We all love our pets, and although we have the best intentions spoiling them with lots of treats and big meals, it isn’t always in their best interest. Dumpy dogs and fat cats are becoming more and more common, with at least 50% of dogs and 43% of cats in the UK being overweight (1). This blog explains why offering your dog a raw diet can be the best choice to get them down to size.
Obesity is defined as the undesirable accumulation of fat in the body and is the most common nutritional disorder in our companion animals (2). Obese dogs and cats inevitably suffer more disease and have reduced lifespans. Aside from orthopaedic issues arising from strain on the joints (such as arthritis), obesity is also linked to diabetes mellitus, pancreatitis, cardiorespiratory disease, urinary disorders and certain neoplasia (cancers). It is often the result of excessive dietary intake and/or inadequate energy expenditure through exercise. The good news is that this is something we as owners can easily alter.
So, how can a raw diet help?
Calories
Many professionals speculate that the rise in obesity levels is due to the popularity of highly palatable, calorie dense diets (3). For example, dry food has 4 times the metabolizable energy per 100g as a wet or raw food. This is because increasing the moisture content of a food reduces its energy density. Therefore, it is particularly important not to overfeed such calorie dense diets.
Also, it is important to consider the type of calories you are feeding. A study on calorie identical diets with varying levels of protein, fats and carbohydrates, found that regardless of calorie uniformity across the diets, the diet lowest in carbohydrates yielded greater results for fat loss (4). Therefore, this indicates that reduction of calories is not the sole mechanism of action for weight loss, and that substituting carbohydrates for protein induces greater fat metabolism.
High Protein
Feeding a high protein diet has been proven to offer significantly more satiety than other diets, keeping your pet fuller for longer (5). Raw diets boast an abundance of fresh meat, resulting in higher protein levels. High protein diets not only encourage fat loss, but also support maintenance of lean muscle mass, meaning the correct type of weight is lost. Infact, one study found that in dogs consuming a high protein diet vs dogs consuming a convention weight loss diet (which tend to be high in carbohydrates), the high protein group lost ~13% more fat and less of that important lean muscle mass (6).
Low Carbohydrate
Carbohydrates provide lots of instant energy, however energy which is not used is stored as fat. Raw diets are low in carbohydrates, with many using a small proportion of the diet as vegetables, which are complex carbohydrates. When eating a diet high in carbohydrates, the pancreas releases more insulin, which may lead to blood glucose levels dropping, causing the pet to feel hungrier. High insulin levels are the result of blood glucose spikes, commonly caused by dietary carbohydrates. Glucose then converts to fat cells which are stored around the body. Therefore, it makes sense to reduce carbohydrate intake to lose weight.
More Difficult to Overfeed
Raw food needs to be defrosted before its eaten, thus if you only defrost their daily portion at a time, it makes it very challenging to overfeed them on their main diet. Just make sure to keep an eye on how many treats you’re feeding and making sure they do not account for more than 10% of their daily calorie intake.
Packed With Vitamins and Minerals
Pets overeat when provided an improper diet to compensate for nutritional deficiencies. Therefore, a species-appropriate raw diet encourages satiety and prevents overeating due to its abundance of natural vitamins and minerals, which are often killed and added in synthetically in the processing of other diets. All meats provide a range of vitamins and minerals, rotating through a range of proteins ensures the correct nutritional profiles are being met and helps balance dietary fat content. See our helpful blog on protein rotation.
Now let’s move onto part two… how much should you feed your overweight pet?
References
- UK Pet Food Obesity Report 2024
- German, A. J. (2006) ‘The Growing Problem of Obesity in Dogs and Cats’ Journal of Nutrition, 136(7), 1940S-1946S. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16772464/
- Watson, T. (2010) ‘Determining Fact From Fiction: Diet and Canine Obesity Issues’ VetTimes. Available at: https://www.vettimes.co.uk/article/determining-fact-from-fiction-diet-and-canine-obesity-issues/
- Bierer, T. L. and Bui, L. M. (2004) ‘High-Protein Low-Carbohydrate Diets Enhance Weight Loss in Dogs’ Journal of Nutrition, 134(8), 2087S-2089S. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15284409/
- Heuberger, R. and Wakshlag, J. (2011) ‘The Relationship of Feeding Patterns and Obesity in Dogs’ Journal of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, 95(1), 98-105. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20662965/
- Diez, M. et al. (2002) ‘Weight loss in obese dogs: Evaluation of a high protein, low-carbohydrate diet,’ Journal of Nutrition, 132, 1685-1687.
Lucy James, BSc (Hons) Bioveterinary Science
Looking to enhance your pet’s diet? Take a look at Cotswold RAW’s range of raw dog food and raw cat food, including raw meaty bones, dried treats, and puppy food.