My vet said my dog is overweight, what should I do first?

A specific target weight and a general sense of your dog's current body condition score gives you a concrete goal, which is far more useful than a vague instruction to feed less.

If your vet has not given a specific calorie or gram amount, you can calculate a reasonable starting reduction yourself, around 10 to 20 percent below current intake, and confirm the approach at your next check.

Reduce the daily amount gradually over one to two weeks rather than cutting sharply overnight, which tends to be easier for your dog to adjust to and easier for you to stick with.

Consider whether treats, table scraps, or extras are adding calories on top of the measured main meals, since these are a common overlooked source of extra calories that can undermine an otherwise correct main meal reduction.

Weigh your dog every two to three weeks on a consistent scale and bring that data to follow up vet visits, since a documented trend is more useful to your vet than a single check in weight.

Expect gradual progress, generally 1 to 2 percent of body weight lost per week, and stay in touch with your vet if progress seems much faster or much slower than expected, since either extreme is worth a second look before continuing the plan unchanged.