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hi my dog is overweight I have spoken to the vet about it and they have suggested putting her on a weight lose biscuit diet, she was on this a while ago and didn't lose hardly any weight and she was really miserable. She is a bull terrier cross red kelpie she gets plently of exercise and loves to run. She gets one can of either pedigree or natures gift and a cup of mixed vegetables she also gets a few raw bones during the week. She is always really hungry I bought her a glup dish which has slowed her down a lot and she looks like she enjoys her tea more now. She always looks really bloated I dont know why she is overweight she doesnt get any treats just what she is supposed to. I am getting her thryoid checked next week the vet said it may be her throyid. What can I do to help her lose the weight she should be around 27 kilos shes nearly 30. Every time we go to the vet she seems to be putting more weight on I am really worried I don't want her to have health problems shes only a young dog. I was going to start cooking some home cooked meals for her because I was told tin food is really bad for her and thats why she is overweight. My mum thinks she is not overweight and we don't fed her enough- I just dont know why she keeps putting on weight and looking bloated
Optional Information: Type of Animal: dog Gender: Female Age: 3 Name of Animal: Roo Already Tried: cutting back food exercising
Hello, I am Dr. Peter a licensed Veterinarian. I would like to help. I need to ask you a few questions to be well informed and give you the best advice. There is no additional charge for information request.1- Is her weight gain mainly in the abdominal area or well distributed through out the body?2- What is the name of the food she is on?3- Does she get table food?
hi her weight is distributed through her body. Her canned food is pedigree or she gets supercoat. The only table food she gets is cooked vegetables and some cooked rice.
To determine if a dog is overweight, instead of looking at the scale it is best to look at the body condition score. To learn how to evaluate a body condition score follow the link below. http://www.purina.com/dog/weight-and-exercise/bodycondition.aspxIf you find that your dog is considered overweight after looking at the chart, this is what you can do:1- Eliminate all treats. You can give her veggies like baby carrots, cauliflower or broccoli as treats. 2- Eliminate the rice. 3- No table food. 4- Feed her toward a target weight. For example, if you want her to weigh 27kg then feed her for a 27 kg dog. 5- Continue exercising her. Hope the above helps, if you have additional questions I will be glad to answer them. Dr. Peter
I just had a look at the link you sent to me she is like a 6 or 7 you can still slightly feel her ribs and can slightly see her waist area would it still be worth getting her thyriod checked anyway. when you feed do you go by the recommended guide lines on the cans i got told they say to feed them too much, thank you for your help
If she is a 6-7 she is definitely overweight. Yes, always follow the guidelines on the label. Every food company have different recommendations based on their research analysis. If she weighs 30kg I would be a little more aggressive and feed her for a 25kg dog and then after a month or so check her body condition score and scale. As far as checking her thyroid, unlikely for a 3 year old to be hypothyroid, but, if you feel you have done an honest attempt for her to loose weight and it has failed, then checking her thyroid would be appropriate. You are going to have a hard time getting her to loose weight if she is hypothyroid. If her thyroid are normal then you know this is nutritional, adhere strictly to the above recommendations. Your Welcome.
i just had a quick look at her can food and the natures gift said to a large breed dog 700 + so she gets a can and a cup of mixed vegies then the pedigree says for a 20 kilo dog 1 1/2 cans and a 30 kilo dog 2 1/2 cans she gets only one can and a cup of mixed vegies. So she is getting less already then the recommended amounts and hardly ever gets any treats
The next step is to check her thyroid.
thank you will do thanks again for your help
Your Welcome.
have rang the vet and got her in for her thryoid. also i meant to ask in my question can dogs be fed raw eggs as a bit of extra protein. thanks again for your help
I do not like feeding raw meat or eggs to dogs. The risk of food borne illnesses is too great. There is no need for extra protein if the dog is already on dog food, especially when dealing with weight issues. Your Welcome.