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10-18-2007, 08:37 PM | #1 |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Queens, NY
Posts: 102
| Puppy needs to lose weight I was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions on how to get doggies to lose weight. I took Cash to the vet late september and the doctor said that he was looking a bit chunky and suggested that i feed him less because he needs to lose some weight. he had gone from 4.8lbs to 6.8lbs over 3 months and he's losing the curve that he's supposed to have around his waist area. I cut down on his treats and some days he looks skinnier but some days he puffs up like a balloon (today, for example.) I free feed him as always and he doesn't eat any more than normal (approx 1 cup every 3 days, I refill when he finishes. same as he always ate ever since he was a puppy. and to feed less than 1 cup every 3 days seems a bit inhumane since he eats so little t begin with!) so where is all the fattiness coming from??? I'm starting to suspect my parents are sneak him treats when I'm not looking! anyway, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
__________________ ~ Amy ~ |
Welcome Guest! | |
10-18-2007, 11:24 PM | #2 |
YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: NJ
Posts: 1,812
| Increase activity to decrease weight. My Cozy eats a ton of food. She is 10 pounds but my vet stated she on the skinny side for her height and bone structure. My vet also said she has fantastic muscle tone. She was last to the vet on October 11th,2007 so it was said recently. I figure she will eventually gain a little weight as she ages some. She is still a puppy at 18 months. She generally eats at least a cup of kibble a day with cut up baked chicken freshly made 2-4 times a week, a piggy ear, several meaty bones, cat food and many small treats. She runs around outside for hours on end. I live on +1 acre of land and she loves to play with my Golden retriever so she burns off everything she eats. She also plays fetch for 1-3 hours each day and goes on several mile hikes each week. She also plays track the cats indoors. She is very active but she is an angel in the house except for eating cat food. The cats let her stick her head right in next to theirs something they would never let the Golden do. Try getting your baby moving. That should help with the weight loss without cutting down on the food intact. Plus excercise never hurts dog nor human. Good luck with trimming your baby's fat.
__________________ 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 |
10-19-2007, 01:48 AM | #3 |
No Longer a Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Riverview, Florida
Posts: 4,953
| Hi, My vet told me that you should feel the ribs but not see them. When Bella was younger I would put down 1/4 cup in am and pm. She would gobble it up right away. I was afraid she wasnt getting enough to eat but my vet was happy with her wt. She never got treats because she ate such little food, it needed to be high in nutrition. Now that she is one, she does what I call...drive by eatting. I put the food down and she will run by for a bite and then she is gone. Takes her all day to eat. Now i give her one tiny liver treat before i leave for work. I still worry about all the junk in treats. When she was younger I used her own kibble to train her to sit, stay, lay and shake. I also used her heartworm med to do this because I could cut it in several pieces. So far so good. She gets a lot of exercise and is hanging out at 6.5 pounds. Maybe she is getting too many treats that you dont know about!!! |
10-19-2007, 07:41 AM | #4 |
Lovin' to the MAX!! Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Yorkieville
Posts: 2,774
| My Max had the same problem...the vet told me that he needed to lose weight (he'll eat practically ANYTHING!!!), so she put him on a special prescription diet food (Hill's W/D) dry and canned. She said it didn't matter which he ate, but that he should only eat 1/3 cup (or 1/3 of the can) each day.....I was used to feeding him twice a day, and filling up a bowl of his dry food which he'd go thru in two or 3 days, but it was still too much, so I started just feeding him 1/6-1/4 cup of his canned food twice a day, and I fill up a 1/3 measuring cup with his dry food, and feed it in between (like at lunchtime and when we have dinner ourselves) to him as a "snack". He doesn't get ANY people food (other than an occasional tiny piece of toast when my dh is home) or treats....I use his dry food now as his "treats" and it's worked pretty well. So far, this is keeping him right where he should be at 5-6 lbs (I usually walk him a mile or so each day too). BTW, Max was initially put on this diet food b/c he had a bout of pancreatitis and the vet thought it might be b/c he was eating too much, so I try to be pretty conscientious about his food.
__________________ Seana and Max and Madison too! Come visit me at: celebritydogwatcher.com |
10-19-2007, 07:52 AM | #5 |
Donating YT 10K Club Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Alabama
Posts: 17,674
| I would decrease his food intake slightly and increase his activity level significantly. Go for walks together, play fetch inside the house, anything to get your little pudgy Cash up and moving..... -- I need to follow my own advice 'cause I'm looking a bit chunky as well |
10-19-2007, 07:54 AM | #6 |
And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI
Posts: 17,928
| Someone has got to be sneaking treats somewhere. I don't think that there is any way (unless there is a health problem) that a 5 pound dog is getting fat on 1/3 cup a day. What are you feeding? I would think half cup minimum.
__________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶 |
10-19-2007, 09:38 AM | #7 |
Lovin' to the MAX!! Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Yorkieville
Posts: 2,774
| I agree....someone is feeding your dog more than what you think he/she is getting. My vet actually told me to only feed 1/3 cup per day of EITHER the canned or the dry....but it does seem kind of inhumane to only feed them that much......not that I believe it's inhumane, it's just that it FEELS that way when they're always staring at you when you're eating. I find that if I make sure that Max gets some exericise, I can get away with feeding him a little more. I can tell you one thing for sure: if your dog ends up getting pancreatitis and being that sick, you (and your family) will have a whole new stream of consciousness as to what is a reasonable amount for him to be eating, as well as WHAT. I wouldn't want to see my dog (or us) go thru it again, not to mention the expense.
__________________ Seana and Max and Madison too! Come visit me at: celebritydogwatcher.com |
10-19-2007, 09:42 AM | #8 |
Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: California
Posts: 2,293
| Animal Planet Just last night there was a show on Animal Planet about "fat pets" (thats what they called it)... There were pets that were very and somewhat overweight and they gave some examples of how to change their diet which also included giving them more routine excersize... They also touched on the fact that, just as with humans, your pets life span is based on their health. And that with poor health, brings heart issues, etc... It also spoke about pets that arent being "over feed", but actually have medical issues that have made them gain weight. It was actually a very interesting special and very informative... And its suppose to air all weekend. It comes on again tonight 10/19 (in my area) and Sunday 10/21 as well...
__________________ Mommy to Meka "MeMe" Brown aka Meka the Diva Member of the Spoiled Rotten Club & CA Yorkies www.dogster.com/dogs/567943 |
10-19-2007, 12:36 PM | #9 | |
My hairy-legged girls Donating Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: lompoc, ca.
Posts: 12,228
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