Filler Food's

[Rainy]

Hay all a friend has asked if there is a healthy filler food for dog's?

This dog is a rescue and is on a strict diet as it dose need to loose a bit of weight, scince going on it's diet it is now eating anything and every thing poop, leaves, bark, grass, wood etc.

I was thinking if dog's belly is full it wont go looking to eat all this stuff but dont want to upset the diet either.

Any ideas will be apreciated :)

thanks

[minimax]

Pumpkin is a well know diet/filler food

[Guest lavendergirl]

Pumpkin is good but I would be wondering if the dog's food portion has been too drastically reduced too quickly? If the dog is that hungry perhaps a more gradual reduction would be better?

[WreckitWhippet]

Pumpkin, grated carrot, carrot and apple peels

I sometimes use the carrot and apple peels as treats, so the owner of that dog could get some good milage out of those as well

[Christina]

Pumpkin is good but I would be wondering if the dog's food portion has been too drastically reduced too quickly? If the dog is that hungry perhaps a more gradual reduction would be better?

Sounds desperately hungry. Replacing a little of the meat with grated carrot is another weight loss tip plus adding more water to it. Warm the food before feeding. Makes it more appealing & gives a sensation of fullness for longer time.

[Rainy]

Pumpkin is good but I would be wondering if the dog's food portion has been too drastically reduced too quickly? If the dog is that hungry perhaps a more gradual reduction would be better?

Yep sorry forgot that in the original post she is feeding the same as the rescue did so i mentioned feeding more and reduceing slowly again as an option also

Thanks guys will pass the info on

[The Spotted Devil]

In addition to filler foods, food that has average protein levels and is low in fat/carb will make the dog feel more full and wil still allow weight loss. Some of the diet dry foods have quite low protein levels. I would also have the dog "working" for it's food as foraging can increase feelings of satiety.

[Blossom78]

Pumpkin.

Add it to the food of ALL dogs in the household - will also make their poo taste all yucky and bitter and discourage poo eating.

[LizT]

When I had a dog (Border Collie X ACD) with alleries she was put on a diet of roo meat and sweet potatoe. She was never hungry but lost a heap of weight, despite never being 'fat' and looked like a real working dog. Fortunately it was only a short term thing but I found it interesting and thought it would make a terrific weight reduction diet without risk of allergies to boot.

[Pretty Miss Emma]

I'm trying to get weight off Kenz so she gets a grated carrot, I mix it with a sardine so that it tastes yummy!! I also put psyllium husk in her food which expands with the addition of liquid, so that probably also helps to make her feel full (it's just fibre). I wonder if feeding with something like a Kong might help as the dog will have to work a bit for it's food so the brain work might tire it out a little (and I wonder if they are like us - the slower you eat your food you tend to not need as much as you feel full sooner, obviously it would probably still eat it all but it might feel a bit more full as the food hits, and expands in, the stomach over a slightly longer period).

just random thinking on those bits!!! But the grated carrot definitely helps!

[Burkes]

Just make sure you don't give too much pumpkin. My Lab was on a diet and I think I may have got a bit overexcited with the pumpkin. He did an enormous orange spew all over my new white Sheridan doona cover - it stains :laugh:

[espinay2]

Tripe (the washed white type) - minimal fat and calories. Feed in a large piece if they will eat it that way.

Low salt broth - more water in the food means stomach feels fuller

Also make the dog work for its food. If the dog is eating its meals quickly its brain wont be telling it it is satisfied.

The more a dog has to work for its food, the fuller etc it will feel

(not working for its food is 'unnatural' for a canid but unfortunately a symptom of the modern diet)

You can feed its food in kongs and treat balls or in larger pieces etc.

[Trishm]

I had a recipe some years ago that had a small amount of dissolved gelatine added to the turkey mince or what ever meat you are feeding.

It gives an added feeling of fullness and satisfaction.

edited for spelling..

Edited May 8, 2012 by Trishm

[LizT]

Just make sure you don't give too much pumpkin. My Lab was on a diet and I think I may have got a bit overexcited with the pumpkin. He did an enormous orange spew all over my new white Sheridan doona cover - it stains :laugh:

Ewww...that is VERY important information!

One important thing to remember is that they have a much shorter intestinal tract than us so it's all going through pretty quickly by comparison, so anything that seems to satify us longer wont necessarily be the case with dogs.

[Rainy]

Thanks guys all great ideas will pass it all on

[Mumsie]

one of our JRT is a terrible guts, so the vet suggested adding plain boiled long grain rice to his dry food. He has lost weight and doesn't seem as hungry

[Squinter]

and of course the obvious, feed more meals per day, with less food in them, helps stop the scavenging!