I have an Australian Shepherd that needs to lose 5-7 lbs. He blew up after he was neutered, and I can’t seem to get the weight off-just been able to hold his weight. I am really confused about these new dog foods, e.g., no grain, holistic, fish formulas, high fiber, etc.. Anyone have any suggestions?Brands? Have a shepherd/lab that is very sleek, and eats the same thing, so don’t think it’s anything I am doing wrong.
Thanks!
try Orijen
no corn . no grain , no by-products
and stay away form CRAPS ( purina , Iams . science diet , pedigree , royal canin , etc )
science plan food is good you can get especially for weight loss
Less food, more exercise, and NO treats in between meals. That should do it unless the dog has a Thyroid problem.
Foods with grains in them tend to fill up dog up and make them bloated without having any real nutritional value. My labrador is allergic to wheat and she puffed up really badly and looked obese. I put her onto a grain free food and she is back on track. Im really impressed with the results on grain free and couldnt recommend it enough.
I personally prefer grain free foods and im guessing your in the states so the brands are: Orijen, Acana, Wellness, Evo, Innova, California Natural are a few
I would stay away from brands such as: Royal Canin, Science Diet, Purina, Pedigree, Ol Roy, Eukaneba
Find a grain free low calorie or reduced fat food. Do not feed a ‘light’ formula, those are very high in carbs and unhealthy.
My recommendations are EVO weight management http://evopet.com/products/default.asp?id=1492
Wellness CORE reduced fat http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/dog_wellness_grain_reduced.html
or Wellness healthy weight http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/dog_wellness_dry_super5mix_complete_healthy_weight.html?page=dog_wellness_dry_super5mix_weight_management
Portion control is very important. Do not give treats or extras with meals. Follow the feeding recommendations for weight loss on the back of the bag and feed your dog half of what the bag says. Dog food companies always want you to feed more than necessary so you go through the food faster and have to buy more often.
I feed my oldest GSD the EVO weight management and the back of the bag suggests to feed 3 1/2 to 4 cups per day. I only feed my Shepherd 2 cups per day to keep him at a healthy weight.
Canned food is also great for weight loss, as long as you use a low calorie, reduced fat formula as well. EVO makes great grain free canned foods.
Do some research on this website http://www.dogfoodproject.com this is a great place to understand the differences between low quality and high quality dog food, including explaining the importance of certain ingredients, protein, fat, and calorie levels, dog food terms and what they mean.
There are 4 key points to look at when deciding on a high quality dog food.
1. Meat should always be the first ingredient, and it should be a whole meat like Chicken, Beef, or Turkey. NOT a meat meal, like ‘chicken meal’
2. Grain should be as far down the ingredients list as possible, and it should be a whole grain like barley, brown rice, or oatmeal.
3. ‘meal’ is okay in a dog food as long as it is a meat meal, like ‘chicken meal’ and not ‘corn meal’ Meat meal in a food is all the good leftover parts of a animal, like bone marrow, liver, heart, and some fats.
4. You should NEVER see the words ‘gluten’ or ‘by-product’ in the food. Corn and wheat gluten is garbage filler. It has no nutritional value to it, and is in cheap dog food as a substitute for high quality protein. Chicken or meat by-products is all the rotten decaying left over animal parts such as beaks, feet, feathers, and unusable organs like intestines and stomachs.
If the dog food you are feeding does not meet ALL 4 of these points, then you are feeding a low quality food and need to think about switching.
Some big chain pet stores like Petco and Petsmart are starting to carry some higher quality dog foods. Pet Supplies Plus has several super premium dog food brands, and many of the small family owned pet stores do as well.
