Weight Control Diet?

Hello,

Has anyone had luck with a certain brand of weight control food? My 3 year old is tipping the scales at 21 pounds and my vet has old me it is time for the extra weight to come off so we don't run into future health problems as he ages.

I have been feeding him a reduced fat food for about 6 months and he has been getting exercise since I added another Cav puppy to the mix who he chases endlessly. But I don't think the food is working since the weight is not budging. I also have him on low fat treats that he gets on occasion and we have seriously cut back on his greenie consumption. Any experience is greatly appreciated!!

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Catharine- Proud mom of Bentley (3 yr blen) and Aston (10 mo blen)

Forgot the reduced fat food and just stop feeding any treats except fruit or vegetables, and cut his food by a third or in half. He'll lose weight that way without having to eat expensive empty filler -- which is what diet foods are. Add some veg, like a handful of frozen green beans, to the food dish if you want to add some healthier low-cal roughage.

If he hasn;t lost weight with what you are doing and there's no medical reason for failure to lose weight, there's only one answer: less food, more exercise, or both together.

How much are you feeding? I'd not give more than half a cup of normal food a day as a starting point. And *measure* it, don't guess!

Also only feed him once a day. Most people keep topping up the food dish as half a cup or less food looks very little in a dish. Try buying a very small food dish so half a cup or whatever you feed looks like a good amount.

I would pretty much agree with Karlin except I would feed twice a day just so his tummy is never really empty or too full.

You could start by reducing the amount of food but replacing it with veg such as grated carrot then gradually reduce the amount overall as time goes on. Weigh every week if you can so you know if what you are doing is working and cut out those treats and distract at treat time with play or exercise. For the odd reward use fresh fruit or veg I'm sure he'll love it.

Also make sure the food you are feeding is of good quality and not full of fillers and carbs. Good luck with it all, it is hard when they keep giving you those sad I'm starving eyes.

I know how you feel. Honey has always had a problem with keeping weight off as she has trouble with her legs and can't excercise much

It is difficult at the start as they may plague you for more food but eventually they get used to the smaller amount of food.

Try feeding veggies in between meals if he is really hungry. Also try giving some of his food in a treat ball as it takes him longer to finish his dinner. This will also keep him occupied and gives him a bit of excercise.

One more thing - keep an eye that he doesnt steal food from your other dog

Good luck :flwr:

And try giving him ice cubes for treats. Ours love them; 0 calories and fat.

Cutting back the regular food and then adding veggies is how I got Chester to shed 2 lbs. He was pushing 22 lbs at one point and so I cut his food back to just under a 1/2 cup a day and added green beans, peas, and/or carrots or whatever other veggie he would eat and he was still getting a big bowl of food and was very happy. He is now a very healthy 20 lbs and he still gets veggies every day with his 1/2 cup of regular kibble! I also give him a little evening snack of some more green beans with a spoon full of plain yogurt or cottage cheese and he loves it!

If you add a little rough bran (ie horse or the type you buy in healthfood shops) to his food, it will help his digestive system and make him feel more full on reduced rations.

Thank you for all of the tips! I will definitely ditch the reduced fat food asap.

I feed him about a cup and a half so I will drop down to 3/4 a cup and add some veggies. For frozen veggies, do you feed them frozen or thaw them out? Also, are the veggies/fruit in addition to the 3/4 cup or included? I know fruit was also mention, any particular kind of fruit? I know there are some fruits that are bad for dogs. Thanks again for all of your suggestions, we are going to beat this weight thing!

What brand of food are you feeding him? That sounds like a huge amount of food. Never go by what the food bag says.

I feed Geordie 1/3 cup in the morning and evening. He stays at a perfect weight on that amount plus veg snacks and 1/2 biscuit for a treat.

I give them frozen cut green beans, just 2 or 3 pieces for a snack, frozen!