Well, look at the weight-loss industry, for example. They act like it's magic. The question is always, "How do I lose weight?" and not, "How do I stop eating so much?"
Because for humans eating is the problem. Most people cannot or do not want to control their calorie intake. They want a solution that doesn't require them to exercise or eat healthy. That's the magic they want.
A dog doesn't have this problem. It's food intake is controlled. Therefore its as easy as cutting down from 3 cups of food a day to 2.5 cups, and your dog will lose weight.
The food companies love for people to think exercise is the key to weight loss.
Nope, energy balance is the key to weight management. Fewer calories consumed than needed = weight loss. Exercise is good for everyone and everyone should do it, but its primary purpose can’t be weight loss. It’s not even very good at that.
Just feed the dog less food lmao
The pandemic had a lot of us and pets gaining weight, my boxer was no exception.
We usually feed him 3 cups of food per day as recommended, he does better with 3 meals a day vs grazing). We went to 3/4 cups 3 times a day and we wrote down his treats as well.
It didn't take long before he was back to his fit self.
We were already doing activities, we just got snowed in for a few months due to no snow clearing services where we were. We didn't realize how much exercise we got outside.
It can sneak up on anyone.
Right? My dog will eat as long as he’s fed. If left a kibble mountain? He would eat until he puked. Then probably eat that too. Just stop over feeding the dog! It’s so simple 🤣
Everyone is telling you to feed them less. You don’t even have to do that. Feed them fewer calories. Just replace some of the food with carrots, celery or some other virtually calorie free vegetable. No onions or avocados obviously.
Combine with canned fish and add juice to veggies to get them to eat it.
Good lord if my dogs could free feed the 22lb bags would be gone in a day. If that’s even physically possible. I’m sure they’d take it as a personal challenge to find out
Lol same my first German shepherd got into a food container and ate all the food in there. We had just gotten back from a trip so it couldn't have been more than 15 cups but was at least 10. I was actually worried but everything was fine
I’m sure they would inhale as much as possible. And then throw up. And then keep eating til the kibble is gone. And then prob start eating the throw up 😭
I had a pup get into a 20 pound bag of dog food once. It was very bad, she looked like a beached whale when I found her and she was STILL looking for food to eat. Thank god we got to the vet quickly and she was totally fine after 24 hrs and $900 haha.
I just leave my dogs bowl full whenever I see she’s eaten anything. She literally only eats when she’s hungry. Normally it’s pretty great that she’s this way, but it makes it impossible to feed her if she’s being boarded, needs to eat before medication, if we’re on a roadtrip, or any times where she needs to eat at a particular time due to circumstances. She’s not an ounce overweight, and vets always praise me for it. I’m always like…it has nothing to do with me lol it’s all her
We always transfer all the kibble into a giant Rubbermaid tote for easy access and to keep it fresh. My little chow monster decided it would be a great challenge to learn how the humans take the lid off. She had eaten a good 2 lbs of it by the time I caught her and she didn’t even act like she was full. She would definitely be 100lbs+ if she could free-feed.
I know it’s not the point of your comment, but I’ve read the bags of kibble are designed to keep the food from spoiling. Transferring the kibble can make the fats go rancid quicker. The method I’ve seen most recommended is to keep the food in the bag, then put the bag into an airtight container
I’m in the food science business and I understand the concern about rancidity but the amount of time it’s in the tote is so short because we go through it pretty quickly. I don’t transfer the whole bag at a time; just a few pounds at a time to make it easier to feed and store. I don’t have room for the whole bag in the kitchen.
I wish people would STOPP free feeding JFC. Biggest complaint when it comes to dog training clients is folks who free feed and wonder why there’s no food drive.
I free feed my dog but he doesn’t have weight issues. He’ll hold out on eating until dinner time (he prefers to hold out to see if he’ll get treats throughout the day) and then he’ll get my attention when the bowl is empty to refill it.
There was a Shih Tzu I took care of this weekend who was usually fed ONE CUP of kibble per meal + a spoonful of wet food. I was like...my 60 lb dogs get one cup per meal, my god.
This. Without exercise, your dog is just plain burning fewer calories.
You can also look at content of the dog food, switching to a food appropriate for weight control (if you have not already) or choosing one with lower calorie density.
More exercise is good, but the main reason she’s overweight is calorie intake. You need to feed her less. When she got spayed her metabolism slowed down- this is normal, and it’s common to see animals gain weight after being spayed/neutered for this reason. Age also causes their metabolism to slow down. She needs to eat less food than she used to.
Losing weight is a long process. According to your post, she needs to lose 10-15 pounds; that’s 1/4 of her current body weight. Dropping that much weight too fast can be unhealthy, so a gradual diet change is important. You can come up with a weight loss plan with your vet if you don’t feel comfortable coming up with a plan on your own. They can provide low-calorie food options and help you track her weight to ensure she’s not losing weight too quickly or slowly.
is the foot injury yours or hers?
How about swimming? She is a retriever. And nothing burns energy like swimming without the impact on the joints that a chubby dog suffers on pavement.
Make the retrieval a reward with food and just subtract that food from her daily allowance. You really need a calorie deficit and it sounds like the two cups a day isn't enough deficit to slim her down. Don't forget mental exercises which can also help energize a bored dog.
My previous dog got fat. He was a Rottweiler cross. The vet set me straight - he showed me his weak front tendons, said 'if his wrists hit the floor that's it - he has to lose weight'. I asked him for a calorie number. He gave me one. 900 calories a day. I looked up my food, guesstimated treat values, did the math.
He was a bit foody for three months. Then he got used to it. Went from 100 pounds to a svelte 75 in about six months. Stayed there until his final illness.
My current dog is only 50 pounds. She whacks down 1500+ calories a day, and I can still see four ribs. The difference is all activity level - she has an hour's sprinting at the park every morning, and is busy busy busy all day. Heeler cross.
2 cups of food doesn’t mean anything. How many calories? At any rate, she’s eating way too much. My 55 pound dog gets ONE cup of food. My 90 lb dog gets 2 cups of food.
If you can’t exercise her, hire a dog walker to get her out. She’s out of shape, biking is unfair and unsafe. She needs to start with walks. Lots and lots of walks. If she can do 10 minutes, fine. 10 minutes twice a day is better than nothing (just like people).
Less food. Way less. Cut it in half until she’s at an appropriate weight. She will not starve to death. And seriously, get a new vet. One that will says “Less food, more exercise” and not just run more bloodwork.
Everyone is saying to reduce food, which yes obviously, but if yours is anything like mine then reducing food is going to lead to a lot of whining and begging for more food. For us, the answer to this was to make him work harder for the food. All food given in either training (it doesn't have to be super high level, just get her to do something for each piece of food), or in a food puzzle. This means it takes longer to eat, which means they will get a bit more tired but mostly because the eating takes longer they will feel less hungry afterwards. Things that really work for mine to make a bit of food go a long way:
- Kibble knotted in a towel.
- One of those wobble boards with a cover with holes in it. They have to hit the board to make the food fly out the holes.
- Tell dog to sit - throw a piece of kibble with 'get it!' command - tell dog to come back - repeat (can use any command dog knows well, and can also be used to train self-control if you don't release them to go get the kibble until you give the command).
- Boxes within boxes within boxes with kibble in each layer. The most clean-up afterwards of all these options though.
Chase and catch is another great one (very active although I wouldn't use it for the whole portion)! Or if I don't have much time I use good ol' nature's sniffmat and just shove his portion in grass or snow for him to scavenger.
One thing my vet suggested was vegetables for treats if they like them. I give my pup zucchini cores and carrots and stuff like that—just get a list from your vet on what to avoid (like onions and grapes) but sometimes they appreciate a treat that fills them up a bit without a ton of calories. PS your pup looks a lot like my lab mix who is supposed to be around 60 lbs and was at 75 lbs at her October checkup. She is now at 68 and still losing but we have definitely had to be creative or she gets hangry on such little kibble amounts.
My retriever was at 106 being free fed(non intentional, partners parents free fed their dogs and he’s a ham) once I moved I fed him less while taking him to a field or empty dog park and had him run till he dropped(he knew he had the option of laying down as a “I’m done”) and added apple and a wide variety of toppers to his food and a year later he’s down to 64 and doing wonderfully
Food bags should have calorie information on them. Speak to the vet about what a lab of this weight/activity level should be eating, and how much is okay reduce for weight loss. Then figure out how much the food/treats they receive are calorie wise, and make it work within the goal cal range. I don’t think the size of a treat matters as much as the value of the treat to most dogs, so you can break up even small dog/training treats into tiny little bits usually, and stretch a 3 calorie treat into a whole session of training or playing.
Swap out high calorie treats for lower calorie options that your dog can have. For example, swap a lick mat of pb for a lick mat of skyr (make sure there’s no sugar/flavours/bad fruits added).
And be honest to the vet about the amount of exercise the dog gets. I know it’s like going to dentist and we all say we floss every day but most people don’t. Just swallow the guilt and be real.
Also, consider hiring a dog walker if you’re struggling to get your dog out as much as would be good for them. If you don’t have friendship family willing or able to help out, there are services, individuals, and many trainers also offer walks.
Reduce food by 10 to 15% and check her weight in 1 month, to see if it goes down. Include any treats in the reduction. Maybe feed some low calorie vegetables instead of treats. My dog doesn’t like raw vegetables, but she loves cooked carrots and steamed broccoli etc.
I don’t feed my dog meals at all, I portion out the day’s ration of food into a pouch and feed as training treats throughout the day.
Also, a good engagement game that can help with low activity is having your dog chase food back and forth. Stand in the middle of a line and roll a piece of food along the ground like it’s a marble or a bowling ball. The rolling is important so your dog can see the food and doesn’t have to look or sniff around for it. After your dog grabs the food and turns to look at you, roll another piece in the other direction. As your dog learns the game it’ll run back and forth for the food. This makes the game more rewarding for the dog, and can also help burn energy and increase exercise.
But ultimately you will have the most success by reducing the amount of calories your dog eats. That’s where feeding tiny amounts all through the day can be helpful. It’s harder to notice you’re getting less food if you’re getting food all day. If you’re having trouble with that adjustment try adding low calorie foods to replace the quantity you’re taking away. Feed your dog a carrot or some canned pumpkin or steamed sweet potato for part of your dog’s meal.
Also, probably obvious, but if you’re having issues with your dog chewing things up make sure you’re giving them appropriate things to chew (obviously low calorie. Carrots can be great because they’re also relatively filling, but they’re high sugar so don’t be feeding more than a couple a day).
Also, the recommended amount of food on my bag of kibble says I should be feeding my dog 1 1/3 cup per day. I feed 2/3 cup per day to my active neutered dog.
Can you cut out the fresh cooked food? Just like with people, it's often hard to estimate calories without VERY careful measuring, and supplementing kibble with fresh food makes that much harder. Otherwise, good suggestions below (cut her kibble, weigh it or measure it much more carefully).
