lab overweight

cena

What is the best way to get the lab to lose a small bit of weight. He goes for walks everyday.

andreac

Cut back his portion sizes, stop giving treats if he gets them and increase the amount of exercise he gets. Vary his exercise more.
What are you feeding him at present?

Outkast_IRE

cena wrote: »

What is the best way to get the lab to lose a small bit of weight. He goes for walks everyday.

What brand and type of food are you feeding him ?

many of the off the shelf brands have loads of grains (wheat/maize etc) in them which are pure carbs , which dogs shouldnt have in their diet , and it contributes significantly to weight gain.
That and portion size are the two main problems.

cena

He has pedigree not the tin stuff the dry food stuff. He also had carrots,potatoes etc.

Outkast_IRE

cena wrote: »

He has pedigree not the tin stuff the dry food stuff. He also had carrots,potatoes etc.

Look honestly pedigree chum is mostly grains and not even what i would call real meat, im sorry to be blunt but its the McDonalds of the dog world.

And honestly its so crap you end up feeding the dog loads of it just so they get some nutrition.

I can personally reccomend Lukullus dry food.
http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dry_dog_food/lukullus

or Orjen works for some people but its much dearer
http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dry_dog_food/orijen

Taste of the wilid is another good food.
http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dry_dog_food/taste_of_the_wild

I would reccomend you get the biggest bag you can usally around 15kg and get a container to keep it fresh.

Put it this way, i have a large very active collie cross ,
i buy the 2x15kg bags of lukullus on offer for 95euros.

This would feed my dog for around 6 months. Thats about 3.80 a week
I would say you are spending similar on pedigree if not more ??

As these foods are far more nutricious you feed less , there are guidelines on the bag and you should try and stick to them, but also remember if your giving table scraps you can cut back their food slightly again .

Thats what i do and it works very well. Theres no problem with your feeding the dog some carrots potatoes etc, they are good for the dog in my opinion and mixed up with the dry food make it alot more enjoyable to them.

cena

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

Look honestly pedigree chum is mostly grains and not even what i would call real meat, im sorry to be blunt but its the McDonalds of the dog world.

And honestly its so crap you end up feeding the dog loads of it just so they get some nutrition.

I can personally reccomend Lukullus dry food.
http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dry_dog_food/lukullus

or Orjen works for some people but its much dearer
http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dry_dog_food/orijen

Taste of the wilid is another good food.
http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dry_dog_food/taste_of_the_wild

I would reccomend you get the biggest bag you can usally around 13kg and get a container to keep it fresh.

Put it this way, i have a large very active collie cross ,
i buy the 2x13.5kg bags of lukullus on offer for 95euros.

This would feed my dog for around 6 months. Thats about 3.80 a week
I would say you are spending similar on pedigree if not more ??
As these foods are far more nutricious you feed less , there are guidelines on the bag and you should try and stick to them, but also remember if your giving table scraps you can cut back their food slightly again .

Thats what i do and it works very well. Theres no problem with your feeding the dog some carrots potatoes etc, they are good for the dog in my opinion and mixed up with the dry food make it alot more enjoyable to them.

Not spending that everyweek. Really can't afford 95 euros on food.

He does love carrots potatoes

DBB

cena wrote: »

Not spending that everyweek. Really can't afford 95 euros on food.

He does love carrots potatoes

That amount of food would keep a lab going for the guts of 3 months, maybe longer, so you're looking at €4-5 per week.. that's not a lot for a Lab sized dog.. is it? Wouldn't have thought Pedigree would be much cheaper given that you have to feed more of it at each meal.
How much are you spending on the Pedigree at the moment?
I find that dogs fed on high-grain diets (Pedigree, Bakers, Hill's etc) tend to be bloated and bigger than they would be if on a grain free/low-grain diet. Just an observation.

Outkast_IRE

cena wrote: »

Not spending that everyweek. Really can't afford 95 euros on food.

He does love carrots potatoes

So how much does your pedigree chum cost now and how often do you need to buy it ? honestly when you get down to the nitty gritty math of it theres not that much of a difference.

If you wanna stick with the pedigree chum then look at the portion size you are feeding him, especially if you are supplemting it with potatoes etc.
Put simply feed him a bit less and be consistent about it . Theres no point you feeding him less if others are supplemting it with treats etc.

Get him onto a weighing scales loads of pet shops etc have them free to use now , and go back in a months time and see if the diet is working.

Mo60

cena wrote: »

He has pedigree not the tin stuff the dry food stuff. He also had carrots,potatoes etc.

If he is happy and healthy on this diet, carry on as before but give smaller portions.

Skuxx

Sorry to jump in on the thread, but I have a lab-retriever that I feed with the Royal Cannin Lab-retriever specific food, just wondering have ye any thoughts on it, she seems to be fairly healthy!!

Outkast_IRE

DBB wrote: »

That amount of food would keep a lab going for the guts of 3 months, maybe longer, so you're looking at €4-5 per week.. that's not a lot for a Lab sized dog.. is it? Wouldn't have thought Pedigree would be much cheaper given that you have to feed more of it at each meal.
How much are you spending on the Pedigree at the moment?
I find that dogs fed on high-grain diets (Pedigree, Bakers, Hill's etc) tend to be bloated and bigger than they would be if on a grain free/low-grain diet. Just an observation.

