Help to lose weight

[Cathy, Josie and Piper]

Josie is almost 3 yrs old and is a medium sized F1 straight haired doodle. I used to feed her Horizon Pulsar using a dog food scoop to measure out her food. We also have always given her 2tbsp 0fat Greek yogurt with about 3/4 cup of different types of fruit and sometimes carrots for breakfast. She has been slowly gaing weight and is now 57 lbs. which is too much for her petite poodle-like legs. I have now switched her over to Acana light and fit and use a measuring cup instead of the scoop. ( which is very inaccurate, turns out I was giving her about 1/2 cup over the recommended). I'm giving her 1 1/2 cups in the morning, as she grazes on that during the day, we gave her treats on occasion which was usually liver treats, she would sometimes get left overs from our meal, but only meat and veges. Should I eliminate the breakfast of fruit and yogurt? If she gets anything else should we take away from her daily dog food amount? I need to get her slimmed down. Right now she has good hips( likes to lay in a froggy position with her back legs behind her). We have also increased her exercise, either out for walks or play ball with her.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

My first question is, does your vet think Josie is too heavy? If so, what does he/she think her ideal weight should be? That's the number you use to determine how many calories she needs per day. 

[Cathy, Josie and Piper]

Last year the vet said she was over weight at 55 lbs. she did lose a couple of lbs last summer but found them plus 2 more over the winter. The dietician there said that she should be having 670 Kcal/ day. I had emailed her last fall, but she never got back to me. I think they want her to be 45 lbs. so I have some work to do.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Far be it from me to disagree with the dietician, but since there is no accredited educational program for canine nutrition other than a veterinary nutritionist, which is a post DVM veterinary specialty degree, I don't feel so bad about doing it, lol. 670 Kcal/day is too low even for a dog who already weighs 45 and just needs to be kept there, unless the dog is very old and very inactive. Even the Acana feeding guidelines recommend more than that (a cup and 2/3)  for a 44 lb dog who needs to lose weight. 

Of course, with all the extras you're giving her, it's very hard to figure out how many calories she's currently getting. Clearly she's getting a lot of calories from the extras or she wouldn't be just grazing on her kibble throughout the day, she'd be wolfing it down the minute it hit the bowl, lol. Meat can be extremely high in calories, so that "only" meat and veggies would be the first thing I would eliminate. I'm betting that leftovers from your own meal contained a fairly high amount of fat. Veggies can be fine, but not with butter, oil, or any other kind of sauces. A cup full of plain cooked green beans contains only 30 calories and helps fill them up; many people here have successfully reduced their doodles' weight by simply replacing a portion of the dog's kibble with a larger portion of green beans. Use canned, no-sodium-added green beans, dogs seem to strongly prefer them to fresh or frozen, and warm them before adding them to the food.

So, here's what I'd do. I'd give her 3/4 of a cup of kibble for breakfast with the yogurt. If you want to add fruit, stick to berries or melon only, and add only a spoonful, not 3/4 of a cup. I would completely cut out the dinner leftovers. Give her a cup of kibble at dinner and you can add up to half a cup of green beans if she seems to need the extras. 

I would monitor treats very carefully. What kind is she currently getting, if any?

You will also need to keep in mind that weight loss takes time. For humans, we need to consume about 3500 calories less than what our bodies require at our current weight to lose one single pound. Of course, the other part of that equation is exercise; burn more calories, lose the weight faster. But it still doesn't happen in a day or a week.  

[Cathy, Josie and Piper]

Thanks so much for the meal plan. This is really something we can do. I usually only give her treats when I'm giving her a pedicure as she doesn't like it very much. I give her either pure bites liver treats or natures medley salmon and brown rice from Costco. I don't usually get treats from Costco but these sounded good. She may get a one treat/wk. I have given her the green beans last yr and she did like them so that will be easy to add. She has always been a grazer even when we first got her. But I have noticed with the reduction in amount of food she does eat most of her kibble by early afternoon. I will definitely try this, we have increased her activity to. I know it will take some time to lose this weight, as she didn't gain it in one week either. I'll know I'm on the right track if I I start to see a gradual decline. Thanks so much for your help.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'd stop giving the Costco treats. Most if not all of the dog treats sold at Costco contain ingredients from China. The Pure Bites are a much better choice. 

Please let us know how she does. 

[Stella]

My 71lb F1 standard LD was at 78lb eighteen months ago. He only gets 1cup Acana Light and Fit twice a day, and treats only at agility training or when having his nails cut. It took 18 months to get those seven pounds off and he is a very active dog. He looks great now :) but, it takes time. Follow Karen's advice, increase her activity, and be patient!!

[Cathy, Josie and Piper]

Congratulations to you and your dog! Thanks for the encouragement.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

  One of our dogs went from 55 lbs to 65 lbs when we first adopted him. At first we thought he needed to weigh that much as he was from a shelter, however we eventually realized that he was overweight.  He now weighs 58-59 pounds which we achieved by cutting his daily portions a little bit. 

Once Josie's weight is off, weigh her about once a month to make sure she is still on track.  I weigh my dogs at the groomers every visit (every 4 - 6 weeks) and if they have gained or lost, I just adjust their portions for a while.

[Cathy, Josie and Piper]

I just wanted to update you on Josie's weight loss. She is still on the Acana Light and fit. She really likes it and has been satisfied with the recommended amount. I had tried another "diet" food in the past and she always seemed so hungry on it. I have still been giving her the greek yogurt with fruit but about half  the amount as before. She has been a lot more active and energetic since we brought a new puppy home.

As a result she now weighs 53 lbs, she has lost 4 lbs!!! Everybody comments about how good she is looking now. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

This is such good news! Thank you for the update, Cathy, and kudos to you. It's not easy to help your dog lose weight, and it takes a dedicated owner who truly cares about their dog. 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Thanks so much for the update on Josie's successful weight loss and how you achieved it.

[Stella]

Awesome!!!!