Weight Loss - what is safe rate?

[Loving my Oldies]

Progress has stalled - completely.   

 

We had another check up on Monday - three weeks since the last one - and despite all my best efforts, no loss.  I was so disappointed, because I have been weighing his food and being very careful.  All four dogs are shut in separate areas for meals (breakfast and dinner) and there is never any food left lying around.   Once meal time is over, up come the bowls and they are washed.  They haven’t been getting any treats and there is nothing until next meal.   

 

Mezza doesn’t like the Satiety which I mix with bone broth and about a teaspoon of mince (beef or chicken) but because the bulk of the meal (a whole 20grams !!!) is Satiety, he rarely eats even half.   

 

The vet wants to see them all next week, so obviously I will be consulting with her, but in the meantime  . . . . . 

 

My strategy is that if he doesn’t eat what is perfectly good food and which Bunter loves, he can’t be actually starving.  On the other hand, eating is one of life’s pleasures .........      However, should I just keep giving him his meal and if he doesn’t eat it, too bad, he will eventually?  It is absolutely imperative that he loses weight so not doing this for aesthetics !!

[karen15]

Perhaps try swapping the mince for turkey as that's really lean. I went through similar with Meg and her refusing to eat the kibble I was feeding. I took the tough road - that's her food and she'll eat what she's fed or go without. After 24hrs I was frantically googling my dog won't eat LOL she caved by the next dinner and has eaten properly since. 

 

If you're feeding the mince have you reduced the kibble to reflect the additional calories from the mince?

[Loving my Oldies]

23 minutes ago, karen15 said:

If you're feeding the mince have you reduced the kibble to reflect the additional calories from the mince?

Yes.  

 

Thanks for the tip about turkey.  I’ll give it a try.   

[Papillon Kisses]

I think enjoyment and a balanced diet are both important. I can only say what I’d do, and others might disagree as feeding dogs seems like politics and religion. But if Mal had a lot to lose and cutting back on an existing diet didn’t, well, cut it – I’d see if he relished another vet diet brand’s offering, or have a veterinary nutritionist formulate a therapeutic diet.

[Loving my Oldies]

I am indeed experimenting with something Mezza enjoys but still keeping the calories down, @Papillon Kisses.  I want both things for him:  a happy enjoyable life and a well one.   I am not rigid with regards to feeding.    As I said:  "It is absolutely imperative that he loses weight so not doing this for aesthetics !!"

[The Spotted Devil]

@Loving my Oldies also try making him work for his food just a little. It actually improves satiety just by doing the searching and finding and consuming small amounts. 

[Papillon Kisses]

Oh I can tell @Loving my Oldies !!

 

And in other news, I seem to have found an answer to your original question! http://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2018/10/how-fast-is-too-fast-for-my-pet-to-lose-weight/

[Loving my Oldies]

2 hours ago, Papillon Kisses said:

And in other news, I seem to have found an answer to your original question! http://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2018/10/how-fast-is-too-fast-for-my-pet-to-lose-weight/

Thanks so much for that link   .  1-2% of body weight per week is the suggested loss for dogs and half that for cats.  Taking the middle ground of 1.5%, at 5.75kgs  Mezza’s weight loss should be 0.086 grams per week!!  At that rate, to get to his ideal weight of 4.25kgs, it will take 17 weeks.  

[Boronia]

Just out of interest DDD LmO...when I got Zara she was such a fatty, her undercarriage was flapping, she had no waist and, maybe there was a set of ribs but they were hard to find. I gradually swapped her over to raw and 10 months after she is looking good; a lovely weasel shape.

So don't rush it, just cut down on her intake a little, use raw meat with a little kibble and add raw vegie-slops.

Edited December 1, 2018 by Boronia

[Loving my Oldies]

Pretty much the diet he is on, Boronia.  I’ll just have to accept it will take time.  Actually, 4 months isn’t all that long because if we can achieve that weekly loss, even in two months’ time, he should be a lot better.  

 

What makes me so mad is that it is all my fault.  I’ve always had difficulty with dogs who love their food because my very first experience (and plenty after them) was with dogs for whom food was something they needed to stay alive, just no big deal  

[Loving my Oldies]

We are making progress !!!!  I had to go to vet to collect meds and Satiety kibble so took Mezza to weigh him.  Down to 5.52kgs, ie another 200 grams        .  He really is a good little boy.  I am so relieved as last weigh in was such a downer.   Must be the new kitchen scales    

[Papillon Kisses]

On 02/12/2018 at 1:47 AM, Loving my Oldies said:

1-2% of body weight per week is the suggested loss for dogs and half that for cats.   

 

Well, that explains Malkie’s rate of loss. #cathuahua

 

BUT BUT BUT

 

Hooray for your latest update!  

[Loving my Oldies]

Had the best Christmas present on Monday, Christmas Eve.  

 

I took Mezza, Jeune and Tamar for check ups on Monday (yes Christmas eve, but the place was rocking so obviously I wasn’t the only one leaving things to the last minute).  Simba (new foster) and Bunter came along for the ride but also because I wanted to weight them both.  Bunter’s diet has worked and I can now relax and feed him normally.   I especially wanted to weigh Simba so he doesn’t suffer the fate of dogs who come into my household who actually eat normally and that is ending up on a diet.     .   He is delightfully slim and very active, so just keep on doing the right thing and don’t over treat him.   

 

Anyway, best news is that, although a slow process, Mezza’s weight continues to drop and he is now down to 5.33kgs.  Still a kilo to go, but the main thing is that the graph line is still going downwards   . 

[persephone]

Good news

Now ...SIMBA ...  welcome, Simba . You have reached the point in yr life where you have it all  

but WE don't even have a photo :P 

[Loving my Oldies]

Sorry, persephone.  I’d forgotten I’d put photos onto flickr so I could post here.  I was going to start a thread about him but thought I’d better get approval from his rescuer.  So for now, I will just post a pic.    He doesn’t look moth eaten anymore as my lovely groomer tidied him up as a freebie because he is a rescue pup.  He looks a lot better now.    

 

IMG_0886 by Cynthia Waters, on Flickr

Edited December 26, 2018 by Loving my Oldies

[persephone]

Awwww... look at that face       How old ? 

[Loving my Oldies]

9 years old, @persephone.  Spent his life relegated to the back yard.     .   Brother (from a later litter) still there.  I am pushing the rescuer to keep trying, but owner not on board .... yet.   

[persephone]

Lovely boy ..with a lot to learn and experience Hope the owner  sees a different POV soon  .

[Loving my Oldies]

I’ve just spent about 20 minutes in the backyard throwing a tennis ball.  He brings it right back and drops it at my feet, so I can only imagine that at some time in the past someone must have played with  him.  He would  have kept going but I let him down.  

[PANDI-GIRL]

On 12/26/2018 at 7:35 PM, Loving my Oldies said:

I’ve just spent about 20 minutes in the backyard throwing a tennis ball.  He brings it right back and drops it at my feet, so I can only imagine that at some time in the past someone must have played with  him.  He would  have kept going but I let him down.  

Hi how are your oldies going, is everyone doing well