Is My Lab Overweight?what Food Should I Feed Her To Lose Weight

[blacklabrador]

This was him at 9 months. There was more of him at 12 months but not much! His head was beautiful but I just can't believe how fine it was compared to how big it ended up!

[Jodielass]

Could you upload a pic of your dog so that we can see what she looks like?? I get told by some people at parks etc that my lab is skinny, IMO i think he is a good weight ,he weighs 32Kg and is a 11 month old. I uploaded a pic of my boy, is your girl bigger than this??

Edited to say I feed Holistic Select Large and Giant breed Adult, for some reason my dog cannot digest bones they make him ill otherwise I would feed more raw.

I dont know how to put pictures on the forum i will have to find out how to do it.

Hopefully i will learn soon

Diane(Jodielass)

[Jodielass]

This was him at 9 months. There was more of him at 12 months but not much! His head was beautiful but I just can't believe how fine it was compared to how big it ended up!

[/quote

Black labrador

Has your boy been fixed?Are you going to use him for breeding?

Diane

[persephone]

Hopefully this will help

[Jodielass]

Most labs you see these days are fatties, so many people, including bets, think that they aren't fat because they look like every other lab they've seen.

I think that is a bit of an unfair generalisation on vets - I am sure they can overlook breed when they are assessing the body weight of dogs. A well bred labrador is a heavily set dog with a barrel shaped ribcage (well sprung ribs - helps with buoyancy). This is not the same thing as being overweight. There are a lot of labradors out there who are overweight due to their owners indulging their love of food.

If you are unsure about your lab then ask your vet. It is not possible to tell by hearing what her weight is. Her diet includes an incredibly high amount of grains and there's no way I'd see Pedigree dry food as a healthy option for a dog. It is so high in grains it makes them poo excessively. Dogs are not meant to eat large amounts of wheat/rice/corn that they fill those foods up with. In fact they aren't meant to eat any at all.

If you want to get your dogs weight down then a raw diet is an easy way to do that.

Dear Black Labrador

Sounds like my black Labrador might me slightly overweight so i want to get her to loose some kilos before it too bad.

She is 16months old and has not been spayed as i am planning to breed

So I want to make some changes.What food and quantities would you suggest?

I did try her on Advance large breed dog dry food only about 9 months ago and i always thought she was very hungry They had a special day to buy from Pet stock so i bought a big bag to try it out

I have heard of kangaroo meat and carrot

Hope to hear from you

Diane

Yep - you're right - it's good to get on top of it ASAP.

If you look up "BARF" diets online there is heaps of information. It is the generally accepted term for "Bones And Raw Food" diet.

You wouldn't have to do a full raw diet but certainly it sounds like she needs to cut down on all the processed stuff. Kangaroo Meat and carrot might be seen as a low fat diet for overweight dogs but it's not a balanced diet. Dogs digest meat best when it's still together with the bone, rather than meat on its own.

The quantities are very individual to the dog and you need to keep assessing her every week to make sure she's in good condition. I feed almost exclusively raw to my labs and I have a pointer who gets three times the amount of bones that they get but he is so underweight that his hipbones just poke through (which I hate). So I feed him up on puppy kibble and other high fat processed foods. If I fed him the same amount that I feed the labs he would die from starvation. He costs me a bloody fortune that dog.

Good luck with your breeding endeavours - sounds like you are still in contact with the breeder which is good. Do you have a kennel name picked out yet?

No not yet.She only 16 months old i plan to do that after she turns 2. she has had the hips and elbow testing is is under the breed average for that.WE are with Dogs Victoria and the Labrador Club.Do you have a Labrador?

[poodlefan]

Is my Lab overweight?what food should I feed her to lose weight

My Jodie is 16 months old now and i am told by everyone who sees her that is over weight except for my breeder.She thinks she is fine.

She weighs about 30 - 31 kg which is 70 pounds.

