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If your dog is carrying a few extra pounds, committing to a weight loss plan is one of the best things you can do for their health. Not only could this offer the potential for extra years together, but maintaining a healthy weight can also keep your pooch active and comfortable in their later years.
Individual weight loss plans will look different from dog to dog, but they usually involve a combination of careful portion control, regular exercise, limiting treats, and boosting hydration. For some dogs, switching to a food formulated for weight loss can also help by reducing calorie intake and keeping them full for longer. Typically, these foods contain fewer calories, lower fat, and higher fiber, allowing dogs to lose weight while maintaining muscle mass and proper nutrition.
Your veterinarian can determine if a change in diet is necessary—and they should always be your first stop before embarking on a weight loss program. Your vet can rule out a possible health condition that might be causing weight gain. They’re also familiar with your dog’s unique health background and can provide a personalized solution.
To jumpstart your dog’s weight loss journey, we’ve compiled a list of 11 weight loss foods. These formulas adhere to AAFCO guidelines and cater to a range of canine health considerations and palate preferences. Your vet can help you decide if one of these foods might help your dog shed some pounds.
Best Prescription: Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Satiety Support
Your vet may recommend a prescription diet formulated with a precise balance of nutrients as the best way to manage your dog’s weight. This veterinary-exclusive diet from Royal Canin has helped many dogs achieve their weight loss goals.
It has a high protein content (30% on a dry-matter basis) and high fiber levels (16.44% dry matter), which research shows can help keep dogs full longer and reduce begging behavior, making it easier to stick to a diet.
While carbohydrates play a role in your dog’s diet, too many can contribute to obesity. This formula has a moderate level of carbohydrates to avoid excessive weight gain. It also contains glucosamine and chondroitin to support bones and joints experiencing stress from extra body weight.
This food is not cheap, but remember, your pet may only need it as a temporary measure. Also, if you have pet insurance, it may be able to help with the cost. While most policies won’t cover prescription foods, there are some that do.
This food also comes in size-specific formulas (Medium/Large & Small) and is available in both dry and wet recipes.
Key Nutrients:
- 214 kcal/cup
- Protein: 31.11%
- Fat: 12.78%
- Crude Fiber: 16.44%
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Best Dry Food: Purina Pro Plan Weight Management Shredded Blend
If you’re used to serving dry food, this formula from Purina’s Pro Plan line has 15% less fat than the brand’s Essentials Shredded Blend. It also offers a satisfying blend of crunchy kibble and tender meaty pieces.
This formula provides a generous amount of protein to maintain strong muscles. Wheat bran supplies natural prebiotic fiber to support your dog’s digestive health while reducing their desire for food throughout the day. The recipe is also fortified with live probiotics for a balanced gut.
If you have a large or small breed dog, Purina offers size-specific weight management formulas for them, too.
Key Nutrients:
- 330 kcal/cup
- Protein: 30.68%
- Fat: 10.23%
- Crude Fiber: 6.25%
- Calcium: 1%
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Best Wet Food: Hill’s Science Diet Perfect Weight Hearty Vegetable & Chicken Stew
Not only is wet food hydrating, but it also tends to contain higher levels of protein and fewer carbohydrates: a winning combination for dogs looking to lose a few pounds.
With under 10% fat on a dry-matter basis and lots of fiber (25% dry matter), this palatable stew has helped over 70% of pets lose weight within 20 weeks. It also contains prebiotic fibers to keep your dog’s GI tract running smoothly and a clinically proven blend of Vitamins C & E to bolster the immune system.
This food includes satisfying chunks of meat and veggies in a savory broth, making it popular with picky eaters. It offers complete and balanced nutrition, so you can serve it alone as a meal or mixed with a weight-loss dry food to entice your dog with variety.
Key Nutrients:
- 247 kcal/can
- Protein: 25%
- Fat: 9.38%
- Crude Fiber: 25%
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Best High Protein: Blue Buffalo True Solutions Healthy Weight
Some dogs looking to lose weight will benefit from a high-protein diet that helps them feel full while preserving lean muscle mass. Although there’s no official percentage that classifies a food as high-protein, it’s generally considered to be 30% and up.
Formulated by a team of veterinarians and nutritionists, this recipe offers a generous 31.11% protein on a dry matter basis. In addition, it contains over 15% fiber and a moderate number of calories to help keep your dog’s weight on track.
This food includes L-carnitine, an amino acid that may help with weight loss by converting fat into energy. It also has antioxidant-rich fruits like blueberries and cranberries to strengthen the immune system.
Key Nutrients:
- 324 kcal/cup
- Protein: 31.11%
- Fat: 12.22%
- Crude Fiber: 15.56%
- Calcium: 1.1%
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Best High Fiber: Hill’s Science Diet Light
If you can’t resist the sight of your dog begging for scraps between meals, your vet may suggest switching to a high-fiber diet. Fiber helps dogs feel full and satisfied for longer periods of time. This is backed up by research, with studies showing that a high-protein, high-fiber diet can promote weight loss in dogs without excessive loss of muscle mass.
This Hill’s formula offers a substantial 15.65% fiber on a dry matter basis. It also contains 18% fewer calories than the brand’s Advanced Fitness recipe. Natural fiber is provided by lots of fruits and vegetables such as apples, broccoli, carrots, cranberries, green peas, and beet pulp. Flaxseed is also included, which adds fiber and provides omega fatty acids.
