Overweight dog - advice needed

CookieMonster.x

We have a golden retriever male. He's around 4 years old although we really don't know as we got him in the shelter in 2007. He was around 46kg the last time we were at the Vets (around March, unrelated issue to his weight). Looking back on the pictured when we first got him, he has actually just gotten so fat although I think he still was a puppy when we got him.
I want to do something about his weight. It has gotten to the point that he won't play much. Say for instance, I would get him interested in his toy and play a bit of tug o war, but when he won't get it, he just drops it.
He gets a good walk in the forest (around 4 miles at least) but it's not everyday I do have to admit. Please don't give out to me about it, I know it already.
So I'm taking this summer now to get him back active. I have already reduced his food. Does anyone have any tips for this.
I was thinking of making him run on the lead (as in start off slowly) and then reward him with a walk. Or is this a bad idea? I'm also hoping to teach him some more commands, he only knows sit and stay so I'm hoping to just teach 1 or two more such as come or lie down.

Thanks for any input, it's really appreciated.

EDIT: I know all the risks associated with obesity, please don't attack me because we have let him get overweight. And sorry if there are posts about this already.

Chorcai

Walking machine ? some dogs love em.

CookieMonster.x

Inexpensive would be great

toadfly

What food is he on?

CookieMonster.x

He takes Bakers moist chunks, either chicken or the beef/meat one. We can't really be affording to buy the dearer ones. I know you shouldn't abruptly change your dogs food, it is ok to alternate the flavours within the same brand though, isn't it?

belongtojazz

Bakers are not a good food, my dog trainer equated it to McDonalds for dogs :rolleyes: They are also really not that cheap, it is best if possible to go to a pet store for your food rather than relying on the supermarket brands.

My springer got a bit overweight during the winter by a couple of Kilos so I changed his food to a resting dog mix, and I have worked the socks off him. He gets no treats unless he has earned them and I have been walking him for at least an hour EVERY day. I know finding the time can be a pain (I currently work 50 miles from where I live and I have a 12 yr old who thinks I am her personal taxi driver) but to be honest I am also feeling the benefit from putting the time in (and I've lost weight myself)
He really does need to know more commands 'come' being the most important one.

When he is a bit fitter if you have a bike you could take him out on that and get him to run alongside. That is my next plan with my 2. Oh and another one if you live anywhere near the sea or lake etc, swimming and playing in the water is brilliant exercise and loads of fun

Good luck with him

Edit, I meant to add my guy has lost all of the extra weight plus a little more, just had him groomed and he looks really sleek now

CookieMonster.x

belongtojazz wrote: »

Bakers are not a good food, my dog trainer equated it to McDonalds for dogs :rolleyes: They are also really not that cheap, it is best if possible to go to a pet store for your food rather than relying on the supermarket brands.

My springer got a bit overweight during the winter by a couple of Kilos so I changed his food to a resting dog mix, and I have worked the socks off him. He gets no treats unless he has earned them and I have been walking him for at least an hour EVERY day. I know finding the time can be a pain (I currently work 50 miles from where I live and I have a 12 yr old who thinks I am her personal taxi driver) but to be honest I am also feeling the benefit from putting the time in (and I've lost weight myself)
He really does need to know more commands 'come' being the most important one.

When he is a bit fitter if you have a bike you could take him out on that and get him to run alongside. That is my next plan with my 2. Oh and another one if you live anywhere near the sea or lake etc, swimming and playing in the water is brilliant exercise and loads of fun

Good luck with him

Thanks, what food would you recommend apart from the ones you buy in the vets? My parents have 2 rents to pay and another starting September so it's not really an option. I know there's no good food available in the supermarket but anything that's good available there we'll get. Would buying cheap leftover meat (or whatever it is you do) in the butchers and cooking it be better?
Oh, and for the bike idea, my parents are getting me and my sister bikes soon and I had that idea in mind.

