University study helps overweight dogs reach normal weight in 10 weeks

More than half of Finland’s dogs are overweight, and overweight dogs in a University of Helsinki study reached normal weight in 10 weeks, Yle reports. Both raw food and dry food helped the dogs lose weight, although the results showed differences in how the weight was lost.

The dogs lost weight twice as quickly as researchers had expected. Those fed raw food appeared to burn more body fat, while dogs fed dry food also lost some muscle mass.

Research director Anne Hielm-Björkman said an estimated 50 to 60 percent of dogs in Finland are overweight, while about 30 percent may be seriously obese. Excess weight can cause health problems including diabetes, osteoarthritis and metabolic diseases.

“Dogs suffer from the same diseases as we humans,” Hielm-Björkman said. She added that being overweight causes continuous low-grade inflammation in the body.

One of the dogs in the study was Tilli, a rescue dog from Greece owned by Mervi Koistinen. Tilli weighed 20 kilograms and became easily short of breath. Koistinen described the dog as looking like “a potato with four stick legs” and said it struggled to walk and could not jump onto a sofa.

The study involved 26 overweight dogs of different ages, mostly medium-sized and large pets. The dogs were weighed and given health checks before being divided into two groups.

For 10 weeks, one group ate only ordinary chicken-based raw food, while the other ate only dry food intended for weight loss. The groups then switched diets for a second period of the same length. Each dog received an individually calculated amount of food intended to provide enough nutrition while promoting weight loss.

Researcher Robin Moore said the dogs in both groups reached normal weight during the first 10-week period, which was half as long as expected. When measured only by the number of kilograms lost, there was no difference between the diets.

More detailed analysis, however, showed that the raw-fed dogs appeared to burn body fat more effectively. The dogs fed only dry food also lost some muscle mass.

Researchers have not yet determined whether one diet is better for a dog’s health. Moore said maintaining muscle mass may be particularly important for older dogs, although the matter requires further study.

Tilli lost six kilograms during the study, falling from 20 to 14 kilograms. Koistinen said the raw food given at the beginning of the diet appeared to be more effective for weight loss because the change in food was so substantial.

Moore said the food given after the weight-loss period also matters. The results suggest that continuing with raw food may be healthier for maintaining a stable weight.