A veterinary study reported on dogchannel.com found that dog foods labelled low-calorie had inconsistent labeling and feeding recommendations. Content analysis showed that the food in the container did not always match package claims.
Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University did an analysis of 44 different dog foods with labels indicating they would support canine weight loss. Such foods are required by federal law to show calorie counts, but unfortunately not only were these numbers inaccurate, the recommended feeding amounts would result in weight gain.
Dog obesity is a significant problem with nearly half of all dogs classified as overweight and nearly 10% obese in a 2008 study. Just as in humans, excess weight contributes to increased health problems, veterinary expenses, and decreased length and quality of life. A recent study also found a correlation between overweight owners and over weight dogs.
Owners who want their dogs to lose weight need to think of the fundamentals – diet and exercise. Unfortunately, dog food manufacturers are not always a reliable source of weight loss advice.