Thanks for the quick replies everyone.

belongtojazz

I'll leave the food recommendations to the experts on here
The food I feed mine is called Sneyds wonderdog resting mix and I get it through my dog trainer here in the UK at a silly cheap price, I'm gonna make you all jealous now.... I pay £13 sterling for 15kg that lasts me about 6 weeks for my 2 (mind you one of my dogs only ways 6kg and the other one is down to 21kg so they don't need much) and my dogs thrive on it. I'm sure though if you check out the likes of Zooplus.ie and other petfood suppliers you'll find that you are probably paying more for the bakers.

andreac

You could get red mills (Leader or Supreme)for about 35 euro for a big bag and this would last you more than a month. I know it might sound expensive but these foods are better quality and last longer. So a big bag 15kg, would last more than a month so thats less than 10euro a week which really isnt that much when you think about it.

tk123

Our GR is 11 months and is having problems with his legs so we decided to try and get him to slim down - he was 32 kgs and now he's 30 in about 2 months.

CookieMonster.x wrote: »

He takes Bakers moist chunks, either chicken or the beef/meat one. We can't really be affording to buy the dearer ones. I know you shouldn't abruptly change your dogs food, it is ok to alternate the flavours within the same brand though, isn't it?

Our guy is on Burns because it's not full of chemicals etc, agrees with him, he had nice poops etc etc - I should get comission from Mr Burns because I'm always singing it's praises! A big bag is approx €54 on zooplus which may seem expensive compared to Bakers BUT he's only on 250 grams a day so that works out at approx €27 a month to feed him - so only €6.75 a week - surley this isn't that much more expensive than Bakers?

Anyhoos he gets 100grams for breakfast and dinner and the other 50 goes into a jar for treats for training/when we're out for a walk/bribing him to get stuff back. He gets 1 big Bonio after his walk in the morning and he might get a couple of other treats if does all his tricks/stays without barking etc etc. And thats it for food.

Excercise wise he's still a pup and has sore legs so we're limited to an hour max but he has a good swim etc as it's not heavy on his joints and a stoll around the park or will play fetch with us in the garden.

Once you cut back on the his food he'll be a lot more willing to exercise/learn commands if he knows he's getting some food out of it!

Also if the vet tells you to put him on Hills R/D be carefull cos when our guy was on it we could have opened up a manure plant with what he was doing!:pac:

hadook

I suggest moving him to a kibble instead of the tinned stuff as it's easier to judge portion size and, in my opinion, overweight dogs tend to loose weight faster on a properly controlled dry food.

Dr Johns Silver isn't a bad dry food and you should be able to get it in most pet shops. A 15kg bag will set you back less than 30quid. Also have a look out for Autarky (again around the 30 quid mark for 15kg) or Arkwright (about 15 quid for 15kg) dog foods.

Have you tried feeding raw vegetables as treats instead of high calorie foods? Mine quite like carrots

CookieMonster.x

Oh yes, he eats the dry food. I'll ask my parents about buying different food, because his food already is relatively dear (they think), they would rather buy him a Tesco or Dunnes brand (I have banned these, he doesn't eat them anyway). There are few brands that he will actually eat though. And I really don't think my mum would be too happy if I took carrots for him
Thanks for all the help!

tk123

CookieMonster.x wrote: »

And I really don't think my mum would be too happy if I took carrots for him
Thanks for all the help!

Green beans and peppers are our guys fav! :rolleyes::D

Mrs Garth Brooks

Its very important that everyone in the house keeps to the rules. My dog has been on a diet since march. She only had to lose around 7kg and its impossible with the ignorant people im living with.

I have been saying the same thing over and over and over again since march. And im getting so pissed off with it. No one cares about the poor thing. I got a food scales to weigh out her food. I have been breaking my ass off walking her. I have even lost weight. The dog has only lost 3kg! And why? because everyone gives her scraps. My mother bought the fussy cat a cheaper can of cat food. He didn't eat it. She gave it to the dog. My 18 stone sister saw the dog rob the cats food once and made no effort to stop her. Just because she scoffs her face with food, its ok for the dog.

