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What’s the best dog food for weight loss?
Veterinary specialist, Dr. Donna Spector, recommends feeding your overweight dog a food that contains:
On this page we’ll share The Dog Food Advisor’s safest and most recommended dog foods for weight loss.
And we’ll answer the 5 most frequently asked questions about how to use a weight loss food to help your dog return to a healthy weight.
Best Dog Foods for Weight Loss December 2024
Here are The Dog Food Advisor's best dog food brands for weight loss for December 2024.
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1. Best Dry Dog Food For Weight Loss: Annamaet Lean Formula Dog Food
UnratedAnnamaet Lean is one of seven dry recipes included in our review of the Annamaet Grain-Free product line.
Annamaet Lean takes the majority of its animal protein from chicken meal. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 33% protein, 8% fat and 51% estimated carbs, which creates a fat-to-protein ratio of about 23%.
An excellent weight loss formula. Highly recommended.
Read our review of the full Annamaet Grain Free Dog Food (Dry) range here
Things we like
- High amount of protein, low amount of fat
- L-carnitine to boost lean muscle mass
- Half the fat of other Annamaet grain-free dry dog food
Main Ingredients Chicken meal, field peas, lentils, potato, tapioca Texture Dry Type Grain-free Protein Percentage 33% AAFCO Standards Maintenance Best For All adult dogs Sample buyer review...
Read more buyer reviews at Chewy.com"This is a smaller brand that is high quality and excellent for dogs that may need something more supportive for weight loss. Though my dog has always been picky with dry foods, she has enjoyed the food for years. While it has helped to lower and maintain her weight to a comfortable number for her age. We are both big fans."
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2. Best Wet Dog Food For Weight Loss: Wellness Core Weight Management Wet Food
Wellness Core Weight Management canned dog food acquires the majority of its animal protein from fresh chicken as well as pork liver and whitefish. Dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 50% protein, 16% fat and 26% estimated carbs… resulting in a fat-to-protein ratio of about 32%.
It’s also worth noting this formula contains zinc proteinate and 4 other chelated minerals for superior absorption and nutrition. Chelated minerals like these are typically found in top-quality brands. Highly recommended.
Read our review of the full Wellness CORE Pate Dog Food (Canned) range here
Things we like
- High amount of protein
- Chelated minerals to aid absorption
- Designed for all life stages and breeds
Main Ingredients Chicken, chicken broth, turkey broth, pork liver, whitefish Texture Wet Type Grain-free Protein Percentage 50% AAFCO Standards Maintenance Best For All adult dogs Sample buyer review...
Read more buyer reviews at Chewy.com"Beau is a 9 year old mini poodle. He has trouble chewing so he doesn’t eat in the morning. I decided to give him wet food instead of kibble in the morning. He loves his wellness food!"
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3. Best Senior Dog Food For Weight Loss: Dr. Tim’s Metabolite Weight Management Formula Dog Food
UnratedDr. Tim’s Metabolite features high amounts of protein while also being low in fat, making it ideal for senior dogs who are overweight or need to lose a few pounds as their metabolism begins to slow down. It’s one of nine dry recipes included in our review of the Dr. Tim’s product line.
Dr. Tim’s Metabolite derives most of its animal protein from chicken meal. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 33% protein, 11% fat and 48% estimated carbs, which results in a fat-to-protein ratio of about 33%.
An exceptional, low-fat, grain-inclusive recipe. Highly recommended.
Read our review of the full Dr. Tim’s Dog Food (Dry) range here
Things we like
- High protein content combined with fiber
- Low amount of fat
- Protein derived from chicken meal
Main Ingredients Chicken meal, brown rice, whole oat groats, dried field peas, powdered cellulose Texture Dry Type Grain-inclusive Protein Percentage 33% AAFCO Standards Maintenance Best For All dogs (including senior dogs) Sample buyer review...
Read more buyer reviews at Chewy.com"We finally tried this food after giving so many other weight loss/management foods a try. This stuff works! Our chiweenie had gotten pretty lazy in her old age and after losing her sister to diabetes so she packed the weight on. We gave this food a try after no success on other brands and she has dropped 2 pounds already! One more pound to go and then she will be on maintenance. I really contribute the success of her weight loss to this food. Not to mention, she enjoys it. She actually gets excited about meal time and is usually pretty vocal to let me know its time."
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4. Best Fresh Dog Food For Weight Loss: Open Farm Gently Cooked Harvest Chicken
UnratedOpen Farm Gently Cooked Harvest Chicken is one of seven recipes included in our review of Open Farm Gently Cooked range of recipes. It’s a high-quality fresh dog food that helps dogs lose weight due to its high protein content, which keeps dogs fuller for longer.
This is a fresh, grain-free dog food that gets its protein from human-grade fresh chicken. Our analysis showed that the recipe contains 37.5% protein, 29.2% fat and 25.3% estimated carbohydrates, with a fat-to-protein ratio of 78%.
