Puppy needs to lose weight, suggestions? - YorkieTalk.com Forums

vldigital · 08-13-2012, 03:56 PM

Hello all.Ok, we have a bit of a problem and before starting to correct it, I'd like to get some ideas/suggestions as to what is the best way to approach this.
My yorkie is in good health, except he was diagnosed with mild luxating patula a few months back. He doesnt show signs as in limping or pain, but it could happen any day. He was weighing in at 7,5 lbs at the time.Along with his daily dose of Cosequin, the doc recommended I keep his weight in check because every extra ounce would add stress to his knees.

Due to some problems I had recently, I've been extremely busy and didnt have time to walk him as much.He still goes out 3 times per day (1o minutes in the morning, 10 in the afternoon and 20 minutes at night).We also play a little 5-6 days per week, usually consists of him chasing a tennis ball.He is a picky eater.Diet usually consists of Alpo dry food, canned food maybe 4 times per week, plain chicken breast, a little egg in the morning, and baby carrots a few times per week.As I said, he is very picky and lots of times he refuses to eat his dry or canned food and i cave in and feed him chicken, or something similar, but generally healthy food and no junk. I do not know if I've been feeding him too much, but I checked his weight today and he was at 9,5 lbs.I'm with him every day, and I didnt notice he gained so much until I put him on the scale.The weight gain could be a result of overfeeding and less exercise, I dont know.

Now, I am planning to start some kind of regimen tomorrow. I'd like to hear suggestions or advice from people that went through this, so I can go about it in the best way possible.We are also moving next week, so I know there he will be under some stress, so I'm trying to do this the best way so that I wont contribute to the stress even more.

Should I just buy diet food and walk him for longer? Should I keep feeding him regular food but smaller portions?

Please share your thoughts.Me and Athos want to thank you in advance.

Lovetodream88 · 08-14-2012, 04:54 AM

Well first off I would change his food to a much better quality food and then make sure he is getting plenty or exercise. How old is he? Scales can be different and yours may be differently then the vets. I can be weighed at the doctor and come one the same day and weight different on my scale.

vldigital · 08-14-2012, 05:56 AM

Lovetodream88: Thank you for the reply.The different scales makes sense.He did gain some weight, maybe not a full 2 lbs but still.He needs to lose about 1-1,5 lbs either way.He is not chubby at all, I think he looks great, I am just concerned about his knee problem and the extra stress his weight gain puts on his joints. He will be 5 years old in October.
Regarding the food, I made a mistake, it's actually Kibbles and Bits, not Alpo, and I alternate between chicken and beef.It was one of the few that he actually ate because he likes the soft bits in there, and it does look a little more appetizing than the others we tried. I am willing to try others. Do you have any suggestions? Also about the exercise, I will make sure he will get more from now on, somewhere around 1 hr per day between walking, playing, etc.

Many thanks.

Wylie's Mom · 08-14-2012, 06:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lovetodream88

Well first off I would change his food to a much better quality food and then make sure he is getting plenty or exercise. How old is he? Scales can be different and yours may be differently then the vets. I can be weighed at the doctor and come one the same day and weight different on my scale.

A different food may help with digestion and absorption (ie, more natural ingreds, ingreds for GI etc, leaner diet)....but "more exercise" depends on the grade of LP. The exercise of a dog w/ LP needs to really follow the vet's advice -- if you overexcercise an LP dog, you could cause way more damage to an already damaged area.

To vdigital...do you want to try a different food? If yes, maybe you could list what proteins are in his current food - so that if he does well on this protein, you could have the same protein in a new food.

Please, be CAREFUL with exercising this kiddo w/out checking w/ your vet

.

tokipoki · 08-14-2012, 06:09 AM

I am in a similar situation as you are. Toki is 9.4 pounds at 11 months old and we are slowly helping her to lose weight (as recommended by our vet). She is not overweight but due to hip/knee issues, the vet wants her as lean as possible. Toki gets 1/2 cup of Fromm's grain-free kibble each day along with a joint supplement (Dasuquin)...we have also restricted her treats and take her on a couple of walks a day (nothing strenuous but a good 15-20 minutes a couple times a day, more if the weather is nice and Toki is feeling up to it).

