up your pooch's metabolism, so they'll be looking slim and slender in no time at all. It is free from grains and completely junk-free so you know it'll be doing them good both inside and out. It also contains a unique supplement that helps to provide healthy skin and coat, aid digestion, reduce stool odour and support urinal tract health. Plus, glucosamine and chondroitin, with both of them added to help support joints carrying a little extra weight.
With an average rating of 4.9 stars out of 5, this weight-loss dog food is a hit with both owners and their pooches. As well as helping to keep the pounds off, customers have reported this food has also helped with coat condition. We struggled to find anyone saying bad things about this food but we would say if you opt for the 10kg, make sure you've got somewhere proper to store it to stop the food inside from going stale.
Pros
- Has a natural fat burner included to help speed up your dog's metabolism
- Contains glucosamine and chondroitin to support joints carrying extra weight
Cons
- Food could go stale in larger bags if you don't store it properly
Food type: | Dry food |
Food weight: | 2kg, 10kg |
Flavour: | Chicken and sweet potato |
- Ingredients: Fresh chicken (25%), sweet potato, chicken protein (16%), potato, peas, pea protein (6%), dried beet pulp, chicken fat (2%), chicken gravy (2%), linseed, alfalfa, psyllium husk and seeds (0.08%), dried cranberries (0.04%), glucosamine (0.026%), chondroitin sulphate (0.016%), mannanoligosaccharides (0.015%), fructooligosaccharides (0.01%), mojave yucca (0.01%), lactobacillus acidophilus ha-122 inactivated (15x109 cells/kg).
Best popular brand
Bakers is a much-loved brand amongst dogs and pet owners alike. If your pooch is used to having Bakers food, then the transition to the weight control version should be straightforward. The recipe has 20 per cent less fat than the standard adult recipe to support a healthy weight. It has added antioxidants to help keep their immune system healthy as well as vitamin D and other minerals that keep their teeth and bones nice and strong.
Customers have found this food to be a good value option when searching for the best weight loss food for their dog and have found it's helped them to keep their pooch at a healthy weight. From looking at the ingredients, the biggest proportion of the ingredients is cereals, making up 52 per cent of the overall composition, which is a known pet food filler, so we think this food should contain more fresh meat and vegetables.
Pros
- Contains Vitamin D and minerals for healthy teeth and strong bones
- Has 20 per cent less fat than Bakers standard adult recipes
Cons
- 52 per cent of this food is made up of cereals, which are a known pet food filler
Food type: | Dry food |
Food weight: | 2.85kg |
Flavour: | Chicken and vegetable |
- Cereals (wholegrains 52%); Meat and animal derivatives (15%); Derivatives of vegetable origin; Vegetable protein extracts; Oils and fats; Glycerol; Minerals; Propylene glycol; Vegetables (0; 3% dried pea and 0; 3% dried carrot). Including min. 4% wheat and 4% maize. Equivalent to 30% rehydrated meat and animal derivatives; with min. 14% chicken. Equivalent to 4% rehydrated vegetables
Best wet weight loss for dogs
www.petsathome.com
If your pooch prefers wet food, why not give these tins from AVA a go? It's made with low-fat chicken and white fish pate to keep it extra tasty. Omega 3 and 6 keep their skin and coat in great condition while the blend of vitamins and minerals inside are made for taking care of your dog's joints, teeth and bones.
Containing 40 per cent less fat compared to AVA's Optimum Health Chicken recipe, this wet food contains slow-release carbohydrates to maintain your pup's health while they have a more restrictive diet. This pack contains three chicken recipes and three white fish ones, so bear in mind the fish one could be a bit smelly for you to serve at mealtimes.
