Suggested Weight Loss Dog Foods

Ol Roy?! Try Kirkland brand at Costco 40 pounds for $30 and healthy at least. There are no good dog foods at walmart.

Afterthought – a high quality fish oil may provide some benefit as well. The omega 3′s in the fish oil are good for the skin and coat and act as a natural anti-inflammatory.

Good luck!

Losing weight will help his arthritis. Is he on any joint supplements? If not I’d recommend adding a glucosmine/chondroitin supplement to help rebuild cartilage and a natural anti-inflammatory such as turmeric, boswellia or tart cherry. This may help get him moving. Like I said – start slow, don’t overwork him. Short 5 – 10 minute walks two or three times a day would be fine to start off. Once arthritic dogs get moving their joints actually loosen up and feel better.

Just getting him off foods with corn, wheat, soy and colorings (like ‘Ol Roy) will probably help his skin. The ‘Ol Roy Pure Balance doesn’t contain any of these ingredients and is available right at Walmart. This food or any other 4 or 5 star foods free of corn, wheat, soy and colorings would be a good starting point. If the issues don’t clear up (keep in mind the improvement won’t be instantaneous, it could take several weeks on a higher quality food) you could start looking into other options such as novel protein-based foods and grain-free foods.

Hi Lisa –

I hope you mean 90 – 100 lbs. and not 190!

Regardless, I’d urge you to get him off ‘Ol Roy Healthy Mix weight management immediately – it’s one of the unhealthiest foods on the market. ‘Ol Roy does make a dry food called “Pure Balance” that’s reasonably priced and much higher quality and they have a wet food that comes in tubs called ‘Ol Roy Healthy Mix. If you want to move away from ‘Ol Roy check out the 4 and 5 star foods on this site – there are many that are fairly reasonably priced.

There’s no reason to feed a weight management food – you just need to control portion sizes and increase his activity level. Start out by feeding him the serving size recommended on the bag for the weight he should be – if he’s still not losing continue to reduce portions in 1/4 C. increments until he starts losing. Make sure he’s not eating the other dogs’ food and monitor any treats and leftovers he gets. Make sure everyone in the house is on board for the diet – you can’t have someone slipping him treats behind your back. The whole process will go much quicker if you get him moving too – start small, short frequent walks and as he gets more in shape increase the distance and intensity. If he’s not losing you’re feeding him too much/not exercising him enough – there’s no easy way to do this, he must be burning more calories than he’s eating.

Sandy, I think I saw a picture of your freezer on another thread. I was speechless! It reminded me of the freezers at the pet store I shop at. They must have about 7 of them, the size of yours for their overflow. I like to look them when I bored with what they have in the display cases. Take a picture and post for us…….

haha… I just ordered some Darwin’s to add to the raw already in there so I think my freezer might soon run out of room for people food as well. We’ll see if the husband notices

Thanks Melissa.

Not quite so cute in little anymore – now she’s just a big 75 lb. drooling machine.

Here’s my stash. Mabel figured out at a very young age where the goodies are.

How can you pass up a great sale?!? Aww I wish I had 15… well, maybe if I had a few acres of land for them all to run around! And a bigger bedroom — my 2 like to sleep in the same room with us so squeezing 13 more beds in might be a ‘slight’ issue!

Lol. Hubby asked what was for dinner…I told him I did not care, take something out of the freezer…I heard a bunch of cursing and noise and it dawned on me. Local petstore had a great sale on the 7lb NV bites yesterday and I bought 6 bags shoving them in an already full freezer. Oops…

Some of my favorite things to do with some of my “surplus” are to donate it to the no-kill shelter and our local kibble kitchen for pets in need and to share with friends at work that I’m trying to convert. My co-workers are more willing to try something different if they don’t have to go to the store, pick it out and pay for it.

Wow… who’s the hater?

Funny! Maybe a thread needs to be started in the Forum titled Hoarders Picture Thread! I’ve got a shipment coming from Petflow which I forgot to move the date back so I will have a dozen bags of kibble plus my shelf of canned and freeze dried, and the freezer!

LOL Betsy, I’m glad I’m not the only one with a stash of this size! There’s just so many fun kinds to try! I think you may have me slightly beat on dry food but add in ~7 cases of canned plus a cabinet full of treats and the raw in the freezer and it could be close, haha. Thanks for posting that. Ps- I only have 2 as well!