She has yet another 4kg to lose and we should be at the end of this diet but at the rate this is carrying on it'll be october before she reaches her target weight.

Im going back to college in september and moving away and i dont know what to do with the animals. They're the families pets really but no one cares about them. Their vet check up, vaccinations, neuturing operations were up to me. And with this whole weight thing, no one cares about the dog. Im in tears as i write this.

Zapperzy

Take him off the bakers and put him onto a better quality food, red mills is ok price wise and can be got in most petshops, the leader range is best, and it also comes in a light version. Feed slightly less than the reccommended amount and up his daily exercise, even little things like more play sessions during the day or even a few short walks on top of his long walk can make a big difference. Cut out all treats and scraps, if your training him with food then make sure whatever you give him is taken out of his daily ration. Make sure everyone in the house knows, and complies, with this. Fruit and veg are healthy snacks that you can use as treats, my fella loves carrots either whole or chopped up.

Running alongside a bike is good exercise but make sure to gradually increase the distance and time your cycling for, he won't be fit for long marathons yet! Also make sure he's well behaved on the lead if your holding the lead while cycling, golden retrievers are big dogs and could easily pull you off your bike or into traffic if he see's something he wants to chase! You can get attachments that stick out of the bike and you attach the lead to this, it saves you holding the lead and prevents him from running under your wheels.
You could make his walks more interesting by getting one of those ball flingers and making him run more on walks.

Good on you for actually caring and recognizing that your dog is overweight.

niallers1

Feed him once per day and reduce the portion size. 1 jug of dry food per day is plenty

Do not feed him any more than this. Do not add gravy or any scraps or bread to his food. If you do then reduce the amount of dog food you give him.

neelyohara

@hardluckwoman

I feel your pain. My dog is FINALLY losing weight and it's not about training her... it's about training the adults she is in contact with.

My main problem is that she doesn't like dry food. I spent a fortune on different types of dry food... to the point that I actually wrote to companies asking for samples because I couldn't afford to buy yet another brand only for her to turn her nose up at it.

As she wasn't eating her food it was believed she was 'starving' and therefore 'needed' treats because 'she hasn't had any food today'.

I've finally found a low fat wet food that she loves. She gets ONE low fat treat per day and it's as a reward for going to the toilet before bed - it's her routine (and she was hell to toilet train). Since she's seen to wolf down her food everyone is happy that she's not actually 'starving' and have stopped feeding her. She's lost 4kg in 3 months and I can see the rest coming off quickly with the fantastic weather we are having.

It's actually surprising at the turn around... a visitor was nearly attacked when they offered her a biscuit!!! Plus since she's full she's not bothering anyone to get food.

Maybe in your case you should consider finding a new home for the dog. It's clear as day that you love him dearly and I imagine it would kill you to find that your good work was being undone when you were away.

Is there any chance that you could take him with you when you go to college?

@cookiemonster.x

Honestly... try a pet store, do you live near a maxizoo? Such a huge range of food there. When you buy in bulk it can appear to be expensive but you're actually buying several weeks worth of quality food and it really works out as being cheaper in the long run.

Good job on tackling the issue now - I hope you get lots of support from the family!

belongtojazz

HardLuckWoman wrote: »

Its very important that everyone in the house keeps to the rules. My dog has been on a diet since march. She only had to lose around 7kg and its impossible with the ignorant people im living with.

I have been saying the same thing over and over and over again since march. And im getting so pissed off with it. No one cares about the poor thing. I got a food scales to weigh out her food. I have been breaking my ass off walking her. I have even lost weight. The dog has only lost 3kg! And why? because everyone gives her scraps. My mother bought the fussy cat a cheaper can of cat food. He didn't eat it. She gave it to the dog. My 18 stone sister saw the dog rob the cats food once and made no effort to stop her. Just because she scoffs her face with food, its ok for the dog.