I would recommend getting a higher quality food to start off and you're going to have to deal with your picky eater (there are several helpful threads on how to do this). It's so tempting to give in when your dog is not eating but some tough love is in order here. It is so important to have good nutrition and a regular feeding schedule in general but especially when you're dealing with a specific health issue.

I think it's a bad idea to put a pup on a "diet" food, especially one that is still growing and has joint issues. I would feed less of a high quality, grain-free food and feed the amount recommended for your goal weight. So if your pup is 9.5 pounds, I'd feed the amount recommended for a 8.5 or 9 pound pup, maybe even a little less since it sounds like your pup isn't getting a lot or a "typical" amount of exercise. Over time you can gradually decrease the food/increase the exercise until your pup reaches his ideal weight. This needs to be done safely and gradually and you'll probably want to consult with your vet in terms of a healthy weight loss plan for your pup.

Yorkiemom1 · 08-14-2012, 11:38 AM

Royal Canin has an Indoor dog formula for dogs that are basically couch potatoes! I switched some of mine to that, cut back on the amount I feed, and added some green beans or diced mixed veggies to the kibble to fill my "stevadores" up! Treats were cut out completely, nothing but carrot pieces, or green beans, and just a couple for rewards. Swimming is a great exercise for them, and it is lo impact on those joints....mine came down nicely in weight, tolerated the whole adjustment in meals/treats/exercise very well.....except for my precious little Hailee...she just beggs and beggs and is sooo pitiful...I put a rubberband around MY wrist, and everytime I was tempted to give her a treat or "just a bite", I had to pop my wrist!

Stitches29 · 08-14-2012, 12:14 PM

I have three Yorkies. I learned the hard way about their weight. My oldest (7 yrs) tore her ACL and blew out her patella. In a cast for 3 months. She was also 4 pounds overweight. I did some research on food. I went to Dog Food Reviews and Ratings | Dog Food Advisor My furkids are have been eating Blue Buffalo Freedom. It's lower in protein and fat. They have lost weight, and look great. If they want a treat, it is frozen green beans which they love. I will give them a Blue Buffalo treat or a Nutro treat, for a night time snack. I'm so proud of them. I was feeding them Royal Canine, and thought it was the best, until I did my research.

Yorkiemom1 · 08-14-2012, 03:21 PM

I saw the recall on BB for overdosing dogs on Vitamin D, I think it was....killing dogs as well as making them deathly ill....supposedly corrected the issue, but...... ...decided tooooooo much of a good thing can do just as much harm as not enough, perhaps MORE!!! But as my vet says, dont ever get into a discussion about religion, politics, raising kids, or dog food preference....never ending battle that wont be won! Everyone has their preference, and if what you are feeding is not causing damage to your dog, and they are tolerating it, carry on!! Mine too, have lost weight and look great, so the end justifies the means! After listening to Dr.Dodds complicated program on nutrition the other night, I agree.....Since none of mine have all those allergic reactions, RC works great for us!

MikaTallulah · 08-14-2012, 05:31 PM

Feed a little less and move a little more. Swimming is great- Low impact and really burns the calories

. My Yorkies can actually swim in the utility sink or bathtub if filled high enough.

Lovetodream88 · 08-14-2012, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vldigital

Lovetodream88: Thank you for the reply.The different scales makes sense.He did gain some weight, maybe not a full 2 lbs but still.He needs to lose about 1-1,5 lbs either way.He is not chubby at all, I think he looks great, I am just concerned about his knee problem and the extra stress his weight gain puts on his joints. He will be 5 years old in October.
Regarding the food, I made a mistake, it's actually Kibbles and Bits, not Alpo, and I alternate between chicken and beef.It was one of the few that he actually ate because he likes the soft bits in there, and it does look a little more appetizing than the others we tried. I am willing to try others. Do you have any suggestions? Also about the exercise, I will make sure he will get more from now on, somewhere around 1 hr per day between walking, playing, etc.

Many thanks.

I would look at food that are grain free. Some good brands are Blue Buffalo and Wellness.