Pros
- Its blend of vitamins and minerals ensures your dog's joints, teeth and bones are taken care of
- Slow-release carbohydrates to help your pooch maintain energy levels
Cons
- Contains three fishy recipes that could be a bit smelly at mealtimes
Food type: | Wet food |
Food weight: | 6 x 395g |
Flavour: | Chicken (x3) and white fish (x3) |
- Ingredients:
- Chicken: Chicken (26%), Brown Rice (10%), Minerals, Beet Pulp, Brewers Yeast, Sunflower Oil, Whole Dried Egg, Chicory Root Extract (as a source of Prebiotic Fructooligosaccharide) (0.040%), Yeasts (as a source of Beta-glucans and Prebiotic Mannanoligosaccharide) (0.028%), Glucosamine (0.025%), (Chondroitin 0.010%), Yucca Extract (0.005%), Cranberry Extract (0.002%), Green Tea Extract (0.001%), Pomegranate Extract (0.001%)
- White Fish: White Fish (41%), Brown Rice (10%), Sunflower Oil, Minerals, Beet Pulp, Brewers Yeast, Whole Dried Egg, Chicory Root Extract (as a source of Prebiotic Fructooligosaccharide) (0.040%), Yeasts (as a source of Beta-glucans and Prebiotic Mannanoligosaccharide) (0.028%), Glucosamine (0.025%), (Chondroitin 0.010%), Yucca Extract (0.005%), Cranberry Extract (0.002%), Green Tea Extract (0.001%), Pomegranate Extract (0.001)%.
Best weight loss dog food for seniors
High in fibre but low in calories. Keep your pooch happy and healthy during their twilight years with this Burns Weight Control food. It's ideal for dogs that have a more sensitive tummy as it's hypoallergenic and made with natural ingredients. It'll help them maintain a lean body weight while also providing them with a little bit of extra energy they need during the later stage of their life.
This food does contain more oats than chicken, which could be seen as filling the food with more 'filler' ingredients but the brand justifies this by saying it's to keep them feeling fuller for longer so they shouldn't then be begging you for snacks between meals. Saying that, customers felt this food contained good quality ingredients and nutrients and they also thought this food had a good effect on their senior pup's skin.
Pros
- Provides slow-release energy
- Designed to keep dogs feeling fuller for longer
Cons
- Contains more oats than chicken which could be seen as adding more filler ingredients than fresh ones
Food type: | Dry food |
Food weight: | 2kg, 6kg or 12kg |
Flavour: | Chicken and oats |
- Ingredients: Oats (55%), Brown Rice (18%), Chicken Meal (17%), Peas, Chicken Oil, Seaweed, Minerals. Analytical Constituents: Calories 319Kcal, Crude Protein 18.5%, Crude Fat 7.5%, Crude Fibre 7.5%, Crude Ash 6.5%, Total Sugar 0.7%, Starch 40.6%, Copper 17mg/kg, Sodium 0.17%, Calcium 1%, Phosphorus 0.70%, Magnesium 0.13%, Potassium 0.55%, Omega-6 fatty acids 2.07%, Omega-3 fatty acids 0.21%.</p> <p>Nutritional Additives (per kg): Vitamins: Vitamin A 25000IU, Vitamin D3 2000IU, Vitamin E 100IU, Taurine 1000mg; Trace Elements: Copper (copper (II) chelate of amino acids hydrate) 12mg, Iodine (calcium iodate anhydrous) 1mg, Manganese (manganous chelate of amino acids hydrate) 20mg, Zinc (zinc chelate of amino acids hydrate) 50mg, Selenium (3b8.11, Selenised yeast inactivated) 0.2mg.
Best hypoallergenic dog food for weight loss
www.petsathome.com
Tailored to the needs of overweight pooches with flavoursome turkey and highly digestible brow and rice, rich in antioxidants and prebiotics to support a strong immune system and a healthy gut. The blend of wholesome natural ingredients and tasty flavours, the James Wellbeloved Complete Dry Light Dog Food will keep your pooch energised and healthy for longer. The kibble size is also adapted compared to the non-weight loss recipe to be larger and less dense to give the illusion of a fuller bowl.