If I stacked the 75 lbs of food I just received with all the cat food for four cats that eat different things, then I might be able to rival your stash. However, if you count horse and chicken food, I have you beat about ten time over.

Here… some got chopped off, but you get the general idea. ; )

Keep in mind, I only have two dogs.

I was thinking about doing just that, Patty. Thanks!

Bella had her check up today and she needs to lose a few pounds. Ever since we got Sam, Bella’s diet and “lifestyle” have had to change a bit since we have to keep them separated so often.

I plan to step up the Darwin’s a bit and already have on hand Wellness Core Reduced Fat and Castor & Pollux Natural Ultramix weight management formula so those will probably work well, but I felt “compelled” to add one more type of food to my “collection.”

Has anyone seen Acana Light & Fit online? I’m not finding it in the stores near me and can’t seem to find it available online in the US anywhere. Suggestions? Thanks!

Wow I actually came to this section of your site..for help with finding a weight loss dog food for my overweight Chihuahua..I have taken the time to read all the posts below and find them to be more of a battle site than helpful!..These conversations are way off topic for the normal consumer who needs your help. We are not all experts in dog food that is why we come to you..I would have hoped that a moderator would have gotten back on topic and more civil and helpful conversations. These posts were of no help to me whatsoever.

my dog likes the wet(dog or people) mix with his dry.but seems to be putting on weight, dont know what he’s been eating for 3 yrs.we adopted him 6mos ago.gets we walk him 2x a day.can you recommend what kind of food or how much he’s about 29lb male big bone cockapoo. thank you

Thank you for the response. I have increased her exercise – she is 11 years but still in very good health (besides being overweight!). She is on a vitamin supplement as well. I have not tried feeding her just the 1.5% without veggies… she is such a food monger, I was trying to keep her from being too hungry. I will give that a shot though. Thanks again!

My Dog weighs 74lbs and needs to lose 10-12 lbs. I feed her  a raw diet (Bravo Balance). I have been feeing her 2% of her IDEAL body weight (62lbs) but she has had little to no weight loss. I just recently took her down to 1.5% and added some mildly cooked vegetables (as a soup with home made organic chicken broth).  If this doesn’t budge the weight, how low can I go with her food?

flint river lamb and rice 393 calories for 8oz comment please

which Blue Buffalo are you using to get their weight down?  We are just on adult lamb and rice but would like to get them to lose few pounds. THanks.

I still use marrow bones, so far so good. When they’re gone, I may look into beef ribs or something

I’m sure they’ll be fine. Not sure how heavy of chewers your guys are but it’s more of an issue for heavier chewers. Some dogs just lick out the marrow and teeth a little bit (which wouldn’t be an issue) – but my guys actually try to eat the bones. which could potentially cause problems.

Cooked chicken bones splinter, raw chicken bones are just fine.  Weight bearing bones in large animals are known for breaking teeth.  As with everything you give your dog, they should be monitored to make sure they chew appropriately and don’t try to swallow things whole.

Just a note about chicken bones. Thes are a big NO NO because they can splinter and have to be removed via surgery! Large beef bones like knuckle bones are the way to go.

Personally, I like the idea of rotation.  If I’m worried about any ingredient in a dog food, I make sure the next bag of dog food doesn’t have it also.  That way I know my dog is getting a break from it, instead of eating it day in and day out for years.

Dr Donna
I have a 5yr old Australian Shepherd at 61 lbs. Before I had him ‘fixed’ he was 55 lbs. He’s currently on California Natural grain free venison. So as not to upset his sensitive stomach can I stay in the same line or change him over to something else. He’s not a highly energized Aussie, more laid back. We have no fenced in back yard so the exercise is walking and treadmill. Ideas please!

Oh my gosh, Serena. That’s awful. You were right to have her on canned food from the start.

What kibble are you using? It sounds like it might be high in carbs. I would say either adjust the amount you’re feeding or switch to something else. Feed the amount recommended for your Doug’s desired weight.

Lots of us here would probably choose to use canned exclusively, but don’t because of the cost. It sounds as though you might have one dog that’s smaller, which certainly can make canned more doable.

When I had just one small dog, I started using Darwin’s Natural Selections. She did fantastic on it, but when I added a second (and big) dog to my collection, I had to explore other options. I would check into Darwin’s if I were you. It’s complete and balanced raw. It’s super easy to use and you can also add raw, meaty bones to your orders – which is what your dog really needs for dental health. Gnawing and scraping teeth against bones is what keeps their teeth clean. You might try adding a raw chicken leg or wing in place of a meal a few times a week.