Lovetodream88 · 08-14-2012, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yorkiemom1

I saw the recall on BB for overdosing dogs on Vitamin D, I think it was....killing dogs as well as making them deathly ill....supposedly corrected the issue, but...... ...decided tooooooo much of a good thing can do just as much harm as not enough, perhaps MORE!!! But as my vet says, dont ever get into a discussion about religion, politics, raising kids, or dog food preference....never ending battle that wont be won! Everyone has their preference, and if what you are feeding is not causing damage to your dog, and they are tolerating it, carry on!! Mine too, have lost weight and look great, so the end justifies the means! After listening to Dr.Dodds complicated program on nutrition the other night, I agree.....Since none of mine have all those allergic reactions, RC works great for us!

Most dog foods have had problems. Also normally dogs show symptoms of being sick before just dying.

vldigital · 08-15-2012, 06:39 AM

Thank you all for your replies.This is why I love communities such as these, people are always willing to help.Did a little research and found out there is a pet supply store that sells high end quality foods a few blocks from my house.I will go there this weekend.

I will try something with no grains and make sure he gets more exercise, whether it be walking or swimming.I love the idea of swimming since it's low impact, but I dont know where to do it. My bathtub is not deep enough and all the pools around have a strict no pet policy. I will look into some other options.

Thank you all again, I will post progress and updates.

Yorkiemom1 · 08-15-2012, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vldigital

Thank you all for your replies.This is why I love communities such as these, people are always willing to help.Did a little research and found out there is a pet supply store that sells high end quality foods a few blocks from my house.I will go there this weekend.

I will try something with no grains and make sure he gets more exercise, whether it be walking or swimming.I love the idea of swimming since it's low impact, but I dont know where to do it. My bathtub is not deep enough and all the pools around have a strict no pet policy. I will look into some other options.

Thank you all again, I will post progress and updates.

I have a several pools that i use for different things....for fun and play and just spashing around, it is kiddie pools, 2 and 3 rings high....for the water therapy, I have a small pool I bought at Academy...it is about 3 feet deep and 8 foot diameter....someone had one like it on this forum...they had it on their patio for their pup to swim in....loved it! Comes with its own little pool filter, etc...easy set up....I have the really big one (4.5' deep and 12' diameter)for my son and I to float around in, especially after we do the yard work...it is GREAT!!!

Britster · 08-15-2012, 02:56 PM

I agree that swimming is excellent. You can buy a life jacket to make him feel more secure. You are kind of stuck because he needs to lose that weight to be better on his joints, but you also don't want to stress the joints out TOO much, in the process.

But in general, for weight loss, definitely feed less. Find a food maybe not so high in calories. I've heard of lots having success on Wellness Core Reduced Fat.

You can buy those pools 3-4 feet deep with a mini filter on it, if you have the space. I saw one at Walgreens for $35.

My lil friend · 08-15-2012, 08:51 PM

When our elderly dog (15 1/2) passed away last Feb. I took a good look at the other 5 and realized that the only one that wasnt overweight was the baby. I began feeding just a little less each day and now everyone weighs what they should. There are 3 senior dogs,2 of which dont move very much unless they are chasing me in the house because I am holding a treat. But that is what we do for exercise,I wave very tiny treats and walk in circles from room to room and they chase. I just worked at it slowly with them and it took from Feb to May to get everyones weight where it belongs. Now we work at keeping it there. They all know that when the news comes on at night,it is time to run.

08-13-2012, 03:56 PM	#1
vldigital YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: May 2012 Location: Queens, NY, USA Posts: 9	Puppy needs to lose weight, suggestions? Hello all.Ok, we have a bit of a problem and before starting to correct it, I'd like to get some ideas/suggestions as to what is the best way to approach this. My yorkie is in good health, except he was diagnosed with mild luxating patula a few months back. He doesnt show signs as in limping or pain, but it could happen any day. He was weighing in at 7,5 lbs at the time.Along with his daily dose of Cosequin, the doc recommended I keep his weight in check because every extra ounce would add stress to his knees. Due to some problems I had recently, I've been extremely busy and didnt have time to walk him as much.He still goes out 3 times per day (1o minutes in the morning, 10 in the afternoon and 20 minutes at night).We also play a little 5-6 days per week, usually consists of him chasing a tennis ball.He is a picky eater.Diet usually consists of Alpo dry food, canned food maybe 4 times per week, plain chicken breast, a little egg in the morning, and baby carrots a few times per week.As I said, he is very picky and lots of times he refuses to eat his dry or canned food and i cave in and feed him chicken, or something similar, but generally healthy food and no junk. I do not know if I've been feeding him too much, but I checked his weight today and he was at 9,5 lbs.I'm with him every day, and I didnt notice he gained so much until I put him on the scale.The weight gain could be a result of overfeeding and less exercise, I dont know. Now, I am planning to start some kind of regimen tomorrow. I'd like to hear suggestions or advice from people that went through this, so I can go about it in the best way possible.We are also moving next week, so I know there he will be under some stress, so I'm trying to do this the best way so that I wont contribute to the stress even more. Should I just buy diet food and walk him for longer? Should I keep feeding him regular food but smaller portions? Please share your thoughts.Me and Athos want to thank you in advance.