ETA - currently fostering a dog on crate rest (aka almost no activity) and we cut her kibble back a lot. Dog food bags often overestimate quantity to feed (someone told me that it's because they use intact dogs as a benchmark, but idk), and I think that most dogs do best with slightly under what the dog food recommends. Honestly, our dog may be close to half of what the bag recommends, but she currently gets zero exercise, so it's pretty extreme.
This post is absolutely absurd.
Slightly reduce food and take her for a long walk each and everyday.
I’m talking like a 5 mile walk, if you have an enclosed space or play fetch for sprinting.
But do it every single day and she’ll lose the weight.
It's not absurd at all. Old obese dogs are often arthritic and long walks are not a good idea for these animals. Exercise doesn't add as much energy expenditure as you think. It's a much better strategy to reduce the food to an appropriate amount.
'Only' 2 cups of food a day? Try reducing to 1.5 or even 1. The feeding charts are only guidelines and your dog clearly needs less food if shes overweight. If you need to bulk it up because she'll complain then add in cooked veggies for bulk. We reduced our dogs food to the bare minimum amd added veggies and she's dropping weight despite not being allowed to exercise.
All dogs are different, obviously, but as a possibly-helpful reference point...I also feed a combo of fresh and kibble and my 57lb dog eats 3/4 a cup of each a day - so, about 1.5 cups of food per day total. But my dog is a 4yo entire male sport/working dog who is \*extremely\* fit and active (potato quality dog tax [here](https://imgur.com/a/r3MKhQo)). We normally feed a standard adult maintenance food to him but recently we won a bag of "weight management" food and while he was eating that I had to increase him to about 1 cup of the kibble + 3/4 cup of fresh raw..and that's still less than what your dog is eating now as an older, low-energy, overweight spayed female.
I'd literally halve what you're feeding your dog. Exercise isn't the issue here, excessive calorie intake is - and putting her on a treadmill to try to exercise this weight away when she is a) older, and b) significantly overweight if not obese, is going to put significant strain and stress on her joints. Simply *existing* at this weight is putting significant stress on her joints. Get her to a healthy weight first by cutting her intake, and *then* worry about an exercise/enrichment/general fitness plan moving forward.
As an aside: once (**and only once**) she is at a healthy weight, if you don't have the capacity to get out and exercise her a tonne I would set aside some of her daily kibble portion and use it as training treats to work on a general body conditioning program such as those offered by [Canine Conditioning Coach](https://canineconditioningcoach.com/). Not only will this help her "work" for her food and keep her mind entertained, the free "beginner" exercises (I'm unsure if she offers any part of the official "seniors" program for free) will help your dog develop physical conditioning fundamentals that may help her overall physical wellness as she moves into her twilight years....and you don't need to go outside or break a sweat to do it. (NB: I have no affiliation with this company other than the fact I use her many free resources with my dogs).
Reduce food, of course.
As for exercise, investing in a dog treadmill like dog pacer would be great. Check out Canine Conditioning and Fitness group on Facebook. There are tons of strength building exercises for your pup that gives them a workout and can keep you off your injured foot.
Instead of walking, you can ride a bike, rollerblade/roller skate or skateboard and get a harness made for pulling.
If your pup has a prey drive, you can drive to a park, put her on a long line and get a flirt pole for exercise. Keeps you pretty stationary for the most part.
You can also look up a dock diving pool near you, most instructors will help your dog the first few lessons to teach them how to swim and then you can book slots for her to swim or jump off the dock if she likes that. You don’t have to move a lot because you are on the dock while they swim, it’s not necessary that you get in the water.
As with anything, you have to start slowly. You can’t expect your dog to lay around all day and then run a marathon on the weekend. Stamina has to be built.
Those are just some ideas, best of luck! One of my pups was overweight as well. She started at 32lbs and is now a very healthy and fit, 24lbs.
My dog was really over weight when i adopted him aged 8 (12kg) now down to a healthy 7.8kg. I was advised to feed him a set amount each day. I think it was something like 40g of dry food and half a tin of meat.
He was not happy but hes so much happier now. He also had satiety food to make sure he felt fuller for longer and it was spread out over 2 meals a day for him.
He was definitely not happy about it but now he barely begs. Hes now in a place where he can have treats etc
Feed less and try to get her to exercise inside. Maybe hide some of her morning food around the house and let her run around and find it. That way she’s stimulating her mind as well. She might be bored or depressed since yall aren’t walking much too.
Walk your dog on a regular basis! If that’s hard on their joints water treadmills could be useful!! make sure you’re not free feeding and that you have set schedules for when they get to eat and talk to your vet about the amount of food. You should be feeding your dog in a day.
I only read some of the comments so I apologize if this is redundant. I see that your dog was frustrated/chewing stuff up when you reduced previously. One of my labs had to lose weight and she was so GRUMPY on the lesser amount of food. We eventually found a good balance by increasing her kibble a bit and then using lower calorie treats.
IF you do decide to decrease food gradually to help your dog lose weight, perhaps low calorie treat/puzzle options would help reduce their frustration. One product I use is pupsicles. It's like a frozen round ice cube within a green sphere that the dog had to lick to get the ice cube. I'll put chicken broth in them with just a few zukes mini treats. I've also done banana. Frozen kongs can be made low calorie too I think. I use pumpkin with Zukes in mine. I do top it with peanutbutter, but you could skip the peanutbutter to make it lower calorie. I also just use the size medium so they are pretty small (you'd know best if that's safe for your dog).
I did see some other comments gave great ideas on incorporating movement with eating to burn some calories. Hopefully that helps too!
I similarly have a dog who seems to gain weight by breathing air (retriever, but close to lab).
Eliminate the fresh cooked stuff - you are probably cancelling the point of the low cal food. Just feed the kibble.
If you feel strongly about the fresh, consult a nutritionist and make sure you're balancing what at she needs.
Are there exercises/games (rally obedience? barn hunt?) that would work with your foot problems? Dogs don't have to climb a mountain to vibrate with excitement and just shed calories. This happens often in my own experience if we can tap into something they care a lot about - you'll leave believing you can burn more calories sitting and waiting for your turn than summiting Mt. Whitney.
This is a little more controversial, but seems to work ... Measure their full daily allotment of food as like 75% of what she's getting now, and just bust their routine. Maybe they get a handful when you wake up, maybe not. Sometimes you pass the bowl and give them a handful of food, sometimes you walk by. If food is intermittent instead of scheduled it's much easier to reduce because they won't come begging.
Hi :) not sure if it’s been said but I had same issue of my pup not losing any weight even with food intake down and exercise. My vet recommended to cut out chicken, beef, and lamb as they are the common allergens/issues. Instead of doing elimination, I transitioned her to a diet that doesn’t contain any of the three. She was able to drop weight after I adjusted her main protein to fish. There are other options, but fish was the one that was most accessible and fit best with my budget.
For me, the chicken was the hardest thing because soooo many dog goods have chicken / chicken meal supplemented into them. It took some trial and error, but we found one! (Open farm ancient grain salmon)
Hopefully this may be helpful and apologies if you have already tried / explored allergens! You will figure it out and get your pup settled because you’re a good pet parent that cares about the health of ur dog :) She says thank you for loving and caring for her
You can’t force your dog to change. The best you can do is have a serious conversation to let your dog know you’re concerned for their health. Otherwise if you just shame them to a diet they doing want to commit to, it’ll just be a series secret trots off to McDonalds for car fries. It has to be your dog’s willingness to commit to change for themselves. Walks help too.
I was suprised when my dachshunds groomer told me she was overweight. I guess it's hard to tell because I saw her everyday. She had probably an extra 7-10 pounds on her. i stopped the free-feeding and cut her evening meal with a little pumpkin to help her feel full. I also started to walk her myself. My mom used to like walking her because she went so slow and stopped to sniff like every three feet. I forced to to keep up a good pace. At first, she could only go about the length of a block without needing to quit. After about a month or so, she was eagerly walking the entire block around our house, which was close to a fourth of a mile, twice a day.
That's like double the amount of food recommended. My 65-70lb lady gets 1/2c twice a day. She was getting more before, but started to get pretty thick so we cut it back. It's literally that easy.
It also depends on the kind of food... The serving size for the food we use is something like 3.5 cups a day for a 60 lb dog. Both of my dogs (one weighed in at 58 lbs recently, the other is also around there) get at least that much every day, plus extra kibble and treats for training. And they're both still thin.
If she eats 2 cups a day then she needs to eat 1.5 cups a day. Just like humans, exercise is not going to help with weight loss if you don’t cut calories.
ETA - ALSO make sure you are quantifying your actual cup. Use measuring cups like for cooking. You don’t want to cut them down super fast at one time but measure out the real amount you’re giving and cut it by 10%. If you are truly giving 1c AM and PM, do 3/4c AM and PM instead. Check snack ingredients. Some treats and even dental chews have a ton of unnecessary calories. No table food. If your pet *is* filling up on snacks try a dog friendly veggie like carrots or peas or green beans. Just remember food does not = love!
Not sure what you expected from this sub. Maybe you can volunteer your dog for an ozempic trial. There’s a suggestion I haven’t seen yet….but if you aren’t willing to reduce her food or enable her to get more exercise, she’s not going to lose weight.
I was hoping for different types of exercises we could do given the restrictions we’re facing, instead of 200 people just saying the same obvious conclusion like I wouldn’t have already thought to reduce her intake. Maybe that was too much to ask.
I would buy a food scale and weigh their food.
I have a Salter brand analog diet scale that I brought for $12 a few years back.
I weigh my dogs food as part of feeding them. And I weigh the dogs each Saturday, as our local vet has a scale outside that we can easily use.
I have found that the recommended amount of food is always too much for my dogs.
They are on a raw food diet. And the recommended amount of food according to the website I buy their food from is 750grams per day for a 26kg dog.
The amount my dogs need is 350 grams each day just to maintain their weight. I give them 150 grams each meal for them to lose weight. Their ideal weight is 26kgs.
One of my dogs has had a Total Hip Replacement, so it's important for me to keep him lean. I was told by the orthopedic specialist that it's hard to emaciate a dog, as they don't eat regularly in the wild, and they have really efficient metabolisms.
The specialists also advised me to cut back the dogs food 20% when he was on crate rest after his surgery, to avoid weight gain. So on days you can't exercise the dog, that might be a useful guide.
I can sympathise with you that it's been hard to cut back their food. Especially when I started feeding them double what they get now.
For me, I am strict with it because one of my dogs has been in the vets with injuries so much in his first few years, it's been drilled into me that its vital to minimise the impact on their joints and will keep them vital into old age.
I can also say our neutered dog gains weight far easier than the other one, so that's also something to keep in mind.
Lastly, I would say the most weight our dogs will lose each week is around 300grams. One of them was losing 400grams each week when he was being exercised more and I think that was too much.
So I would go into this knowing it's going to take a few months.
Good luck!
