My Dog Is Overweight

By

PrairieLady

I have 2-4# chis. They use to eat only chicken, but got them onto eating doggie casserole. 6 cups of rice cooked, mixed veggies and about a pound of cooked chicken? I grind the chicken and veggies up, then mix it all up.Then I put out Professional Dog food Rice and Chicken. They get about a 1/3 c. off the doggie casserole a day.

By

Jilson

Does she eat liver and chicken that you have cooked? Or liver and chicken dog foods? If it is dog food, do notgo by the recommendations on the label for quantity. I swear they will all make dogs fat if you do that. (I have a very physically active dog that even at her peak, never was given much more than half of their recommended amount!)

If you're using dog foods, you can try a light version offered by the same manufacturer, and decrease quantities.
If you cook for your dog, start adding in other things gradually (like rice, green beans, carrots), a little bit at a time, until you are adding a fair bit of lower calorie stretcher. It will also make your dog's diet more balanced. I expect you can find the proportions online, or by calling your vet.

It is important to cut down the amount your pup eats. Treats are another calorie laden problem. See if your pup likes pieces of baby carrot. Most dogs do, and they make a great low-calorie snack.
Just like with people, the key is to lower the amount of calories your dog is taking in and increase the pup's activity level. Add an extra walk. And be very careful not to add a lot of fat when you cook, no butter, and very little oil.

Good luck! You're doing the right thing, and prolonging your dog's life!

My dog is very overweight and I can't get her to lose weight. What should I do?