There are folks here who know infinitely more about nutrition than your vet. We’ve all discussed how conversations about nutrition have gone with our vets and very few of us have stuck with their advice for very long.

You were on the right track to start, hang in here, your pup will improve.

Do you by chance have a dachshund?

I started my dog on canned food when I first got her, but then the vet told me that canned food exclusively will lead to tooth decay and that dry food was better, so we made the slow transition to dry food. Since the dry food diet, I’ve noticed she’s put on the pounds, to the point where she’s thrown her back out. She’s done this once before too, and the vet told me once she hurt her back she was likely to do it again. It’s taking her longer this time to get over the back pain so I feel I can’t exercise her. However I have cut down to 3/4 a cup of dry food a day, her regular food. I feel so sorry for her because she’s in pain and now hungry all the time too. I just don’t know what to do to help her lose weight.

That could be true…..I only know that the girl I adopted was obese….should have weighed about 24, 25 pounds but weighed 43.7.  She was a senior, had arthritis, hip dysplasia…it was recommended to me to feed her a quality grainfree food, one with good ingredients and one with lower fat. I don’t think that Blue that Susan (whom I responded to) talks about was even around at that time. I chose the Core reduced fat because I liked the ingredients. It worked is all I know. We did a gradual weight loss, it took about a year for her to lose 20lbs

 Hi Marie,
I was just thinking…Would not any food accomplish fixing weight issues by just feeding less?I started with 2 1/2 cups per day and always adjusted by dropping the amount by 1/2 cup no matter what kibble we used.I stopped using the scale because she was always between 68 and 70 lbs.Now I just go by her activity level and eye test.During her less active summer she got 1 1/2 now it’s cold and her activity is doubled she gets 2 and sometimes a half cup more as a treat/snack.I believe a lot of over weight dogs may get extra calories from unneeded snacks like my last chubby Boxer did.I always gave her something I was eating because I could not resist those big brown eyes staring up at me. IDK just trying to get this post in before Debbie wakes up…

If the Blue doesn’t work, take a look at Wellness Core’s reduced fat. I used it for an obese dog we adopted, to lose weight. We fed the amount of food for what she *should* have weighed and went up or down from there

Remember that it’s not necessarily about low calorie foods, it’s about QUALITY calories as well. Which is why the higher calorie Evo doesn’t bother me, since the calories you’re getting are of such a high quality (and you do feed less of it).

So don’t just be looking at a food’s calorie content, or else you end up with junk like Royal Canin.

i’ve never given her a cup of food a day -it’s usually a 1/2 cup to 2/3 cup/day – depending on the brand of food. If the food has low calories then of course you have to feed more per serving. i’ve been told she should get anywhere from 200 cals/day to 218 cals/day. and this was from 2 different vets.
thanks so much for your help – greatly appreciated.

i’m in Calgary Alberta – there quite a few brands that i would like to try but can’t get them here. Perhaps Acana Regional Grain free formulas?

You could certainly feed a higher calorie food, you’d just have to feed less of it. Acana Light and fit looks like a good food and so does EVO Weight Management. However, I personally would go with the EVO over the Acana because it’s higher in protein and grain-free. Another option to consider – Annamaet actually makes a great weight management food. It’s called “Lean” – it’s grain-free, 30% protein and only 350 kcal. per cup.

ok thanks alot – i thought that the cals were pretty high
in the EVO when i was reading the analysis on it
acana light and fit has 360 cals/cup – that will be ok?

You’re welcome for the help, it’s my pleasure. Trust me.

A lot of veterinarians don’t believe in high protein, but I don’t agree with them at all. And I’m not the only one around here that thinks that way. What most vets and others forget is that there is a difference between animal-based protein and plant-based protein. I’d never feed a food high in plant-based protein, as a dog’s digestive system is set up to process animal-based proteins (aka “meat” or “fish”). 

I have no personal experience with Acana Light & Fit, but I’ve heard nothing but good things about both the company and the food.

Good luck.

No. I’ll give you 4 reasons why…

Corn, wheat, cellulose, “animal” flavors

They may be just fine for your pup, but it depends on how they compare to what you have been feeding. What was it, anyway?

I’m really not sure. It may be because Mike hasn’t gotten around to reviewing Evo Weight Management. Hopefully the Dr. sees this and responds, because I’d like to hear it myself.