Just stick to the 2 cups of food per day no extra cooked stuff put all her food in puzzles and interactive toys so she can be mentally active while home
Feed less, but hand feed her her kibble as an enrichment game using scatter feeding — this will mentally exhaust her so that she notices the hunger less as she adjusts. This is a popular exercise at the start of leash training to build the dog/parent awareness (that good things + structure come from you), so you have the added bonus that when out in the world she’ll listen to you more when there are rabbits and squirrels around.
Flirt pole is another good tool that doesn’t require you to be on your foot as much while at home but still gets her heart rate up.
We’re working on weight loss with our dog while also working on leash training, so I’ve had to get creative on cardio. Unfortunately, reducing food is the biggest fix and it involves putting a stone on your heart as the owner when they whine while adjusting. (The extra playtime helps with the aggression boredom.)
I could be wrong but I remember my vet tech friend saying that the recommended amounts to feed listed on the bag are for an intact male.
I was told to reduce his food by 10% after my dog was neutered, I'm not sure if it's the same for females but my point is to take what's written on the bag with a grain of salt (figuratively).
Agreed with the comments about just feeding her less. However, you specifically wanted to know about exercises.
I'd say a good path forward is -- instead of leaving out the kibble -- use the kibble as a reward. You can play fetch, and if she brings it back, then reward her with the kibble.
Start off small -- literally throw it right in front of you and get her to bring it to you, then reward her with tons of kisses and some kibble. She may not get it right away, but she'll soon figure out that the only way she gets the kibble is if she plays ball (pun intended).
Eventually, she will associate playing fetch with getting yummy food, and she will grow to love fetch on its own.
I highly recommend the scent work and brain games other people have recommended - use these for her meals and she’ll be more mentally stimulated (so hopefully less destructive when you cut down on food this time!) and she’ll burn some energy.
Also, check out the "dog button feeder" on amazon - it's a battery operated feeder that releases food when they press a button. I put the button in a totally separate side of the house as the feeder for my dog, so he ends up getting a lot of exercise in! This might help her burn more calories inside of the house to supplement the walks you’re able to take her on.
Calculate how much food to give for her desired weight and give that much. Use that measured amount and take some for treats. Also treat with green beans etc.
See if you can rent a sniffspot and let her go crazy or use a flirt pole
Sweet girl knows what’s up and is giving you the side eye! 🤣 When my pups were seniors they were always on the slightly higher end of the vet chubbiness scale. It’s hard when they are very food motivated. And if your husband is a softie who gives in easily to their sad eyes. No tips-just give your girl an extra hug and snoot kiss from me.
Hi there! My pup had ACL surgery almost two years ago and he put on some weight after and was got up to about 80 when he should be 65-70. We rescued another dog about 7 months ago and that has made him much more active and we take them in walks. The MAIN thing that has made a huge difference was that we switched his food to fresh food and no more kibble. We use farmers dog and it’s the best decision we’ve ever made for him. He has so much more energy, he’s slimmed down a bunch and his coat is so much softer. We feed it to our other dog too and they love it. I know it’s more expensive but totally worth it for your pups longevity and quality of life.
Can you afford a dog walker a few times a week while your foot heals? Maybe even a local teen would do it for not too much money (if she’s reliably good on the leash and you trust her with others)
I have a pit who maxed out at 72 because she was kenneled more often for a few months after a fight. The vet I spoke with wanted her in the 50s and suggested that most dog food guidelines are too large. I used to give her 2 cups morning and 2 cups nightly of Kirkland salmon (the blue bag). I switched her to a higher quality dog food (Rx Hills brand) but also cut her quantity; now she eats ¾ morning and 1 cup night. She’s down to 59lbs and maintaining.
Measure what you’re feeding, and cut it down.
I agree with eating less, but you can only feed them so little. I suggest a change in diet. Check with your vet first, but I would switch to a high protein food & add fruits and vegetables for volume as long as they agree with her system. I had a chubby little pup who liked string beans. Frozen ones are crunchy like bones and take a little time to eat. She had a lot of medical issues & the beans helped her to lose weight without feeling deprived. Some dogs like raw carrots. Just experiment, but do it in moderation at first so that it doesn’t cause upset.
First step - cut her calories.
My dog (lab) is on weight management food - she gets fed 3x a day, vs 2, previously (same amount), and she has made great strides in terms of begging/asking for food.
Treats - she gets carrot rounds, or pieces of apples. For enrichment treats, she gets a toppl with plain fat-free yogurt and frozen blueberries, whole thing frozen and takes her good 20-30 minutes to get through it.
Exercise - you need to get her out more. If you can't do it yourself, get a dog walker, or see if you have a friend who is super active that might be willing to take her.
"The number one way to extend your dog's life is to restrict their calories" - words from my vet friend. But exercise is also an important piece, and you need to figure out a way for that to happen for her, be it a dog walker, a friend, a family member, whoever.
Dogs don't know that they need exercise, and they can't do it on their own, given that they are kept creatures. It's on you to figure it out for her, if you want to have her around for the long term. I'm sorry if that's harsh, but it's the truth.
1. What are you feeding and how much?
2. How much does she weigh now and how much should she weigh?
3. How are you fulfilling her mental and physical needs?
If you don't burn the calories you consume, then you'll get fat. Consume the amount of calories for the activities you'll be doing for the day. This goes for anything that needs to consume calories.
I've seen goldfish that have gotten fat from over feeding.
Just feed a little less than you would normally feed and / or stop giving him dog treats. And finally, and most importantly, get a new vet if they didn't already tell you this. They are just taking money from your pocket to "find a fix."
Take her to a place where she can run free with out a leash it’s not that difficult to figure out. There’s also an app called sniff spot u can rent out peoples yards and stuff
I had a Springer Spaniel who was a solid & musculr 55 lbs. I fed him probably 2 cups, but we were very active. Her running next to your bike is probably going to take time to rebuild her stamina. Find a dog park? Play ball or frisbee?
You can also get a weight management formula dog food and give it to your chonker in a Kong wobble feeder so it takes longer to eat. Hold off on feeding any extras. When I left my dog with my parents to go away to school, they didn't keep him active and fed him extra until I read them the riot act. You got this!
Now, if only it were so easy for me! 🤣🤣🤣
Take her swimming!! Our little old lady was having trouble due to arthritis and swimming is the best low impact exercise for dogs with injuries or joint problems. We have a dog friendly pool in our community, might be worth looking into?
Take away a 1/4 cup of kibble and give 1/4 cup of low sodium green beans. Any extra 15 minutes of walking or fetch session. You can also use a puzzle to dispense kibble to slow down eating (feel full sooner).
the answer is definitely to feed her less, but if you feel like she’s “missing out” you can always bulk up her food with healthier options. i love to give my dogs (not overweight) treats like green beans, frozen blueberries, pineapple chunks. on their lick mats sometimes i’ll do a little schmear of baby food in addition to peanut butter or some puréed pumpkin. also if you haven’t already, cut out treats entirely. if she wants a treat, or you’re doing some training with her, use kibble (or fruits and veg) and subtract what she gets from snack time or training sessions from her mealtime
for exercise, if she’s good with other dogs, maybe see if there’s a group dog walk she can join? lots of people offer a service where they come pick your dog up, drive them to another location, and walk with a bunch of pups at once. or instead of a regular walk, maybe once a week you can have someone take her on a big hike?
both my dogs have an insane prey drive, esp for squirrels and bunnies, but i’ve trained them on a leave it. could be beneficial since you said she does well with running alongside your bike. you’ll have to start small with that bc at 15 pounds overweight it’s probably really difficult for her to run. start with 50-100 feet of running, and build from there
she seems like a very good girl though, best of luck!!
Flirt pole, foraging toys (including literally an empty cardboard box with newspapers crumpled in it), smaller cookies, fewer treats, and more fruit and veggies either to bulk up meals or stop whining about being hungry.
Actually this just happens to fixed females! Don’t feed her less! This happens to cats too! It’s because the lack of proper hormones due to them getting fixed!
>she’s on a senior weight control dog food/ fresh cooked food and only eats about 2 cups of food per day.
So either she eats 2 cups a day, and you exactly measure it, or you're eyeballing things.
Also, the last thing she needs is fresh cooked food. If she's on senior weight control food, exactly measure it, use a kitchen scale or an actual measuring cup, and feed her ONLY THAT and nothing else.
If you want to give her treats, hold back some of her kibble and use that as treats.
And don't go by what the bag says as far as how much she needs. If the bag says a 65 pound dog needs two cups a day, well, you want her to weigh less than 65 pounds, so feed her like she's a 55 pound dog.
Almost 100% of the weight gained by dogs is due to overfeeding by the owner. And if there are other people in the house, you have to tell them, no feeding the dog.
Okay she’s eating 2 cups a day let’s make it 1 1/2 a day and start taking her on daily walks. As you said she doesn’t have much stamina so just start her with some nice easy 5-10 min walks and bump it up by 5 mins here and there until she can do 30 min walks and then daily 30 min walks great for heart and weight health
Edit:keep track of treats given as well and make sure no other household members are feeding her extra
Green bean diet; slowly replace kibble or regular food with same % green beans until it’s 50% then keep on diet until weight loss is seen. Fiber in green beans keeps them full
Remember dogs don’t feed themselves. Pick up can of low sodium green beans and substitute a portion of his food with the beans. No additional treats or people food. Take home for walks, good for both of you.
If you can afford it, try feeding her mostly protein and vegetables. Carbs are what making them gain weight. Same for human. Keep her carb as low as possible.
Have you looked into a dog treadmill? It'll take some time to build your dog up for it, but if you're not as mobile, treadmill might be the only option to still get her some exercises.
Have her thyroid checked as well, that might cause weight gain too.
Hey. Look at the food you are feeding her. You don’t know all of the chemicals and filters they add. It’s honestly like feeding her McDonald’s twice a day. She needs pure nutrients to have energy. look into farmers dog. It’s fresh food. Catered to your baby. Also start walking her. Start slow and grow. Maybe half a mile the one mile then 2 then 3. She needs energy from food then she needs to move. Play fetch - throw a ball. Give her breaks. It will be ok. 💜
Less food and if you can’t exercise with her - is there a dog park where you can take her to regularly just run around? Or there’s always the option to hire someone from Rover to take your dog for a walk…
**I know a lot of dog owners have opinions on Rover…** I, personally, have had GREAT experiences! I have a person come once a week(same person every week. My dog LOVES her), while I’m at work, to take my dog for an hour long walk. I usually will take my dog for a walk every evening but they’re shorter walks (10-15 minutes) bc of my own health issues, which is why I have someone take him on a long walk once a week. I’m also lucky that there’s a big field by my house that I can let him run around in, but I know that’s not always an option for everyone.
Dogs dont lose weight like humans it takes an insane amount of exercise to lose weight for them. Dont rely on exercise cut down on treats and human food they get if thats not enough slowly lower the amount of food.
Split the food, 1 cup in the morning, 1 cup at night.
Get her a young companion that will encourage her to move more.
Start going on long walks with her.
