snuzzlebum Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 Hi all, I have a 12 year old Belgian Shepherd (from Anne Caddy in '99) and she has become very overweight. I guess her arthritis slowed her down and she couldn't run off all the food she consumed. Not to mention I feed her far too much ! It's hard to be strict with a dog's diet, but I guess it's harder to see your dog die a slow and horrible death from the side effects of obesity etc. Does anyone have any recommendations or testimonials about how they deal with overweight pets ? I'm finding it a challenge because I want to make her happy. I'm passing on my neurosis to her. Any one who has anything to say, i would welcome hearing from you.... Leonie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ish Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 I've had success with replacing all of the main meal with vegies (the homebrand frozen vegie mix) and just a few spoonfuls of dry/meat to cover the vegies. I zap the vegies in the microwave. The vegies make the dog feel full but they aren't digested well, so they don't add weight. Carrots are good for snacks too, most dogs seem to enjoy them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Rusty Bucket Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 snuzzlebum You could try putting the dry ration in a squirrel dude or similar so the dog has to work all the food out to eat it. You also need to measure out how much food you're giving her and cut that back by 5% a week, until she starts to drop weight. A hungry dog is fine but like ish said, a ready supply of carrots or maybe a nylabone may help. And when the dog comes and tells you to give it more food, you need to find something else for it to do. My dog is pretty good at letting me know when the dude is empty but when her ration is done, I put the dude in the cupboard and she knows dinner time is over for today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Online Pets Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 I think you hit the nail on the head when you said you feed her far too much! As mentioned above cut her food back and see if that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Feed her less - it really IS that simple. Once she's down to a better weight, gentle exercise will help. It will do wonders for her arthritis too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelby-001 Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 (edited) Yep less food. My little girl has to drop 4kg due to cruciate issues. She was 26.34kg last Tuesday and she needs to get down to 22kg. As of yesterday morning she was down to 25.84kg so progress. I have simply reduced the size of her roo tail or chicken carcass for breakfast and stopped using lamb flaps/pork hocks as they are too fatty and at dinner time, reduced the amount of meat she gets, she still gets her joint supplement, flaxseed and yoghurt. At this stage she isnt whimpering around or scavenging for more. I am also reducing Boof's intake (the boy) he is 33kg roughly and could be down to 30kg ideally (he's a lil more porky than lil but neither are actually 'overweight' according to the vet). If I get to the point where she is 'looking' for more food I will add vegies to make her feel fuller (they make her poos huge though, LOL, so clearly they don't get absorbed very well) ETA: at the moment they are getting NO treats at all, so no Pigs ears, pig snouts, buffalo pizzle etc! Edited June 21, 2011 by shelby-001 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 (edited) Yep smaller portions & feed twice daily also important to cut out any treats or change the meal portions to cater for any treats. The key is your not making her happy by over feeding ,you will make her happy by feeding the right portions & allowing her weight to be appropriate for her age & health issues. Is she on any meds for her arthritis?? How active is she & how active do you make her?? I have an 11 yr old with arthritis of the hocks,spondo of the spine ,his last x rays suggest he shouldn't be walking but we make him still feel active & in winter he has to move & he does, he runs an acre ,plays with his toys & the weight is keep right . He is feed 2/3 times a day,the main part in the morning ,he is on meds during winter to help ease the pain & ensure he is active plus we take him to Bowen for massage to help the joints . When his joints are more swollen or sore i also use Arnica/Comfry cream to rub on them Edited June 21, 2011 by showdog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussielover Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 roasted/mashed pumpkin can bulk up a meal and is low fat. It is tasty for dogs as well. If your dog likes carrot and apple you can bulk out the meal with these too. Raw meaty bones are good, although the marrow can be fattening. Diet foods like Hills R/D are good for some because you can feed the same amount (so you won't feel as guilty I suppose), there is just less calories per biscuit. Personally I would just feed less of whatever you're giving now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumtoshelley Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Shelley my 3 year old female golden retriever is overweight She weighed 40kgs now weighs 35kgs, Shelley has been on her diet for only 6 weeks. All I did was drop her food intake and exercise her. I started exercising her slowly at first but now at 35kgs she can handle 2 hours of exercise. My 5 year old male chihuahua Rascal is also on a diet same as Shelley less food and exercise and he walks just as much as Shelley. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staranais Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 I'm finding it a challenge because I want to make her happy. She'll be much happier when she is lean, believe me. Obesity ages dogs prematurely. It hurts their joints, especially if they're already starting to get arthritis, and it makes them more likely to get cancer & diabetes. Less food - measure it so you know how much you're feeding - and more gentle exercise. Swimming would be good for her until she has lost some weight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akay Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Feed her less - it really IS that simple. Once she's down to a better weight, gentle exercise will help. It will do wonders for her arthritis too. Is really is that simple. I got 6kgs off my dog by feeding him 2.5% of his goal weight. The only snacks I gave was a small liver treat or some carrot. I feed him raw: roo (low in fat) and a vege/cereal mix (vets all natural). