Overweight

L

Lexi

Forums Enthusiast
So my sheltie needs to loose some weight and after reading different things I'm confused if to use diet foods or it is also ok to feed 'normal' food just give her 15 to 10% less kibble. I don't know if it is good to have a dog on diet food all her life. Right now she is eating N&D weight management.
Also I don't know if it is better to use grain free food or low gran or what. If someone can help me in this I would be grateful.:confused2:
 
I feed Fromm adult gold kibble. Grain free is a no go. I'm not a fan of diet food. I would rather provide my dogs with a good, quality base and then use fillers like green beans.

My 3 year old was 26 .8 lbs in Feb 2020 - FAR more than his small, dainty 15 1/2" frame should have. We walked more, he gets 1/4 cup of kibble 2x per day, if we are UBER active, I up that to 1/3 cup for dinner. I add no-salt canned green beans or buy a huge Costco bag of frozen green beans. NO human food except for doing our pre-wash dishwasher cycle... LOL! Our biggest thing was cutting down on treats. Boys still get 3 - 5 bully sticks weekly. They get a full Mother Hubbard mini biscuit at bedtime. For training treats I use homemade chicken liver treats or Bixby Pocket trainer treats which are 3.5 cal per treat, but I split in 1/2.

After 2 years, I can say that Brodie is now 18 lbs and has maintained this weight for the last 6 - 8 months so it CAN be done.
 
Don't be fooled by the "I AM STARVING" look, cut back food. Spitfire who is about 14" was up over 30 and a porker. Took a few months but all I did was cut back to get him down around 20 where I can feel ribs. Also his activity and jumping went up and he is 10 now.
 
I agree with Sandy and Sheep. I avoid the diet foods and as long as you're feeding a good quality food, cut the portions back and supplement them with green beans. I also use the frozen ones, straight from the bag to their bowl, and mix warm water in which defrosts them. Water will also make your pup feel more full, and it's never a bad thing to increase their water intake, especially in the winter. For treats, my pups love Charlee Bear which is 3 cal per treat and great ingredients.

It will take time, but the pounds will come off. Add a bit more exercise if you can, that really helps, even if it's just indoor fetch or ball games. Good luck!
 
My dogs are not overweight. I never feed the recommended daily amount. Shelties are bred to run on an oily rag, which is great for us as they cost less to feed, but not great for Shelties! If you feed what they suggest you'll get a fat Sheltie. My girls get half of the recommended amount and I just supplement with vegies - whatever vegies I get they do, eg carrot, broc, cauli, potato. I only use treats for training and give chews occasionally and any snacks are usually vegetables.

Don't go grain free, there is really no need, and it carries a risk of nutrition related dilated cardiomyopathy (heart disease) so it isn't worth it.
 
Oh thanks to all for your answers. My dogs never tried green beans so I hope they will eat it. I see some of you use canned beans some raw I will need to try which they prefer.They do like fresh carrots.
How do you know how much of veggies to add? Do you weight it?
 
Careful adding too much fiber at once, especially the carrots, could cause runny poop. But yes never feed what the dog food bag says! All of mine get roughly 1/2 cup twice daily, Meadow a bit less since she is smaller.
 
In terms of dog food, mine (who all weigh around 20 pounds) get 1/4 cup of food twice daily. If I'm adding green beans, I get the french cut frozen beans and add a handful right from the bag. I don't measure them. Start with a few at first to see if your dog will eat them. I don't like using the canned beans because they are packed in solution with salt which your dogs don't need. You might consider using carrots to replace treats. Some people do that too for weight loss instead of dog biscuits.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top