Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by MollyJo on March 7, 2010 at 8:53pm

Oh and I was wondering, if you feed a dog once a day is that worse than twice a day? Cause he's only fed in the morning...

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Sarah C. on March 7, 2010 at 9:24pm

maybe dogs are like people and if you feed them more often, small meals, their metabolism will go faster? I don't know though.
Don't feel too bad. You can't be wonder woman. At least you're trying to fix it AND recognize its a problem.
Most people I see with fat corgis are just like "thats what they're SUPPOSED to look like" or "He's just a big boy!". Seeing the problem is half the solution.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on March 7, 2010 at 9:06pm

We all have our days of feeling we failed our dogs...it's what we do with that feeling that counts! Don't be too hard on yourself...start a new life for Tegan. He will need to slowly increase exercise and decrease food (add veggies). I like feeding mine 3 times a day...maybe it just makes me feel better like I'm not starving them.
There is no reason that Tegan can't go for long walks BUT he will need to work up to them and then this will help keep him in shape! Good Luck and give us updates!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Beth on March 7, 2010 at 9:24pm

But does he look fat? I have two. My girl goes around 28 pounds in top shape. But I just weighed my boy because he's looking skinny and he's at about 34; his ideal weight is 35 or 36 pounds and that would still be on the thin side. He's oversized and very solid.

Anyway, I prefer to feed twice a day, morning and evening. I looked up your food and it's high protein (42%) and high calorie (420 cal/cup) and 22% fat. Have you considered trying him on a more traditional kibble? Some dogs do fine on the high-protein grain-free performance kibbles, and others don't. They all metabolize differently. Mine right now are both getting about a cup a day. Jack was down to 2/3 of a cup but as I just mentioned, he got too skinny on that (my mistake; I had him losing and once he got where I wanted him I didn't up his feed, so I kept him on a weight-losing portion). But their food is only about 340 cal/cup and only about 23% protein.

And you don't fail as a mommy. You're a very good mommy to be so concerned! Half the dogs I see are obese and Corgis all have a goal in life of reaching 50 pounds. :) Jack topped off at 42 (about 5-6 pounds overweight for him) before I got him on something that worked; in the time between when he was 1 and 2, his activity level apparently changed and he chunked up on something that he was fine on before. Since we've added a second dog, he's busier again and able to get a bigger ration.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Alice on March 8, 2010 at 2:05pm

That is a high fat content. The calories don't seem extremely high to me but there certainly are some that are lower. I mentioned this on my post about Finn's hips but the specialist we just saw said cutting back the amount of kibble and adding green beans is a great way to help them lose weight. Finn gets 2/3 cup divided into two meals with some green beans in one meal. We're going to tweak that a little since he doesn't seem to be losing much (either that or our scale at home is way different than scales at vet's offices).

MollyJo, has the vet checked to see if there is a medical reason he's heavy? If he's only eating a 1/2 cup a day I would want them to do blood work and make sure everything is working properly.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Sky and Lyla on March 7, 2010 at 9:45pm

Two things are a red flag to me. The first is that he's only getting 1/2 a cup total food a day and is so overweight (is he actually overweight, or just on the large side of a corgi?). Really that isn't much food, even for a Corgi I wouldn't expect that to make him that overweight. The second is that he is having severe aggression toward your other dog. Those two things together could mean a thyroid problem. Is he ever aggressive towards people? Is the weight gain recent (he's been a healthy weight his whole life until recently)? If it's possible this could be a thyroid issue get him tested ASAP. A simple blood test will tell you if it is or isn't.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Ashley and Copper on March 7, 2010 at 9:48pm

No judgement here and you are absolutely NOT a bad mommy. First of all, you might not have even noticed he had gained much weight because you see him all the time. Do you know what I mean? Second of all, they all range in weight for their size. Like Beth said, her dog is a bit bigger and he ended up losing too much. It's hard to notice when you look at them everyday. Pooh at his heaviest was 32 pounds and he still looked a little thin. Copper is 6 months and 25 pounds and he is a little chunker. I exercise him something ridiculous plus he goes next door to my dad's to play with his dog at least 2 hours a day. I'm simply chalking it up to puppy fat and I have been adding more veggies and less kibble. Try carrots. I have never had a dog that didn't love carrots. Ice cubes also keep them busy if they like them and try throwing a ball around the house for him. Do you have steps in your house? I've noticed that since I've been throwing the balls up the steps for him, his muscle tone has gotten more definition and he seems less antsy. It wears them out also! Just be careful not to overdo it. Good luck!! I'm sure there are more people that will have great advice for you also!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Joanna Kimball on March 7, 2010 at 11:03pm

Can you post pictures of him - not his face, but from the side, front, and back? I can tell you if and approximately how much weight he needs to lose from that.

A good blood panel is definitely in order, but make sure that they "send out" the thyroid and get a TgAA. If they just do a T4 or something that won't tell you whether the thyroid is actually functioning; the dog keeps the circulating hormones at a relatively normal level until the thyroid is almost completely gone. You need to know if the TgAA is positive.

How many treats, bites from the table, sneaky bits from the Dane, etc. is he getting? Those can add up to a LOT. Also, a lot of dogs bulk up from stealing cat food, so if you have a cat make sure the food is in a place where he can't steal it.

Don't alter his food until you know that his body works properly and that you've eliminated extra calories from treats and unauthorized stealing, and you know how much he needs to lose. If you've got all your ducks in a row in that way, then you increase exercise and you combine a lower amount of food and fasting. Once or twice a week you give him a raw knuckle bone to chew on instead of his meal.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by John Wolff on March 7, 2010 at 11:57pm

Here's an interesting link: 70 lb corgi (sic)
From my own experience as a human, I'd suggest finding some fun game that gives him aerobic exercise -- to the point where his heart rate is up, he's panting, tongue hanging out for cooling -- for a human runner, this starts at about the first 3/4 mile, heart rate up, sweating, and first feeling "into it". I think some metabolic thing kicks in, glucagon or whatever -- but I know I can leave work feeling hungry, cranky, and tired, but if I can just get my shoes on and get out the door and run home, I arrive home feeling great and won't have an appetite for an hour. I think what really does it for Al & Gwynn is the soccer ball. They will chase that for longer than I'm willing to kick it. I need to hire a kid to play with my dogs. Match-head-sized treats are big enough.
Never make the mistake of looking directly into their eyes. That's how they control you minds.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Laura Jones on March 8, 2010 at 11:11am

I am always afraid that my corgis are overweight, I haven't weighed KC lately, last time she was around 27 pounds I think and Taz was 30.5 when he was neutered two weeks ago. KC just turned 2 and Taz is about 18 months. But the vet didn't say anything about him being overweight or on his way that direction. He actually weighed less than I thought he would.
Anyhoo, I think you are a good mommy and you care enough to fix the problem. Can't wait for updates.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Sarah C. on March 8, 2010 at 1:31pm

When you have to carry them anywhere, it always seems like they must be 10-20lbs overweight. xD

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Cindy P on March 8, 2010 at 7:36pm

Cragar weighs 37 lbs but he is in no way overweight. As a matter of fact I was going to start increasing his intake a bit because his ribs were just a little prominant. You need to take into account hi overall size and condition, not just his weight. The perfect corgi weight as specified in the handbook doesn't always apply. Maybe he really is a big boy.

• ▶ Reply

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• Next ›
• Page