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alkhe Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 I'm finding it a challenge because I want to make her happy. She'll be much happier when she is lean, believe me. Obesity ages dogs prematurely. It hurts their joints, especially if they're already starting to get arthritis, and it makes them more likely to get cancer & diabetes. Yep - I have to restrain myself with my girl too, because I know she'd just eat herself to death given half the chance. It's important not to project human emotions/desires etc onto them too- Maggie looks at me like she's STARVING and DESPERATE and just wants ONE more piece! But really, she's just as happy having a cuddle or playing with me, or.. sleeping. It's just me projecting my own food desires onto her most of the time, I'm sure. Your dog won't even know she's not getting fed as much as before, you just have to disconnect your own guilt and reaction to it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Crazy Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 I'm finding it a challenge because I want to make her happy. She'll be much happier when she is lean, believe me. Obesity ages dogs prematurely. It hurts their joints, especially if they're already starting to get arthritis, and it makes them more likely to get cancer & diabetes. Yep - I have to restrain myself with my girl too, because I know she'd just eat herself to death given half the chance. It's important not to project human emotions/desires etc onto them too- Maggie looks at me like she's STARVING and DESPERATE and just wants ONE more piece! But really, she's just as happy having a cuddle or playing with me, or.. sleeping. It's just me projecting my own food desires onto her most of the time, I'm sure. Your dog won't even know she's not getting fed as much as before, you just have to disconnect your own guilt and reaction to it Couldn't of put it better !!!! I am certainly one of those people too or I should say I was !! every time my boy looked my way "oh he must want a little something" & then I would give him a bit more dinner cause I was hungry that particular night. Not any more & he is soooo much happier & energtic now he is the correct weight. I wasn't doing him any favours at all over feeding him. Just made me feel better. Killing him with kindness was all I was doing. Not any more, everything that goes into his mouth is measured, no more guess work either. I have disconnected my own guilt, it is not an easy thing to do if it is in your nature but every time I look at him he thanks me for it. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussielover Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 I am naughty and give my dog occaisonal snacks from whatever I am eating (she particularly likes banana bread ) She is very active though. Sometimes, if its like half the banana bread, then I'll cut back her actual meals a bit to compensate. Its all about balance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agility Dogs Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 My boy has never been 'overweight', but perhaps a little bit too heavy for what I was asking him to do. (He is a 540mm tall BC who weighted just under 21kg.) I just cut back his food by about 100g a day (he now gets 250 to 400g a day, plus training treats)and we have him down to a super lean 17.8kg. He is FAR happier, works harder and generally has a lot more energy. As the others have said - just feed less and all will be fine. Veges as a filler work really well too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W Sibs Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Cut back on food and no treats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starkehre Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Feed less, exercise more. Easy. And be 100% honest with yourself about the overall daily intake you are feeding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 (edited) On the "happy" issue. There are a lot of ways to make your dog happy. Feeding lasts a couple of minutes only. Start to think about other things your dog enjoys doing and do those. Even a massage lasts longer than a meal. If a meal is the highlight of your dog's day then you need to enrich its life in other ways. A dog carrying excess weight is at risk of range of health issues including earlier arthritis, ligament damage and pancreatitis. A fat dog won't be happy for long. Dogs eat to live. WE eat for other reasons. Stop seeing food as the centre of your dog's life and dieting them becomes far easier. Its cruel to make your dog fat, not to make it lean. Edited June 23, 2011 by poodlefan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussielover Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 On the "happy" issue. There are a lot of ways to make your dog happy. Feeding lasts a couple of minutes only. Start to think about other things your dog enjoys doing and do those. Even a massage lasts longer than a meal. If a meal is the highlight of your dog's day then you need to enrich its life in other ways. A dog carrying excess weight is at risk of range of health issues including earlier arthritis, ligament damage and pancreatitis. A fat dog won't be happy for long. Dogs eat to live. WE eat for other reasons. Stop seeing food as the centre of your dog's life and dieting them becomes far easier. Its cruel to make your dog fat, not to make it lean. I think Mindy would have to disagree with you on that one PF To prolong the "happiness" created at eating time, I recommend you get a Kong and stuff it with apple and a bit of peanut butter- your dog will have heaps of fun trying to get the food out. Also stock flavoured ice blocks are a lot of fun, as are bob a lots or kong wobblers. Bones are great as well, my dog gets a bone everyday and the smaller ones (lamb shanks, lamb necks etc) last her around an hour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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