I have never owned a Lab but have had loads of other breeds, but would a lab really get through 30kg of good quality food in two months if it was being supplemented with table scraps etc ??
Seems an awful lot compared to my collie taking almost 6 months to eat that amount

Although i suppose labs have a repuation of being gluttons if they are let get away with it.

Outkast_IRE

alan1990 wrote: »

Sorry to jump in on the thread, but I have a lab-retriever that I feed with the Royal Cannin Lab-retriever specific food, just wondering have ye any thoughts on it, she seems to be fairly healthy!!

If shes healthy and your happy then keep it up , personally i think its overpriced for what it is and theres lots of better foods out there for similar or less money.

But if shes happy and your happy i usually dont reccomend changing as dogs stomachs can be finikey with new foods .

Skuxx

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

If shes healthy and your happy then keep it up , personally i think its overpriced for what it is and theres lots of better foods out there for similar or less money.

But if shes happy and your happy i usually dont reccomend changing as dogs stomachs can be finikey with new foods .

Ok thanks!! Shes 6 now and has always eaten it so no point changing her now I suppose!! She never gets anything from the table or any scraps what so ever, just the royal Cannin and a 15kg bag lasts about 5 weeks or so which isn't to bad!!

Outkast_IRE

alan1990 wrote: »

Ok thanks!! Shes 6 now and has always eaten it so no point changing her now I suppose!! She never gets anything from the table or any scraps what so ever, just the royal Cannin and a 15kg bag lasts about 5 weeks or so which isn't to bad!!

The main issue lots of people have with it are its use of grains to bulk up the food, some dogs have very loose stools and other allergic reactions to grain based foods.

DBB

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

I have never owned a Lab but have had loads of other breeds, but would a lab really get through 30kg of good quality food in two months if it was being supplemented with table scraps etc ??
Seems an awful lot compared to my collie taking almost 6 months to eat that amount

Oooohhh:o I was going on the 12.5kg bags of food (e.g. Taste of the Wild), and that the dog would be eating ~300g per day, so the 2x 12.5kg bags would last at least 80 days. Is my mental 'rithmetic gone haywire?:o
If table scraps are added, definitely the dry food should be reduced, but it all starts to become complicated trying to judge what's too much, or too little. Having said that, if OP adds boiled veg with a bit (and I mean a bit!)of spud, it should help make the dog feel fuller without adding hugely to the calorie load.
Just as an aside, but an important aside, research has shown that owners using measuring cups to measure how much to feed their dogs may vary by as much as 20% per day! So much so that it's recommended to get the kitchen scales out and accurately measure what your dog should be getting for that day.
Exercise is important, but there's little doubt that food is the biggest factor in weight gain, and in weight loss. Reducing the food intake, and being very consistent about keeping it down, is by far the most effective way to get weight off a dog. And a human.. bummer

SingItOut

cena wrote: »

What is the best way to get the lab to lose a small bit of weight. He goes for walks everyday.

Pedigree is about €40 a bag give or take right? I feed my Labrador "premiere hi 5" it's €39.99 per 15kg bag. As it is a premium food you feed less than what you would on pedigree. A 15kg bag lasts my labrador roughly a month and 2/3 weeks. It is specifically made for joint/cartilage/heart care which is vital in larger dogs. I feed Frankie in the evenings as he is less active and there is less chance of him getting bloat than if I were to feed him in the mornings when he'll be active all day. I give him one full measuring cup of dry feed per day. He used to be obese but is now a perfect weight at 29kg. His stools are solid & his coat is gleaming.

Do you take your dog swimming? Mine loves it and it burns off just as much or even more fat as walking would.

bluecherry74

Hi OP, what is your monthly budget and what does your dog weigh? If you can tell us that, people can give you better advice on a high quality food that will help with the weight issue.

There are many dog foods out there that are cheaper than Pedigree but are vastly superior. They're just perceived as being more expensive because you can't buy them in the supermarket and you need to buy a big bag to get the value.

andreac

A good bag of food will cost roughly 50euro. That would last your lab around 4-6 weeks so thats less than ten euro a week on food. Pedigree is awful stuff, it really is. There are lots of very good foods that work out better value and even cheaper than pedigree when you look at what pedigree costs you.
I would highly advise taking your dog off the Pedigree and getting a better food. You can even get Light foods that might be very good for your lab as it would have less calories so would help with the weight loss.

tk123

The only food you should be buying for your dog in the supermarket is real meat and veg IMO - but that's a whole other thread! OP whatever you're feeding you need to cut the portion size down to what you'd feed for the ideal weight then adjust as needed. Also differnt brand give different amounts - so it's better to go by your dog not by than chart - you should be able to feel the ribs but not see them. I feed my guy the amount for a 20kg dog as well as his daily treats and he's SKINNY - people always ask what kind of dog he is because they're not used to seeing a skinny retriever!