I'm currently feeding Arden Grange Salmon and rice to my two Cavaliers - each get 80g per day. After visiting the vets today for boosters and MOT, I have come away quite upset as the vet feels that they are overweight - Harvey is 9.85kg and Alfie 9.40 - vet says they should be nearer 7kg which shocked me as although I agree that they could do to lose a bit of weight, I think at 7kg they would be very skinny. I cant cut back any further with the Arden Grange as they're not getting much as it is. Can anyone recommend a good food which tends to keep weight down that is hypo allergenic?

Could you cut down but bulk it out with veggies so they don't feel like they are getting less?

2 kg seems alot of weight to loose if you think they are only slightly overweight. Can you feel their ribs at all? Can you see any waist on them at all?

You may only need to decrease their food by 5-10g and it may be enough to drop the little bit extra. Or perhaps just up their exersise a little bit.

Perhaps try the light version of AG? However I would prefer just to limit their food a bit more as light dog foods have too much carb for my liking.

HTH
Anna

I think you could happily cut the Arden Grange to 50g and bulk out with veg. 

Your better to cut the godo food down a bit than replace it with fodo that is simply bulked otu,a fter all you can do the bulkign otu yoruself with carrot and cooked veg.

I have done this with an extremely overweight Jack Russell, we are talking grossly overweight to the extent that her neck was bigger than her head, and if she rolled over on her side she couldn't right herself.  she lived with a large bred and her owner just couldn't seem to cut her food to the right amount, but over two weeks staying with me her weight did reduce, but not drastically.

I had the same thing when I took my two Chihuahuas to the vet for their boosters. Cookie was fine but I was told Benny was overweight and needed to loose weight. I switched them to James Wellbeloved Senior Light and if I do give him a treat it's something low fat. He's gone from 6.2kg to 5.6kg so he is steadily losing weight. JWB is a good quality food and the Senior is a light version. My two weren't keen on it at first but I found that if I moisten it with some warm water it produces a lovely gravy and they lap it up. Oh and it's great for dogs with skin allergies or who get upset tummies.

Just wanted to add that if you ahve a dog with itchy skin I woudl nto be looking for a food lwo in fat, as the fat is needed for good skin and coat condition.  A good good but less of it is the key to weight loss, especially if teh present food is suiting..

For itchy skin i would look for a food low in cereals (difficult in a complete food though, but you could give Orijen a try).

Then as has been said, cut WELL down on the recommended amount on the pack (seriously, they realllllllly over estimate how much to feed, because they dont want anyone to follow their guidelines and have a dog get too thin and get sued), and bulk it out with grated carrot/apple etc.

I've found that Wafcol salmon and potato has really helped with itchy skin and she's lost weight on it too. It's quite expensive though so shop around online.

For itching skin I would be asking the vet to investigate. Otherwise agree with keeping to the same food but reducing the quanty, if the dogs are overweight they are over eating.

Hello...I feed successfully after many years of difficult skin problems....SKINNERS dog food for old, overwieght and itchy skinned dogs (basically). It is a rice and chicken based complete diet food (no wheat or grains cos that over heated her) and although not mega posh it is the only one she has done well on.

Check it out !

Rice is a grain.

I meant wheat,corn, maize etc. Like some horses and cavies they 'overheat' on this sort of grain causuing coat loss and itchy skin. I have never understood why but tried a rice based diet for my long suffering old girl and it worked. We were thrilled as we'd tried all sorts of shampoos, lotio, potons, tablets and diets.

Anyone out there who has a horse on a 'cool' diet can explain???

> Anyone out there who has a horse on a 'cool' diet can explain???

Understand that one.  I bred, exhibited and judged longhair cavies for 25 years, and they were fed on horse mix - cool, of course!!

I decided to give Wafcol Salmon and Potato Light a try. Changed over on Thursday and already Harvey isn't scratching nowhere near as much. They can have a decent sized meal too and seem so much happier and full - bless them they seemed to be starving before. One thing the vet pointed out to me which made me think was that if you cut back rations of food too much, the dog won't get enough vital nutrients, vits and minerals from within the food. Lets hope that it helps with the weight loss - going to weigh every fortnight so will let you know. Vet is aware of Harveys itchy skin - no parasites etc, appears to be an allergy hence trying the Wafcol diet and he now has 1/2 piraton twice a day.

OOOOOooooooohh we may know each other. I was only in it for 8 years and gave up  2 years ago...I bred REX, PEW and DEW. I was Vaughan Stud. Does that ring any bells?

Marie - please don't mind me asking if your post has a typo?  I have the same breed and my stud boy weighs 1.8kg - was your post really meant to read pounds?

> I was Vaughan Stud. Does that ring any bells?

Hi there.  I was Troubador Stud from 1969 - 1994 I had all Long Coats - Peruvians, Shelties, Coronets and Texels.  I was the proudest person ever when I registered the very first triple Coronet Champion in the UK.  (In the world actually, because they started here!)  Of course, in those days it was a Rare Variety.  Probably the second person in the UK that bred them after Claire White from Warwickshire, who "invented" the breed. 

I never thought it was fair that she wasn't given true credit for breeding the first Texels.  Although she named the Coronets, the British Cavy Council wouldn't allow her to name the Texel - her choice had been Poodle, and having bred Toy Poodles and the Texels, I would say the babes look identical!  Texel babies certainly look far more like poodles than sheep!!!!!!!

It seems our paths may not have crossed. I did cavies from 1997 to 2006. I have found that alot of breeding basic ethic are similar to dogs. It was a really good stepping stone for me. My dogs are no where as hard work as 100 cavies. Give me dogs any day ...

To mad4dogs
It used to take me around 8 hours to "muck out" 300 cavies, so I must remind myself of that next time I think that the dogs are hard work!  And at least thay can all curl up with me when I want to slob out on the sofa! The huge difference for me, having a lot of dogs, is vet bills.  Nearly £7,000 last year and already almost £2,000 this year.  Didn't cost me that in 25 years with the cavies!

Jean That's what he does weigh but he is a larger Chihuahua. He's not for show or anything and I could have had a tiny one but he was so sweet and loving when I went to get one that I had to have him. I got him from a breeder in Redruth and she had a lot of larger ones there. He was such a little sweetie though he stood out from the smaller ones. He's a lot taller and bigger but he does weigh too much. That's why he's had his food changed and cut down. My other one Cookie I got from a lovely lady in Looe and he's just normal size and weighs 3kg.

Jean your pics of your dogs are lovely. You can see my two here. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v226/MarieUkxx/MyBoys.jpg

I thought from your profile pic on your posts that the dog on the left was wearing bunny ears! :-D

Hi Marie - I wasn't being critical!!!  And the photos are lovely.  And "only Pets" is not the point at all.  First and foremost mine are pets, and as such are dearly loved.  When you say that he "stood out" from the rest, I can understand fully where you're coming from.  My stud boy should be in a circus, and it's the way he acts the clown that just makes me adore him.  They all have different characters, and he is the show off, he will play to an audience just to get attention, running the wall of death round the living room walls, with toy in mouth - anything to get attention!  I have kept a couple of pups back to show, and once I keep them, they're here for life.  I'm now wondering if one boy will be too big for show - but it's too late - I love him to bits and he gives lovely kisses.  So carry on loving yours the same - they deserve it, they look adorable.

> I have kept a couple of pups back to show, and once I keep them, they're here for life

That is me too, if they don't come up to expectations it is tough, I have to be patient and wait until a couple of years until I can keep another, which will hopefully do better.