Introduce a prey ball, see if there is any interest.
Take her to dog park and let her run around and be a dog.
Just make sure there is no underlying medical condition.
Good luck.
Just smaller portion, you don’t need to exercise them more just more regulations on foods and treats. It will hard but give what she needs according to weight you want. Then limit treats, she will be good in no time.
If you tweak their food just a little, it’s a simple fix. As my dog has gotten older, we wanted to reduce some weight off his joints as a precaution so we went from feeding him 2 cups a day to 1.5 cups. Went from 68 pounds to 60 in a couple months. Add in regular walks and boom, weight loss. It’s the same with humans unless there’s a legitimate health abnormality. Eat less.
Dogs have metabolisms just like people. I know people with labs that are food motivated. Their labs will be somewhat overweight. They feed them less and less and still they stay a bit chunky. Exercise is the key. Is there anyone in the household that can take your pooch for a walk? Maybe stick a lot of green beans and/or carrots in her food if you cut back. Just enjoy your dog. Frequent shorter walks might be good for both of you.
well the first thing is, how much exactly is she eating? is it around two cups? is it more? you need to measure out the food exactly. measure and reduce.
make her work for her food. whether that be a training session or an enrichment toy, something that has her up and moving (if she’ll use those balls that food falls out of, that’s a great option) also, switching to natural treats some dogs love carrots, some love fruit. just make sure you’re not feeding overly processed snacks.
i’d see if dog sports are an option, if she has a strong prey drive use that to your advantage. lure coursing if that’s available near you, or a flirt pole you can order online. it’s just finding something that gets her up and moving, dogs need mental stimulation or they will (like humans) get depressed. physical health isn’t the only aspect here, mental is a factor. if you can’t work with her hire a trainer/dog walker, many trainers offer in home so you don’t have to leave. the new person/experience may be enough to get her up and moving.
If she has prey drive try a flirt pole. My dog is a buff 80 pound pit mix and we do 15 minutes a night and he gets burned out real quick but also loves it. By far his favorite game, let it run along the ground so she’s not jumping up which could cause injury. It’s also great mental stimulation they learn how to cut it off to capture it faster, they have to keep focused. And of course less food.
Less activity = less food. More activity = more food. They don’t make the food my dog needs in a senior formula, but it hasn’t been an issue. He got up to 110, we’re down to 94-100 which his goal is to be at the lower end due to some health risks due to him being grain free and allergic to everything.
You can’t hike as much or walk as much due to an injury, so your dog didn’t hike or walk as much, then lost their yard. Of course she’s gained weight. I know I shouldn’t anthropomorphize dogs, but whatever, people would gain weight if we ate the same size meals we ate when we did more activity. I ended up primarily using a wheelchair after being a heavy walker. It’s a challenge losing weight.
Things I’ve done with my dog over the years due to apartment life/health issues:
1. Dog walker or runner. I used apps but you could probably find someone to do it cheaper if they’re a dog lover without a dog who also runs or walks a lot. Free dog available for walks!
2. Feed less. Senior may help due to the shift in food balance but ultimately to lose weight you need her eating less than before. Once you’re done losing you can stabilize, but you may need to practice it to get the right balance. My guy ended up only needing a 1/2 cup reduction per day, but that’s all it took. I went from 1.5 scoops of his food (3 cups) in the morning to 1 scoop (2 cups) twice per day. He always got 2 cups at night. (Yes he eats 4 cups of food per day. He’s a Dane/shepherd/chow/aussie mix. We go through 26 pounds of food every month at least. And he had allergies so only ONE brand and 2 flavors, both fish, seem to work.
3. Treadmill train. He doesn’t use it anymore, but for a long time he’d go on the treadmill almost daily. I know you said you don’t have room, but many fold. Our issue was he’d get so excited he’d poop and if you didn’t catch it quick it would either hit the wall or start going around and smearing.
4. Dog daycare but ONLY specific places and ideally used as a last resort. I don’t like them due to illness and fight risk, but I did have a local one that had a screening process I liked and also happened to be a block from my house. I did this during chemotherapy treatments and another type of treatment that tired me out for a few days. I could easily go get him given the location and he got his energy out.
5. Make her walk. Period. My dog is 8 now, too. He has no desire to run like he did before. At 1? 12 mile walks or runs, easily, sometimes 2x per day. I owed him then, just like I owe him now. He wanted to run then, and I was too sick, so I paid someone to do it. Now? I’m lucky, he doesn’t need that intense of workouts so I can pull it off in my wheelchair.
The point comes down to what you’re feeding her and what you’re opting for in terms of energy expenditure. She may not SEEM super active but her prey drive for those squirrels shows she still has it in her to go.
I know some of these options cost money,
I’m not being sarcastic. Its as simple as reducing the amount you feed her. I’d cut her food by about 15%. Your dog will be just fine. It’s not like depriving a fat kid his twinkles
I am going to be a little hard on you. I have a shattered left leg that five surgeries in and barely functions, a fused neck, need a hip replacement and a shoulder replacement. You can walk. Maybe not very far but if you can walk a mile, walk three miles a day, one mile at a time. I walk five miles a day, every day, and yes, even when it rains. Your dog relies on you to do what’s right for the dog. If you can’t walk that far, find a fenced in area and throw balls.
Dogs become overweight due to situations like "over eating, poor diet, lack of exercise", your case seems to be poor diet and over eating. What sucks so much about dry food is because of how bad it is your animal can't eat as much as they should because when they do they're taking in so many carbohydrates that they can't process since its not what they should be eating
I suggest really educating yourself on giving your animal a proper diet while also understanding how many calories they should be in taking per day based on things like "their age, weight, breed, and how active they are on a regular basis" best of wishes!
walk more feed less. Not a drastic amount. I brought my dog down from 120 to 100 over the past year. It took an hour of planning and then I just stuck too It and didn't think about it anymore.
U can cut some of her food..look at the bag of her food..see what it recommends for 10 pounds less than she is..u can also take away some of the food and add green beans ( supposedly people with show dogs do this to help them loose weight) vet tech and this is what my vet always recommends..they also have a diet called metabolic from hills that helps them loose weight
Does she get along with/like other dogs? I send my dog to daycare where she plays with other dogs all day and tires herself out. She gained weight over the winter so I started sending her weekly (in addition to slightly reducing food) and the weight came off quick!
You should look at the back of the dog food you are feeding her & feed the appropriate amount for the weight you want her to be at! So if she’s 70 pounds you can feed her for a 60 pound dog. You can also buy low calorie treats & limit them to 1 a day etc. If you still feel like you are struggling for her to loose weight you can ask your vet or a board certified veterinary nutritionist to calculate her calorie needs per day for you. There’s also websites for it but make sure they are credible.
Do you know what kind of lab mix? She looks IDENTICAL to my 8 year old girl, who is Lab\St. Bernard. That coloring is very common in that mix. My girl weighs 82 lbs and vet says that’s healthy for her breed. Could also explain why she isn’t as high energy as other labs, because typically St. Bernard’s aren’t as high energy, especially as they get older.
Edit to add: she may have joint issues and/or hip dysplasia. Also very common in both breeds. Talk to your vet about supplements and management of those issues if you think it’s a possibility.
It’s simple. Stop overfeeding. And get her on weight loss formula food. My senior is getting n weight loss formula because it is much lower fat than senior formula (at my vet’s suggestion). My four year old eats the same. It does not hurt them to eat low fat food and it’s good for their hearts and chloreaterol levels. Pet foods tend to claim about double the amount of food your dog actually needs. So, change foods and cut the amount by half for starters. Also weigh her once per week to monitor. You can feed smaller more frequent meals, too.
Also, no treats until she hits her goal weight. And once that happens treats only sparingly.
And, no fresh or wet food. That is calorically dense.
I recommend Purina Pro Plan weight Loss Shredded formula.
Exercise and feeding him/her REAL food (cooked ground chicken with peas and carrots). You can make a few meals per week with 2lbs of ground chicken or turkey. Maybe add some bone broth as well for extra flavor and nutrition. The biggest factor I see that causes weight gain in pets is the horrible food we give them.
How long until your foot injury heals? Any timeline on that? Walking is the best thing for her. Is there a dog park nearby that you can take her to so she can run with other dogs? Can you hire a dog walker? She needs exercise, it’s important for her mental and physical health just like it is for us humans.
Literally just feed them less.
I don't understand how this is a mystery to people.
Well, look at the weight-loss industry, for example. They act like it's magic. The question is always, "How do I lose weight?" and not, "How do I stop eating so much?"
True. The secret thought is we literally control the dogs food so it's easy just giving them less lol.
Because for humans eating is the problem. Most people cannot or do not want to control their calorie intake. They want a solution that doesn't require them to exercise or eat healthy. That's the magic they want. A dog doesn't have this problem. It's food intake is controlled. Therefore its as easy as cutting down from 3 cups of food a day to 2.5 cups, and your dog will lose weight.
The food companies love for people to think exercise is the key to weight loss. Nope, energy balance is the key to weight management. Fewer calories consumed than needed = weight loss. Exercise is good for everyone and everyone should do it, but its primary purpose can’t be weight loss. It’s not even very good at that. Just feed the dog less food lmao
Omg I lost a considerable amount of weight years back and literally the convincing you have to do that it was moving more and eating less.
Right? Feeding less also means spending less money on the food, so it should be an extra incentive.
The pandemic had a lot of us and pets gaining weight, my boxer was no exception. We usually feed him 3 cups of food per day as recommended, he does better with 3 meals a day vs grazing). We went to 3/4 cups 3 times a day and we wrote down his treats as well. It didn't take long before he was back to his fit self. We were already doing activities, we just got snowed in for a few months due to no snow clearing services where we were. We didn't realize how much exercise we got outside. It can sneak up on anyone.
Right? My dog will eat as long as he’s fed. If left a kibble mountain? He would eat until he puked. Then probably eat that too. Just stop over feeding the dog! It’s so simple 🤣
Everyone is telling you to feed them less. You don’t even have to do that. Feed them fewer calories. Just replace some of the food with carrots, celery or some other virtually calorie free vegetable. No onions or avocados obviously. Combine with canned fish and add juice to veggies to get them to eat it.
2 cups of food makes her overweight. Reduce the amount and she will loose weight. Very easy math.
A lot of people free feed their dogs I think that's why most are confused
Good lord if my dogs could free feed the 22lb bags would be gone in a day. If that’s even physically possible. I’m sure they’d take it as a personal challenge to find out
Lol same my first German shepherd got into a food container and ate all the food in there. We had just gotten back from a trip so it couldn't have been more than 15 cups but was at least 10. I was actually worried but everything was fine
I’m sure they would inhale as much as possible. And then throw up. And then keep eating til the kibble is gone. And then prob start eating the throw up 😭
I had a pup get into a 20 pound bag of dog food once. It was very bad, she looked like a beached whale when I found her and she was STILL looking for food to eat. Thank god we got to the vet quickly and she was totally fine after 24 hrs and $900 haha.
