My fat dog

[charlestongirl]

My dog is overweight. I have another dog and they both have the same parents, but different litters. Each litter had about 4 bigger dogs and 4 smaller dogs. The first one we got was a runt, she doesn't eat much, just nibbles throughout the day. We left food out almost 24/7 cause it wasn't a problem.

Then we got our fat dog. She was chubby from day one. I shouldn't have expected her to be like our first one, but she does nibble throughout the day. I was thinking she was maybe naturally going to carry a bit of extra weight, but now she is at least 10 lbs overweight. She would like to get up at night and eat.

So we took up the food, only leaving it down for a period of time in the day. We stop feeding fatty treats, got more healthier, vet recommended treats and some baby carrots. We started longer walks as well, much more exercise.

Even as a puppy she was lazy; she spent most of her time sleeping. She was never very active; she never wants to play fetch and while my other dog will play chase with you, she doesn't.

Well it seems she is getting fatter! Can a dog just naturally be bigger, like humans are bigger boned? Is it as simple as less food and more exercise, or is there anything else I can do? She gets regular vet visits, and so far there doesn't seem to be a problem.

Hopefully this doesn't seem stupid; just thought any extra tips would help.

[Jessika]

Some dogs can naturally be more "muscular" if that's what you mean??

Otherwise if you're doing everything you can possibly do within your power to try to get her to eat healthier, eat less, and exercise more and it STILL seems she is gaining weight, then I strongly recommend a vet visit. It could be something else, like an underactive thyroid or some other medical problem that is causing her to gain weight.

What food and how much are you currently feeding her (and how much is her ideal body weight, does she currently weigh, and what breed is she?)?

[charlestongirl]

She was 70lbs last weigh-in and they said she should be 60lbs. I feed her according to the chart on the dog food, but they said feed her like she is 60lbs. I think I was overfeeding her, so I've since adjusted, but it just doesn't seem like much.

[sammy101]

What breed is she? My RB Dalmatian had thyroid problems and that made her overweight.It could possibly be that.If you're worried she's getting bigger,i would take her to the vet.What kind food are you feeding?

[k9krazee]

Also I wouldn't feed the amount they tell you to on the bag, most of the time they tell you to feed waaaay more than you should.

[Jessika]

Also I wouldn't feed the amount they tell you to on the bag, most of the time they tell you to feed waaaay more than you should.

Exactly; that's why they're called guidelines :)

If she is gaining weight then feed LESS than what you were currently feeding. If she is losing weight, then feed more. As you've already said you've adjusted, but don't worry if you aren't feeding her enough!

[mruffruff]

Try a "lite" dog food, such as Nutro.

I have a lab/chow mix that was up to 60 pounds. The vet thought she should be at least 10 pounds lighter. So I switched her to Nutro Lite, measured her dinner (2 level cups a day) and added a few green beans. It took a year, but she's now down to 52 pounds. The only treats she gets are one small, inch and a half biscuit in the morning and one snausage at night. I tried carrots, but she won't touch hem.

Just remember that your dog didn't get 'fat' overight and it'll take a while to safely get the extra weight off.

[anna_66]

My first thoughts were thyroid too. If your not feeding too much and getting plenty of exercise this could be the culprit.
It's an easy test and doesn't take long. I'd get to the vet and see what he has to say.