08-14-2012, 04:54 AM	#2
Lovetodream88 Yorkie mom of 4 Donating YT Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: LaPlata, Md Posts: 23,247	Well first off I would change his food to a much better quality food and then make sure he is getting plenty or exercise. How old is he? Scales can be different and yours may be differently then the vets. I can be weighed at the doctor and come one the same day and weight different on my scale. __________________ Taylor My babies Joey, Penny ,Ollie & Dixie Callie Mae, you will forever be in my heart!

08-14-2012, 12:14 PM	#7
Stitches29 My Little Magwad Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 1,739	I have three Yorkies. I learned the hard way about their weight. My oldest (7 yrs) tore her ACL and blew out her patella. In a cast for 3 months. She was also 4 pounds overweight. I did some research on food. I went to Dog Food Reviews and Ratings \| Dog Food Advisor My furkids are have been eating Blue Buffalo Freedom. It's lower in protein and fat. They have lost weight, and look great. If they want a treat, it is frozen green beans which they love. I will give them a Blue Buffalo treat or a Nutro treat, for a night time snack. I'm so proud of them. I was feeding them Royal Canine, and thought it was the best, until I did my research. __________________ "My Furkids" Maggie, Molly and Meme...

08-14-2012, 03:21 PM	#8
Yorkiemom1 Rosehill Yorkies Donating YT Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Houston Texas Posts: 9,462	I saw the recall on BB for overdosing dogs on Vitamin D, I think it was....killing dogs as well as making them deathly ill....supposedly corrected the issue, but...... ...decided tooooooo much of a good thing can do just as much harm as not enough, perhaps MORE!!! But as my vet says, dont ever get into a discussion about religion, politics, raising kids, or dog food preference....never ending battle that wont be won! Everyone has their preference, and if what you are feeding is not causing damage to your dog, and they are tolerating it, carry on!! Mine too, have lost weight and look great, so the end justifies the means! After listening to Dr.Dodds complicated program on nutrition the other night, I agree.....Since none of mine have all those allergic reactions, RC works great for us! Last edited by Yorkiemom1; 08-14-2012 at 03:25 PM.

08-14-2012, 05:31 PM	#9
MikaTallulah YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: NJ Posts: 1,812	Feed a little less and move a little more. Swimming is great- Low impact and really burns the calories . My Yorkies can actually swim in the utility sink or bathtub if filled high enough. __________________ Beware of Nestle Purina Cozy (4/06), Roxy & Zoey (2/08), Lucy (4/09); Buddy 4/09- Rescued 12/11); Mika ('98) & Tallulah ('00) RIP Harley 4/2009; Lucky 11/2010; Zoey 4/2012

08-14-2012, 05:56 AM	#3
vldigital YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: May 2012 Location: Queens, NY, USA Posts: 9	Lovetodream88: Thank you for the reply.The different scales makes sense.He did gain some weight, maybe not a full 2 lbs but still.He needs to lose about 1-1,5 lbs either way.He is not chubby at all, I think he looks great, I am just concerned about his knee problem and the extra stress his weight gain puts on his joints. He will be 5 years old in October. Regarding the food, I made a mistake, it's actually Kibbles and Bits, not Alpo, and I alternate between chicken and beef.It was one of the few that he actually ate because he likes the soft bits in there, and it does look a little more appetizing than the others we tried. I am willing to try others. Do you have any suggestions? Also about the exercise, I will make sure he will get more from now on, somewhere around 1 hr per day between walking, playing, etc. Many thanks.