Some of my favorite name brand super premium foods are:
Innova
EVO
Californial Natural
Orijen
Wellness
Taste of the Wild
If you can’t afford the high quality foods, some good mid-grade, affordable foods are:
Canidae
Blue Buffalo
Nutro Ultra
Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance
Merrick
It is important to stay away from all the grocery store brands and popular names brands you are used to hearing. Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet, Purina, Pedigree, Proplan, Beneful are all very low quality foods that have multiple fillers and by-products in their formulas. These foods actually have very little usable nutritional value for a dog, which causes dogs to eat more on these foods so they can meet their body’s nutritional needs. Veterinarians will tell you these are good foods because the dog food companies pay the vets to say so, and vets only go through a short, very biased nutrition class while in school.
Purina makes a "Fit and Trim" and Hills Science diet I think has a weight management, but they are more for dogs that are already at an ideal weight. It’s a myth dogs gain weight after neutering, it’s because he isn’t getting enough exercise and being fed too much. Cut back his portions, fewer treats and walk him more often, he’ll lose the weight on his own. Then you can switch to a weight management or calorie control food. You can buy "Lean Treats" from your vet, they only have about 7 calories per treat.
The best thing is a no grain food, just less of it and more excercise. Really he only needs quite a tiny amount twice a day (say 1/4 cup) which can look so little but its really for the best and when he reaches his ideal you gradually add a *half cup a week onto his allowance until you feel he is stable in his weight.
Done this with a rottie under vets advice and it worked (did look like so little to feed though!) I also added another 30 mins excercise a day on top of what he already got, walking for 2mins, jogging for 1min, alternating.
EDIT – *that is add 1/2 cup a day for a week at a time until he has stopped losing weight. then thats the amount you need to feed each day to maintain his weight.
why the TD?
wellness healthy weight
natural with no corn or by product or fillers
5 star rated brand
i have my dogs on wellness n theyre doing great on it
join the mailing club n u get coupons every month
can be found at petco
Many pet owners believe that dog foods are created equal and provide all the nutrients their pet’s needs to be healthy. Unfortunately this is not true and selecting the wrong dog food can have a big impact on your pet’s health. Most dog foods don’t provide all of your dog’s nutritional needs. Many that are advertised as high quality have a very small amount of the nutrients necessary for good health. The easiest way to tell if a dog food is truly high quality is to determine what nutrients your dog needs and then compare the ingredients of various dog foods to find the one that will be best for them.
Commercial dog foods often contain countless by-products that can actually be poisonous and contribute to health problems such as cancer, heart disease, arthritis, and other serious health conditions. These by-products are added to dog food as a way for companies to maximize their profits and in turn are harming your pet friend. Some dog foods boast they are high in protein and fiber, but are normally full of substances that are not even digestible. These substances raise the readings of protein and fiber in the food. Fillers such as corn and wheat provide little nutritional significance and do nothing for your pet.
Dogs nutritional needs vary based on age, size, physical activity, and certain medical conditions. Puppies have different nutritional needs than senior dogs. Most puppy food is designed to promote growth and reproduction by containing larger levels of protein and amino acids. Since adult dogs need to maintain their weight, their foods are lower in fat and protein. Foods marketed for senior dogs are normally loaded with fillers and will not provide the nutrients they need. When a dog has been spayed or neutered, their physical activity decreases and they require a food with a less fat and protein. Larger dogs need calcium and protein for maintenance whereas smaller pet’s do better with more carbohydrates that help with their high energy levels. Of course your budget determines your decision as well. Use these factors to initially determine how much protein, fat, carbohydrates, and amino acids your dog needs to get the proper nutrition.
A good dog food should be made from real meat such as chicken or beef and not mostly of meat by-products. The food should be made from whole grain instead of fillers such as corn meal. Food processing strips vitamins and minerals from the food. Look for a food that has been fortified with vitamins. Dog vitamins such as a multivitamin may even be necessary to make up for the loss of nutrients in dog food.
Even after you have found the right dog food, there are other things your dog requires to promote good health. These include plenty of exercise, rest, and love. Dog supplements can prevent your dog from developing health conditions such as heart disease, joint problems, and intestinal track infections. Giving your dog the proper nutrition will keep them around for a long time and provide you with a very happy companion.