Never Had To Ask This Question

[Hubcitypam]

Buddy came to me...err...a tad flufffy. I was feeding the 4 cups that they were giving him but at the vet yesterday the scale had crept up a bit.

 

He is now cut down to three cups a day of Purina Beyond. (1.5 each lunch and dinner). He was on Pro Plan and I did not compare calories when I switched. My bad. He was getting one milkbone a day in the morning and the vet said to cut that out and give him raw carrots.

 

That went over like a lead baloon just as it has with every hound I've owned. *Sounds* like a great idea but no one will eat them. I asked about the green bean diet and he said no, just cut out the milkbone and the 1 sweet potato chip and strip daily. No treats except raw carrots. We are not going there. I've cut him to half a milkbone and one sweet potato strip a day. Then he said switch him to w/d and I said "we went through this with Poodle two years ago before you were here -- I'm not feeding cellouse".

 

SO, since I'm not doing anything the vet wants, ideas? I could switch him to the Natural Balance Ultra light that Poodle eats, but it is a little spendy for a 95# dog. Not sure why green beans would be so bad. They worked for my yorkie.

 

He is the first dog that I haven't free fed since we now eat twice a day due to Poodles shots.

Edited April 4, 2012 by Hubcitypam

[greysmom]

Most of the greyhounds I've had will lose weight just by cutting back their regular food intake.

 

If he's getting enough exercise, I'd see how he does this way or even cut it back to 2 or 2 1/2 cups. I would NOT switch him to W/D until and unless it becomes medically necessary (like an emergency) for him to lose weight quickly. Slow and steady is best for people and for humans!

 

I also don't see the problem with green beans. Mine all love them and we have them as add-ons for kibble all the time. again

[Yamaha_gurl]

How long do you walk him for? Maybe up the walkies.

[Guest sweetpea]

You just found out he's gained a little weight yesterday, so you've now decreased his kibble

to 3 cups? (Making sure I'm clear on the timeline.)

 

I say give that a little time. I've never had trouble getting weight off a dog by just lowering

the kibble portion. (And making sure nobody else is handing out treatsies.)

 

Good luck!

 

Buzzy

[Hubcitypam]

Mine have all loved most things green as well as COOKED carrots. Buck especially loved spinach and greens. Wondering why that won't work

 

We've always walked 30 or so minutes a day. Now We are walking a 20 minute route with Poodle (who has two paws on a banana peel and one in the grave) then later just Buddy, Barkley and I go out for another 1/2 hour. He is for sure getting 45 minutes a day the 1/2 hour at a brisk clip. Too soon to tell if it makes a difference.

 

You just found out he's gained a little weight yesterday, so you've now decreased his kibble

to 3 cups? (Making sure I'm clear on the timeline.)

Day before yesterday per the vet.

He was fat when he arrived and I should have taken action then. My vet said he'd be the picture of health -- if he wasn't a greyhound.

Edited March 21, 2012 by Hubcitypam

[JAJ2010]

I would give 3 cups kibble and I cup of green beans. And give the poor guy his cookies! LOL most vets are not that utd on nutrition. Raw green beans would be even better since there wouldn't be all that salt.

[Guest BlackandTan]

Yah Gary is pretty good at packing on the lbs... I just cut out 1/2 cup when he is getting a belly going on.

[Guest 8fleetfeet]

Buddy came to me...err...a tad flufffy. I was feeding the 4 cups that they were giving him but at the vet yesterday the scale had crept up a bit.

 

He is now cut down to three cups a day of Purina Beyond. (1.5 each lunch and dinner). He was on Pro Plan and I did not compare calories when I switched. My bad. He was getting one milkbone a day in the morning and the vet said to cut that out and give him raw carrots.

 

That went over like a lead baloon just as it has with every hound I've owned. *Sounds* like a great idea but no one will eat them. I asked about the green bean diet and he said no, just cut out the milkbone and the 1 sweet potato chip and strip daily. No treats except raw carrots. We are not going there. I've cut him to half a milkbone and one sweet potato strip a day. Then he said switch him to w/d and I said "we went through this with Poodle two years ago before you were here -- I'm not feeding cellouse".

 

SO, since I'm not doing anything the vet wants, ideas? I could switch him to the Natural Balance Ultra light that Poodle eats, but it is a little spendy for a 95# dog. Not sure why green beans would be so bad. They worked for my yorkie.

 

He is the first dog that I haven't free fed since we now eat twice a day due to Poodles shots.

 

My first two greys used to eat the exact same thing as each other, though I would give my male, who was twenty pounds heavier (he was a very large male) than my female, a little bit more with each meal. At one point, however, my male's weight crept up to the point that he needed to lose some weight. I read an article about taking excess weight off dogs--it was either in Bark or the Whole Dog Journal--that said that canned food is better for dogs who need to lose weight. I switched to canned only and started increasing their exercise, and within a month or two my chubby guy was back to normal. I can't remember why the article said that canned food was better, but I remember thinking at the time that it made sense. It certainly worked.

