[Chris C]

3 cups is below the daily serving amount for the “weight loss” recommendation daily intake of 4 cups for a 70lb dog. Reducing feed too much brings in concerns of nutrient deficiencies. The topping of wet food or chicken scraps is just enough to add interest. Maybe 100-150 calories a meal at most. For example, last night she just got the water from canned mackerel which was likely under 30 calories.

She gets about all of the exercise she can handle. She is an outdoor dog and constantly roaming the property. She probably walks on her own 3x more than anyone would leash walk her. Running is out of the question for her at this age and stage of joint disease. I wish I could get he in the pool but she has never been a fan and actually panics a bit when I carry her in and hold her as you would while teaching a toddler to swim in an arm cradle.

[Chris C]

Spy_Car I agree but meat based/grain free diets have not worked in her weight control so I have to explore alternative options for effect. Sharing your perspective is why I selected Dr. Tim’s over the others in the list. It seems the best option when analyzing meat based & total protein % and total calories. Unfortunately, she has not lost any weight and is only getting 3 cup total a day at 72lbs. We also add about 1/6 cup per meal of various wet foods to entice her to eat since otherwise she seems to have no interest.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 6 months ago by Chris C.

[Chris C]

I wanted to update and thank everyone for their suggestions. Piggy has been eating the TOTW Siera Mountain now for over 6mn. Unfortunately, she has continued to gain weight and is now about 10lbs overweight. She does not seem to love the food and will many times come out of her crate in the morning and go straight to foraging after relieving herself although there is food in her bowl. She has been getting 1.5 cups in the morning and 1 cup in the evening. Water is added to the food to help her feel satiated. I was looking at the NB Fat Dogs suggested, but after thinking about it I don’t think it is good for her. She tends to be very gassy already and I don’t think beans being a major ingredient will have good results. I am going to try the Dr. Tim’s WM (with grains version).
https://www.chewy.com/dr-tims-weight-management-metabolite/dp/167606

[Chris C]

Thanks pitlove!
Could I restrict her by building an enclosed area, sure. But honestly I am not taking that freedom to explore and chase things away from her. I think she will be fine until next saw palmettos season. I will just need to find the time to trim the stalks before the fruit ripen and fall. She is too happy and too old to force a lifestyle change on especially one that would be financially significant to do right.

Just for comparisons of all suggestions I will add yours here. For some reason the edit option is now gone so I can’t add it to the others above.

County Naturals Senior/Low-Fat 370kcal/cup @ $2.36/lb
Annamaet Lean 350kcal/cup @ $2.63/lb

I didn’t include Science Diet since last time I checked their ingredient list was garbage.

[Chris C]

Thanks Susan! I actually ordered the TotW Sierra last night to give a try. I used to feed all of the dogs their fish based dry food but switched some time ago. I always liked it and never had issue with the brand which gets good reviews so I felt comfortable with it. I will give it a few months and see what her weight does. If it isn’t enough of a calorie deficit I will move to the 4Health line. The green beans are a good idea as filler so I will start sharing ours with her. Now that our nest is empty we usually have some veggies and fruit go bad before we eat all of it if buying at Costco or bulk bags anyway.

[Chris C]

Found this but I think it is old info. Wish they would put a date on articles like this.

/best-dog-foods/weight-loss-dog-foods/

[Chris C]

For reference:
Wellness Core Reduced Fat is 360kcal/cup @ $2.50/lb
Whole Earth Farms Grain-Free Healthy Weight is 348kcal/cup @ $1.80/lb
Taste of the Wild is 338kcal/cup @ $1.67/lb

I will add other suggestions to this comment as they are given.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 6 months ago by Chris C.

[Chris C]

Thanks! I will check those out haleycookie. She can’t come inside unfortunately because she will kill the cats. Like I said, it keeps her active so there is some offset in energy in-out there. Even if we kept her locked up she would still forage as soon as she was aloud to roam to do her business. Either way, she loves being outside in the fresh air, with all of the natural sounds and animals to entertain her. I would never take that away. Thankfully the saw palmettos are done fruiting for the season so that should help since she would eat a lot of them and they are high in fat.

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