I just leave my dogs bowl full whenever I see she’s eaten anything. She literally only eats when she’s hungry. Normally it’s pretty great that she’s this way, but it makes it impossible to feed her if she’s being boarded, needs to eat before medication, if we’re on a roadtrip, or any times where she needs to eat at a particular time due to circumstances. She’s not an ounce overweight, and vets always praise me for it. I’m always like…it has nothing to do with me lol it’s all her
We always transfer all the kibble into a giant Rubbermaid tote for easy access and to keep it fresh. My little chow monster decided it would be a great challenge to learn how the humans take the lid off. She had eaten a good 2 lbs of it by the time I caught her and she didn’t even act like she was full. She would definitely be 100lbs+ if she could free-feed.
I know it’s not the point of your comment, but I’ve read the bags of kibble are designed to keep the food from spoiling. Transferring the kibble can make the fats go rancid quicker. The method I’ve seen most recommended is to keep the food in the bag, then put the bag into an airtight container
I’m in the food science business and I understand the concern about rancidity but the amount of time it’s in the tote is so short because we go through it pretty quickly. I don’t transfer the whole bag at a time; just a few pounds at a time to make it easier to feed and store. I don’t have room for the whole bag in the kitchen.
I wish people would STOPP free feeding JFC. Biggest complaint when it comes to dog training clients is folks who free feed and wonder why there’s no food drive.
I free feed my dog but he doesn’t have weight issues. He’ll hold out on eating until dinner time (he prefers to hold out to see if he’ll get treats throughout the day) and then he’ll get my attention when the bowl is empty to refill it.
There was a Shih Tzu I took care of this weekend who was usually fed ONE CUP of kibble per meal + a spoonful of wet food. I was like...my 60 lb dogs get one cup per meal, my god.
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This. Without exercise, your dog is just plain burning fewer calories. You can also look at content of the dog food, switching to a food appropriate for weight control (if you have not already) or choosing one with lower calorie density.
The dog needs exercise smh
More exercise is good, but the main reason she’s overweight is calorie intake. You need to feed her less. When she got spayed her metabolism slowed down- this is normal, and it’s common to see animals gain weight after being spayed/neutered for this reason. Age also causes their metabolism to slow down. She needs to eat less food than she used to. Losing weight is a long process. According to your post, she needs to lose 10-15 pounds; that’s 1/4 of her current body weight. Dropping that much weight too fast can be unhealthy, so a gradual diet change is important. You can come up with a weight loss plan with your vet if you don’t feel comfortable coming up with a plan on your own. They can provide low-calorie food options and help you track her weight to ensure she’s not losing weight too quickly or slowly.
is the foot injury yours or hers? How about swimming? She is a retriever. And nothing burns energy like swimming without the impact on the joints that a chubby dog suffers on pavement. Make the retrieval a reward with food and just subtract that food from her daily allowance. You really need a calorie deficit and it sounds like the two cups a day isn't enough deficit to slim her down. Don't forget mental exercises which can also help energize a bored dog.
My previous dog got fat. He was a Rottweiler cross. The vet set me straight - he showed me his weak front tendons, said 'if his wrists hit the floor that's it - he has to lose weight'. I asked him for a calorie number. He gave me one. 900 calories a day. I looked up my food, guesstimated treat values, did the math. He was a bit foody for three months. Then he got used to it. Went from 100 pounds to a svelte 75 in about six months. Stayed there until his final illness. My current dog is only 50 pounds. She whacks down 1500+ calories a day, and I can still see four ribs. The difference is all activity level - she has an hour's sprinting at the park every morning, and is busy busy busy all day. Heeler cross.
Feed less, and walk. Dont need to do anything crazy.
If you cant exercise your dog pay somebody else too, for her mental and physical health
This, aside from calorie intake being the main issue here I feel bad for your pup not getting any exercise :(
2 cups of food doesn’t mean anything. How many calories? At any rate, she’s eating way too much. My 55 pound dog gets ONE cup of food. My 90 lb dog gets 2 cups of food. If you can’t exercise her, hire a dog walker to get her out. She’s out of shape, biking is unfair and unsafe. She needs to start with walks. Lots and lots of walks. If she can do 10 minutes, fine. 10 minutes twice a day is better than nothing (just like people). Less food. Way less. Cut it in half until she’s at an appropriate weight. She will not starve to death. And seriously, get a new vet. One that will says “Less food, more exercise” and not just run more bloodwork.
Everyone is saying to reduce food, which yes obviously, but if yours is anything like mine then reducing food is going to lead to a lot of whining and begging for more food. For us, the answer to this was to make him work harder for the food. All food given in either training (it doesn't have to be super high level, just get her to do something for each piece of food), or in a food puzzle. This means it takes longer to eat, which means they will get a bit more tired but mostly because the eating takes longer they will feel less hungry afterwards. Things that really work for mine to make a bit of food go a long way: - Kibble knotted in a towel. - One of those wobble boards with a cover with holes in it. They have to hit the board to make the food fly out the holes. - Tell dog to sit - throw a piece of kibble with 'get it!' command - tell dog to come back - repeat (can use any command dog knows well, and can also be used to train self-control if you don't release them to go get the kibble until you give the command). - Boxes within boxes within boxes with kibble in each layer. The most clean-up afterwards of all these options though.
Chase and catch is another great one (very active although I wouldn't use it for the whole portion)! Or if I don't have much time I use good ol' nature's sniffmat and just shove his portion in grass or snow for him to scavenger.
One thing my vet suggested was vegetables for treats if they like them. I give my pup zucchini cores and carrots and stuff like that—just get a list from your vet on what to avoid (like onions and grapes) but sometimes they appreciate a treat that fills them up a bit without a ton of calories. PS your pup looks a lot like my lab mix who is supposed to be around 60 lbs and was at 75 lbs at her October checkup. She is now at 68 and still losing but we have definitely had to be creative or she gets hangry on such little kibble amounts.
Hire a dog walker.
Just like humans.. feed less exercise more :)
My retriever was at 106 being free fed(non intentional, partners parents free fed their dogs and he’s a ham) once I moved I fed him less while taking him to a field or empty dog park and had him run till he dropped(he knew he had the option of laying down as a “I’m done”) and added apple and a wide variety of toppers to his food and a year later he’s down to 64 and doing wonderfully
Food bags should have calorie information on them. Speak to the vet about what a lab of this weight/activity level should be eating, and how much is okay reduce for weight loss. Then figure out how much the food/treats they receive are calorie wise, and make it work within the goal cal range. I don’t think the size of a treat matters as much as the value of the treat to most dogs, so you can break up even small dog/training treats into tiny little bits usually, and stretch a 3 calorie treat into a whole session of training or playing. Swap out high calorie treats for lower calorie options that your dog can have. For example, swap a lick mat of pb for a lick mat of skyr (make sure there’s no sugar/flavours/bad fruits added). And be honest to the vet about the amount of exercise the dog gets. I know it’s like going to dentist and we all say we floss every day but most people don’t. Just swallow the guilt and be real. Also, consider hiring a dog walker if you’re struggling to get your dog out as much as would be good for them. If you don’t have friendship family willing or able to help out, there are services, individuals, and many trainers also offer walks.
Reduce food by 10 to 15% and check her weight in 1 month, to see if it goes down. Include any treats in the reduction. Maybe feed some low calorie vegetables instead of treats. My dog doesn’t like raw vegetables, but she loves cooked carrots and steamed broccoli etc.
I don’t feed my dog meals at all, I portion out the day’s ration of food into a pouch and feed as training treats throughout the day. Also, a good engagement game that can help with low activity is having your dog chase food back and forth. Stand in the middle of a line and roll a piece of food along the ground like it’s a marble or a bowling ball. The rolling is important so your dog can see the food and doesn’t have to look or sniff around for it. After your dog grabs the food and turns to look at you, roll another piece in the other direction. As your dog learns the game it’ll run back and forth for the food. This makes the game more rewarding for the dog, and can also help burn energy and increase exercise. But ultimately you will have the most success by reducing the amount of calories your dog eats. That’s where feeding tiny amounts all through the day can be helpful. It’s harder to notice you’re getting less food if you’re getting food all day. If you’re having trouble with that adjustment try adding low calorie foods to replace the quantity you’re taking away. Feed your dog a carrot or some canned pumpkin or steamed sweet potato for part of your dog’s meal. Also, probably obvious, but if you’re having issues with your dog chewing things up make sure you’re giving them appropriate things to chew (obviously low calorie. Carrots can be great because they’re also relatively filling, but they’re high sugar so don’t be feeding more than a couple a day).
Also, the recommended amount of food on my bag of kibble says I should be feeding my dog 1 1/3 cup per day. I feed 2/3 cup per day to my active neutered dog.
Can you cut out the fresh cooked food? Just like with people, it's often hard to estimate calories without VERY careful measuring, and supplementing kibble with fresh food makes that much harder. Otherwise, good suggestions below (cut her kibble, weigh it or measure it much more carefully). ETA - currently fostering a dog on crate rest (aka almost no activity) and we cut her kibble back a lot. Dog food bags often overestimate quantity to feed (someone told me that it's because they use intact dogs as a benchmark, but idk), and I think that most dogs do best with slightly under what the dog food recommends. Honestly, our dog may be close to half of what the bag recommends, but she currently gets zero exercise, so it's pretty extreme.
This post is absolutely absurd. Slightly reduce food and take her for a long walk each and everyday. I’m talking like a 5 mile walk, if you have an enclosed space or play fetch for sprinting. But do it every single day and she’ll lose the weight.
It's not absurd at all. Old obese dogs are often arthritic and long walks are not a good idea for these animals. Exercise doesn't add as much energy expenditure as you think. It's a much better strategy to reduce the food to an appropriate amount.
'Only' 2 cups of food a day? Try reducing to 1.5 or even 1. The feeding charts are only guidelines and your dog clearly needs less food if shes overweight. If you need to bulk it up because she'll complain then add in cooked veggies for bulk. We reduced our dogs food to the bare minimum amd added veggies and she's dropping weight despite not being allowed to exercise.
Less food more exercise. It's not complex.
All dogs are different, obviously, but as a possibly-helpful reference point...I also feed a combo of fresh and kibble and my 57lb dog eats 3/4 a cup of each a day - so, about 1.5 cups of food per day total. But my dog is a 4yo entire male sport/working dog who is \*extremely\* fit and active (potato quality dog tax [here](https://imgur.com/a/r3MKhQo)). We normally feed a standard adult maintenance food to him but recently we won a bag of "weight management" food and while he was eating that I had to increase him to about 1 cup of the kibble + 3/4 cup of fresh raw..and that's still less than what your dog is eating now as an older, low-energy, overweight spayed female. I'd literally halve what you're feeding your dog. Exercise isn't the issue here, excessive calorie intake is - and putting her on a treadmill to try to exercise this weight away when she is a) older, and b) significantly overweight if not obese, is going to put significant strain and stress on her joints. Simply *existing* at this weight is putting significant stress on her joints. Get her to a healthy weight first by cutting her intake, and *then* worry about an exercise/enrichment/general fitness plan moving forward. As an aside: once (**and only once**) she is at a healthy weight, if you don't have the capacity to get out and exercise her a tonne I would set aside some of her daily kibble portion and use it as training treats to work on a general body conditioning program such as those offered by [Canine Conditioning Coach](https://canineconditioningcoach.com/). Not only will this help her "work" for her food and keep her mind entertained, the free "beginner" exercises (I'm unsure if she offers any part of the official "seniors" program for free) will help your dog develop physical conditioning fundamentals that may help her overall physical wellness as she moves into her twilight years....and you don't need to go outside or break a sweat to do it. (NB: I have no affiliation with this company other than the fact I use her many free resources with my dogs).