08-14-2012, 06:09 AM	#5
tokipoki Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Garner, NC Posts: 1,485	I am in a similar situation as you are. Toki is 9.4 pounds at 11 months old and we are slowly helping her to lose weight (as recommended by our vet). She is not overweight but due to hip/knee issues, the vet wants her as lean as possible. Toki gets 1/2 cup of Fromm's grain-free kibble each day along with a joint supplement (Dasuquin)...we have also restricted her treats and take her on a couple of walks a day (nothing strenuous but a good 15-20 minutes a couple times a day, more if the weather is nice and Toki is feeling up to it). I would recommend getting a higher quality food to start off and you're going to have to deal with your picky eater (there are several helpful threads on how to do this). It's so tempting to give in when your dog is not eating but some tough love is in order here. It is so important to have good nutrition and a regular feeding schedule in general but especially when you're dealing with a specific health issue. I think it's a bad idea to put a pup on a "diet" food, especially one that is still growing and has joint issues. I would feed less of a high quality, grain-free food and feed the amount recommended for your goal weight. So if your pup is 9.5 pounds, I'd feed the amount recommended for a 8.5 or 9 pound pup, maybe even a little less since it sounds like your pup isn't getting a lot or a "typical" amount of exercise. Over time you can gradually decrease the food/increase the exercise until your pup reaches his ideal weight. This needs to be done safely and gradually and you'll probably want to consult with your vet in terms of a healthy weight loss plan for your pup.

08-14-2012, 11:38 AM	#6
Yorkiemom1 Rosehill Yorkies Donating YT Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Houston Texas Posts: 9,462	Royal Canin has an Indoor dog formula for dogs that are basically couch potatoes! I switched some of mine to that, cut back on the amount I feed, and added some green beans or diced mixed veggies to the kibble to fill my "stevadores" up! Treats were cut out completely, nothing but carrot pieces, or green beans, and just a couple for rewards. Swimming is a great exercise for them, and it is lo impact on those joints....mine came down nicely in weight, tolerated the whole adjustment in meals/treats/exercise very well.....except for my precious little Hailee...she just beggs and beggs and is sooo pitiful...I put a rubberband around MY wrist, and everytime I was tempted to give her a treat or "just a bite", I had to pop my wrist!

08-15-2012, 06:39 AM	#12
vldigital YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: May 2012 Location: Queens, NY, USA Posts: 9	Thank you all for your replies.This is why I love communities such as these, people are always willing to help.Did a little research and found out there is a pet supply store that sells high end quality foods a few blocks from my house.I will go there this weekend. I will try something with no grains and make sure he gets more exercise, whether it be walking or swimming.I love the idea of swimming since it's low impact, but I dont know where to do it. My bathtub is not deep enough and all the pools around have a strict no pet policy. I will look into some other options. Thank you all again, I will post progress and updates.

08-15-2012, 02:56 PM	#14
Britster Action Jackson ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Maryland Posts: 17,814	I agree that swimming is excellent. You can buy a life jacket to make him feel more secure. You are kind of stuck because he needs to lose that weight to be better on his joints, but you also don't want to stress the joints out TOO much, in the process. But in general, for weight loss, definitely feed less. Find a food maybe not so high in calories. I've heard of lots having success on Wellness Core Reduced Fat. You can buy those pools 3-4 feet deep with a mini filter on it, if you have the space. I saw one at Walgreens for $35. __________________ ~ Brit & Lights! Camera! Jackson! CGC ETD TKP ~ Follow Jackson on Instagram: https://instagram.com/jacksontheterrier

08-15-2012, 08:51 PM	#15
My lil friend Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: FtWorth,TX,USA Posts: 3,269	When our elderly dog (15 1/2) passed away last Feb. I took a good look at the other 5 and realized that the only one that wasnt overweight was the baby. I began feeding just a little less each day and now everyone weighs what they should. There are 3 senior dogs,2 of which dont move very much unless they are chasing me in the house because I am holding a treat. But that is what we do for exercise,I wave very tiny treats and walk in circles from room to room and they chase. I just worked at it slowly with them and it took from Feb to May to get everyones weight where it belongs. Now we work at keeping it there. They all know that when the news comes on at night,it is time to run.