WE acquired a cockerspaniel dog about 2 years ago.  He had been enormously fat as the owners had no time for him.
He is a fantastic dog but although he lost a fair amount of weight the vet has told me he needs to lose another 5kg.
After being on the (very expensive) vets diet food for a few weeks he has lost very little weight. He enjoys his walks and is a good swimmer.  We never feed him scraps or extras although he is very alert to any dropped food (kids). and manages to steal food when he can!
He is a happy, loving dog but he is 9 years old and i am worried that his weight problem may shorten his life. Any Ideas??

I have never found the diet foods a lot of usead at the recomended amounts would actually put weight on my dogs.

I found the best method is to feed a good quality food, but give half rations bulked out with vegetables, Carrots, Cabbage, unsweetened Pumpkin (very popular for some reason in USA) Green Beans etc.  Basically the vegetables won't be diogested, buty will make the dog full so that he is less inclined to scavenge.

I have a breed that easily puts on weight.

Took me more than 3 months to get weight off one of mine after she had been over indulged by my Dad on a fortnights holiday.

Once ypou have the weight down increase the food to 3/4 of what you think he should have and monitor for a two week period.  If he continues to loose weight then up it a timy amount until his weight settles.

Then I would weight the food and find a scoop (empty Mullerice pot, Margarine tub etc) that takes exactly the right amount.  If you change foods weigh again as different foods weigh differently.  By having a measure like this you can shake a bit of if you think he looks too prosperous or not being so active, and round it up if he needs a bit more (like while moulting or under more stress and strain).

I don't weight my dogs much now as have amanged to know just by regularly feeling them all over if they are in the right condition and weight, but before I got practiced at this I would take them into the Vets monthly to monitor their weight, so that I could stop the rot before it got too bad.

My cocker put on a lot of weight during the foot and mouth era, followed by a speying so another period of lighter excercise.  Merely reducing her food led to a very unhappy dog, desperately begging and hell bent on stealing at every opportunaty, with kids about I could imagine a great deal of unsuitable tipbits being available :)  I started feeding Beta Lite with excellent results, she is much more satisfied and we have maintained her at a decent weight ever since with some energy to spare for longer weekend hill walks etc.  I do not feed the recommended amounts, don't think I have even read them, as I find no two dogs are alike in their requirements I just respond to how she is shaping up and her level of satisfaction.

One of my cockers had a litter at christmas, so we fed her as though she was feeding the pups, unfortunately she didn't get any milk, so piled on the pounds...........we have since been feeding her Burns High Oats, at the recommended amount according to weight and since end of January she has lost 3kgs!!!

She's never hungry, eats at meal times, she is doing really well on it and is beginning to look more like the cocker we had before pregnancy!

We also feed raw carrots etc. instead of treats which she loves!

Hi guest

Do please try and get some weight of him as soon as possible, one of mine was overweight and developed diabetis, also they are prone to much more health problems as they get older if they are carrying to much weight.  Good luck.  CAZ