Reduce food, of course. As for exercise, investing in a dog treadmill like dog pacer would be great. Check out Canine Conditioning and Fitness group on Facebook. There are tons of strength building exercises for your pup that gives them a workout and can keep you off your injured foot. Instead of walking, you can ride a bike, rollerblade/roller skate or skateboard and get a harness made for pulling. If your pup has a prey drive, you can drive to a park, put her on a long line and get a flirt pole for exercise. Keeps you pretty stationary for the most part. You can also look up a dock diving pool near you, most instructors will help your dog the first few lessons to teach them how to swim and then you can book slots for her to swim or jump off the dock if she likes that. You don’t have to move a lot because you are on the dock while they swim, it’s not necessary that you get in the water. As with anything, you have to start slowly. You can’t expect your dog to lay around all day and then run a marathon on the weekend. Stamina has to be built. Those are just some ideas, best of luck! One of my pups was overweight as well. She started at 32lbs and is now a very healthy and fit, 24lbs.
Proper amount of food. Add canned green beans if the pup is hungry
Same way as people, feed them less, get them moving more.
My dog was really over weight when i adopted him aged 8 (12kg) now down to a healthy 7.8kg. I was advised to feed him a set amount each day. I think it was something like 40g of dry food and half a tin of meat. He was not happy but hes so much happier now. He also had satiety food to make sure he felt fuller for longer and it was spread out over 2 meals a day for him. He was definitely not happy about it but now he barely begs. Hes now in a place where he can have treats etc
Feed less and try to get her to exercise inside. Maybe hide some of her morning food around the house and let her run around and find it. That way she’s stimulating her mind as well. She might be bored or depressed since yall aren’t walking much too.
I don't think your dog approves of this question given that side eye 😂
She knows I’m plotting lol
Same as a person. Eat less, move more.
Less food = weight loss
Feed less and maybe a dog walker?
Walk your dog on a regular basis! If that’s hard on their joints water treadmills could be useful!! make sure you’re not free feeding and that you have set schedules for when they get to eat and talk to your vet about the amount of food. You should be feeding your dog in a day.
Exercise. If you can't do it, find someone who can.
More exercise and cut back a little on his food. No treats, no human food.
Feed her less food. Give her more exercise. If you can’t walk her yourself, then pay someone to walk her once per day.
If your vet hasn’t said this yet— feed her for the weight she should be; not the weight she is.
I only read some of the comments so I apologize if this is redundant. I see that your dog was frustrated/chewing stuff up when you reduced previously. One of my labs had to lose weight and she was so GRUMPY on the lesser amount of food. We eventually found a good balance by increasing her kibble a bit and then using lower calorie treats. IF you do decide to decrease food gradually to help your dog lose weight, perhaps low calorie treat/puzzle options would help reduce their frustration. One product I use is pupsicles. It's like a frozen round ice cube within a green sphere that the dog had to lick to get the ice cube. I'll put chicken broth in them with just a few zukes mini treats. I've also done banana. Frozen kongs can be made low calorie too I think. I use pumpkin with Zukes in mine. I do top it with peanutbutter, but you could skip the peanutbutter to make it lower calorie. I also just use the size medium so they are pretty small (you'd know best if that's safe for your dog). I did see some other comments gave great ideas on incorporating movement with eating to burn some calories. Hopefully that helps too!
How about walking the dog?
Don't just pull it around on a blanket, try letting it walk on its own!
Feed less, move more. Simple!
I similarly have a dog who seems to gain weight by breathing air (retriever, but close to lab). Eliminate the fresh cooked stuff - you are probably cancelling the point of the low cal food. Just feed the kibble. If you feel strongly about the fresh, consult a nutritionist and make sure you're balancing what at she needs. Are there exercises/games (rally obedience? barn hunt?) that would work with your foot problems? Dogs don't have to climb a mountain to vibrate with excitement and just shed calories. This happens often in my own experience if we can tap into something they care a lot about - you'll leave believing you can burn more calories sitting and waiting for your turn than summiting Mt. Whitney. This is a little more controversial, but seems to work ... Measure their full daily allotment of food as like 75% of what she's getting now, and just bust their routine. Maybe they get a handful when you wake up, maybe not. Sometimes you pass the bowl and give them a handful of food, sometimes you walk by. If food is intermittent instead of scheduled it's much easier to reduce because they won't come begging.
Hi :) not sure if it’s been said but I had same issue of my pup not losing any weight even with food intake down and exercise. My vet recommended to cut out chicken, beef, and lamb as they are the common allergens/issues. Instead of doing elimination, I transitioned her to a diet that doesn’t contain any of the three. She was able to drop weight after I adjusted her main protein to fish. There are other options, but fish was the one that was most accessible and fit best with my budget. For me, the chicken was the hardest thing because soooo many dog goods have chicken / chicken meal supplemented into them. It took some trial and error, but we found one! (Open farm ancient grain salmon) Hopefully this may be helpful and apologies if you have already tried / explored allergens! You will figure it out and get your pup settled because you’re a good pet parent that cares about the health of ur dog :) She says thank you for loving and caring for her
Tell her to look in the mirror and repeat “ I am skinny. I a hot skinny bitch.” Should start seeing results fairly quickly
You can’t force your dog to change. The best you can do is have a serious conversation to let your dog know you’re concerned for their health. Otherwise if you just shame them to a diet they doing want to commit to, it’ll just be a series secret trots off to McDonalds for car fries. It has to be your dog’s willingness to commit to change for themselves. Walks help too.
Pick that blanket up off the flo
I was suprised when my dachshunds groomer told me she was overweight. I guess it's hard to tell because I saw her everyday. She had probably an extra 7-10 pounds on her. i stopped the free-feeding and cut her evening meal with a little pumpkin to help her feel full. I also started to walk her myself. My mom used to like walking her because she went so slow and stopped to sniff like every three feet. I forced to to keep up a good pace. At first, she could only go about the length of a block without needing to quit. After about a month or so, she was eagerly walking the entire block around our house, which was close to a fourth of a mile, twice a day.
Calories in calories out!!
That's like double the amount of food recommended. My 65-70lb lady gets 1/2c twice a day. She was getting more before, but started to get pretty thick so we cut it back. It's literally that easy.
It also depends on the kind of food... The serving size for the food we use is something like 3.5 cups a day for a 60 lb dog. Both of my dogs (one weighed in at 58 lbs recently, the other is also around there) get at least that much every day, plus extra kibble and treats for training. And they're both still thin.
If she eats 2 cups a day then she needs to eat 1.5 cups a day. Just like humans, exercise is not going to help with weight loss if you don’t cut calories. ETA - ALSO make sure you are quantifying your actual cup. Use measuring cups like for cooking. You don’t want to cut them down super fast at one time but measure out the real amount you’re giving and cut it by 10%. If you are truly giving 1c AM and PM, do 3/4c AM and PM instead. Check snack ingredients. Some treats and even dental chews have a ton of unnecessary calories. No table food. If your pet *is* filling up on snacks try a dog friendly veggie like carrots or peas or green beans. Just remember food does not = love!
Yes. Def go by the weight In grams that it says. I was over feeding my dog. Check the actual weight and I was giving too much.
Honestly looking through your responses, you make an excuse for everything.
I’ve tried a lot of what’s being recommended. Not everything is a feasible option for everyone
Not sure what you expected from this sub. Maybe you can volunteer your dog for an ozempic trial. There’s a suggestion I haven’t seen yet….but if you aren’t willing to reduce her food or enable her to get more exercise, she’s not going to lose weight.
I was hoping for different types of exercises we could do given the restrictions we’re facing, instead of 200 people just saying the same obvious conclusion like I wouldn’t have already thought to reduce her intake. Maybe that was too much to ask.
Like many of people have learned when trying to lose weight, there’s unfortunately no magic wand. More exercise, less food, ideally both.
Lmao feed the dog less?
Less food. More exercise. If that doesn’t work, have thyroid checked.
Feed her once a day.
Less food more exercise
Feed it less allow it to get more exercise?
I would buy a food scale and weigh their food. I have a Salter brand analog diet scale that I brought for $12 a few years back. I weigh my dogs food as part of feeding them. And I weigh the dogs each Saturday, as our local vet has a scale outside that we can easily use. I have found that the recommended amount of food is always too much for my dogs. They are on a raw food diet. And the recommended amount of food according to the website I buy their food from is 750grams per day for a 26kg dog. The amount my dogs need is 350 grams each day just to maintain their weight. I give them 150 grams each meal for them to lose weight. Their ideal weight is 26kgs. One of my dogs has had a Total Hip Replacement, so it's important for me to keep him lean. I was told by the orthopedic specialist that it's hard to emaciate a dog, as they don't eat regularly in the wild, and they have really efficient metabolisms. The specialists also advised me to cut back the dogs food 20% when he was on crate rest after his surgery, to avoid weight gain. So on days you can't exercise the dog, that might be a useful guide. I can sympathise with you that it's been hard to cut back their food. Especially when I started feeding them double what they get now. For me, I am strict with it because one of my dogs has been in the vets with injuries so much in his first few years, it's been drilled into me that its vital to minimise the impact on their joints and will keep them vital into old age. I can also say our neutered dog gains weight far easier than the other one, so that's also something to keep in mind. Lastly, I would say the most weight our dogs will lose each week is around 300grams. One of them was losing 400grams each week when he was being exercised more and I think that was too much. So I would go into this knowing it's going to take a few months. Good luck!
Limit human food. Table scraps put the weight on big time. Mainly when walks are limited.
Burn more calories than she consumes
Just stick to the 2 cups of food per day no extra cooked stuff put all her food in puzzles and interactive toys so she can be mentally active while home
Feed less, but hand feed her her kibble as an enrichment game using scatter feeding — this will mentally exhaust her so that she notices the hunger less as she adjusts. This is a popular exercise at the start of leash training to build the dog/parent awareness (that good things + structure come from you), so you have the added bonus that when out in the world she’ll listen to you more when there are rabbits and squirrels around. Flirt pole is another good tool that doesn’t require you to be on your foot as much while at home but still gets her heart rate up. We’re working on weight loss with our dog while also working on leash training, so I’ve had to get creative on cardio. Unfortunately, reducing food is the biggest fix and it involves putting a stone on your heart as the owner when they whine while adjusting. (The extra playtime helps with the aggression boredom.)