[Hubcitypam]

My first two greys used to eat the exact same thing as each other, though I would give my male, who was twenty pounds heavier (he was a very large male) than my female, a little bit more with each meal. At one point, however, my male's weight crept up to the point that he needed to lose some weight. I read an article about taking excess weight off dogs--it was either in Bark or the Whole Dog Journal--that said that canned food is better for dogs who need to lose weight. I switched to canned only and started increasing their exercise, and within a month or two my chubby guy was back to normal. I can't remember why the article said that canned food was better, but I remember thinking at the time that it made sense. It certainly worked.

...probably because it has mostly water. good point.

[rschultz]

Lexie won't eat raw carrots so I roast them She loves them that way..maybe try that.You probably could even grill them. I also agree with others about just cutting back a lil more with the kibble. Milkbones are definite no no. Good Luck

[XTRAWLD]

Yup, same here. We cut back 1 cup of kibble a day for Ryder (he gets fed twice a day, so only missing half a cup a meal wasn't the be all end all for him) when he was getting a little solid. We were able to see the bit of one rib again in a month. We did not increase his activity during this time either....continued with the same routine.

 

He was allowed to enjoy all the cookies and veggies he wanted! Perhaps eliminating this would have helped, and more walks would have sped the weight loss up, but that's just not fair! What didn't help was that his stomach likes to be full, and I didn't like cleaning up bile in the middle of the night. We got around this eventually, but I know how hard it is to cut food back on a food motivated houndie. He has since trimmed up again but I'm not too concerned....he looks pretty good and isn't overweight. Mind you we are feeding raw again for the past couple months, so we'll have to trim that back and I'm sure his body will respond to the cut back just like before.

 

Cutting back the food should be enough, just give it some time - for Ryder it was one month of diligent food reduction.

[MP_the4pack]

I've checked the thyroid of my hounds that seemed to keep weight on more than I anticipated (meaning after I've cut their food). I did the full panel, and they all were hypothyroid.(3 of the 9 I've had to date) Weigh gain can be one of the symptoms of hypothyroidism.

 

Maybe check his.

[krissn333]

I don't see a problem with giving him raw green beans if he'll eat them! Or broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts...any of it is good for him.

 

One or two milkbones a day is certainly not making him fat Mine eat a lot more cookies than they should and have had no weight gain effects, but, in an attempt to give them healthier things, they each get a whole raw carrot when I leave the house in the morning. They all like them though - if he won't eat the carrot it won't do much good!

 

I'd just continue on with the 3 cups a day and the milkbones as you have been, and see in a couple of weeks where that gets you. If he still seems hungry, give him the green beans, or whatever other veggie he likes!

[Guest KsFrets]

We had an over weight foster come to us, out of a home that free fed. She was immediately put on 3 cups a day, with our own girls. She got cookies whenever ours got them. She got walked 2 miles every day with our dogs. A month later, and 10 pounds lighter, she went to her forever home looking great! Don’t sweat it and give the 3 cups time to work.

[MaryJane]

Give the green beans but cook them, don't use the canned because they have salt.

[Feisty49]

Annie Bella can put on weight easily so I'm careful. She also loves treats. I buy milk bones for large dogs and snap them in half. She gets the whole thing by day's end but the enjoyment is spread out. I also buy other treats but they are made for small dogs. They have 8 calories per biscuit and she's happy with one or two when we come back in from our walks or going potty. She gets a bully stick about every 5 days. She almost never gets people food. She does like Wheat Thins and popcorn, and I occasionally share with her, but that happens less than once a week (cause I have them only that often.. LOL). Her racing weight was 61 lbs. She was 68 lbs. when I adopted her. She looks best at 65 to 66 lbs and that's what I strive for by making sure she's not overfed.

[MerlinsMum]

I wouldn't cut back his food any more than you have. I would increase the exercise he's getting.

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

Up the exercise... that's all I've ever had to do when I adopt or foster a fat dog

[Guest BrianRke]

Up the exercise... that's all I've ever had to do when I adopt or foster a fat dog

[Guest kellygreyhound]

I bought some Mini Naturals Salmon Training Treats for Kelly a while back and noticed the package touts that they only have a few calories per treat. Now that's never been an issue for Kelly, she burns off food like crazy, but they might be good for a pup who's having trouble keeping his figure. They're tiny treats, but they're super salmon stinky!

[Hubcitypam]

3 cups seems to be working, but I wonder if I'm starving him. I'm bucking the vet and giving him 1/2 a milkbone in the morning and a yam at night. He is down 5# since March 22. Wonder if that is too fast?

 

I am transitioning him to the Natural Balance Ultra Light that Poodle eats in place of w/d. Buddy is back to where I got him but still needs to lose about 8 more pounds. Green beans were as big a fail as carrots -- they were strewn like confetti around the bowl.

[greysandmollie]

I would just give the decreased food some time....I bet he will lose weight by cutting back his food by a fourth....

[jamngrey]

Naw I bet your ok. Its like us when we loose weight my males have always eaten 3 cups

[TheFullHouse]

Sounds like you're on the right track to me.

[Remolacha]

I had to laugh at the image of the green beans "strewn like confetti around the bowl"

 

sounds like you are are on the right track with the weight loss!