Lucy is fat, I need help I'm feeding her Innova Evo now and have been for about a year. I've just recently noticed how high the fat content was and am thinking of switching her food. (Evo was recommended by a holistic vet for my 13 yr old lab and I prefer to buy one bag of food). Anyone have any suggestions? I'd love to feed her NV raw, but I can't afford it right now. Oh, she's only getting 1/2 cup a day. The bag calls for 3/4 cup but some days she gets a lot of treats, so I feed her less. Is it possible she's not eating enough? |
The problem is probably more the treats than the food. She may need more excerise than she's getting. |
How fat is Lucy? Are you certain she is overweight? Consult a vet .the vet can put her on a special diet to lose the extra weight. Cut down in the treats too, that could be what is doing it. :aimeeyork Be sure Lucy is getting plenty of exercise. :thumbup: |
First things first, I would DEFINITELY cut down on the treats. If she is seriously overweight, I wouldn't even give her treats - they don't "NEED" them. If it bothers you and you DO want to give her treats, I would suggest a low calorie one, such as Charlie Bears (they are only 3 calories per treat) and only give her one per day or one every other day. You can also substitute veggies and fruit for treats - carrots and apples are a great choice. Also, she does need plenty of exercise. Are you able to walk her at least 2 or 3 times a day? As for food, I would switch because the protein is quite high in that food, IMO, for a Yorkie. It's a wonderful food no doubt, but if it were me I would stick to feeding it to a larger breed dog. Both of my babies are on NV Raw and it is wonderful but it's understandable if you can't afford it. What about Wellness Core Reduced Fat Formula? Although, this food isn't "cheap" either. Are you free feeding? If you are, I would suggest stopping that. Feed them twice per day - morning and night. If she is severely overweight and you want to help get her weight down quicker, you can start feeding her the amount of food that a dog her size SHOULD weigh. For example, if she weighs 7 pounds and SHOULD weigh 5, start giving her the amount of food that a 5 lb dog should eat. Talk it over with your vet and find out exactly how overweight she is and what she SHOULD weigh. I'm sure he will have some helpful advice to give you :) Good luck! |
I think I'll try the wellness reduced fat. She doesn't get a lot of treats everyday. Right now she's home all day with my mom and she gives her a couple of treats a day. She thinks she is always hungry. I think she should probably weigh about 11 pounds, but she's probably closer to 12 (maybe more, I haven't weighed her). Some days she feels really heavy when I pick her up and some days she feels tiny. I know her weight fluctuates quite a bit because I always have to adjust her harness (it even varies from one day to the next). According to the bag, a 10 pound dog should get 3/4 cup. I'm giving her 1/2 cup split between two meals. I would think the reduced food is making up for the treats. Also, she doesn't get "cheap" treats. |
Max weighs 10 lbs. His vet was quiet pleased. I feed him on Burns food. 50g twice a day. |
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Is she going for walks everyday? That can reduce a waistline very quickly if done on a regular basis. |
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My mom has a shih tzu that is about Lucy's size and they eat exactly the same thing and Allie is perfect. She's also much less active than Lucy as Allie gets the zoomies about once a week for maybe three minutes and that's her exercise. That's why I think the EVO has more fat than Lucy needs. It also seems that the more we exercise and the more I watch what she eats the bigger and hungrier she gets. Poor girl. Thanks for everyone responses and sorry this is so long. |
When we can't take Max out, we play ball with him. Not only will Lucy stay fit, you'll lose weight too. Our house is small, so we kick and throw the ball in our hallway. Most of this game is done on my hands and knees. Even my arthritis benefits. This is one of Max's favourite pastimes. We also play rag with him, it helps burn off excess energy and quite often tires him out.:D |
No need for premade raw! Sorry to hear that your baby is over weight! You mentioned that you'd like to feed NV raw but that it was too expensive. I agree! Pre made raw is over priced but there's an alternative that's even healthier than pre- made. What about prey model raw? No need to grind anything, no supplements, no veggies or fruit. Just meaty bones and organ meats, fish, eggs. It will get your dog the physical and mental workout that she needs and she will lose weight and eventually end up at her ideal fairly quickly! It will also clean up those teeth better than anything else on this planet short of paying for expensive dental cleanings! It's also cheaper than feeding premium kibble. I'm feeding 3 yorkies for around $15 a month! If you need for info; http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/yor...odel-diet.html Quote:
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