I believe that any dog needing to lose weight should go with grain-free, low-carb, foods that are high in animal-based protein (aka “meat” or “fish”).

If you think about it, a popular diet for humans is a low-carb one, while humans are omnivores. So wouldn’t it make total sense for a dog, that is a carnivore, to be on a low-carb diet as well. Heck, I think it makes MORE sense for a dog to be on a low-carb diet.

DFA ranks their foods based on protein levels, so I’d look at a 5-star food that’s grain-free, while making sure that protein is mainly animal-based (too many foods boost their protein thanks to peas and other high protein plants). 

Evo Weight Management is a little pricey, but I think it’s the best kibble you can feed a dog needing to lose weight. 

thanks shawna

what about evo weight management? good choice do you think?

Unfortunately your vet gave you some incorrect information here. As hard as it may be to believe a tiny yorkie/chi mix has the same nutritional requirements as a large dog like a great dane. All dogs are the same species and therefore have the same nutritional requirements. Most healthy dogs will thrive on a high protein, grain free diet. If you check out the article library on Champion’s website there are some great articles – written by vets – explaining the benefits of high protein diets and debunking the myths surrounding them.

Acana light and fit is definitely a good food as far as grain-inclusive foods go, but I do feel a grain-free food would be best for any dog. I’ve fed all of Acana’s grain-free varieties in the past and my dog did very well on them, I’m a big fan of Champion’s pet products (both Orijen and Acana). I’ve never fed the Wellness Core reduced fat but I’ve read comments on here from people that have and they’ve had good luck with it – ingredient-wise it looks good to me and it’s rated 5 stars. You could even rotate between some of the Acana grain-free varieties and the Wellness Core if you wanted, it’d give your dog more variety.

I would avoid canned broth, it’s high in sodium and doesn’t really have any nutrients. Canned is quite expensive to feed exclusively. I think your best option would be to add a small amount of canned to the dry, just mash some up with warm water to make a “gravy” and coat the kibble – you could use this method to stretch a can out over the course of two or three days. Another option would be using something like The Honest Kitchen’s Ice Pups and adding water to make a gravy, it’s similar to a broth when you add water but there’s no salt added and it’s high in protein and fat so your dog will actually get some nutrients from it.

thanks for your help

i have a small bag of acana light and fit. in order for her to eat dry i have to add something to it. she likes beef broth. i have campbells’ low sodium (18%). started using it last night. just a tsp. is it ok to use that all the time.

Oh I see, you’re wondering why it isn’t on this list. Well Dr. Mike states above that the foods on this list meet three criteria: 1) above average protein, 2) below average fat and 3) 250 – 350 kcal. per cup or 13 oz. can. This food is only 24% protein which would be considered “average” not a”above average” and it has 365 kcal. per cup.

Hi Fern –

Dr. Mike has reviewed this food:

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/vets-choice-holistic-health-extension-dry/

It’s rated 4 stars. You can scroll through the comment thread on the food to read about others’ experiences with it.

Hi Sharron –

Sounds like you’re on the right track with the exercise! I would, however, avoid foods labeled “light” or “low fat” – the meat is replaced with filler (carbs) to lower the fat content and consequently the protein content is lowered as well. I’d just go with a high quality 4 or 5 star canned food, grain-free is a plus too. If you’re going with dry, there’s no reason to use a low fat food either, just a 4 or 5 star all life stages food with controlled portions.

thanks

i have her on natural choice lamb and rice lite.
it has 249 calories/cup. i called Nutro this am and they said to feed her 1/2 cup/day. – that’s only 125 calories/day. she doesn’t get treats or table food and i walk her 4 x day – 20 mins each. she’s 10.8 lbs and should weigh 8.5-9lbs.

which is better for a slightly overweight dog – canned, dry or both?
thanks

Shawna,
 
Well I know for sure my cat would be leaner on a raw diet… she wouldn’t eat it : )
 
As I look at some of the weight loss literature in cats I see there is a leaning toward volume being a significant satiety signal. Since dry can be much more energy dense than moist I can see cats being free fed being leaner on a moist diet.
 
I think the key is energy density which is why Backus reported it was high fat, not high carb, that led to weight gain in the cats he studied. Higher fat foods have a higher energy density ( keeping moisture constant) 
 
In regards to my statement of “high fat” in regards to dogs I should clarify that I was refering to kibble with higher than average fat content .. like EVO.
 