I feed her i small bowl of food in the morning and i small bowl of food at night

i give wet food as well as dry

I rotate with 4 legs wet food-supermarket

Pedigree wet food-supermarket

Clunkers.( beef or Chicken-supermarket

mixed with dry food

Pedigree dry food' Supermarket

Purina one - supermarket

Optimum light and mature-supermarket

What do you think??????????????????????????????????

Diane

Getting weight off a dog isn't rocket science.. feed less and exercise more.

Jodilass if you're considering becoming a Labrador breeder then I suggest you start doing your homework on canine nutrition. One of the things you'll pick up along the way is that the best diets for dogs don't tend to be found in the petfood aisle of supermarkets. There are better sources of dog food out there, especially for in whelp bitches and pups.

You can either do your homework on a raw diet or feed the best quality kibble you can afford supplemented with raw meaty bones like chicken frames.

If you want your dog thinner, cut the quantity of food down.

Edited March 22, 2010 by poodlefan

[joanne76]

I feed my Lab 1 cup of Royal Canin Labrador retirever and about 4 chicken necks per day. Since having her on this brand of dry food there has been a huge change in her condition. Her coat is lovely and shiny and she has a nice waist. Im noticing though as she gets older it is getting harder to keep her weight down.

Dianne are planning on becoming a registered breeder?

[Mas1981]

300grams of butter - that's BAD for the diet We lost a loaf of bread last night to our beagle (why do we never learn to keep it out of reach ) Needless to say he is very round today.

Jodielass - I would probably invest in a premium/super premium dry food if you don't want to feed raw. They sometimes seem expensive but when you average out per day costs they can actually end up cheaper. But don't necessarily follow the feeding guidelines!! I feed my lab way less than what they suggest. I also vary it depending on his activity levels.

My lab is probably a bit lighter than Mason's Mums - although younger so still some filling out to do. From what I have read, keeping them at a good weight and feeding a good quality diet (plus not over exercising) can help prevent hip dysplasia developing. Event though genetics do play the major role in this disease, environmental factors (weight, diet, exercise) are thought to have an impact. Only a novice though so I may have to stand corrected

It is so hard to resist those pleading eyes but I just tell myself that it's for his own good

I know what you mean, I feed Mason 1,5 cups of Holistic Select a day and a bit of mince, since this photo he has slimmed down a bit more , he seems to only lose on the back half though??

That's because the front part is his ribcage. He has a nice deep chest like a labrador should. He's only 11 months old and has a lot of filling out to do yet. Not fat, just substance - how much though, depends on his bloodlines.

I saw this dog when I rehomed him at 12 months old... he was a skinny, ugly (but beautiful) long legged adolescent looking dog. I knew he had the potential to grow into something beautiful and fairly big. I next saw him a year later and didn't recognise him. This is him at three. If it wasn't for those eyes that I know so well, I wouldn't think it was the same dog. LOTS of substance and you can see that I am not talking about fat.

Cant believe how his head changed! I think Mason still has a lot of filling out to do, some of his brothers that I have seen are much broader and bigger than he is.

[macka]

This was him at 9 months. There was more of him at 12 months but not much! His head was beautiful but I just can't believe how fine it was compared to how big it ended up!

Wow - that doesn't look like the same dog!

Out of interest was he de-sexed and at what age?

[blacklabrador]

This was him at 9 months. There was more of him at 12 months but not much! His head was beautiful but I just can't believe how fine it was compared to how big it ended up!

Wow - that doesn't look like the same dog!

Out of interest was he de-sexed and at what age?

He was a dog with elbow dysplasia so he was left entire so he could build up some muscle to support his elbows and shoulders - they were very wasted. It worked!!

[sandgrubber]

New report on my Lab's DIY dietary supplement program . . . she has taken on the program cause I've got her on short rations to get some weight off. Two days ago 300 g of butter disappeared. I'm now keeping the bread, butter, etc well out of reach. This arvo I came in the house and what do I find spilled all over the sofa: a litre of Charlie carp. Apparently it smelled good but the taste was too strong. If you feed a Lab less, do not underestimate the lengths it will go to to try and make up for the calorie deficit.