A good one to feed those pups with allergies, it's made with a single source animal protein recipe that doesn't include common allergens such as beef, pork, soya, eggs, dairy and wheat so that's why it's a great hypoallergenic option. Just remember that this food flavour is Turkey & Rice so if your pup has a grain allergy, you should try something else. Customers love that it helps keep their pup's weight down and have found that it's gentle on their pooch's tum and also that it makes their hound's coat lovely and glossy.
Pros
- Kibble is larger and less dense to give the illusion of a full bowl
- Made without common allergens such as beef, pork, soya, eggs, dairy and wheat
Cons
- Flavour is Turkey & Rice, so not the best option for pups with grain allergies, despite being a hypoallergenic recipe
Food type: | Dry food |
Food weight: | 1.5kg, 12.5kg |
Flavour: | Turkey and rice |
- Ingredients: turkey meal (24.8%), brown rice (23%), naked oats, white rice (12%), sugar beet pulp, whole linseed, pea protein, turkey gravy (3%), alfalfa meal, turkey fat (2.2%), pea fibre, seaweed, fish oil, potassium chloride, sodium chloride, nettles (0.125%), parsley (0.125%), chicory extract (0.112%), calcium carbonate, glucosamine (0.045%), yucca extract (0.022%), chondroitin (0.005%), green tea extract (0.003%), pomegranate extract (0.001%), rosemary extract (0.001%).
Best for overweight diabetic dogs
www.viovet.co.uk
Worried about your pooch getting their nutritional needs while on a diet? This Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Obesity Management has been specifically formulated to ensure your dog gets all the nutrients they need to help them to feel full. The high protein content makes sure muscles stay lean, while the increased fibre helps to balance blood sugar levels throughout the day to stop your pooch from looking for titbits in between meals, making it also a good option for diabetic dogs that need to lose some weight.
Customers are pleased with the progress of their pooch's weight loss journey while feeding them this food although some reviewers mention they felt their dog was hungrier since switching. With that in mind, you may need to slowly transition them to the new food and reduce the amount gradually so it's not such a shock.
Pros
- Helps with glucose control to nutritionally manage diabetes in dogs
- High in protein to keep muscles nice and lean
Cons
- Some pet owners felt their dogs were hungrier since switching to the food
Food type: | Dry food |
Food weight: | 3kg, 12kg |
Flavour: | Mixed |
- Ingredients: Maize*, Maize Gluten Meal, Soya Meal*, Pea Fibre, Barley*, Wheat Gluten Meal, Dehydrated Poultry Protein, Digest, Minerals, Animal Fat * Carbohydrate Sources
Best natural wet dog food for weight loss
www.lilyskitchen.co.uk
With delicious, freshly prepared turkey and squash, this Lily's Kitchen Lean Machine doesn't compromise on taste, just the calories with just 85 calories per 100g. It uses natural ingredients to give your pooch a boost, including kale for vitamins A and C, manganese and potassium, plus goji berries that are packed with vitamins C, E and K.
This food gets brownie points from us and customers online for having such a high percentage of meat in each tray, which is an essential protein for keeping up muscle strength. Customers also appreciate that this food is made with high-quality ingredients, so while some may consider it a more premium option compared to other weight loss dog foods, it's worth it as dogs love the taste and it comes in conveniently packaged portion sizes. Some reviewers online find it to be a bit smelly though so just be prepared when you open each tray.
Pros
- Contains 50 per cent turkey as it's high in protein
- 85 calories per 100g so you can easily keep track of how much your pet is consuming daily
Cons
- Some reviewers state it has a strong smell
Food type: | Wet food |
Food weight: | 10 x 150g |
Flavour: | Turkey and squash |
- Ingredients: 50% Freshly Prepared Turkey, Squash (8%), Kale (4%), Goji Berries (1%), Cranberries, Chickpeas, Quinoa, Minerals, Sunflower Seeds, Parsley, Mint. Herbs & Botanicals: GoldenRod, Nettle, Aniseed, Rosehips, MarigoldPetals, Cleavers, Kelp, Alfalfa, MilkThistle, DandelionRoot, BurdockRoot, CelerySeeds.
