If you’re worried that your dog is a bit ‘fluffier’ than it needs to be so it’s healthy, you’re not alone. Canine obesity is a real thing, so if you’re asking, “How can I get my dog to lose weight?” we’ve got some tips!

Surprisingly, over 50% of the dog population in the United States is obese. And while we often joke that our dogs are just ‘big-boned’ or ‘fluffy,’ the truth is that there are significant health issues your dog can suffer from if they’re overweight.

If your dog is overweight, there are many health conditions they can struggle with in addition to just being heavy. Some of these can be debilitating, and many definitely change their quality of life. Some of the health issues you may see and for which you’ll want to get your dog to lose weight include:

It’s frustrating to hear your dog is overweight, and even more frustrating when you try to help it get back in shape. You love your dog, and you don’t want it to feel deprived. The thing is, though, if you don’t manage your dog’s weight, you could be allowing even bigger problems for your dog down the road.

Managing your dog’s weight is easier than you think! The first thing you can do is check with the veterinarian to assure your dog is healthy enough for moderate exercise. Excercise is not only a great first start for their weight issue, but it helps with their mental health too. If you want to get your dog some exercise and aren’t sure how to start, here are a few options:

Your veterinarian will also likely recommend some things to help your dog lose weight, and the first will likely be to reduce its food intake. The general gist of an overweight dog is that it’s taking in more calories than it’s burning off. Reducing calories can help your dog lose weight.

Reducing caloric intake for your dog can certainly help them lose weight, but it also leaves them feeling hungry and you may find they come up with some pretty ‘creative’ ways to let you know they’re missing those calories. That’s why your vet may recommend adding green beans to your dog’s food as a ‘filler’ it’s stomach because of the fiber.

And while green beans definitely are fibrous vegetables that don’t offer many additional calories, there are better options you can give your dog that can also be beneficial for gut health. Bernie’s Perfect Poop has all-natural miscanthus grass, pumpkin and flax-seed as its fiber ingredients. These fibers not only help food move through your dog’s gut at just the right speed for optimal nutrient absorption, but they help your dog feel full too.

Giving Perfect Poop with every meal means you can reduce the amount of food you give your dog to reduce caloric intake, but they won’t feel that reduction because the premium fiber will help fill them up. Additionally, the prebiotics, probiotics and digestive enzymes that Perfect Poop has will help improve gut health and improve nutrient absorption, so they may have more vim and vigor to put toward exercising and losing even more weight.

That’s what we call a win-win that can help them lose excess pounds and feel better in the process.