Mobility + Weight Management
Built for overweight dogs with achy joints, arthritis, or recovery from orthopedic surgery — the two issues that so often go together. Lean turkey and salmon keep the protein high so your dog holds onto muscle while losing weight, fish oil helps calm joint inflammation, and a touch of turmeric and L-carnitine support cartilage and fat burning. Pair the recipe with measured low-impact activity (gentle leash walks or hydrotherapy) for the best results.
Daily ingredients
Quantities scaled for 11 lb (5 kg).
- 120gground turkey breast (raw weight, skinless) · ~4.2 oz
- 72gpotato, boiled in skin then peeled and diced · ~2.5 oz
- 24gsalmon fillet (Atlantic, raw) · ~0.85 oz
- 24gcauliflower, cooked and chopped (raw-trimmed weight) · ~0.85 oz
- 7.6gpapaya, fresh, in 1" pieces · ~0.85 Tbsp
- 5.9gcarrots, cooked and sliced (raw-trimmed weight) · ~0.85 Tbsp
- 1.3gspinach, cooked (raw-trimmed weight) · ~0.85 Tbsp
- ⅛tspsesame oil(rounded up to nearest ⅛)
- ¼tspflaxseed or borage oil(rounded up to nearest ⅛)
- ½tspfish oil (added after cooking)(rounded up to nearest ⅛)
- 1/16tspL-carnitine powder (~4 g per tsp)(rounded up to nearest 1/16)
- 1/16tspground turmeric(rounded up to nearest 1/16)
- ⅜scoopiViBlend(rounded up to nearest ⅛)
- ½tspCalgae(rounded up to nearest ⅛)
Notes & guidance
- · Provides ~49% of energy from protein, ~28% from fat, and ~23% from carbohydrate.
- · Very high protein protects lean mass during weight loss — critical for mobility in OA patients.
- · EPA + DHA at evidence-based doses reduce joint inflammation and improve weight-bearing scores; may reduce NSAID requirement.
- · Curcumin and L-carnitine add anti-inflammatory and fat-oxidation support.
- · Combines the two highest-impact interventions for canine musculoskeletal disease: caloric restriction to reduce joint load, and anti-inflammatory nutrition for cartilage and synovial health.
Feeding instructions
- 1Cook the turkey and salmon thoroughly — bake or sauté until fully cooked.
- 2Boil the potato in its skin, then peel and dice. Cook the cauliflower, carrots, and spinach until soft.
- 3Mix the daily portion together with the supplements in one batch, then divide across two meals.
- 4Add fish oil and the powdered supplements (iViBlend, Calgae, L-carnitine, turmeric) AFTER cooling — do not heat.
- 5Start at ~80% of MER for ideal body weight; reassess BCS and weight every 2 weeks and reduce by 5–10% if losing less than 1% per week.
- 6Pair with measured low-impact activity (controlled leash walks, hydrotherapy) as approved by your vet.
- 7Refrigerate up to 3 days, or portion and freeze for up to 2 months.
- 8Target weight loss is 1–2% of body weight per week; re-evaluate calories at plateaus.
Important — please read
Use only under the advice of a veterinarian. Weight-loss diets should be monitored with regular body-condition scoring and rechecks. Your dog's unique calorie requirements, orthopedic status, and concurrent medical conditions can all affect whether this diet is appropriate.
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