Dog needs to lose weight

Mrs Garth Brooks

Been to the yearly check up on tuesday and vet told me my (the family's) dog needs to lose weight. She has put on alot of weight over the past year. Something which i feel so bad about cause its our own fault.

I am not for 1 minute passing on the blame cause i should have walked her more but this winter was very hard. But 1 rule i have always stuck to was no human food, no scraps and no cat food but it seems as if it just falls on deaf ears with other people.

I have seen family members give her small chunks of cheese, buttered toast, half left over rolls brought home after work and god knows what else the dog gets when im in work and don't have an eye on them.

Reading up on weight loss and just giving her a slice of buttered toast is the equivalent of a hamburger to us and those small chunks of cheese is the equivalent of 1 and a half burgers. That's shocking.

Just coming home after work this week and checking out the cat's food bowls. I am really obsessed about it. The cat never finishes his food, ever. He doesn't eat much either and yet we're still getting through 6cans since sunday. When i come home his bowls are left on the floor and completely cleared. My only guess is the dog gets to it and no one gives a fuk.

I have written up a page with rules and a list of problems the dog can end up and stuck it on the presses and the fridge. But what else can i do? I thought after the vet saying she needs to lose weight, they might cop on.

This diet is going to be useless if no one pulls their weight and stick to the rules.
Has anyone ever had to put their dog on a diet and how have they put up with "ah, its only a slice of bread". (Ya, only a slice of bread! A slice today, a slice tomorrow, it all adds up)

mymo

My Granny had the same problem with the dog, he got quite big and was getting stiff. She had a chat with everyone and persuaded them one day to put anything they wanted to give the dog into a basin and at the end of the day they could all see just how much they were over feeding the poor dog.
It was quite an eye opener, even though the younger kids didn't stick to it to well, the older ones and adults all did and the dog lost the weight pretty quick after that.
I think it was that they all saw just what they gave the dog and didn't think of all the others thinking the same.

As for the cat food, I feed mine on a windowsill as the dogs love it so much. Is there somewhere up above the dogs reach you could put the food?

star-pants

Have to just echo what mymo has said - it's a good eye opener, and a good idea to keep cat food where the dogs can't reach it.

Our dog was starting to get a lil pudgy so I had stern words with the family over feeding treats or tidbits etc. If they did get a treat during the day I'd make sure everyone knew they'd had one, so someone else didn't go 'awh bet the dog would like a treat' etc.
You just need to be very very stern with the family -explain the health risks every time they give a 'treat'. Anything that's sticky or sugary will just add to teeth problems as well as weight.

Graces7

We have a similar problem ie overweight, with our rescued collie, simply because she was half starved for five years and thus when her diet was normalised, she piled the weight on. Also she steals whenever she can of course because she never knew when her next meal would arrive, if it ever did,

So now she and the other dog and cats are fed apart so there can be no stealing or cleaning up.

And that includes bird feeding out of her reach. She will wolf anything.

And we are very strict with ourselves as well as with her.

We are winning slowly.

fozzle

Mymo's suggestion is probably a good one, I know how difficult it can be to make people believe they're overfeeding a dog - our guy stays with family whenever we're away and they swear blind they don't give him stuff, but I've seen them absentmindedly pass him down a chocolate biscuit, just cos they did it for their old dog (who was horribly overweight). Unfortuneatly all you can do is keep telling them over and over, and yeah, if they can actually see what they're feeding him it may help. And I'd definately try to find somewhere else to feed the cat - ours eats on her own little table under the stairs that's just too tall for the dog.

ghost_ie

I had the same problem with our eldest dog. As well as stopping the family giving her titbits, I also had to feed her and the other two in separate rooms as, being bigger than them, she'd gobble her own food and then push them out of the way to get at theirs.

In spite of this she lost very little weight and the two youngest were beginning to look rather pudgy. It was only when I actually weighed out her food one morning I realised I'd been feeding all three of them far too much, so I literally halved the amount of food I gave them. All three are now at a healthy weight.

Mrs Garth Brooks

Thanks for all the info, il try my best to get everyone to stick to it. And i'm getting her out walking more which i'm loving myself. Would love to get a wetsuit and take her swimming too. She won't go in on her own. Would the water be too cold for her during this time of year?

nearly

Slightly off topic, but I noticed my cats gaining weight, even though I had not changed their measured diet.

Then I started to see something suspicious. Saba would come home licking his chops... I think the neighbors are feeding our cats!

They are not yet one year old, and the female has been getting these two fat paunches on her belly. I wish my neighbors wouldn't feed our cats...

