Help,

I'm currently living with my mum and I have an 8 month old puppy, who is quite overweight for her age. I know that my mother keeps feeding her even though I have constantly asked her to stop! She wont as she thinks that if the pups hungry she will start chewing. I'm getting worried that being overweight is putting strain on her joints. She gets 3 walks a day, the first two are for 30 mins each and the last one s about an hour (not strenuous) I don't want to over exercise her so can't really give her any more exercise to get rid of the weight. I've cut her down to half a meal in the morning and then her main meal in the evening. Could I put her down to one meal a day or would a lite diet be okay? I'm not sure if a lite diet would stunt her growth as she still has some growing to do. I have pleaded with my mum not to feed her extra but I know she still does behind my back (my sister has told meas she's also worried about the pup). It causing arguments between us which isn't nice. Im in the processes of moving house but cant move in for a couple of months which is why were staying at my mums.

Please help. Any thing you can suggest will be helpful. I have tried time and time again talking to her but its doing no good :(

Perhaps a little lie, say the vet has said the pup needs to go on a diet or her health will be compromised. Only a little lie as that is the truth of the matter, a dog only needs the food you are feeding it and the occasional treat, but the treat should be very small.

I would take the puppy to the vet with your mother in attendance & let the vet tell you whether or not she is overweight & what to do if she is then your mother has no excuse for over feeding her

You don't say what breed your puppy is - as well as being at risk of being overweight, she could well be at risk of being over-exercised.

Generally, it as accepted that a labrador sized puppy, for example, is exercised for 5 mins per month per day - ie if it is 6 months, it should be walked for 5 x 6 = 30 mins per day!!

Hope you can make mum realise that she could be damaging your puppy - can't you print these emails off for her to see - or maybe just those which say don't overfeed!

Margot

Get her to feed her raw carrots, swedes etc, this will help her chew, will fill her up and will not put on weight etc

Tally loves raw carrots!!, she is 10 months and loves em! her and the budgies share one!

tohme
besides carrots and swedes, what other fruit and veg is acceptable to be given raw? (my pup is only 10 weeks) but already loves carrots and apples(skinned and deseeded)
thanks ;-)

anything except grapes and onions.  (Why are you bothering to skin and deseed the apple?)

just being cautious with the skin i suppose :-D and i thought that the pips are poisonous for dogs?

Apple pips do contain a minute amount of cyanide, however I have never known any person, horse or dog to die from cyanide poisoning from eating apple pips!  However I would concede that if kilos of them were consumed it would naturally be possible :D