Weight Loss Tips
What should you look for when buying a food to help your dog lose weight? Low fat, low calories, high fiber? Do diet dog foods lack in other nutrition? As far as feeding goes, what are some good tips to help your dog lose weight?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Alice on
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Yes that would be the first choice, but when you have a dog like Finn with bad hips, his limping spells dictate how much exercise he gets.
The whole reason he needs to drop 2 or 3 pounds is actually because the vet recommends it for his hips. He's not overweight but he could safely lose a couple pounds. As the vet said, being slightly underweight would benefit him.
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Permalink Reply by Judi, Dawn, Soffie & Griffyn on
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After Soffie tore her ligament and the vet said she need to loose weight... she went from 39lbs to 32lbs in 4 months. We switched to Wellness Simple5mix dry weight control (or reduced fat... something like that I can't recall at the moment) We cut her food to 1/4 in the am and 1/4 in the pm. And with each meal we give her 1 full handful of frozen cut green beans..... she loves these; eats them like they were filet mingon!! And only one kong treat per day... stuffed with frozen green beans and one happy hips biscuit.
We have a friend whose corgi needed to drop a few pounds and we suggested this diet to her and... I'm happy to report it worked for him too!
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This may seem like an odd question but do veggies such as green beans cause more gas? Just curious. I was mixing frozen veggies into his food back when he was 6 months old which was the same time Finnigan got sick throwing up everything he took in and the x-ray to check for a blockage showed his bowels were totally full. Long story short (and I don't remember what this had to do with him being sick) but the vet suggested that adding veggies could be causing excess gas build up. I guess we can start off adding very small amounts to be sure he tolerates them. I don't think veggies had anything to do with what was wrong with him back then but I can't say for sure.
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Both Soffie and Griffyn have tolerated the green beans 100%! Neither of them have ever had a problem with gas.... or with loose poos. Of course now that I've said it...... you know Murphy's law!! LOL!!! They are both very regular. Griffyn tends to poo morning evening and before bed, Soffie generally only in the morning and evening but once in awhile before bed too which, for me, is midnight or 12:30. OK.... do we sound like our grandparents sitting around talking "bathroom habits"!!! LOLOL!!
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Ha ha, I know! I find myself talking about Finnigan's pooping habits more than I'd like to admit. When my husband gets home form work one of the first things I do is ask him if Finn pooped that morning. Typically he goes when my husband take him out in the morning and when I take him out after work. He doesn't usually go at lunch or before bed (unless of course he skipped one, hence my asking if he went). If one of us is walking him and he goes twice on one walk, stop the press! We're sure to tell each other of a double doody day! Who would have thought a dogs regular bowel movements could bring such joy? :)
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Permalink Reply by Tiffany Armstrong on
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My Lola eats the same thing and she is gaining weight. Now that she is four and her legs seem to bother her a teensy bit I am worried. I want Lola around for a long time. What do I do?
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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on
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I don't go with low fat food but cut down on the amount and add green beans or carrots. Also increase the walks. Izzy tends to be pretty inactive on her own so she is frequently on a diet plan.
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Yes, I know we talked about adding veggies before. We've been adding pumpkin to his dinner and cutting back on the kibble since the vet recommended more fiber to help him lose weight. We've also been giving him baby carrots as treats rather than dog treats (even though he only got maybe two dog treats a day anyhow) and we were thinking of trying dehydrated banana as well.
Low fat foods just seem like are lacking to me which may or may not be true. Being that he is only a year old I want to be sure he is getting all the nutrition he needs.
Finn gets a long walk each day as well as a few shorter ones. Since we are in an apartment, all potty breaks equal walk. He also runs around inside frequently. When he is limping though I do cut the walks short.
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I appreciate your input. Unfortunately the feeding throughout the day is not an option since my husband and I both work. He will have to stick to two meals a day.
The vet we saw on our last visit (who is not our usual vet) was the one who recommended a food higher in fiber and feeding treats such as carrots rather than dog treats. I realize vets are not always experts in nutrition which is why I wanted to do some research on my own.
It was our vet of course who diagnosed his dyslpasia. He showed signs at a very early age so we requested that he be x-rayed. He has not been scored by OFA or PennHIP if that is what you meant by rated, as they cannot be scored until they are two years old. We don't need a score see how bad his hips are though. I don't want to argue about his hips as I've had every possible conversation already on this site as well as with the vet, breeder and specialist. I know that he needs exercise and he gets it but his exercise needs to be moderated so he doesn't overdo it and end up limping. His potty breaks are all short walks, probably not the kind of potty break you are thinking of and he also gets a long walk (at east one daily). We have Finnigan's best interest in mind and are not ignorant on the topic of HD so there is no need to question the situation. What I'm looking for is nutritional information and I thank you for what you had to offer.
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I don't want to argue this because no matter what I say I cannot make anyone fully understand. I assure you he gets exercise and I know how important it is. I've talked to enough doctors and breeders on top of all the research I have done to be well informed. He gets a minimum of 4 walks a day no matter what and that's on top of all the running aorund he does in the house. As I said before, exercise advice is not what I'm looking for. I've already received wonderful exercise advise from the mycorgi members in previous conversations. I want to discuss foods and the roles the different nutrients play. Yes I did ask for weight loss tips but if you notice, I specifically asked for feeding tips. I understand the exercise part but as we all know, the key to losing weight is diet and exercise. I want to learn more about the diet side; food/nutrition as well as what has helped other people's dogs lose weight.
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Thank you Kerry, I have read every bit of information you have had to offer and as noted before, it is appreciated when it is on topic. When every comment comes back around to my inadequate exercise regimen for him and you even go as far as to say that perhaps I should just buy him a cart now, then of course I am going to point out that this conversation is getting off track. Once again Kerry, I appreciate the nutritional comments, that is what I am looking for. Despite how you may perceive my intentions, I am not looking for some miracle food, I never even said I had a problem with the food he is currently being fed. In fact, not once did I ask for a brand recommendation and have even said myself that there isn't a food that has it all. It's not about that, it's about understanding canine nutrition and knowing what function each nutrient supports. I'm sorry if you misunderstood.
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