She has yet another 4kg to lose and we should be at the end of this diet but at the rate this is carrying on it'll be october before she reaches her target weight.

Im going back to college in september and moving away and i dont know what to do with the animals. They're the families pets really but no one cares about them. Their vet check up, vaccinations, neuturing operations were up to me. And with this whole weight thing, no one cares about the dog. Im in tears as i write this.

Aah you poor thing it sounds like you are really trying for this poor dog. I wish I was able to come up with some magical solution for you but at the moment I can't
Is there anychance of you being able to reducata your family before you leave? maybe get some leaflets or print outs from the internet explaining the dangers of overfeeding dogs and leave them around where the family might read them?

I'm sorry I can't come up with more for you.

niallers1

Feed the dog dry food. Stay away from tinned food.

The dog will not starve. The dog will eat the dry food when it is hungry enough. The dog is overweight becuase it's eating the wrong food and too much of it.


There is no such thing as a dog that will not eat a particular brand of dog food or dry food. The dog will eat it when it is hungry enough to eat it.

CookieMonster.x

HardLuckWoman wrote: »

Its very important that everyone in the house keeps to the rules. My dog has been on a diet since march. She only had to lose around 7kg and its impossible with the ignorant people im living with.

I have been saying the same thing over and over and over again since march. And im getting so pissed off with it. No one cares about the poor thing. I got a food scales to weigh out her food. I have been breaking my ass off walking her. I have even lost weight. The dog has only lost 3kg! And why? because everyone gives her scraps. My mother bought the fussy cat a cheaper can of cat food. He didn't eat it. She gave it to the dog. My 18 stone sister saw the dog rob the cats food once and made no effort to stop her. Just because she scoffs her face with food, its ok for the dog.

She has yet another 4kg to lose and we should be at the end of this diet but at the rate this is carrying on it'll be october before she reaches her target weight.

Im going back to college in september and moving away and i dont know what to do with the animals. They're the families pets really but no one cares about them. Their vet check up, vaccinations, neuturing operations were up to me. And with this whole weight thing, no one cares about the dog. Im in tears as i write this.

I can almost say the same in my house! I try to tell my brother to stop giving him cheese (cheese of all foods) but he just doesn't listen. Thankfully now people have started to listen.


Thanks for helping everyone. Taking him to get his hair cut as he's extremely hot in this weather. Thanks again.

mymo

Do you live near a river or lake?
Swimming is great exercise and the water supports the dogs weight so easy on the joints. It would also help him cool off, so worth a try if theres anywhere nearby you could try.

CookieMonster.x

Yeh, we take him the the forest beside the river which is around a 10 minute walk from our house. The problem is, is that he won't go in. I've tried but he only goes in after a good run when he's really hot and he only goes in upto where his knees on humans would be. I would be worried that he'd get into difficulty breathing or something even though I'm sure he'd be grand.

belongtojazz

Hi CookieMonster, would you consider going in with him? I did that with my springer as he was only a paddler, and now he loves it. I just made sure I was wearing flipflops and shorts and I was prepared to get wet

paultf

CookieMonster.x wrote: »

He takes Bakers moist chunks, either chicken or the beef/meat one. We can't really be affording to buy the dearer ones. I know you shouldn't abruptly change your dogs food, it is ok to alternate the flavours within the same brand though, isn't it?

Bakers wouldn't really be the best. Red Mills, as already mentioned, would be a good & cheaper alternative. They're Irish and available in most pet stores. Costs around €36 for a 15kg bag.

Another one I have seen mentioned on this forum is Gain (gainfeeds.com). There ingredients seem similar to Red Mills, Irish manufactured and only costs around €20 for a 15kg bag. mobilepetshop.ie deliver. (They even do foods for large breeds.)

