We cherish our furry companions dearly, regardless of whether they’re a bit on the plump side or not. However, when it comes to a dog carrying excess weight, it can pose significant health issues, and a hefty pup may not be a happy pup. Having a conversation with your four-legged friend to encourage them to shed a few pounds is sadly impossible. The bestest boys and girls are mostly after an extra treat instead of a workout.

Yet, if a dog owner is determined and committed, they hold the key to transforming their pup’s life for the better. Check out these incredible before-and-after pics of dogs getting healthier through weight loss. Let’s be happy for both their dedicated owners and the dogs themselves.

#1 Two Years And Tons Of Walks Later, Shiloh Has Reached Her Target Weight

Image credits: mikerich15

Chubby puppies might be adorable, but when it comes to a dog’s well-being, a lean physique is preferable.

Unfortunately, similar to the issue faced by humans, there’s an alarming number of overweight dogs, as reported by the Association For Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP). In their eighth annual survey, released in March 2015, APOP revealed that 53 percent of American dogs are carrying excess weight.

#2 Did Her A Good Dechonk. Down From 74 Lbs To 48 Lbs. A Few More To Go

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#3 2 Years Later – Looking 2 Years Younger

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International studies also indicate that this problem extends globally, with surveys from various regions showing canine obesity rates at around 40 percent or higher. Furthermore, most researchers believe that this health concern is worsening year by year. According to another part of the APOP survey, in 2014, 17.6 percent of dogs were classified as clinically obese, meaning they were 30 percent or more overweight. This marked a full percentage point increase from just one year prior.

#4 Before And After From Cow’s Weight Loss Journey

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#5 Did Someone Say Glow Up

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#6 How It Started vs. How It’s Going. I Went To My Forever Home And Since Then I’ve Lost Nearly 5 Kg

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What’s even more concerning is that a staggering 95 percent of pet owners are unaware that their pudgy dogs need to shed some weight. APOP dubs this phenomenon the “fat pet gap,” where an overweight dog is mistakenly perceived as having a normal weight.

#7 40 Lbs Down

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#8 Mom’s Dementia Caused Her To Overfeed For Months. After A Normal Diet And Lots Of Exercise, Beezie Has Shed Nearly 20 Lbs And She Has A New Lease On Life. 45,6 Lbs To 26,8 Lbs

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#9 Looking Like A Completely Different Dog

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Dr. Ernie Ward, a veterinarian and the founder of APOP, emphasizes, “Pet owners often believe that their obese dog or cat is at a healthy weight, which makes addressing obesity a challenging task. Nobody wants to acknowledge that their pet is carrying extra pounds, and our initial hurdle is overcoming this denial.”

#10 Still The Happiest Guy Around, I’m Just Less Round

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#11 From Big Bear To Little Bear

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#12 I Can’t Believe I’ve Lost Over 12 Lbs. I Used To Have Trouble Getting Up Off The Floor But Now I Can Run Down The Stairs And Jump Off The Couch Without Even Thinking About It

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When it comes to pets, like dogs, recognizing if they are overweight or obese depends on both how they look and feel. You should be able to feel your dog’s ribs when you gently touch their sides. Some dog food brands have charts that can help you figure out if your dog needs to lose weight.

#13 From “Help! Pull Me Up” To “You Need Help? I’ll Pull You Home”

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#14 One Of My Earliest Weigh-Ins (March 2018) vs. A Healthy Weight Weigh-In (April 2019)

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#15 Look What I Did. 11 Pounds Down Is A Lot For A Chihuahua

Image credits: shortysfanclub

Sometimes, a pet’s breed and age can affect their weight. Older pets, for example, may be less active due to conditions like arthritis. But it’s our job to give them the right amount of food and make sure they get regular exercise.

#16 This Was Winston A Few Years Ago And Makes Me Cringe Everytime. So Glad We Are At A Much Healthier Weight Now

Image credits: winston.sophie.corgis

#17 Chimichanga’s Weight Loss

Image credits: Permanently_disco

#18 Really Proud Of Our Dechonked Rescue Pupper Corina. 22 Weeks Later, 22 Lbs Lighter

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When pets are overweight, they are more likely to:

⦁ Have a less active and shorter life

⦁ Struggle with heat and humidity

⦁ Need more medication due to their weight

⦁ Experience joint and mobility problems

⦁ Develop skin issues and a weaker immune system

⦁ Face higher risks during surgery

⦁ Show less interest in exercise and play

⦁ Often have high blood pressure

⦁ Be at a greater risk of developing diabetes

#19 Her Starting Weight Was 44.7 Lbs. She Is Currently Standing At 33 Lbs

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#20 Look At My Baby. Jasmine Has Been On A Long Journey Since 2020

Her weight was making it harder to get around comfortably. So I changed her food and gave her fewer treats etc. (Which I think was harder for me than her.) She’s been going on more little outings and roams a little further. And slowly but surely she got her spunk back.

