I have a 5 month old lab - Max. The vet has told me that he is overweight as he weighs 23kg and told me to cut down the amount he eats and cut out all other foods (treats ect) - By the way he does not look fat, or I would have relised earlier

I feed nuto puppy for large breeds about 300 grams a day split between two meals. My question is chews/bones as I have been informed that the rawhide chews and shoes are hign in protein and that will not help with the weight loss!

What about cooked meat bones ?? should they be cooked are uncooked as everyone seems to have a different opinion which is best. I need to give him something to chew or he may try on teh furniture! he has a number of different toy chews but none get as much chewing time as the rawhide sticks and shoes - Help!!??

Kate

He must be huge - ours is 4 months old and weighs 12.5kg and I thought he was big! I've always been told to give them the really huge knuckle bones and it's uncooked so they don't splinter.

I give my lot carrots ! They love them and very low fat !! :)

Lucy

Me too Lucy :)

My girls eat their supper and then go racing to whomever fed them that night to get their *dessert* . Of course the first one to finish has to wait for the other one before they have their carrot and it's usually my oldie and she will pad her toes up and down in impatience looking from carrot to kitchen (where slowcoach Juno is eating.)

Given up on bones, re the other thread and my oldies teeth. :(

~Sharon

edited to add that my lab (Juno) weighs 35 kg :D (she's not fat either.)

You have Labs that tipie toe as well when they are waiting for food !! :D

I have all three spark out at the moement as they have had their lunchtime carrot and one on her poof and the other two on the other sofa snoring away !! Bless !!

Lucy

just dont offer chicken bones, you can try boiling it for awhile just to kill the germs and extra fats.

Cooked bones will splinter and cause damage to the gut.Uncooked bone can be digested-even raw chicken bone which is fed by many people these days(myself included).
I would feed raw veg which will give him something to chew on and will fill him up as well as bones.As for rawhides try the really solid compressed ones rather than the shoes etc as they will take longer to get through(bit more expensive but worth it-usually come in bone shapes)
You could also try a kong filled with his food or a food ball.
You say you don't think he's overweight-can you feel his ribs when you stroke his side???
Archer

Always feed bones uncooked as cooking changes their structure and makes them splinterable and dangerous.

A suggestion that many people use for cutting back fook is to cut back on the amount of dry food and add beans to the meal - bulks out the meal, but doesn't add calories.

Wendy

Baked Beans? stand back!! :D :D

Ack!! No - sorry - GREEN BEANS

Hi,

I have a five month old Golden Retriever. I don't know if you can compare weights directly between Goldens and Lab, but I weighed him last week (at 5 months and 1 day old) and he was 25.3kg. He is certainly not overweight, as I ask everyone who sees him :D You can just feel his ribs without poking, so he is about right. He is going to be a big fellow when he is fully grown. The breeder also said that the vet might try to tell me he was overweight.
I guess what I'm saying is be guided by the puppy, not what someone thinks a lab should weigh at a particular age.
Dylan loves his raw marrow bone from the butcher. I'm sure it has helped save the furniture as he chews on it for ages.

HTH,

Sarah

Thanks Sarah, your comments seem to be what myself and my partner ( who made the original posting) what we wanted to hear, Max is going to be a big boy as well certainly judging by his father and the othe r male dogs at the breeders. i also think your right about the vet, I can feel his ribs quite easily without any forceful prodding and when the little blighter makes a dash for it you wouldnt have any idea that he is otherweight as he would give linford christie a run for his money, I'm not slow myself and cant get near him! I have noticed though that the vet always gives us advice on what his black lab is like, but surely every dog and dog owner are different. anway thanks for some healthy advice and the rest of you too.

I'd be more interested in what your lab feels like than what he weighs.

Can you feel his ribs? Yes, do they feel hard with "sharp edges"? - needs more weight. Do they feel softish, ie covered but still identifiable? He's OK.

Can you feel his ribs? NO - needs to lose some.

However I wouldn't put a 5 month old lab on a diet. Been here with my own. In my view it's like putting a 3 year old child on a diet. At that age they are still growing and need the energy. My Vet told me to put Taz on a diet when he was a puppy, but I refused on age grounds. Now he is 6 and I have struggled to get him to 31Kg. Ash was 28 odd Kg at 8mths - not so different to yours.

I would look at the protein levels in the food he currently has as too high a level can encourage too fast growth, and hyper activity. Chose a lower protein feed, and supplement it with fresh chicken wings/necks/backs or tripe if you can stand it, for variety and added fat content. You can give him just about any bones as long as they are RAW, so's not to splinter.

How much excercise does he get, although a 5 months you don't want to over do it, increasing his excercise will help turn any pupppy fat into muscle.

In my opinion anyway.

PS my boys get a rawhide chew every day to keep them off the carpet/stairs/bannistairs etc :)