In the long run both these foods would work out cheaper than Bakers.

Its been already said: get your dog off Bakers, reduce his food, cut back on treats and exercise more!

Tony H

As many have already said , get him off the Bakers , I have a Golden Retriever (year and a half old) , we feed him a variety of decent quality foods , we change every so often so that he won't get too fussy , the brands we use are ,
James Wellbeloved , Orijen , Arden Grange and Burns ,

we buy his food on line from zooplus.co.uk and it only works out about a Euro a day overall , the orijen is slightly more expensive but well worth it,
Goldens really need to be walked every day , its good for the dog and good for yourself (not preaching) , I find with my fellow is that he loves walking with other dogs and they get more exercise when they are with other dogs ,
there are a few irish dogs sites where weekly dog walks are organised and where you can get good advice about feeding and exercise , http://www.topdog.ie/content.php and http://www.tailsandtrails.ie/ are two that I found really helpfull,
here's what my fellow looks like

http://pix.ie/antoinoheidhin/1643981/size/800

baaaa

Why not feed him what he is genetically geared to eat as opposed to dry food shapes from a plastic bag?

Wisco

Sounds like you're starting to make a good effort. If your dog likes to swim, you could try that. Swimming is great in terms of calorie burning and is also easier on joints than something like running, especially at the outset of a weight loss program. I'd be a bit careful on doing too much running, especially on pavement, as that could be a lot of stress on already stressed joints. Grass would be better. And like anyone or any dog that hasn't done much running ,you'd want to work up to it and not start off at too high a level.
As for diets, you could try something like Purina Beta Light- think it's around €35ish for a 15kg bag. The red mills varieties, epecially Leader, are probably ok too. Including veg is a great idea as well.
Also, most vets are happy to do bi-weekly weight checks (for free!) which is great because you can track your process and chat to nurses about other tips for weight loss (and yes, I know they may push weight loss diets, but explain that you don't want to spend on that and they'll often still have lots of helpful suggestions for you)
Good luck!!

Wisco

niallers1 wrote: »

Feed him once per day and reduce the portion size. 1 jug of dry food per day is plenty

Do not feed him any more than this. Do not add gravy or any scraps or bread to his food. If you do then reduce the amount of dog food you give him.

Feeding '1 jug' isn't really a great idea. You should weigh out the food going by the guidelines on your bag for your size dog (and take off a few kilos so your feeding for your target weight (ie, if he's 42kg now, feed for 39kg and keep reducing til you get to your target). Also, by feeding twice a day you'll reduce his habit of looking for more food because he won't be going as long without it.

niallers1

Wisco wrote: »

Feeding '1 jug' isn't really a great idea. You should weigh out the food going by the guidelines on your bag for your size dog (and take off a few kilos so your feeding for your target weight (ie, if he's 42kg now, feed for 39kg and keep reducing til you get to your target). Also, by feeding twice a day you'll reduce his habit of looking for more food because he won't be going as long without it.

If you feed twice per day you will get twice the dog poo.

CookieMonster.x

Is Chappie food ok? We fed my old dog that, and I read good reviews that it's recommended by vets online.
Does anyone have the price per kilo for Bakers and other good foods? I won't be in the shops for a while and I tried looking on the Tesco wesite but it doesn't seem to be working. Thanks.

paultf

CookieMonster.x wrote: »

Is Chappie food ok? We fed my old dog that, and I read good reviews that it's recommended by vets online.
Does anyone have the price per kilo for Bakers and other good foods? I won't be in the shops for a while and I tried looking on the Tesco wesite but it doesn't seem to be working. Thanks.

Don't know anything about Chappie. Can get it though on petconnection.ie - 15kg bag for £15.75 sterling.

A 6kg bag of Bakers Complete chicken & veg on Tesco's website: €14.49

You can get a 15kg bag of Pedigree Complete in Woodies for about €40. On zooplus.ie for €34.