[acdc554]

First off, i'm new to this forum and would like to introduce myself. My name is Patrick, and i'm sixteen years old and worried about my dog's weight. Me being a health freak, I can no longer stand looking at my obese dog. Unfortunetly i know all there is to know about people health, but no nothing about how to keep a dog healthy nuetrionally. Thankfully i run every other day so my dog will be doing so as well, but i know that cardio only makes a small margin in weight lose( at least for people) and dieting is the best way to lose it. My question is how many times a day do you need to feed them? I did read that for larger adult dogs it's once. also what do i feed him, and how hard should i run him? I will probablly start him on walks and gradually build him up to jogs, but how long distance wise? a mile or two? Additional information: He is a chocolate lab, golden retriver mixed. He weighs about 125 pounds( maybe more), about six years old, and is goofy and full of energy.

Thanks for the responses, i hope they help in my dogs weight loss

[doggiestyle]

ACDC,

Labs do have a propensity to be overweight. One reason for this is they are ALWAYS hungry. They are glutons in every sense of the word. Physiologically, there is a production of a certain "chemical" called CCK that regulates the feeling of being full. In labs, this is out of whack, thus they will eat all the time if you let them.

They need plenty of exercise (just not for at least 1 hour after eating) and should be fed twice a day. Feeding large breeds twice a day helps to lessen the chances for "bloat" which can kill a dog very quickly. Since your boy is on the heavy side, I would say work him up to a couple of miles a day (sort of like you would for a human).

As far as the food goes, a food with moderate protein (say 22%) and low fat (approx. 10 - 12%) is going to be your best bet. The "diet" foods are way to low in protein and way to high in carbs, so you want to kind of think of it like Atkins (but lower in fat). Another thing you can do to help you dog to feel full after his meal is add canned green beans (the no-salt kind). This will help to add bulk to make him feel full (if that's possible, lol). Also, you don't want him to lose more than 5% of his body weight (2 - 3% would be more disireable) monthly. So if you notice a bigger weight loss, slow it down some. It can be hard on the metabolisim to lose it to quickly.

Eagle Pack makes a good reduced fat dog food.

Hope this helps

[janete]

You are right to be concerned. dogs get the same diseases that humans do - so obesity leads to heart problems and diabetes.

Quantity of food is important, so cut down the food as suggested by the answers you already have. As long as your dog is still acting normally and has the energy to exercise, then there is enogh food being provided.

Make sure you feed good protein, and some vegetables. keep it balanced so there is more protein.

Keep away from any of our processed food for humans(breads etc), they are just as bad for dogs as they are for us.
Fresh meat is much better than processed dog food (in general this is true, there are a few good ones and you have to read the labels to avoid chemicals and by-products).

I have found that giving the dogs a multivitamin does wonders, for health and also for weight control. There are some good dog nutritionals on the market. Flax seed oil is very good for dogs too, so put a few teaspoonsful of this into the meal.

And just like humans, weight loss should be gradual to be healthy.

good luck
Janet
Melbourne, Australia