Key Nutrients:
- 271 kcal/cup
- Protein: 22.36%
- Fat: 6.15%
- Crude Fiber: 15.65%
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Best Low Fat: Solid Gold Fit & Fabulous Weight Control
Fat is an important part of every dog’s diet—it absorbs vitamins, acts as a source of energy, and provides insulation. At the same time, fat is the most calorie-dense nutrient, with more than double the calories of protein and carbohydrates. While low-fat food won’t be suitable across the board, some dogs may benefit.
If your veterinarian recommends choosing a low-fat food, this Solid Gold recipe is a good one to reach for. Lean, nutrient-dense Alaskan pollock heads off the ingredient list and provides generous levels of protein. Other ingredients like oatmeal, pumpkin, peas, and flaxseed provide fiber for satiety and digestive health. Plus, probiotics nourish healthy gut flora and strengthen your pup’s immune system.
Key Nutrients:
- 330 kcal/cup
- Protein: 28.89%
- Fat: 10.56%
- Crude Fiber: 11.11%
Best Low Calorie: Nutro Natural Choice Healthy Weight
Limiting calorie intake plays a major role in weight loss. With 231 kcal per cup, this Nutro Natural Choice formula is one of the lowest-calorie kibbles on our list. The recipe contains beet pulp, brown rice, chia seeds, spinach, pumpkin, and kale to provide fiber and keep dogs satisfied. Nutro also offers a lamb and brown rice recipe if your dog’s not a fan of chicken. The brand also carries a healthy weight formula designed for large breeds.
Key Nutrients:
- 231 kcal/cup
- Protein: 26.67%
- Fat: 7.78%
- Crude Fiber: 12.22%
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Best for Sensitive Stomachs: Ollie Fresh Chicken Dish With Carrots
Fresh food can be a good choice for dogs with sensitive stomachs because they usually contain fewer ingredients. With limited ingredients and lean chicken as its sole animal protein, this fresh Ollie recipe is gentle on your pup’s digestive system.
It also offers high protein levels to maintain strong muscles while your dog loses weight. Fiber is provided by spinach, carrots, and peas. Plus, this food contains lots of moisture to aid in hydration.
What sets Ollie apart is that their fresh food arrives in precisely portioned meals, taking the guesswork out of measuring servings and reducing the risk of over-feeding. Meals are calibrated to your dog’s specific nutritional needs based on their age, weight, breed, and activity level. When you sign up for a subscription, Ollie will create a custom feeding guide, taking into account any weight loss goals.
Key Nutrients:
- 1298 kcal ME/kg
- Protein: 30.77%
- Fat: 11.54%
- Crude Fiber: 7.69%
Best for Food Allergies: JustFoodForDogs Healthy Weight Variety Pack
Most food allergies in dogs are related to the proteins in their diet, such as chicken or beef. In order to avoid an allergic reaction, affected dogs may need to switch to a diet with a novel protein.
Both of these fresh recipes from JustFoodForDogs feature a single lean animal protein source—cod and venison—and they have a short list of ingredients.
These recipes are also formulated to help with weight loss. They contain super high protein levels (50% for the venison recipe and 38% for the fish recipe) and generous amounts of fiber from veggies like broccoli, green beans, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and Brussels sprouts. Like most fresh foods, they have low carbohydrate levels. This food is also hydrating, an important part of maintaining a healthy weight.
Key Nutrients (Fish & Sweet Potato Recipe):
- 922 kcal ME/kg; 26 kcal ME/oz
- Protein: 38.89%
- Fat: 11.11%
- Crude Fiber: 16.67%
Key Nutrients (Venison & Squash Recipe)
- 872 kcal ME/kg; 25 kcal ME/oz
- Protein: 50%
- Fat: 11.11%
- Crude Fiber: 8.33%
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Best for Large Breeds: Eukanuba Fit Body Weight Control Large-Breed Dry Food
This Eukanuba formula is designed for large-breed dogs who weigh over 55 pounds and need to lose weight. Along with L-carnitine, this recipe features high protein levels (28.89% on a dry matter basis) to build muscles and encourage physical activity. It also has low fat content and only 267 calories per cup.
To protect your big dog’s muscles and joints during exercise, this food includes glucosamine and chondroitin. Plus, it’s enriched with antioxidants and omega fatty acids that keep your dog’s brain in top-performing shape.
Key Nutrients:
- 267 kcal/cup
- Protein: 28.89%
- Fat: 10%
- Crude Fiber: 4.44%
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Best for Small Breeds: Wellness Complete Health Small Breed Healthy Weight
While small breeds have speedier metabolisms and higher calorie requirements than large dogs, they still need to reduce calories to lose weight.
This Wellness Complete formula places a careful cap, providing 341 calories per cup. It offers 31.46% protein on a dry matter basis to keep your petite pooch energized and maintain strong muscles.
Weight loss goals aside, this is a solid small-breed formula fortified with omega fatty acids, antioxidants, glucosamine, taurine, and probiotics. It also features a smaller kibble size to accommodate tinier jaws.
Key Nutrients:
- 341 kcal/cup
- Protein: 31.46%
- Fat: 10.11%
- Crude Fiber: 6.74%
- Calcium: 1.2%
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How We Chose
The products featured here were selected based on a combination of our own hands-on testing, a comprehensive look at customer reviews across a wide variety of retail platforms, and interviews with veterinary experts. We prioritized AAFCO-compliant recipes with reduced calories, lower fat, and higher fiber content. Additionally, we aimed to include a range of foods that address different canine health requirements. We’re also guided by the experience of living and playing alongside our own much-loved and strongly opinionated pets, who are never stingy with their feedback.