It may not be they are specifically feeding them.. because there are alot of street cats who don't seem to go home at night. The food could be for them. But I don't know what to do, short of keeping our cats in all the time

Graces7

Yep; cats are opportunists... Where we lived before this happened; the house down the road had two outdoor cats and one of mine would eat with them.... and he was reported as sitting in an open window there until the lady gave him a piece of ham... He is huge... Not fat, but very large and fluffy.

nearly wrote: »

Slightly off topic, but I noticed my cats gaining weight, even though I had not changed their measured diet.

Then I started to see something suspicious. Saba would come home licking his chops... I think the neighbors are feeding our cats!

They are not yet one year old, and the female has been getting these two fat paunches on her belly. I wish my neighbors wouldn't feed our cats...

It may not be they are specifically feeding them.. because there are alot of street cats who don't seem to go home at night. The food could be for them. But I don't know what to do, short of keeping our cats in all the time

fuelinjection

Fair play for noticing the dog's weight and doing something about it.
Nothing more sad to see than a dog that cannot walk properly - even if it was fed with "love".
Dogs do not have an OFF switch when it comes to food and will over-eat if the food is there. This is because in the wild they would return home to the pups and throw-up the extra food for them to eat. When you don't know where the next meal comes from it makes sense.

Mrs Garth Brooks

I need some food tips and how to get her to eat. The vet recommended Hills's prescription r/d food and to mix it in with her normal food for a week. That seems like a simple rule to follow but my dog never liked dried food on its own and we have tried alot over the past few years. We mix it with canned food but only she would eat the meat and leave the nuts.

Even trying before and trying to get her used to eating dry food only. We would mix up the food with canned food for a week and start giving her the dry food. She would always turn her nose up at them and start begging. She would go without eating but she can beg. So we always ended up with canned food again. This can also be bad for their teeth.

I can see this happening again. How do we get her to eat the nuts and stop starving herself? I have tried pouring warm water over them and giving her bowl to the cat (she always gets jealous of the cat but she is more than happy to leave it to the cat).

mymo

The dog will eat the nuts eventually if its not getting scraps or treats, I sometimes chuck the left over veg and meat into the dogs bowls with the nuts, or use it to stuff their kongs, its not every day and quite irregular so they never know when they're getting it. Every so often they decide they don't want the nuts, so I just pick them up after a half hour and don't put them down until next meal is due.
8month old pup will eat at next meal, other ones a year older and can and has hold out for 3 days before. He's not interested in food really, and was quite thin for a while(had to feed him up a bit as vet said he was too thin) but he won't starve. If the dog is used to having food all day just offer the food 3 times during the day to start, then extend time to get to two feeds a day.
You'll feel a bit mean for a while but its worth it.

Graces7

Amen to this.

Our cats do this; refuse the kibble for a day hoping they will get more raw chicken.

They will not starve themselves.

The collie here will eat anything. Whereas the wee dog is more selective and likes to graze.

mymo wrote: »

The dog will eat the nuts eventually if its not getting scraps or treats, I sometimes chuck the left over veg and meat into the dogs bowls with the nuts, or use it to stuff their kongs, its not every day and quite irregular so they never know when they're getting it. Every so often they decide they don't want the nuts, so I just pick them up after a half hour and don't put them down until next meal is due.
8month old pup will eat at next meal, other ones a year older and can and has hold out for 3 days before. He's not interested in food really, and was quite thin for a while(had to feed him up a bit as vet said he was too thin) but he won't starve. If the dog is used to having food all day just offer the food 3 times during the day to start, then extend time to get to two feeds a day.
You'll feel a bit mean for a while but its worth it.

Little A

I agree with the suggestions for kibble - better for the dog & you can persuade them (may take a few days). My sister was adament that her dog would refuse to eat kibble - I minded her dog for 3 days and it was all sorted by day 3, the dog was eating his bowl of kibble in minutes.

I'd recommend you go for good quality food (better for the dog and they need significantly less than the cheap brands). Put the food in the bowl and allow the dog 10 mins to eat it all up - then remove the bowl. Do the same at each meal time ...vital that you remove the food so the dog doesn't just graze...they need to know that this is meal time and if they don;t eat it, they lose it. There must be no treats, scraps, cat food etc or you'll be fighting a losing battle.....doesn't matter how much the dog begs. Down the road (when the dog loses the weight) use any quality titbits for training only - so they have to work hard for it....but you need to factor that into their overall daily food allowance & shouldn't be too much.

Plus up their exercise routine - a few small walks a day to break them in slowly!!

My sisters dog has now lost all the excess weight, he's full of life & his coat looks fab.

Tell the rest in you house, that if they really love the dog, they will stick to the plan.