Best weight loss dog food for large breeds
www.petsathome.com
Got a Labrador, Dalmatian, German Shepherd or other big dog that could do with going on a diet? This Hill's Science Plan Perfect Weight Dry Adult Dog has been designed with those larger breeds in mind. High in protein and high in fibre, the formula is enriched with L-carnitine and coconut oil which are proven to support a pet's metabolism. It also contains prebiotic fibres to make this food more gentle on digestion.
Customers appreciated the larger kibble size on this food, stating it's the perfect size for their hound's mouth but also took them a bit longer to crunch, which is one of the ways that this food is targeted towards larger breeds that need a hand to lose weight. Other reviews mention this food has left their dogs' coats looking so shiny and healthy. The age range this food is suitable for is smaller than others so if your pooch is over six years old, consider another option on our list.
Pros
- Made for larger breeds in mind with an adapted kibble size
- High in protein and high in fibre
Cons
- Not suitable for dogs over 6 years old
Food type: | Dry food |
Food weight: | 12kg |
Flavour: | Chicken |
- Ingredients: Wheat, maize gluten meal, maize, chicken and turkey meal, pea bran meal, cellulose, digest, dried tomato pomace, flaxseed, animal fat, dried beet pulp, coconut oil (2,1%), minerals, dried carrots
How we chose the best dog foods for weight loss
All of these weight loss dog foods have been hand-selected by our team of Take A Break Pets shopping experts. We carefully considered nutrition, value, and flavour in our selection of the best. Our team has spent hours investigating and researching dog foods for weight loss to make it easier for you to find the very best, and we'd never recommend a product we don't believe in.
With pets big and small on our team, where possible we'll share the best products that have been tried and tested by our own furry friends who have given their paw of approval. And, with help from veterinary experts, we share their knowledge to ensure everything we choose is paw-fect for your pet.
Weight loss dog food: FAQs
How much weight loss food should I feed my dog?
Dr Linda Simon comments that the ideal portion size will depend on a number of factors, including the target weight of our dog and the calorie content of the food. "The key is to feed for the desired weight (rather than the current weight) when consulting the feeding guidelines on the back of the packet.
"Many owners will feed other things in addition to their pets’ main meals, including dental sticks and training treats. These should never make up more than 10 per cent of the dog’s diet and should be factored into the daily calorie intake. So, for example, if we give that 10 per cent allowance one day, we should reduce the day’s meals by 10 per cent."
You'll find that most wet dog food for weight loss comes pre-portioned, but for any dry dog food, you'll need to refer to the packet.
What's the best way to switch my dog to weight-loss food?
"Switching gradually over three to five days is sensible to avoid stomach upset", remarks Vet Linda. "This means we initially give the dog a bowl with mostly their old food and a small proportion of the new food mixed in. If this is well tolerated, we change the ratios each day until, by day five, the dog is eating all new food.
"If at any point your dog develops signs such as a runny stool or flatulence, reduce the quantity of new food and make the transition to it slower."
How to help your dog lose weight:
Worried about your pooch's weight gain? Vet Linda offers these tips to help your dog lose weight:
• Rather than feeding every meal from a bowl, consider feeding puzzles and toys. This is so your dog ‘works’ for their dinner but in a fun way.
• Consistent exercise is key. This should be a combination of walks, swimming (if the dog enjoys this), games like fetch and frisbee, scenting games, playing with other dogs etc.
• Ensure the whole family is on board and that one person is designated as ‘the feeder’ to avoid over-feeding.
• Stop any human food treats or scraps. These tend to be very calorific, and we often give them to our pets absentmindedly.
Rosie Floyd is a Senior Home & Pets Product Writer for Take A Break Pets, specialising in all things dogs. She grew up always having at least one dog as part of the family and has experience in owning a variety of breeds, including Labradors, Cockapoos and Yorkshire Terriers.