witheverythingiam Posted January 17, 2006 Share Posted January 17, 2006 Hi all, I have one fat Lab. She weighs 38KG, and we're trying to get her weight down. Currently she gets 250g of BARF beef mix daily, along with a handful of "Supercoat Light n Mature" bikkies. She also goes for 2 walks daily, and a swim as well. She's a very active dog, loves playing fetch in the backyard, but we just can not get her weight down. 1-2 times/week she has a substitute of her BARF meat with either a few chicken necks, or a small meaty lamb bone to keep her teeth nice n clean. Does anyone have any suggestions? We really want to keep her healthy, but we don't know what else to do. Last time we weighed her in August last year at ann vacc time, she was only 36.5. We took her to the vets yesterday and she's 38! HELP!?! -WithEverythingIAm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly_Louise Posted January 17, 2006 Share Posted January 17, 2006 Hello! I have the same problem with my red cattle dog. She also went for 2 walks a day, played ball constantly in the back yard (and we have a very large backyard!!) and she was fed once a day good quality foods, many home made with veggies and fresh meats. However, she just couldn't budge her weight. She has since been on Hills Science Diet (mixed with a little fresh meat), and she has lost quite a bit of weight. She is probably stagnant right now, but because of her operation she is not active at all, so it's not too bad. Still I'd like her to be losing more, so we cut down her portions constantly. But your lab sounds like she is getting plenty of exercise, so the only thing I could recommend is trying the Hills Science Diet food (mixed with a little of normal diet - but cut down portions) for a while to see if it makes a difference like it did in my instance? And maybe extend the walks (not sure if that's possible - I know for my girl it wasn't otherwise she'd never be home!!). Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 Sounds like her body has gone into "starvation mode" the same as people do on a restricted diet. When this happens the weight just won't shift, as the body utilises every last molecule of food. You could try increasing her food intake, so that the body switches this self-protection mechanism off. Try supplementing what you are giving with plenty of steamed, grated or mashed vegies - this way you are adding bulk to trick the body, but not adding weight. Friends have had success with steamed and mashed pumpkin, steamed and diced broccoli stalks, etc. If she isn't sure about the new food, try pouring some liquid from thawing meat or chicken necks over it, or the occasional beaten egg. Also try breaking up the feeds and feed several times a day - have gotten weight off a lot of fat labs thru a chicken neck twice daily, and 2 small feeds. Grazing works on people for weight loss, so worth a try on dogs! And keep up the exercise! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prydenjoy Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 I'd probably drop the kibble all together and add lots of pureed veggies instead. Good luck with it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t-time Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 steamed and mashed pumpkin, steamed and diced broccoli stalks, etc. If she isn't sure about the new food, try pouring some liquid from thawing meat or chicken necks over it, or the occasional beaten egg. Yes and I heard cabbage as well. because it's gaseous it fills them up while still being nutritious Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthernStarPits Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 (edited) Thats not a real lot of food for an active dog maby split the meal up into two meals to give the metabolism a boost ?sure she's not getting a heap of treats throughout the day aswell I left one of my dogs with my parents for a few weeks a while ago and gave strict instructions about the meal,almost turned into a barrell she only had *one meal a day* but also some vegemite toast in the morning,a sandwich at lunch,a bit of pasta here and their, a few bickies ect ,Lol ended up almost 4 big meals a day! Edit:cause i forgot the spacebar Edited January 18, 2006 by Sirmonsta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hazz Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 I'd probably drop the kibble all together and add lots of pureed veggies instead.Good luck with it I agree with Jeanne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witheverythingiam Posted January 18, 2006 Author Share Posted January 18, 2006 (edited) Thats not a real lot of food for an active dog maby split the meal up into two meals to give the metabolism a boost ?sure she's not getting a heap of treats throughout the day aswell ;) I left one of my dogs with my parents for a few weeks a while ago and gave strict instructions about the meal,almost turned into a barrell :D she only had *one meal a day* but also some vegemite toast in the morning,a sandwich at lunch,a bit of pasta here and their, a few bickies ect ,Lol ended up almost 4 big meals a day! :pEdit:cause i forgot the spacebar Actually she's spent the last few months with my parents while we've been looking for a house:) That is why I've restricted her diet so much. She was getting 500g of meat a day there, and extra treats and table scraps, and any meat that went out of date etc... She's only been here 2 weeks now, so that's when she started her diet/exercise regime. I was thinking of getting her into Agility, as I was going to take my other dog there anyway. But worried about her joints at such a high weight?!? How much should I be feeding her each day to make sure she looses weight? could I just feed her the 250g of meat with about the same amount of pureed vegies/fruit? She usually eats anything you put in front of her (typical lab). And thanks for all the replies, -WithEverythingIAm Edited January 18, 2006 by witheverythingiam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damon Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 drop the meat consumption. put her on dry food for a couple of weeks, and give her a bit of meat as a "treat" on weekends. lots of vegies/rice. and more exercise!