[Sabrina W]

Does anyone have any experience with weight management foods? I need to switch my hound/terrier mix. I just signed up for this membership and was really disappointed to see that there was not a section for this.

[InkedMarie]

I have used Wellness Core reduced fat with great results. If I needed a weight loss food now, I’d use Annamaet Lean.

[Pitlove]

My tips for weight loss are: feed for ideal weight, not current weight. Watch calories from all sources including treats. Also cutting back on treats if you give them often helps. No free feeding. Feed 2 meals a day (I feed 2 meals a day 12 hours apart). High protein and low carb/calorie helps as well, however my dog has been his ideal weight on foods I consider low protein (23%).

Edit: I should add that it doesn’t take a weight loss food to help a dog lose weight, but I’ve heard it can be beneficial to make sure the dogs nutritional needs are still being met.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 7 months ago by Pitlove.

[C4D]

Pitlove gave you some good advice. You also really need to get a measuring cup that has 1/8 cup increments. I feed my dogs less than the recommended amount of any food, even though they get a decent amount of exercise. A couple of other tricks is to add some gently cooked frozen green beans and a bit of pur canned pumpkin. I also add some warm water to the kibble, mix it with canned food (you can hold on this if you want until you get the weight under control). It makes the dog feel fuller when you are cutting back on the ration. I have Labs, so I’m all about keeping them lean since they are traditional overeaters! 🙂

I really like Nature’s Variety Healthy Weight. I feed it often during the cold months. It has a decent protein level (32%) and is a 5 star rated food.

http://www.instinctpetfood.com/healthy-weight-food-dogs-and-cats

There is also a calculator on this site, but I still feed a bit less, to maintain weight, than recommended and my dogs are in great health with stellar blood panels! Here’s the link to the DFA calculator. Good luck with your pup! 🙂

/dog-feeding-tips/dog-food-calculator/

[Sabrina W]

Thanks guys. I’m pretty experienced with food, just in a new situation. I just got a service dog, finally, in July. He was on Merrick, but I’m getting him off that now, I just don’t trust Purina based anything. Had him on Castor and Pollock, but it’s not agreeing with him. Liberty has gained weight eating the same thing Apollo is eating. So I was trying to find something they can both eat. But I think it boils down to them being on different food.
Thoughts on Wellness Core? I’m considering putting Apollo on the regular wellness core and Liberty on the wellness core reduced fat. I need to swap to something that I can get here locally in nowhere alabama to try out before I start ordering it online where it’s less expensive. I’m careful to weigh out both of their food and the only time either gets any treats at all is when we are training, and it gets deducted from their dinner. I appreciate the suggestions. I’m going to look at the nature’s variety too because I think I can get that here too.

[Pitlove]

WellnessCORE Reduced Fat and the regular WellnessCORE are good ideas. I like the suggestion for Nature’s Variety as well. My dog didn’t like it, but it doesn’t mean it’s a bad food.

Are you feeding them for the weight they are currently? It sounds like you might be since you seem to be doing everything else right. If you are, that would mean that you are maintaining their current weight which is not what you want.

[Sabrina W]

Just had full work up on Liberty today with vet to make sure liver and thyroid, etc were not the issue before doing anything more drastic. He’s a hound terrier mix of some variety and at 48.2 pounds. I think I need him under 40#. The vet doesn’t want him to drop it too quickly but didn’t specify a specific weight or how quickly either. Is feeding to the 40# recommendation too drastic? Apollo is absolutely fine at 68.8. He’s probably full blooded lab and is doing great.

[Pitlove]

If it makes you feel more comfortable and because he needs to lose a lot of weight, you can certainly do it slowly so he doesn’t lose weight too fast. If he is 48 lbs try feeding him as though he’s 45 or 46 lbs and see how he does. Then just go from there. I would imagine that like with humans, a dog gaining weight or losing weight too fast wouldn’t be healthy so I think you have the right idea.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 7 months ago by Pitlove.

[Tami S]

I have pugs that are know to eat themselves till they explode. Have you ever seen a perfect weight pug? i have them but i have to spend the high dollar and get prescription food from the vet. Science diet RD is to lose weight and wd is for weight management for when you have them at the weight they should be. it ranges from 60 to 70 for the biggest bag and my pugs eat a half cup twice a day. It is quite a quick weight loss if you follow the amount guidelines.

[Pitlove]

I’ve seen lots of Pugs at healthy weights and I highly doubt they are all on Science Diet rX foods. Pretty illogical to say thats the only way a specific breed of dog can maintain an ideal weight.

[Sabrina W]

Um…Tami I’m completely confused. You feed your dogs a food that lists these as the ingredients? Whole Grain Corn, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken By-Product Meal, Powdered Cellulose, Soybean Meal, Soybean Mill Run, Chicken Liver Flavor?
Yuck!!!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Sabrina-
I will be rotating my dogs to Victor’s Healthy Weight/Senior Formula this week. I haven’t fed it yet, but the analysis looks good to me. It still has 27% protein, only 11.5% fat and 4.5% fiber: http://www.victordogfood.com/pdf/Brochure-Senior.pdf

I have two neutered male labs that got a little “thick” this summer because it was too hot to get much exercise in. I have fed Victor grain free with success. So, I’m hoping they will do well on this food as well. It has less fat and calories in it. However, it is not grain free. It does have some brown rice and millet in it. I’ll check back in and let you know how they do on it. Just thought it might be a budget friendly food that would fit your needs. Good luck!

• This reply was modified 8 years, 7 months ago by crazy4cats.

[C4D]

Tami S,
I have seen pugs that are the correct weight when not overfed. I have Labs, which could possibly be the among the most notorious of overeating breeds. I’m amazed that you feed 1 cup per day to such a small dog. My 13 pound foster gets about the equivalent of 3/8 cup per day and looks great. My 65-80 lb active Labs get 2.5 -2.75 cups per day and are at a perfect weight. I think you are overfeeding.

[Pitlove]

“I’m amazed that you feed 1 cup per day to such a small dog.”- Because Science Diet

[pugmomsandy]

I’ve been fostering pugs the past six years and they all eat the same food in differing amounts depending on whether they need to gain, maintain or lose weight. One of the vets mentioned weight loss anywhere from 2-5% per month was acceptable. My personal dogs even eat high fat raw foods but still maintain their shape with a tapered waist and abdominal tuck, visible last rib or two.

[C4D]

Pugsmomsandy, you would truly be the right person to “weigh” in on this. Sorry, I had to do that. 😉

Pitlove, Haha! I agree! 😉

I do need to correct, I feed about 5/8 cup not 3/8.

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