weight issues as usual
 

I would again appreciate any suggestions on the best dry food for proven weight loss. My yorkie should be about 8 to nine pounds and is up to 12. She is almost nine years old and has limited exercise..meaning she hates it.. sounds like me! All she does is think about food! I recently purchased ziwipeak which is an air dryed raw food for $32.00 for a 2 lb bag. Ridiculous! I just realized that I am probably feeding her wrong .. the store owner told me .75 of a scoop which is about 1.5 oz... I thought he meant twice a day and after reading the bag and the info on the site it seems like it is .75 per day. I thought the amount seemed ridiculous for twice a day, let alone once. Someone please help with a recommendation for a food that won't break the bank and one that will work and satisfy her.

I must say she loves this food.. which by the way has a horrible smell, but it seems like a ridiculous amount of money for a food.. If it was healthy for her I would start cooking filet mignon for her, which would probably be cheaper. Please please please give me suggestions on a high quality food, does not have to be air dry raw.. just something that will reduce her weight and satisfy her. I am cutting out all treats other than an occassional carrot.

No suggestions on exercise please.. it is a lost cause.. she will play ball for five minutes, which usually exists of putting it in and out of our hands and maybe "running" to get it for one second. We have tried everything, walks and she ends up being carried. I refuse to pull her even with a harness on, she pants after two seconds and lies down and refuses to walk.. this girl has been like this from the time she was a puppy.

Thanks for any advice on the dog food.. She has been tested for everything.. thyroid, etc and all thankfully comes back negative.

You might look at the Nature's Variety Instinct foods. It would cost less for sure and it is a very good quality food. Nature's Variety says it is also good for dogs with weight issues. We have been using the Nature's Variety Prairie dry food, but I just bought a bag of the Instinct to give it a try. They have a "try it" coupon available on their website too. That might be helpful.

I know you don't want to hear it, but I'll say it anyways... exercise. I believe any dog can be encouraged to enjoy it at least a little bit. If a person is over-weight, the first thing people are going to suggest is exercise and I believe the same is true for our dogs. If you want her to live a longer and healthy life, I believe that is the key. You can even use food to encourage her to walk... throw a few pieces out in front of her, so she has to move forward to walk, etc. Act SUPER excited like you NEVER have before, get her more energized. If she is used to living this lazy life and getting her way (i.e. picking her up when she doesn't want to walk), obviously she is going to not want it to change but once she realizes it can be fine, she may actually enjoy it.

With that said, I think Ziwipeak is a fantastic food but WAY too expensive. I wouldn't ever feed it for that reason alone. There are a few kibbles that are lower calorie and lower fat. Natural Balance offers many grain-free formulas low in protein and fat and calories. Wellness CORE Reduced Fat. Taste of the Wild has two formulas lower in fat. You can add some green beans to her food to "fill" her up but they are basically zero calories which is great. Also, I never go by the recommendations on the bag anyways, it's usually a way over estimate. Jackson is a very healthy, active, 16lbs and eats 1/2 cup per day of TOTW kibble with a tablespoon of wet food in each meal for reference. He also gets treats, though.

I personally wouldn't feed ZiwiPeak. I know others have and like it, but I personally think it is way too high in fat for a yorkie.

The Venison and Fish formula is 26%
The Lamb Formula is 27%
Venison is 26%

Natural Range Of Premium Pet-food Products - Ziwipeak - Natural New Zealand Pet Nutrition

I would look into other foods Brister mentioned.