Orla K

I've been having this trouble as well, and it's not even my dog! (if it was she would have never gotten fat) Today really annoyed me, I wasn't able to take them out in the really cold weather and I have only recently started taking them for walks, today I took her for a walk in town and her harness would hardly fit her she's gotten even fatter over the winter. The worst thing was she ran in the door ahead of me and when I got to the kitchen my father(the owner) said he'd given just her a chocolate biscuit. Later that day I saw someone else give her one. I killed myself bringing her on a long walk only for them to give her chocolate biscuits when I came back. Teresa (other owner) is on my side with the weight loss thing but everybody else gives her 'treats' because she is an awful begger of a dog(which when I minded her for a week she got out of)

At this point we did try everything except bringing my father(the main treat giver) and the dog to the vet nurse to explain the dogs weight.

The recent weight gain is probably down to their moving house, doing up the new one and with everything going on, including teresa being very sick both dogs were being fed together + treats.

If I can get my father to the vet nurse, I'll let you know how successful or disappointing it is. If it isn't it might have to be that the dog stays with me for a while for a diet doggy boot camp:D but that's going to be the last straw because I've a cat that attacks the dogs (the cat is bigger than one and the fat dog is only a little bigger than the cat but much heavier)

Mrs Garth Brooks

Can anyone recommend any food? The dog won't eat them for the life of her. Of course she lost a bit of weight but i think its down to starvation. She will eat a couple of mouthfuls but nowhere near as what she's meant to eat. Is that how they are meant to lose weight, give them yukky food?

I have tried quite alot of brands over the years and she is fussy with them all. Burns, royal canin, eukanuba, now on hills (thought i would try it cause the vet recommend it and it had a measuring cup). The dog is robbing me. She quite liked pedigree and thinking about changing her back onto it, so I bought a kitchen scales, so i can measure out the food and give her the exact amount.

I don't want her to starve.

andreac

What food is she on at the mo then?

You need to be persistant and not give in to her, shes holding out for something tastier that shes used to getting. By her not eating she wants you teo feel sorry for her and give her something tastier.

Routine is the trick and patience and be strong too. Trust me, a dog will not starve itself.

Put the food down, leave it with the dog for 15 mins, this give the dog plenty of time to eat it. Once the 15mins are up, take up the bowl whether eaten or not. Make sure you offer absol nothing until next mealtime, this way the dog realises that it eats the food as it gets nothing else until next mealtime.

This could take a few days as the dog has learned how to play you and hold out for something nicer as you feel sorry for it.

Keep repeating the process but ensure the food is not left down to free feed, take up once 15 mins are up and dont offer anything, no treats at all until the next mealtime.

The dog will soon get the message, but this could take a few days so hold out and be strong.

Magill

Maybe you should stop being so lazy and take the dog for a walk more often... I have never seen a dog that didnt REALLY love to get out for a walk. If you really cant (to lazy to do it yourself) then ask some1 else in the house or even pay them a couple of quid.

As for dog foods, i wouldn't recommend any commerical dog food as they're pretty much all nothing but complete ****e and do more harm than good. But what andreac said is how you should get her used to it.

Rainbowsend

Have been reading with interest this thread on tubby pets, my cocker spaniel has to lose about 4kg and I am finding it really hard to find a food that will satisfy her and help in the weight department. I have tried all the usual foods, tinned, dried, prescription but she still stays the same weight.

I have decided to put her on steamed chicken/carrots/brownrice but would like to know how much I should give her. I also put about a tablespoon of bran mixed in. She is 4 years old, spayed and gets a daily walk, no titbits bar one dental stick a day.

Any advice would be appreciated

andreac

Rainbowsend wrote: »

Have been reading with interest this thread on tubby pets, my cocker spaniel has to lose about 4kg and I am finding it really hard to find a food that will satisfy her and help in the weight department. I have tried all the usual foods, tinned, dried, prescription but she still stays the same weight.

I have decided to put her on steamed chicken/carrots/brownrice but would like to know how much I should give her. I also put about a tablespoon of bran mixed in. She is 4 years old, spayed and gets a daily walk, no titbits bar one dental stick a day.

Any advice would be appreciated

I would try feeding her less the daily recommending allowance as not all dogs need exactly this.
Try cutting out the dental stick too and maybe give her a carrot or something to chew on instead.

I would up her exercise as well, lengthen the walk session and try getting her to do extra like chasing a ball etc.

If you dont see her losing weight then decrease the food a little bit more. There are light foods you can get with lower protein and fat content, have you tried these?

Bookkeeper09

andreac wrote: »

I
Try cutting out the dental stick too and maybe give her a carrot or something to chew on instead.

Is a potato bad for dogs??
was peeling some the other day and dog stuck her head into the bag and grabbed one and munched through it!

andreac

Bookkeeper09 wrote: »

Is a potato bad for dogs??
was peeling some the other day and dog stuck her head into the bag and grabbed one and munched through it!

Cooked is fine, but raw and skins wouldnt be very good for them, but one isnt going to do much harm so just be careful that she doesnt eat too many.

Bookkeeper09

Didnt think it'd be the best in the world for her but she did really seem to love it so said id ask!
Thanks!!