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KitKat Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 Rather then cabbage i would suggest grated carrot...it will leave them feeling full without adding 'weight' etc. but it also won't make them farty like cabbage will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noisymina Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 Wondering if the "meat" component is mince or meat pieces without the bone? If it is, I would sustitute with a meaty bone. My 30kg Dobe survives on 1/3 cup Veg mix (including a little liver, egg etc) plus one slice Vegemite toast. And about 500g meaty Bones each day. Sometimes she goes on less - 300g meaty bone instead -if she is starting to bury her BARF or appears to be slowing down during zoomies or all the ribs start to disappear. One "old fashioned" way to reduce weight in a dog is to include some gelatine in the mix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gusgem Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 I suggest feed her in the morning....it works well with my labs. My boy is only 29kg and my girl...whom is very small for a girl is only 22kg. 38kg is way to much. you have to be tough!!! Don't give into her with those eyes...trust me, I know how labs can look at you. If she was my dog, I would give her one cup of dry food (I would use hills r/d, its very expensive but worht every cent) in the morning and thats it...thats all she needs. People think labs have really poor metabooisms...in fact they have great ones cos they only need a little amount of food to keep them going.... And I would suggest you start agility with her until she has at least dropped ten kilos and is a new dog!!! Sorry but you have to be cruel to be kind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lablover Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 I would have the lab's thyroid checked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dingdong Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 I understand how it feels to have an overweight dog. Previously Dong my 2yrs old pom was weighing 13.7Kg. I was new to barf feeding him and i just didn't know how much to give him but then i found this calculator http://www.raw4dogs.com/calculate.htm. Gradually he lost 3Kgs over 4mths. I feed him twice a day meat/veg. I had to be very strict. No treats/snacks in between meals, not even a piece of fruit. I know it sounds cruel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witheverythingiam Posted January 18, 2006 Author Share Posted January 18, 2006 Wondering if the "meat" component is mince or meat pieces without the bone? If it is, I would sustitute with a meaty bone. My 30kg Dobe survives on 1/3 cup Veg mix (including a little liver, egg etc) plus one slice Vegemite toast. And about 500g meaty Bones each day. Sometimes she goes on less - 300g meaty bone instead -if she is starting to bury her BARF or appears to be slowing down during zoomies or all the ribs start to disappear. One "old fashioned" way to reduce weight in a dog is to include some gelatine in the mix. Hi all thanks for all the tips, The meat that I feed her is BigDogPetFoods "The Edge". I'll soon be switching her over to roo/beef mix, and will be adding my own "goodies" to the mix. That way I'll know exactly what she's getting in her food, and won't have to worry. Seems I should have been feeding her 750g/day. No wonder she looks at me with those eyes asking for more food. Will feed her what I have been with extra big bone thrown in each day. Thanks guys, -WithEverythingIAm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShesaLikeableBiBear Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 Go for Science RD, its expensive but gets the weight off. A friend had a Bassett who was hugely o/weight and it was the only thing that worked, she actually won a prize in a competition to see whose dog lost the most weight!!, it was all done through the vet clinic, and the dog was weighed weekly. Dont give into temptation with those eyes!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bommy Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 Are labs suspect to overactive thyroids?? I would get her thyroid tested. Jacq Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Netti Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 Hey dingdong that calculator is great. My little terrierX is overweight by about 5kgs and I have been trying to reduce his food but have never know how much to give him. According to the calculator he only needs 240gms a day and that is just under 1 cup. Thanks for the info. Netti Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 (edited) WETJ: She's only been here 2 weeks now, so that's when she started her diet/exercise regime. I was thinking of getting her into Agility, as I was going to take my other dog there anyway. But worried about her joints at such a high weight?!? I would have to see your Lab but at my club, overweight dogs aren't permitted to do agility because of the additional strain their weight places on joints etc. You'd be asking for trouble and I doubt any responsible club would let you train. Responsible agility owners keep their dogs LEAN. You have to either reduce her calorie intake, increase her exercise or ideally both. You may find this article useful - but use boiled pumpkin instead of canned. http://www.caninesports.com/fatdogs.html How a dog "feels" is far more important than what it weighs. Muscle weighs more than fat and breeds vary in size so her actual weight doesn't reveal her true condition. The ideal exercise for an overweight dog is swimming if you can do that. I'd avoid the fetching for a while as sudden starts, stops and turns on an overweight dog can lead to torn cruciate ligaments. Edited January 18, 2006 by poodlefan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissMonaro Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 (edited) If it just so happens to be thyroid related....and assuming its the same in dogs as it is in humans. If I skip a meal then my metabolism slows down to compensate for the missed meal, and then when I eat again, because my metabolism has slowed down I cant utilise the meal properly and it is stored as fat. I personally would feed the lab twice a day. We feed all of ours twice a day and all they get is a cup of biscuits morning and night...or the 2 that are on diets get 3/4 a cup morning and night. (one getting back her pre-pregnancy figure) They do get raw carrot and bones and table scraps as well.......but except for the carrot, any other foods are given in place of the biscuit feed they would normally get. Edited January 19, 2006 by MissMonaro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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