Did you know that around 59% of pups in the UK are overweight or obese? The thing is, keeping dogs at a healthy weight isnât just about looking trim, it can actually help them live longer, happier lives.
How Butternut Helps
One of the most unique aspects of Butternut Box is that we provide meals that are calculated to each dogâs needs. Using a combination of the latest scientific literature, the expertise of our veterinary nutrition consultant and data learning, we have devised our very own algorithm or "nutritional calculator". This accounts for each dogâs age, weight, body condition score and activity level. It even adjusts for treats and calculates daily feeding requirements to the closest 50 calories.
Having daily portions that are exactly matched to what each dog needs mean pet parents wonât have to do any measuring and there is no scope for overfeeding. Also, the fresh nature of the meals means that theyâre often more filling and offer much better satisfaction for both pup and pet parent.
Low-Fat Options for Weight Loss
If your pooch needs to lose a bit of weight, weâve got some great recipes to help:
Chicken You Out
Gobble Gobble Turkey
Youâve Got Game
Ready Steady Veggie
Tuck In Chicken (contains the ancient grain pearl barley)
Plus, our fish treats are under 5% fat, perfect if you still want to spoil them without undoing all the good work.
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(Heads up: our beef, lamb, pork, duo of duck and chicken, salmon are richer, so theyâre best avoided while your pup is on their weight-loss journey.)
Extra Tips to Support Weight Loss
Stick to our leaner recipes.
Try a puzzle feeder or LickiMat to slow down speedy eaters and help them feel full for longer.
Keep an eye on treats (or swap them for our low fats options.
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Transitioning onto Butternut when your dog is overweight
Transitioning dogs who are carrying a little extra weight is nice and simple. We'd suggest feeding your dog a very small amount of Butternut initially (a few spoonfuls), mixed in with what they're currently eating. You can gradually increase the amount of Butternut each day, and if your dog has any runny poops then it's often a sign that they need to take things a little slower. Some dogs can take a week or more to move over to Butternut completely, so it's totally fine to go at your own pace here, swapping out their old food as you go until they're on their full portion size.
Our chicken, turkey, game and veggie meals are our leanest recipes and contain fewer calories. Feeding just these recipes to your pooch can sometimes be enough to help them lose weight. Some dogs may need an adjustment to their portion size if they're struggling to lose weight. If you need to discuss your dog's needs further, our in-house Vet Nurse team is always on hand to give some extra tips and advice.
Please note these are feeding guidelines only. We understand you know your pooch best so it's totally understood that you may need to make some changes to suit them.