Rainbowsend

andreac wrote: »

I would try feeding her less the daily recommending allowance as not all dogs need exactly this.
Try cutting out the dental stick too and maybe give her a carrot or something to chew on instead.

What is the daily allowance? all the preparatory foods differ quite a bit and now that I am cooking my own I am really not sure how much to give her, I am at the moment giving her a cupful for her main meal and about 1/2 cup in the morning, does that sound about right?

Orla K

Rainbowsend wrote: »

What is the daily allowance? all the preparatory foods differ quite a bit and now that I am cooking my own I am really not sure how much to give her, I am at the moment giving her a cupful for her main meal and about 1/2 cup in the morning, does that sound about right?

It'll be hard to tell you without the size of the dog and how active it is.

Have you thought about asking in the vets, where I'm from the vet nurse sees animals for free about things weight loss. Maybe a vet around you has something similar that they can advice you on.

Rainbowsend

Orla K wrote: »

It'll be hard to tell you without the size of the dog and how active it is.

Have you thought about asking in the vets, where I'm from the vet nurse sees animals for free about things weight loss. Maybe a vet around you has something similar that they can advice you on.

Yep have been to the vets, as in most vets they recommend Hills Precriptives but if you go to the independant dog analysis website, there are a lot of iffy ingredients and very little nourishment in it, as with most dog foods...costs a fortune too. Thats why I opted to cook my own and it actually works out cheaper! I am going to do a bit more research on how much to feed and will let you know what I find out.

I know cockers are prone to weight gain, especially if spayed, so hopefully now that the longer evenings are in I can up the exercise routine too, which will help.

Thanks for the input

ps....She weighs 17.4kg at the moment and needs to get rid of about 4kg (a lot for a smallish dog to be carrying)

Orla K

Rainbowsend wrote: »

Yep have been to the vets, as in most vets they recommend Hills Precriptives but if you go to the independant dog analysis website, there are a lot of iffy ingredients and very little nourishment in it, as with most dog foods...costs a fortune too. Thats why I opted to cook my own and it actually works out cheaper! I am going to do a bit more research on how much to feed and will let you know what I find out.

I know cockers are prone to weight gain, especially if spayed, so hopefully now that the longer evenings are in I can up the exercise routine too, which will help.

Thanks for the input

What I meant is they will help you out with portion size even when it's your own food. It might be easier than getting the size over the internet.

Also have you considered a raw food diet for the dog, a few posters here know a bit about it, I did consider it for my cat and it looks to be healthier for them than cooked food.

lorebringer

I have a bitch the balooned after being spayed - even though we watched everything she ate etc. Out of experience, the best light foods out there (my opinon only!) are Arden Grange or James Wellbeloved. Light foods are designed to fill them up without the loads of calories, thus the reason I chose that route (she's hungry all the time!). Also, adding a bit of veg to the food is a great way to bulk it up without bulking up the dog - peas and such, cooked from frozen is fine. Starchy foods (eg. the common spud) are not good options because they have quite a bit of fattening power (generally, fed to bulk up underweight dogs).

She is now a good weight (allbeit, a little on the heavy end of the spectrum but she is a big dog for her breed - or so I'm told! ) and we switched her back onto a normal food about a year ago and all is going well so far!

Just remember, you are aiming for slow and steady weight loss in order to keep it off. If they shrink too fast they re far more likely to put it all back on.

paultf

Rainbowsend wrote: »

Yep have been to the vets, as in most vets they recommend Hills Precriptives but if you go to the independant dog analysis website, there are a lot of iffy ingredients and very little nourishment in it, as with most dog foods...costs a fortune too. Thats why I opted to cook my own and it actually works out cheaper! I am going to do a bit more research on how much to feed and will let you know what I find out.

I know cockers are prone to weight gain, especially if spayed, so hopefully now that the longer evenings are in I can up the exercise routine too, which will help.

Thanks for the input

ps....She weighs 17.4kg at the moment and needs to get rid of about 4kg (a lot for a smallish dog to be carrying)

How about this for some exercise for your dog. In today's Irish Times - a bit of agility training!

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/features/2010/0330/1224267338298.html

Rainbowsend

That looks great fun, thanks for all the help

doggiewalker00

That looks like fun,was thinking of starting doing some agility with mine.

as far as loosing the weight,ive a cav and they are pretty prone putting on weight because of thier inactivity.when shes puts ona few extra pounds ive always found reducing her food by a 3rd always works
I dont know how much food you give.I use a cup that has measures in grms you can get them in the vets.if its already not getting that much food.you could give her more excercise(if she already gets a daily walk) maybe try twice a day.

also some of the treats you give dogs can have loads of callories
dentastixs are very fattening,
try JWB crackerjacks thier very healthy and good for your dog,