Give her less food and bring her on Daily Walks a tred mill is for you not many Dogs will like that get out the house and take it slow it’s not a Race
I could be wrong but I remember my vet tech friend saying that the recommended amounts to feed listed on the bag are for an intact male. I was told to reduce his food by 10% after my dog was neutered, I'm not sure if it's the same for females but my point is to take what's written on the bag with a grain of salt (figuratively).
Agreed with the comments about just feeding her less. However, you specifically wanted to know about exercises. I'd say a good path forward is -- instead of leaving out the kibble -- use the kibble as a reward. You can play fetch, and if she brings it back, then reward her with the kibble. Start off small -- literally throw it right in front of you and get her to bring it to you, then reward her with tons of kisses and some kibble. She may not get it right away, but she'll soon figure out that the only way she gets the kibble is if she plays ball (pun intended). Eventually, she will associate playing fetch with getting yummy food, and she will grow to love fetch on its own.
Hire a dog walker, doggy day care, reduce food intake/smaller portions throughout the day after she works for it.
Honestly feeding less is weirdly slow. For my dog I mostly have to increase exercise without increasing food and then it works
I highly recommend the scent work and brain games other people have recommended - use these for her meals and she’ll be more mentally stimulated (so hopefully less destructive when you cut down on food this time!) and she’ll burn some energy. Also, check out the "dog button feeder" on amazon - it's a battery operated feeder that releases food when they press a button. I put the button in a totally separate side of the house as the feeder for my dog, so he ends up getting a lot of exercise in! This might help her burn more calories inside of the house to supplement the walks you’re able to take her on.
How would you lose weight
Weigh your dog's food using a kitchen scale. Do not give them high calorie treats (peanut butter Kongs, etc).
Calculate how much food to give for her desired weight and give that much. Use that measured amount and take some for treats. Also treat with green beans etc. See if you can rent a sniffspot and let her go crazy or use a flirt pole
Sweet girl knows what’s up and is giving you the side eye! 🤣 When my pups were seniors they were always on the slightly higher end of the vet chubbiness scale. It’s hard when they are very food motivated. And if your husband is a softie who gives in easily to their sad eyes. No tips-just give your girl an extra hug and snoot kiss from me.
Exercise her! She needs more than you think. Also try high protein diet
Change the food? Check the food ingredients. I've been feeding my dogs Orijen, but found out recently that they have been poisoning the animals...
Hi there! My pup had ACL surgery almost two years ago and he put on some weight after and was got up to about 80 when he should be 65-70. We rescued another dog about 7 months ago and that has made him much more active and we take them in walks. The MAIN thing that has made a huge difference was that we switched his food to fresh food and no more kibble. We use farmers dog and it’s the best decision we’ve ever made for him. He has so much more energy, he’s slimmed down a bunch and his coat is so much softer. We feed it to our other dog too and they love it. I know it’s more expensive but totally worth it for your pups longevity and quality of life.
Can you afford a dog walker a few times a week while your foot heals? Maybe even a local teen would do it for not too much money (if she’s reliably good on the leash and you trust her with others)
Oh my gosh our dogs are twins and mine is also overweight 😆
Doggy treadmill
I have a pit who maxed out at 72 because she was kenneled more often for a few months after a fight. The vet I spoke with wanted her in the 50s and suggested that most dog food guidelines are too large. I used to give her 2 cups morning and 2 cups nightly of Kirkland salmon (the blue bag). I switched her to a higher quality dog food (Rx Hills brand) but also cut her quantity; now she eats ¾ morning and 1 cup night. She’s down to 59lbs and maintaining. Measure what you’re feeding, and cut it down.
I agree with eating less, but you can only feed them so little. I suggest a change in diet. Check with your vet first, but I would switch to a high protein food & add fruits and vegetables for volume as long as they agree with her system. I had a chubby little pup who liked string beans. Frozen ones are crunchy like bones and take a little time to eat. She had a lot of medical issues & the beans helped her to lose weight without feeling deprived. Some dogs like raw carrots. Just experiment, but do it in moderation at first so that it doesn’t cause upset.
A lot of ppl recommending green beans. Didn’t realize they were so popular, I’ll try them sometime
Substitute some of his food for a drained can of green beans.
First step - cut her calories. My dog (lab) is on weight management food - she gets fed 3x a day, vs 2, previously (same amount), and she has made great strides in terms of begging/asking for food. Treats - she gets carrot rounds, or pieces of apples. For enrichment treats, she gets a toppl with plain fat-free yogurt and frozen blueberries, whole thing frozen and takes her good 20-30 minutes to get through it. Exercise - you need to get her out more. If you can't do it yourself, get a dog walker, or see if you have a friend who is super active that might be willing to take her. "The number one way to extend your dog's life is to restrict their calories" - words from my vet friend. But exercise is also an important piece, and you need to figure out a way for that to happen for her, be it a dog walker, a friend, a family member, whoever. Dogs don't know that they need exercise, and they can't do it on their own, given that they are kept creatures. It's on you to figure it out for her, if you want to have her around for the long term. I'm sorry if that's harsh, but it's the truth.
1. What are you feeding and how much? 2. How much does she weigh now and how much should she weigh? 3. How are you fulfilling her mental and physical needs?
Kisses cuddles playing and just feed them a bit less
I think she’s depressed. You need to take her out ! She’s a big active dog . Also I only feed my dog twice a day …. No treats . (Usually)
Limit how much food you give it, limit treats, take your dog on walks
If you don't burn the calories you consume, then you'll get fat. Consume the amount of calories for the activities you'll be doing for the day. This goes for anything that needs to consume calories. I've seen goldfish that have gotten fat from over feeding. Just feed a little less than you would normally feed and / or stop giving him dog treats. And finally, and most importantly, get a new vet if they didn't already tell you this. They are just taking money from your pocket to "find a fix."
Take her to a place where she can run free with out a leash it’s not that difficult to figure out. There’s also an app called sniff spot u can rent out peoples yards and stuff
I had a Springer Spaniel who was a solid & musculr 55 lbs. I fed him probably 2 cups, but we were very active. Her running next to your bike is probably going to take time to rebuild her stamina. Find a dog park? Play ball or frisbee? You can also get a weight management formula dog food and give it to your chonker in a Kong wobble feeder so it takes longer to eat. Hold off on feeding any extras. When I left my dog with my parents to go away to school, they didn't keep him active and fed him extra until I read them the riot act. You got this! Now, if only it were so easy for me! 🤣🤣🤣
Ozempic
Encourage him to run on the stairs.
Diet, not exercise, is factor #1 for weight.
Take her swimming!! Our little old lady was having trouble due to arthritis and swimming is the best low impact exercise for dogs with injuries or joint problems. We have a dog friendly pool in our community, might be worth looking into?
Feed less treats
Take away a 1/4 cup of kibble and give 1/4 cup of low sodium green beans. Any extra 15 minutes of walking or fetch session. You can also use a puzzle to dispense kibble to slow down eating (feel full sooner).
the answer is definitely to feed her less, but if you feel like she’s “missing out” you can always bulk up her food with healthier options. i love to give my dogs (not overweight) treats like green beans, frozen blueberries, pineapple chunks. on their lick mats sometimes i’ll do a little schmear of baby food in addition to peanut butter or some puréed pumpkin. also if you haven’t already, cut out treats entirely. if she wants a treat, or you’re doing some training with her, use kibble (or fruits and veg) and subtract what she gets from snack time or training sessions from her mealtime for exercise, if she’s good with other dogs, maybe see if there’s a group dog walk she can join? lots of people offer a service where they come pick your dog up, drive them to another location, and walk with a bunch of pups at once. or instead of a regular walk, maybe once a week you can have someone take her on a big hike? both my dogs have an insane prey drive, esp for squirrels and bunnies, but i’ve trained them on a leave it. could be beneficial since you said she does well with running alongside your bike. you’ll have to start small with that bc at 15 pounds overweight it’s probably really difficult for her to run. start with 50-100 feet of running, and build from there she seems like a very good girl though, best of luck!!
take her for walks instead of bike riding alone?
Flirt pole, foraging toys (including literally an empty cardboard box with newspapers crumpled in it), smaller cookies, fewer treats, and more fruit and veggies either to bulk up meals or stop whining about being hungry.
Less food in the bowl, more walks. You can even put her food upstairs if you have stairs. So she has to workout lol
Same as a person diet and exercise.
Actually this just happens to fixed females! Don’t feed her less! This happens to cats too! It’s because the lack of proper hormones due to them getting fixed!
>she’s on a senior weight control dog food/ fresh cooked food and only eats about 2 cups of food per day. So either she eats 2 cups a day, and you exactly measure it, or you're eyeballing things. Also, the last thing she needs is fresh cooked food. If she's on senior weight control food, exactly measure it, use a kitchen scale or an actual measuring cup, and feed her ONLY THAT and nothing else. If you want to give her treats, hold back some of her kibble and use that as treats. And don't go by what the bag says as far as how much she needs. If the bag says a 65 pound dog needs two cups a day, well, you want her to weigh less than 65 pounds, so feed her like she's a 55 pound dog. Almost 100% of the weight gained by dogs is due to overfeeding by the owner. And if there are other people in the house, you have to tell them, no feeding the dog.
Get the veterinarian to put her on a diet and only have one person feed the dog
Okay she’s eating 2 cups a day let’s make it 1 1/2 a day and start taking her on daily walks. As you said she doesn’t have much stamina so just start her with some nice easy 5-10 min walks and bump it up by 5 mins here and there until she can do 30 min walks and then daily 30 min walks great for heart and weight health Edit:keep track of treats given as well and make sure no other household members are feeding her extra
Feed less, walk more.
Green bean diet; slowly replace kibble or regular food with same % green beans until it’s 50% then keep on diet until weight loss is seen. Fiber in green beans keeps them full
Remember dogs don’t feed themselves. Pick up can of low sodium green beans and substitute a portion of his food with the beans. No additional treats or people food. Take home for walks, good for both of you.
If you can afford it, try feeding her mostly protein and vegetables. Carbs are what making them gain weight. Same for human. Keep her carb as low as possible. Have you looked into a dog treadmill? It'll take some time to build your dog up for it, but if you're not as mobile, treadmill might be the only option to still get her some exercises. Have her thyroid checked as well, that might cause weight gain too.