Image credits: jackieinalignment

#21 Will You Look At My Girl’s Weight Loss? I Am So Proud Of Chloe And How Far She Has Come In A Year

Image credits: groomeronthegollc

If you want to help your dog lose weight without making them feel deprived, here are some tips to make it easier:

⦁ Cut Down on Treats: Swap fatty treats with healthy ones like carrots or low-calorie dog treats to give your pup nutritious rewards.

⦁ Mix Veggies with Kibble: If your dog still seems hungry, add high-fiber veggies like frozen green beans to their meals to help them feel full without extra calories.

⦁ No Sneaky Treats: Ensure everyone in your household avoids giving your dog extra food or treats. Small treats can add up, so let them know it’s for the dog’s health and happiness.

⦁ Track Progress Monthly: Keep an eye on your dog’s weight by assessing their body condition and doing monthly weigh-ins at the vet’s clinic. Vets often offer free weight checks and encouragement to help you along the way.

#22 Veterinarian Said He Needed To Lose Weight. I Present To You, Dechonkified Chester. He Didn’t Like The Journey But Never Takes Food For Granted After The Diet

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#23 Beulah’s Journey: 125 Lbs To 75 Lbs

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#24 My Weight Loss Journey. Started At 61.2 Pounds. The Highest I’ve Ever Been. I Think I’m Off To A Great Start

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Embrace the love and barks of your four-legged pals and lend a hand when they require it, for we are also their most loved human. Together, let’s make a paw-sitive impact. Explore our earlier posts about dogs and celebrate happy, healthy hounds!

#25 127 Lbs To 108 Lbs. Progress Photo. I’m A Happy Mother! So Proud Of My Rescued Baby

Image credits: reddit.com

#26 My Sister’s Corgi. From 40 Lbs To 22 Lbs

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#27 From 82 Pounds Down To 74! Still Got A Way To Go But Off To A Good Start

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#28 Chloe Went From A Chonky 35 Lbs To A Fit 24 Lbs And Is Now An Agility Athlete

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#29 Slow And Steady Wins The Race

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#30 Almost To Goal Weight: 32 Kg (70.5 Lbs) To 25.5k G (56.2 Lbs) In 6 Months. That’s 6.5 Kg (14.3 Lbs) Total (Around 25% Of Her Current Body Weight)

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#31 Meet Lemmy Kilmister. We Welcomed This Chonker As A Foster. He Was Tipping The Scale At 47 Lbs. One Year After, He Got To A Much Healthier 30 Lbs… And A Foster Fail

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#32 Then And Now. Glow Up One Year Later

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#33 Weight Loss Since Being Adopted

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#34 Pete Has Transformed Too. 50 Lbs In 2017 To 35 Lbs In 2019

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#35 Look How Much Of A Good Boy I’ve Been Eating My Vegetables And Being More Active. Got A ‘Lil Chubby And Now I’m Bouncing Around Like A Puppy Again. 6 Kg Lost

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#36 Jazzy Reached Her Goal Weight

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#37 Murphy’s Transformation. Before vs. After

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#38 Claude Was Dumped At A Boarding Kennel Weighing 59 Kg. His New Family Rescued Him And Started His Weight Loss Journey For A Healthier Life And He Has Dropped 33 Kg

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#39 My Hooman Says I’m Not At My Goal Yet But I Made A Ton Of Progress In Less Than A Year! A Couple More Pounds To Go

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#40 Squishy’s Eyes Have Lit Up Over The Years

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#41 10 Months Post-Adoption, And 55 Lbs Lighter

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#42 New Year, New Me

Macky here. In August the vet told my pawents that I was fat. They were embarrassed, but at least I was fat and happy (pic 1). That made my pawents put me on this miserable diet and exercise routine. I have lost 8 pounds so far (2 more to go) and I look/feel so much better (pic 2). I’m still miserable on my diet but I continue to love the extra playtime and walkies.

Image credits: mackyandbuoy

#43 Adopted This Chubby Little Beagle Bulldog 2 Years Ago Today. Look At How His Weight Loss Has Improved

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#44 Six Months Ago Today, Momma Brought Me Home

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#45 Congratulate Sugar On Her Weight Loss Journey. She Is Ready For Hotdog Summer

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#46 6-Month Transformation And Now I’m Thriving

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#47 This Is Grace, My Friend’s Rescue. 43 Lbs To 31.4 Lbs

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#48 He Has Lost 5 Kg In Four Months

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#49 When We Got Buddy He Was 53 Lbs. Today He Is Just Around 32 Lbs

When you see your dog every day, things like weight loss are so much less noticeable until you look back at pictures of their starting point.

