Need advice about a good diet food please.

[My Peanuts]

I'm embarrassed to say that Sylvia and Morty are over weight. Despite cutting treats to one small 'cookie' a day and measuring out food, they are still fat. The weather is getting nicer and we will be able to go for walks again, but I think I need to switch their food. Sylvia is less active than the boys, but Morty eats less than Harley and is constantly playing and running. I know someone, probably my dad, must be giving them something. The meat eaters, Syl, Har, and Mort, eat Chicken Soup for the dog lovers soul dry with a small amount of Pedigree (I know it’s not the best food) wet mixed in just to entice them to eat (they wouldn’t eat the Chicken Soup wet, for some reason they like the Pedigree). Jimmy eats his prescription food. Harley and Jimmy are perfect weight.

So anyway, I like to research foods like crazy when it comes to my pups. Anyone have success with a certain food? I'm looking for low cal, but also very nutritional and high quality.

[Canis-Lupess]

Try to find a food that is lower in protein...like 18%. Dogs that aren't very active don't need a higher protein content than that.

Also, feed 2 or three smaller meals a day instead of one big meal. It helps keep the metabolism going so that it doesn't get sluggish. Speeds it up in other words.

Do the dogs mind weather that isn't too great? If they do, maybe buy them waterproof jackets to walk in and make yourself take them out rain or shine. I buy waterproof trousers and coat for myself and wellies so that I am prepared for that type of weather in winter. Having had Border collies who couldn't care less about the weather, I had to take them out at least twice a day whatever the weather and had to take them for a decent walk too, especially when younger.
I also have flashers that clip to the dogs collars so that I can see them in the dark. In mid winter here in the UK, it gets dark at about 3:30pm. We only get about 7 hours daylight in the darkest part of winter so I always have to walk them in the dark on their evening walk and the flashers make them visible. I notice many dogs walkers who go to the same fields have also decided to get flashers for their dogs. It's great seeing all these flashing lights flitting around the field in the dark, haha.

At least you are making an effort to cut down their weight...not like my aunt and uncle with Mega, the obese JRT....

[Logan]

Diana,

My Lilly always had a weight issue, and when we determined that her hips were giving her problems, getting up and down, we knew we had to get some weight off of her. Lilly, at her heaviest, was 98 pounds. I was able to get about 10 pounds off of her, with more exercise, and switching to the IAMS weight management food. But she and Honey lost interest in that food. Late, last year, knowing that she (Lilly) needed to lose more weight, I switched them to California Natural Reduced Calorie Lamb and Rice (dry food). Both girls lost weight and Lilly got down to 75 pounds, which was exactly where I wanted her to be. Honey is still eating that food, now, and I am considering switching Mack over to it, as well, since he will be a year old, next week. He seems to prefer Honey's food over his own puppy food, anyway! LOL!!

Our local feed and seed store orders the California Natural food for me. The large pet stores (Petsmart and Petco) don't offer it. But there are retailers that do stock it, normally. I have also switched Butter (cat) over to the California Natural Chicken and Rice food.

You can research the California Natural foods at www.naturapet.com . Natura also provides the Innova line of natural foods.

Good luck! Like humans, pets have the same issues of trying to reduce their weight!

By the way, I do have to try to entice Honey to eat, at times, unlike her "sister", Lilly, who would eat anything, anytime, when she was living. I add a little bit of Bil Jac fresh food (bought frozen), to get her to eat.

Logan

[Freedom]

Hi!

Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover is also a very good quality food. They make a lite version. It is all human grade ingredients. Here is the web site:

http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/

Along the top, click on "find a dealer" and put in your zip code.

[binka_nugget]

I had a lot of success with 50% pumpkin, 50% meat with Kai. I guess it's easier to mix it in with meat than kibble.. but it might be worth a try.

[My Peanuts]

Thanks everyone!

Ashley, you are talking about the raw right, right? I'd love to do it if I could afford to, but it would be near impossible because of Jimmy's no meat diet. I couldn't give the other dogs fresh meat and poor Jim his prescription U/D food.

Logan, I'm checking out that website now.

[binka_nugget]

Yep, I did it with raw.. but it might be worth a shot to try it with the kibble. I had to switch back to kibble recently (chicken soup) because of Kaedyn's pancreatitis scare.. I'm just gonna continue mixing the pumpkin with Kai's kibble.

[GrabaLab]

Our Lab got a little heavy and we are using Exclusive™ Reduced Fat
Chicken & Rice Adult Formula Fresh Chicken. [green bag] at the website:
http://www.pminutrition.com/main.html

We increased his excerise and he's done really well loosing weight.

Good luck!

[carole]

Well i donot have dogs, but i do have overweight kitties, and to be honest i have one success story, my lexie has lost over 2pounds, and i did not buy any special diet food as such, i just limited her intake to what the packet said for her to loose weight, and was strict about it and it worked, so maybe that is all you will have to do,but you do have to be super strict. ,but of course if that is not working as you say, then combination of low cal food and intake should do it, good luck.

[Kfamr]

Firstly, How much kibble are you feeding them? I wouldn't change foods, but reduce the amount and try one of the followings.

Cut out the wet food. Find something else to entice them.
A few ideas:
Add one of the following:
-Canned pumpkin
-Sodium-free canned green beans
-Any kind of cooked or pureed squash

Don't over do it, just maybe a generous spoonful of one since your guys are smaller. These all act as (good) fillers and don't have the useless ingredients and sugars that wet dog food does.

If you don't feel you need to reduce the amount of food:

Add water to their food and stir it around (NOT hot water, it will destroy any heat sensitive nutrients, just room temp. water.)

Of course, they may have added on some extra pounds with the winter months, however definetly get them some healthy exercise, too. As someone else mentioned, a food with a lower protein amount will help with weight loss.

[mr.chiwawa]

Heres a link to what I feed my dog they also have a low fat one for over weight dogs...with all the pet food scares comming out I would be very leary of some brands....Hope this works......

http://www.healthypetnet.com/Healthy...oductID=401106

PS. they have other size bags and its cheaper if you do auto ship and a thousand times better for your dog.... if you would rather try a sample first let me know and i can send some your way...my moms friend is a "dealer" and wouldnt charge me if i asked for some and where your a pter and we are all here for the same thing nor would i......

[CathyBogart]

I agree that reducing the amount of food further and bulking it with a bit of pumpkin or string beans would probably work.

[My Peanuts]

Firstly, How much kibble are you feeding them? I wouldn't change foods, but reduce the amount and try one of the followings.

If you don't feel you need to reduce the amount of food:

Add water to their food and stir it around (NOT hot water, it will destroy any heat sensitive nutrients, just room temp. water.)

Harley gets half a cup twice a day, Sylvia and Morty get 1/3 a cup twice a day.

I really like the pumpkin idea, I'll try that. I've tried green beans and other veggies, but maybe the pumpkin with coat the dry food and force them to eat it instead of pick through it. I hate that they like Pedigree. I'm not saying it's bad food, but I have reservations about any food that can be bought in a super market.

I tried the water, they are too smart for me!