You’d probably consider this a moderate fat diet, I called it high fat.. it is all relative. : ) 
 
What I have seen in that when people switch to a “moderate” fat diet, 40-50% of calories from fat the dog gains weight. As I said this is simply because the owner is feeding by volume and because the diet is more energy dense is feeding more calories. The dog very willing eats the additional calories. 
 
 Though the food is low carb, the dog’s appetite is not decreased. The dog eats all that is offered and gains weight.
 
I agree that a dog can lose weight on a high protein moderate fat (40-50 % calories from fat)  low carb food.
 
My point is that a high protein, low fat, mod carb food works equally as well and allows more volume to be fed which may help both the owner and the dog.
 
Toxed2loss provided the reference that fat in the diet is most efficiently laid down as fat in the dog and protein least efficiently becomes fat. This is what I have always said.
 
In free feed studies in dogs and cats on dry foods the animals on the higher fat diets were fatter than those on the higher carb diets. The dogs on the higher fat diets ate more calories, weighed more and had higher body fat percentages. The dogs on the higher carb diets weighed less and were leaner.
 
 If carb was driving weight gain and hunger than we should have a different result. 
 
My personal observation accurately reflects the published literature.

Hi Caring,

I wanted to follow up on our conversation from the other day.

Here’s a video from an El Paso DVM, Dr Jerry Kincaid, on the problems associated with feeding pets corn, & grains.

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=hXC5q3-OCN8&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DhXC5q3-OCN8

Here’s a link to one of Dr. Karen Becker’s articles on choosing dog food and her recommendations if you are choosing a dry food

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/10/21/selecting-the-best-cat-pet-and-dog-pet-food.aspx

Excerpts:

“No grains (carnivores don’t have a biologic requirement for grain)

No wads of potatoes or other starches to offset meat content”

“Ingredients three and four should be vegetables (avoid corn, wheat or beep pulp) and unless the formula is grain-free (which I recommend),…”

“Leave all pet food containing corn or soy in any form on the shelf. Corn is a cheap filler ingredient, non-nutritious for pets, and a known allergenic. Soy is estrogenic and wreaks havoc on your pet’s endocrine system.”

Hope that helps!

I’ll bet monies that a cat on a higher calorie species appropriate raw diet will be leaner then a cat on equal amounts of Pro Plan.

You wrote “And as I reported before I’ve seen dog after dog gain weight when changed to high fat foods.”

We’ve discussed this before but I can’t seem to get it to stick ——

I’m NOT an advocate of “high” fat foods.  In fact, I reject raw foods that are “high” fat (in relation to the quantity of protein).  I’ve never tried to get a dog (or recommended to another) to lose weight eating high fat.  That is absurd…  However, you don’t have to feed “low” fat either — if you lower the carbs.. 

Many of us have had wonderful success feeding a high protein, moderate fat and lower carb diet..  Science has proven that dogs on a high protein diet easily lose body fat while gaining lean muscle. 

It depends on whom you are reading—-some refer to gliadin as a lectin and some lectin like.  My guess is that it isn’t a “glycoprotein” so some refer to it as lectin-like while others call it a lectin because it agglutinates.  Either way, it agglutinates so causes the same damage as a lectin.

I would agree that it depends on the individual lectin.  Example — kidney beans can be fatal if eaten raw.  But when soaked in water much of the lectins are drawn out.  That’s why “soaking” beans overnight and draining off the water before cooking gets passed down from generation to generation. 

And grains were “fermented” etc before being eaten by our ancestors.

“Proteins/glycoproteins from plants, particularly lectins, are more resistant to heat denaturation than animal proteins (1, 2). With legume seeds, whose lectin content is appreciable, this presents potentially serious problems in nutritional practice. Therefore, before they can be used safely, legume-based food/ feeds usually require thorough and expensive heat processing to inactivate antinutritive components. Indeed, dry or moist heating of seeds at 70°C for several h has little or no effect on their lectin activity (Fig. 1) and treatment at much higher temperatures is needed to inactivate the biological and antinutritional effects of legume lectins (1, 2). The safety aspect is even more serious with some monocot lectins, such as wheatgerm agglutinin or a number of oilseed lectins, such as peanut agglutinin and many others because they are extremely heat stable and normal cooking or other conventional heat treatments may fail to inactivate them (3) Thus, the best way to avoid potential harmful effects of these heat-resistant lectins is to limit their dietary intake to a minimum.”  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21374488

This is only one of the articles out there that suggest lectins (some) are quite heat stable.  Definitley moreso then regular proteins..