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#50 Target Weight Achieved

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#51 Maggie Has Lost 6 Lbs And Is Now At A Healthy And Happy Weight. We Think She Looks Amazing

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#52 Transformation

When my Pawrents first adopted me I weighed close to 70 pounds and my belly dragged on the ground, I couldn’t do little things I enjoyed like rolling over for a scritch (I would get stuck on my back) I couldn’t make it up the stairs or go for walks or move hardly at all (I would mainly scoot around in circles to see what was going on around me) but thanks to a strict diet and what little exercise I will actually do, I weighed in at 31.4 pounds at the vet over the weekend, and my pawrents are so proud of me.

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#53 Even As Senior Dogs We Were Successful At Weight Loss With Regular Exercise And Food Portion Control. We’re Both 100 Pounds Down (Or Pretty Close To It) And Healthier Than Ever

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#54 Piper Met Her Goal! From 100 Lbs To 50 Lbs In A Year

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#55 Lost A Little Bit Of Weight

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#56 My Little Man Is Down To Half A Chonk

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#57 We Overindulged Him So Much That He Got To 46 Pounds. Now, He Is 25 Pounds. Emmett Truly Is My Weight Loss Buddy

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#58 1 Year Progress Of Dechonking

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#59 November 2020 vs. November 2021

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#60 5 Months Progress Pics

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#61 Ready To Show Off My Summer Body. Down 78 Lbs

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#62 Only Had Him For Two Weeks And Can Already See A Difference In Weight! Slow And Steady Wins The Race

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#63 How It Started And How It’s Going

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#64 10 Lbs Down With The Green Bean Diet

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#65 April 2020 To April 2021. Large Marge’s Weight Loss Journey To Help Ease Her Joint Pain And Heart Disease

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#66 Bristol Is 30 Lbs Now. She Has Lost 11 Lbs

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#67 Hi Everyone, Eva Here. I Just Wanted To Let You Know That I’ve Lost So Much Weight Since I First Came To My New Home And I Feel So Much Healthier

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#68 Same Wonton, Just Lots Of Exercise, An Improved Diet, And 12 Months Later

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#69 Marshall (80-65 Lbs)

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#70 Left: Before November 2019 (60 Lbs), Right: After December 2022 (40 Lbs)

Mozzarella has successfully kept off 20 lbs. Hard to believe that all this guy needed was portion control and a regular walking schedule. Just don’t leave him unattended around food. Old habits die hard.

Image credits: lowfatmozzarelladog

#71 A Riddler Throwback, And To Show Just How Far He Has Come

For a huge portion of his life so far, he was overweight due to an improper diet that was, at that time, out of our control. In the left picture, he couldn’t walk a quarter mile without laying down and panting. In the right picture, he walked 4 miles that day and could’ve gone even further. His diet was completely changed, and he was no longer getting all the extras he had been given before. Weight control is extremely important for all dogs, but especially corgis.

Image credits: corgitroop

#72 Work In Progress

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#73 From Oh Lawd To Fine Boi In 12 Months! 36 Lbs To 24 Lbs

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#74 Before And After Weight Loss Transformation

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#75 Nacho Went From 10 Kg To 6.5 Kg! Not Fully Dechonked But Really Proud Of My Good Boy

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#76 It’s Been About 8 Months Since Juno Got Fat-Shamed At The Vet And She’s Finally In Great Shape

Before we realized she was overweight, she was sluggish, lying down on walks, and not very playful with other dogs. Now, she’s more playful, interactive, and has a bounce when she walks. She has improved stamina and enjoys walking again.

Image credits: bundleofgold

#77 Posting This To Show Off My Boy’s Weight Loss. This Took About 15 Months And He Still Has More To Lose

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#78 Rescued Pitbull From Around 70 Lbs To 50 Lbs

We rescued this nine-year-old beauty from an elderly woman who couldn’t walk her and had allowed her to freely graze on a diet of cheese and fatty dog food.

 

She was suffering from arthritis, fatty tumors, and allergies, to the point where the vet was considering euthanasia.

 

After bringing her home, we put her on a strict diet. Exercise has been at her own pace, and her arthritis has been alleviated almost completely due to weight loss and joint supplements. She can even jump now.

Image credits: Playful-Motor-4262

#79 I Found This Photo Of Murphy From Last Year And Couldn’t Believe How Much Thinner He Looks

Image credits: mamas_murphy_and_milo

#80 Chester Was On A Weight Loss Plan And With The Dedicated Help Of His Pet Parent Randy, He Was Able To Lose The Weight

Image credits: valleyveterinaryservices

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