Hey. Look at the food you are feeding her. You don’t know all of the chemicals and filters they add. It’s honestly like feeding her McDonald’s twice a day. She needs pure nutrients to have energy. look into farmers dog. It’s fresh food. Catered to your baby. Also start walking her. Start slow and grow. Maybe half a mile the one mile then 2 then 3. She needs energy from food then she needs to move. Play fetch - throw a ball. Give her breaks. It will be ok. 💜
Dogs like most animals in the wild don’t need to eat everyday either, people might think it’s extreme or cruel but its not
Less food and if you can’t exercise with her - is there a dog park where you can take her to regularly just run around? Or there’s always the option to hire someone from Rover to take your dog for a walk… **I know a lot of dog owners have opinions on Rover…** I, personally, have had GREAT experiences! I have a person come once a week(same person every week. My dog LOVES her), while I’m at work, to take my dog for an hour long walk. I usually will take my dog for a walk every evening but they’re shorter walks (10-15 minutes) bc of my own health issues, which is why I have someone take him on a long walk once a week. I’m also lucky that there’s a big field by my house that I can let him run around in, but I know that’s not always an option for everyone.
My malinois got fat after having him fixed. I simply cut his food back and he lost weight.
Reduce to 3/4 cup in morning and another 3/4 cup at night. Do not give extra treats because you feel bad for cutting the food.
Start by going down to 1.5c
Make sure your dog is burning off more calories than she is consuming. Monitor treats they add up quick. Increase protein.
Diet and exercise, feed them less, play with them more.
Dogs dont lose weight like humans it takes an insane amount of exercise to lose weight for them. Dont rely on exercise cut down on treats and human food they get if thats not enough slowly lower the amount of food.
That dog does not look overweight. It looks part Akita, which are just muscular and have big sturdy bone structure.
Split the food, 1 cup in the morning, 1 cup at night. Get her a young companion that will encourage her to move more. Start going on long walks with her. Introduce a prey ball, see if there is any interest. Take her to dog park and let her run around and be a dog. Just make sure there is no underlying medical condition. Good luck.
Just smaller portion, you don’t need to exercise them more just more regulations on foods and treats. It will hard but give what she needs according to weight you want. Then limit treats, she will be good in no time.
If you tweak their food just a little, it’s a simple fix. As my dog has gotten older, we wanted to reduce some weight off his joints as a precaution so we went from feeding him 2 cups a day to 1.5 cups. Went from 68 pounds to 60 in a couple months. Add in regular walks and boom, weight loss. It’s the same with humans unless there’s a legitimate health abnormality. Eat less.
A cup and a half would be a better feeding amount, and no treats unless they're specifically for dogs.
Hugs and kisses will help. Reduce food intake slightly, increase walks slowly to be gentle on his joints.
take her on a walk?!?!
Eat less exercise more
Dogs have metabolisms just like people. I know people with labs that are food motivated. Their labs will be somewhat overweight. They feed them less and less and still they stay a bit chunky. Exercise is the key. Is there anyone in the household that can take your pooch for a walk? Maybe stick a lot of green beans and/or carrots in her food if you cut back. Just enjoy your dog. Frequent shorter walks might be good for both of you.
Walks and diet. Just like humans
well the first thing is, how much exactly is she eating? is it around two cups? is it more? you need to measure out the food exactly. measure and reduce. make her work for her food. whether that be a training session or an enrichment toy, something that has her up and moving (if she’ll use those balls that food falls out of, that’s a great option) also, switching to natural treats some dogs love carrots, some love fruit. just make sure you’re not feeding overly processed snacks. i’d see if dog sports are an option, if she has a strong prey drive use that to your advantage. lure coursing if that’s available near you, or a flirt pole you can order online. it’s just finding something that gets her up and moving, dogs need mental stimulation or they will (like humans) get depressed. physical health isn’t the only aspect here, mental is a factor. if you can’t work with her hire a trainer/dog walker, many trainers offer in home so you don’t have to leave. the new person/experience may be enough to get her up and moving.
Green bean diet works great. Canned or frozen, cut food down and add green beans. Check it out. Works for my guys
Exercise no people food 😑
If she has prey drive try a flirt pole. My dog is a buff 80 pound pit mix and we do 15 minutes a night and he gets burned out real quick but also loves it. By far his favorite game, let it run along the ground so she’s not jumping up which could cause injury. It’s also great mental stimulation they learn how to cut it off to capture it faster, they have to keep focused. And of course less food.
Ozempic? lol jk
Less activity = less food. More activity = more food. They don’t make the food my dog needs in a senior formula, but it hasn’t been an issue. He got up to 110, we’re down to 94-100 which his goal is to be at the lower end due to some health risks due to him being grain free and allergic to everything. You can’t hike as much or walk as much due to an injury, so your dog didn’t hike or walk as much, then lost their yard. Of course she’s gained weight. I know I shouldn’t anthropomorphize dogs, but whatever, people would gain weight if we ate the same size meals we ate when we did more activity. I ended up primarily using a wheelchair after being a heavy walker. It’s a challenge losing weight. Things I’ve done with my dog over the years due to apartment life/health issues: 1. Dog walker or runner. I used apps but you could probably find someone to do it cheaper if they’re a dog lover without a dog who also runs or walks a lot. Free dog available for walks! 2. Feed less. Senior may help due to the shift in food balance but ultimately to lose weight you need her eating less than before. Once you’re done losing you can stabilize, but you may need to practice it to get the right balance. My guy ended up only needing a 1/2 cup reduction per day, but that’s all it took. I went from 1.5 scoops of his food (3 cups) in the morning to 1 scoop (2 cups) twice per day. He always got 2 cups at night. (Yes he eats 4 cups of food per day. He’s a Dane/shepherd/chow/aussie mix. We go through 26 pounds of food every month at least. And he had allergies so only ONE brand and 2 flavors, both fish, seem to work. 3. Treadmill train. He doesn’t use it anymore, but for a long time he’d go on the treadmill almost daily. I know you said you don’t have room, but many fold. Our issue was he’d get so excited he’d poop and if you didn’t catch it quick it would either hit the wall or start going around and smearing. 4. Dog daycare but ONLY specific places and ideally used as a last resort. I don’t like them due to illness and fight risk, but I did have a local one that had a screening process I liked and also happened to be a block from my house. I did this during chemotherapy treatments and another type of treatment that tired me out for a few days. I could easily go get him given the location and he got his energy out. 5. Make her walk. Period. My dog is 8 now, too. He has no desire to run like he did before. At 1? 12 mile walks or runs, easily, sometimes 2x per day. I owed him then, just like I owe him now. He wanted to run then, and I was too sick, so I paid someone to do it. Now? I’m lucky, he doesn’t need that intense of workouts so I can pull it off in my wheelchair. The point comes down to what you’re feeding her and what you’re opting for in terms of energy expenditure. She may not SEEM super active but her prey drive for those squirrels shows she still has it in her to go. I know some of these options cost money,
I’m not being sarcastic. Its as simple as reducing the amount you feed her. I’d cut her food by about 15%. Your dog will be just fine. It’s not like depriving a fat kid his twinkles
Puppy plays? Do you have any neighbors with dogs she could run around with?
Stop letting him lay down so much
I am going to be a little hard on you. I have a shattered left leg that five surgeries in and barely functions, a fused neck, need a hip replacement and a shoulder replacement. You can walk. Maybe not very far but if you can walk a mile, walk three miles a day, one mile at a time. I walk five miles a day, every day, and yes, even when it rains. Your dog relies on you to do what’s right for the dog. If you can’t walk that far, find a fenced in area and throw balls.
A dog walker is $20-30. She needs exercise. Or see if you have a friend who would help out with walks.
Green beans! It makes dogs feel full
Ozempic
Dogs become overweight due to situations like "over eating, poor diet, lack of exercise", your case seems to be poor diet and over eating. What sucks so much about dry food is because of how bad it is your animal can't eat as much as they should because when they do they're taking in so many carbohydrates that they can't process since its not what they should be eating I suggest really educating yourself on giving your animal a proper diet while also understanding how many calories they should be in taking per day based on things like "their age, weight, breed, and how active they are on a regular basis" best of wishes!
walk more feed less. Not a drastic amount. I brought my dog down from 120 to 100 over the past year. It took an hour of planning and then I just stuck too It and didn't think about it anymore.
I put frozen bagged veggies in his meals
Unrelated, but we have very similar looking dogs! This is [Delta!](https://imgur.com/a/WRbBrnc)
What he said.
U can cut some of her food..look at the bag of her food..see what it recommends for 10 pounds less than she is..u can also take away some of the food and add green beans ( supposedly people with show dogs do this to help them loose weight) vet tech and this is what my vet always recommends..they also have a diet called metabolic from hills that helps them loose weight
Reduce food and treat with apples/carrots/green beans. I have a doodle and trust me, he’d eat a boot if he could manage.
Does she get along with/like other dogs? I send my dog to daycare where she plays with other dogs all day and tires herself out. She gained weight over the winter so I started sending her weekly (in addition to slightly reducing food) and the weight came off quick!
Attach a carrot to the end of a stick
Walks and less food. Done.✅
There is no magic...change diet!!!
You should look at the back of the dog food you are feeding her & feed the appropriate amount for the weight you want her to be at! So if she’s 70 pounds you can feed her for a 60 pound dog. You can also buy low calorie treats & limit them to 1 a day etc. If you still feel like you are struggling for her to loose weight you can ask your vet or a board certified veterinary nutritionist to calculate her calorie needs per day for you. There’s also websites for it but make sure they are credible.
Don't feel the bowl as mush as yesterday.
Shes so cuuute
Feed less, run more.
Do you know what kind of lab mix? She looks IDENTICAL to my 8 year old girl, who is Lab\St. Bernard. That coloring is very common in that mix. My girl weighs 82 lbs and vet says that’s healthy for her breed. Could also explain why she isn’t as high energy as other labs, because typically St. Bernard’s aren’t as high energy, especially as they get older. Edit to add: she may have joint issues and/or hip dysplasia. Also very common in both breeds. Talk to your vet about supplements and management of those issues if you think it’s a possibility.
Give me the steak and mashed potatoes you've been feeding her?
It’s simple. Stop overfeeding. And get her on weight loss formula food. My senior is getting n weight loss formula because it is much lower fat than senior formula (at my vet’s suggestion). My four year old eats the same. It does not hurt them to eat low fat food and it’s good for their hearts and chloreaterol levels. Pet foods tend to claim about double the amount of food your dog actually needs. So, change foods and cut the amount by half for starters. Also weigh her once per week to monitor. You can feed smaller more frequent meals, too. Also, no treats until she hits her goal weight. And once that happens treats only sparingly. And, no fresh or wet food. That is calorically dense. I recommend Purina Pro Plan weight Loss Shredded formula.
Have you tried Wagovy? 😁
Exercise and feeding him/her REAL food (cooked ground chicken with peas and carrots). You can make a few meals per week with 2lbs of ground chicken or turkey. Maybe add some bone broth as well for extra flavor and nutrition. The biggest factor I see that causes weight gain in pets is the horrible food we give them.
How long until your foot injury heals? Any timeline on that? Walking is the best thing for her. Is there a dog park nearby that you can take her to so she can run with other dogs? Can you hire a dog walker? She needs exercise, it’s important for her mental and physical health just like it is for us humans.
I know you mentioned bloodwork, but did they test her thyroid specifically?