A highly recommended fresh high-protein option.
Read our review of the full Open Farm Gently Cooked Dog Food (Fresh) range here
Things we like
- High protein
- Fresh, human-grade chicken
- Antibiotic, hormone and steroid-free
Main Ingredients 100% Animal welfare certified chicken, chicken, carrots, kale, butternut squash, apples, pumpkin, water, flaxseed Texture Fresh Type Grain-free Protein Percentage 37.5% AAFCO Standards Maintenance Best For All adult dogs Sample buyer review...
Read more buyer reviews at Openfarmpet.com"My dog is very picky but likes the gently-cooked harvest chicken quite a lot. I will be buying more. The humane meat sourcing is also a big concern of mine. Bravo, Open Farm!"
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5. Best Large Breed Dog Food For Weight Loss: Merrick Grain Free Healthy Weight
UnratedThis Merrick recipe gets the lion’s share of its animal protein from fresh beef as well as chicken meal. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 36% protein, 11% fat and 45% estimated carbs, which results in a fat-to-protein ratio of about 31%.
A protein-rich, low-fat formula that helps larger breeds in particular maintain a healthy weight. Highly recommended.
Read our review of the full Merrick Grain Free Dog Food (Dry) range here
Things we like
- Low levels of fat
- A main ingredient of fresh deboned beef
- No artifical colors, flavors or preservatives
Main Ingredients Deboned beef, chicken meal, sweet potatoes, potatoes, turkey meal Texture Dry Type Grain-free Protein Percentage 36% AAFCO Standards Maintenance Best For All adult dogs (including large breeds) Sample buyer review...
Read more buyer reviews at Chewy.com"A 5 star dog food for my big German Shepherd dog. He loves it and I am happy to find an outstanding weight control food for him."
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6. Best Small Breed Dog Food For Weight Loss: Nutro Ultra Small Breed Weight Management
UnratedNutro Ultra Small Breed Weight Management is one of nine dry recipes included in our review of the Nutro Ultra product line.
Nutro Ultra Small Breed Weight Management gets the majority of its animal protein from fresh chicken and chicken meal. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 29% protein, 13% fat and 50% estimated carbs, which yields a fat-to-protein ratio of about 43%.
An exceptional, reduced-fat formula designed for smaller dogs. Highly recommended.
Read our review of the full Nutro Ultra Dog Food (Dry) range here
Things we like
- Made with real chicken and chicken meal
- Tailored for small breed dogs
- Formulated with 14 superfoods
Main Ingredients Chicken, chicken meal, whole grain barley, whole grain brown rice, whole grain oats Texture Dry Type Grain-inclusive Protein Percentage 29% AAFCO Standards Unspecified Best For All dogs (including small breeds) Sample buyer review...
Read more buyer reviews at Chewy.com"I have three small dogs who need to watch their calorie and fat intake. I use this dry food along with wet food to manage their weight. The kibble size is small and I use it as a treat also. They seem to really like the taste!"
More Top Picks
To view more top dog foods by category… click the link below that best meets your personal feeding needs.
More Top Picks
To view more top dog foods that can help with weight loss… click the link below that best meets your feeding needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much weight loss food should I feed my dog?
Since it’s impossible to predict the exact serving size that’s “perfect” for each overweight dog… or for each brand.
So, start with the feeding instructions printed on the package… or the amount suggested by our dog food calculator.
Then, over time…
Adjust that serving size up or down… to reach and maintain your dog’s ideal weight.
How can I determine my dog's ideal weight?
A 2002 landmark study4 found that…
Dogs fed an amount of food to maintain their ideal body condition lived 1.8 years longer… than other dogs.
That’s nearly 2 extra years of life.
The video below explains how to use the concept of “body condition” to determine and maintain your dog’s ideal weight.
What's the safest rate of weight loss for an overweight dog?
A dog that loses weight too quickly can develop serious health problems.
Which is why…
It’s important to keep the rate of weight loss to about 1-2% of your dog’s total body weight per week.5
For example…
If you’re feeding an overweight, 100-pound German Shepherd, your pet should be able to safely lose about 1 to 2 pounds per week.
What's the best way to switch my dog to a weight loss food?
To minimize the risk of digestive upset…
It’s best to transition from regular dog food to a weight loss food gradually.
Take your time. Don’t rush.
Start by mixing about 25% of the “new” weight loss food… with 75% of the regular food. Then, slowly increase that amount to a full 100%… over the next 5 to 7 days.
What are the best low fat dog foods?
Finding a quality, low fat dog food can be difficult.
That’s because most tend to contain too little meat… with more potatoes and cereal grains.
However, in contrast…
Better low fat recipes contain not only lower fat… but also a significant amount of meat-based protein.
With that goal in mind…
Our research team has created a list of dog foods that meets these specific guidelines.
You can get access to a list of The Dog Food Advisor’s most recommended low fat dog foods here.
Final word
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