Edited March 22, 2010 by sandgrubber

[persephone]

This arvo I came in the house and what do I find spilled all over the sofa: a litre of Charlie carp.

Oh dear!!!

Peeeeew!!! eerrmm- how on earth are you going to remove the smell???

Hope dog didn't drink too much - it probably will have some dire effect

[Mas1981]

New report on my Lab's DIY dietary supplement program . . . she has taken on the program cause I've got her on short rations to get some weight off. Two days ago 300 g of butter disappeared. I'm now keeping the bread, butter, etc well out of reach. This arvo I came in the house and what do I find spilled all over the sofa: a litre of Charlie carp. Apparently it smelled good but the taste was too strong. If you feed a Lab less, do not underestimate the lengths it will go to to try and make up for the calorie deficit.

Mine eats anything he finds:) its actually scary.....

[sandgrubber]

Fortunately it was a leather sofa. Wiped up well. The towel went in a bucket. The bucket will go on the plants. I think a little taste was enough for the dog.

This arvo I came in the house and what do I find spilled all over the sofa: a litre of Charlie carp.

Oh dear!!!

Peeeeew!!! eerrmm- how on earth are you going to remove the smell???

Hope dog didn't drink too much - it probably will have some dire effect

[Jodielass]

I feed my Lab 1 cup of Royal Canin Labrador retirever and about 4 chicken necks per day. Since having her on this brand of dry food there has been a huge change in her condition. Her coat is lovely and shiny and she has a nice waist. Im noticing though as she gets older it is getting harder to keep her weight down.

Dianne are planning on becoming a registered breeder?

Dear Joanne

Yes i am planning to become a registered breeder.My Jodie is now 16 months old.She has had her hips and elbow scored and she is under the breed average.

I belong to the Labrador club and Dogs VIctoria

I will not breed her before the age of 2 year old.

She has had one season so far

I am trying to learn everything about breeding.There is so much to learn.I talk to every one i met and u went to the royal Melbourne show last year just to talk to breeders.

She goes to 2 dog schools for obedience.

There have been quite a lot of people who have been very negative on breeding especially the USA forum

even last Saturday i was told very abruptly DO NOT BREED YOUR DOG from the man in charge of one of the dog schools

It wouldn't just be me he would tell every one not to breed.

Everyone who has bread before has had to start somewhere also had started somewhere

Any positive ideas are welcome

[joanne76]

Im sorry that your getting negative feedback but I imagine its because so many of us have experienced back yard breeders who dont give two hoots about the dogs or the beterment of the breed, its all about money.

If i had a dollar for everytime someone told me they wanted to breed....(i wouldnt be sitting at work at the moment. lol)

I personally am not a breeder and never will be, I work in rescue.

Good on you for doing everything the right way, I hope you get all the info you need.

[Nekhbet]

You are feeding your dog a lot of carbs, cheap mostly undigestible protein and little good nutrition.

Step away from the supermarket and especially cans most of that stuff is horse food sprayed with fat. I have found that dogs on the cheaper brands tend to gain weight (even on the light stuff) as its just highly refined junk food for dogs.

At your dogs age go for a good adult premium kibble (Eagle Pack, Royal Canin, Nutrience, Nutro, Artemis etc) A breeding bitch needs to be in peak physical health in order to breed, you get from your pups what you put in. Start feeding your dog some raw food as well, chicken carcasses, maryland, lamb flaps (with the fatty bits cut off) to keep her teeth and system glowing. My entire bitch has just turned 6 in January, has gleaming white teeth, well muscled, and a shiny soft coat. Breeding, nutrition and proper management cost money, usually quite a bit. If you cannot afford to feed a bitch properly now how much do you think a big litter of pups will cost you those things eat like there is no tomorrow!