Again, if heat destroyed lectins then nobody would have to worry about peanut allergies and celiacs could very easily find an alternative wheat product and I could drink milk without reacting —– YES, I’m bitter about that …

 There is no way I would ever free feed my crew. They would consume as much as they could and necessitate a visit to the vet(have already had this happen when one got into the Acana Ranchlands bag) to induce vomiting.

Having fed both types of food, I really do not see a huge difference in higher carb versus lower carb. The iggy eats the same to maintain his weight(calorie based) on both types. Since I tend to feed food equal in kcals per cup, that is 1 1/2 cups per day no matter what type of food it is. I will say that he loves carbs-he will not beg if you are eating baked chicken, but pull out ceral, chips etc and he is “johnny on the spot”-that and butter pecan ice cream, lol.

It sounds reasonable…. but just doesn’t seem to work. Maybe it is because in pet foods the carbs are blended with the rest of the diet and these large swings  in glucose stimulating hunger just don’t occur.

In my own household I’d never let my dogs free feed, but my cat does. She loses weight when on Pro Plan free feed ( high carb) and gains it on Evo( low carb). I ususally keep her on EVO because I have a hard time keeping weight on her. I think volume drives her appetite more than anything else.

I was at a social event and got to talking to someone who put her chubby cat on EVO after reading about the whole carb causes hunger thing.  I think she was on free feed Iams (??). The cat went from 12 lbs to 14 lbs in 2 months! She was in the process of changing back to the previous higer carb diet.  

I know a ‘n” of 2 is hardly noteworthy but you alll like observation over studies  : )

And as I reported before I’ve seen dog after dog gain weight when changed to high fat foods. IF hunger was driven by carbs and low carb diets “cause you to want to eat less” then why did the dogs consume all that was offered and gain weight?

But for those interested in studies Romsos (1978) free fed adult dogs for 25 weeks either a high fat or a high carb diet. At the end the study the high fat group gained more weight and accumulated more than twice the amount of fat as the high carb group.  

The same was seen in the Backus study.. a weight gain of 17% in the highest fat fed group.

This is why I’ve always said you can’t reason science: )
     

Melissa,

Interesting… Ther was a poster on here, Antonio?? who if I remember right also said his dog also a Dobe did better on holding weight when carb was in the diet. 

Hey, I tell it like it is. Best wishes, Orion

For me, the issue with these foods is 1.  they may be eaten as the only diet for years and years.  2.  symptoms may not be recognized even if they are there.

It took 20 years to diagnose my dairy issue.  I was diagnosed with hypothyroid, pernicious anemia, iron anemia, arthritic like joint pains, sinusitis (but no infection), carpel tunnel and tendonitis etc etc etc etc etc..  Come to find out — it was ALL related to the dairy intolerance..  And I have met too many people with same or similar issues that went undiagnosed as well.  Like my friend in California that had her colon removed in her 30s.  Yet her symptoms continued..  Come to find out — she’s gluten intolerant. 

By the way, I never had digestive issues..

I was talking with a mom on a local forum and her 3 year old was diagnosed by a dermatologist with psoriasis.  The cause was diagnosed as idiopathic and her DOCTOR told her food would not cause this…  I suggested eliminating all grains (oats and barley) “just to see”.  Her psoriasis (that was NOT caused by food) started clearing up within days of discontinuing the grains.  Mom said her disposition improved too.  The child did not have digestive issues.

I could give many more examples of both dogs and people that I personally have talked with or worked with..  It, to me, seems far more prevalant and diverse in symptoms then most want to believe or admit to.

For those dogs that are eating the same foods day in and day out (or same ingredients in different foods even), it seems prudent to me to eat the foods that cause the least problems as a precaution..  Just my opinion though.

I have had the “atkins” effect on two of my dogs by feeding grain free lower carb foods. One of course is my dobergal, and the other is my Iggy Paulie. I stopped it (mostly) in her by adding other foods in. Paulie is a freak as I have said in the past-very nervous and anxious mill rescue-The solution for him was to feed quite a bit more food, and to be sure he always has canned added to the kibble. For an approx 10lb Iggy, he will pack away 1 1/2 cups per day, plus 1/4 of a can.

The rest of the crew shows no difference between eating lower carb and higher carb foods. I simply monitor how much I feed by calorie content.

aimee,
my thought on fats and carbs for weight. one word Atkins. works equally well on dogs as on humans