A totally raw diet like Ian Billinghursts BARF diet is another way to go, but if you are not confident in the nutrition side then a good premium dry is the way to go. Remember look at the protein content on the packet, look at the ingredients. Is it mainly wheat, grains and fillers? Is the protein actualy good quality meat or just whatever junk comes out of the abbetoir scraps bin? Meat by products on labels is NOT meat. It is heads, feet, guts, feathers etc. How digestible is that for your dog? Canned food is sometimes only 5% protein, add up how much water in a can you have been paying for in the last 12 months :D A great dry bulked out with raw is actually more cost effective and better for your dog in the long run.

[joanne76]

I agree with everythign Nekhbet just said.

I am not a breeder and never will be but i foster Dogs and Cats regularly. The difference that i have seen in a whelping Bitch or a Queening Cat after being put on a good quality food is amazing.

I agree that if you cant afford to feed your animal the absolute best then you shouldnt consider breeding with them.

I feed all my animals including fosters Royal Canin Dry mixed with fresh human grade meat and bones.

[Ravyk]

I recently had my MIL's dogs staying with us for three weeks. Both were grossly overweight for their size. One was a papillion X and the other was a mini poodle X shih tzu. Both weighed about 10kgs when they came. In the end I do not know how much they lost, but it was enough to make a real difference to their lives [and surprisingly to my MIL]. They could jump into the car by week two by themselves.

While they were here, I fed them a diet consisting of a 50% raw diced kangaroo meat [leanest meat I could buy] and 50% mashed pumpkin mix for breakfast and 1-2 chicken necks for dinner. I worked out the amount to feed them by approximating their ideal weight [i decided on 7kgs] and doing the 2% of their body weight in meat from that. I then halved it to help the lose the weight. Mashed pumpkin makes a very good filler, it doesn't put weight on but fills your dog's stomach.

Re. The becoming a breeder. What would be really helpful for you is to find a mentor already established in the your particular breed. You will learn a lot from them. Even though I don't plan on ever breeding, I have a mentor who is a breeder and I have learnt loads from her.

[Jodielass]

You are feeding your dog a lot of carbs, cheap mostly undigestible protein and little good nutrition.

Step away from the supermarket and especially cans ;) most of that stuff is horse food sprayed with fat. I have found that dogs on the cheaper brands tend to gain weight (even on the light stuff) as its just highly refined junk food for dogs.

At your dogs age go for a good adult premium kibble (Eagle Pack, Royal Canin, Nutrience, Nutro, Artemis etc) A breeding bitch needs to be in peak physical health in order to breed, you get from your pups what you put in. Start feeding your dog some raw food as well, chicken carcasses, maryland, lamb flaps (with the fatty bits cut off) to keep her teeth and system glowing. My entire bitch has just turned 6 in January, has gleaming white teeth, well muscled, and a shiny soft coat. Breeding, nutrition and proper management cost money, usually quite a bit. If you cannot afford to feed a bitch properly now how much do you think a big litter of pups will cost you those things eat like there is no tomorrow!

A totally raw diet like Ian Billinghursts BARF diet is another way to go, but if you are not confident in the nutrition side then a good premium dry is the way to go. Remember look at the protein content on the packet, look at the ingredients. Is it mainly wheat, grains and fillers? Is the protein actualy good quality meat or just whatever junk comes out of the abbetoir scraps bin? Meat by products on labels is NOT meat. It is heads, feet, guts, feathers etc. How digestible is that for your dog? Canned food is sometimes only 5% protein, add up how much water in a can you have been paying for in the last 12 months A great dry bulked out with raw is actually more cost effective and better for your dog in the long run.

thanks for your comments and who said i could not afford to feed my dog properly and the pups

this is why i am asking so i can feed my dog the best>

i think i might use what i have got and then make some changes staying away from supermarket meat

although i must say that i had a GOLDEN Labrador WHEN I WAS A CHILD AND ALL SHE HAS WAS A SMALL TIN OF TUCKER Box per day and she lived to 163/4 years of age

16 months ago i lost my beautiful collie he was 1 month short of 14 and she also had supermarket food