Hi

I have a 9 1/2 year old labrador who is overweight. She was a big puppy and has always weighed about 36kgs. In her youth she was shown and did well and also had 3 litters. At 6 yrs old she underwent an emergency spay and ever since then I have not been able to control her weight. She has always been one of these labs who plods (being a very laid back young lady) although she loves to swim.
Her weight is currently 41kgs and we are stuck at that weight.
We have tried dieting, low calorie food, increasing exercise which doesn't work as she plods and if on a lead drags! We have even tried a herbal weight loss product from one of the well known dog stand companies.
Does anyone have any ideas which might help. We really do need to get rid of this weight and although I don't ever expect to lose the 5 kgs off of her a couple would be nice!

PLEASE HELP.

The only way I have found to shift canine (and human weight) is to halve the rations, and replace the missing food with bulky non calorific things like cooked cabbage/carrot/pumpkin/Marrow etc.

This will take some time.

Hi

Have tried the veg and she refuses too touch it even if covered in gravy!
She has only 100g of food a day and am worried about cutting it any more. But will if people think it would be fine, I don't want to make her ill.

Forgot to say we have been trying to lose this weight for over 3 years which is why I am at a loss as to what to do next.

Have you discussed it with your vet.  It would probably be worth checking for a deficient thyroid but even if nothing medical is found it could be more effective under their guidance and monitoring particularly if you have tried everything else.

Dogcrazy what type of foods have you been feeding? I have noticed the dogs with the worst weight problems are on foods like bakers(no 1 for overweight dogs from what i've seen),hi life and foods like that that with loads of cereals,sugars and colours,there are quite a few other brands that wouldnt be conductive to weight loss,but i wont bother mentioning those again.

I have found the best way for dogs to lose weight is by feeding a high protein low carb diet,carbs equal weight gain IMO.Dogs will also lose weight on the diet foods your vet stocks,but if you take a look at the ingredients you may as well be feeding saw dust,same goes with the majority of diet foods,the reason the dogs lose weight on them is because they poop most of it out,they are mostly fibre and dont provide a great deal of nutrition.Then you get those owners who feed the diet foods but feel sorry for their dogs and think they can feed double the amount the pack says because it's a "lite" food :rolleyes:

If you take your dog to the vet and all checks out well,eg her thyroid is ok,i can recommend a food that i will almost guarantee your dog will lose weight on.I belong to other sites where this food has been available for a long time(it's only new here) and i have seen lots of dogs maintain a good weight,and lose excess flab,but gained muscle(high protein) on.
It's called timberwolf organics,you will notice it has mostly meat(48%) and most of it's varieties are grain free.

This is their middle of the road formula,there others with as little as 21% protein,and goes as high as 36%,which is the one i have started feeding.

Ingredients:
Fresh Elk, Salmon Meal, Millet, Sweet Potatoes, Oats, Flaxseed, Carrot, Watercress, Spinach, Celery, Parsley, Fennel Seed, Wild Salmon Oil, Atlantic Kelp, Alfalfa, Potassium Chloride, Currants, Cranberries, Pears, Figs, Thyme, Anise Seed, Ground Cinnamon Bark, Fenugreek, Garlic Pieces, Sunflower Seeds, Sesame Seeds, Apples, Chicory Root, Spirulina, Choline Chloride, Lecithin, Probiotics: (Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Lactobacillus Casei, Lactobacillus Lactis, Bacillus Bifidum, Streptococcus Diacetilactis, Bacillus Subtillus), Taurine, Mixed Tocopherols (a source of vitamin E), Lysine, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Thiamine, Methionine, Carnitine, Niacin, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Iodine Proteinate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine (a source of vitamin B6), Cobalt Proteinate, Papain, Yucca Schidigera Extract.

Analysis:
PROTEIN: 26%
FAT: 16%
FIBER: 3%

http://www.zooplus.co.uk./shop/dogs/dry_dog_food/timberwolf

Here are the ingredients to the formula i am feeding,can you tell the difference between these foods and the majority of the ones available???

Ingredients:
Chicken Meal, Fresh Chicken, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and rosemary extract), Low Ash Salmon Meal, Potatoes, Sardine/Mackerel/Anchovy/Tuna Oils (preserved with mixed tocopherols and rosemary extract) Eggs, Dried Chicken Liver, Dried Whole Milk, Dried Whey Extract, Kelp, Alfalfa Leaf, Casein, DL ï¿¿ Methionine, Potassium Chloride, Lecithin, Taurine, Lysine, Carnitine, Choline Chloride, Creatine, Probiotics: (Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Bifidobacterium Thermophilum Fermentation, Bifidobacterium Longum Fermentation Product, Enterbacter Faecium Fermentaion Product, Bacillus Subtillus Fermentation Product, Blueberries, Cranberries, Mixed Tocopherols (a source of vitamin E), Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Thiamine, Niacin, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Iodine Proteinate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine (a source of vitamin B6), Cobalt Proteinate, Papain, Yucca Schidigera Extract.

Analysis:
PROTEIN: 36%
FAT: 18%
FIBER: 2.5%

Can you tell i'm just a little excited that TO has finally become available here :D Now,there is no need for pet owners to feed that other stuff ever again.Before long moswt of the good brands will be available here,hopefully :)

We will take a visit to the vets to make sure that everything is fine. We were only there 2 days ago and no one suggested a deficient thyroid may be the problem. And stupidly I have never even thought of that one!

We are currently feeding Purina Pro Plan Salmon and Rice but have tried the chicken and rice and the lite. I am very strict about the amount of food she gets and she has 50 grams for breakfast and 50g for tea. She occasionally has a pigs ear. And everyday she has 2 of those small gravy bones. If she was an ownly dog then she would not get the treats but with 6 others I feel it unfair for her to watch them eat treats.

Her daughter struggles to stay at the right weight although we are managing it but then she will at least run around. Her son is fine and her grandchildren are all fine.

I have friends whose dogs eat twice as much food as any of mine and have far less exercise (sometimes none at all) and yet theirs are a nice weight and mine struggle. I guess it is like humans.

Instead of the biscuit treats, when the others are having theirs, why not give her a couple of little bits of carrot or broccoli stalks, thats a few calories reduced for a start.  After her check up at the vets, unless they advise anything different the obviously thing is to reduce the quantities by a few gramms and see how she gets on.  If you have already tried the lite diets I don't see the point in doing the rounds of trying to find a miracle reduction food, they do help, I know that personally from my own dog :) but at the end of the day the owner as much as the dog has to have the will power to persist as loosing weight is never easy ;)
Reluctant though she may be I think you really have to push the excercise up.  Do it gradually but I think you have to do it, it seems key to reducing weight on a dog that already seems to be on a fairly restricted diet and it will get easier as the weigh drops and she will become far more interested in gettting out and about :) 

Have tried the veg treat trick but she refuses to eat them, she does sometimes eat melon or banana.
We used to BARF the dogs so she got used to some things but her veg was always served with mince.........bless her.

I am seriously commited to this diet and have been for 3 years but although a few months ago she dropped a few pounds, she gained them quickly again even with food still restricted. As I say I am 100% commited to this diet it is now I feel a question of life or death. Maybe that is an extreme way of looking at it but I now feel that  that is what it boils down too!

I had a dog PTS last week due to old age and I do not wish to do that again in a hurry. Doing it in old age is one thing but doing it because of health problems is another thing and I really feel that we are going to have heart and leg problems in a minute due to this weight.

As I say I will pop her to the vets.

It is good that you are going at this fully committed :)  I agree with you, weight is a very serious issue that will certainly alert life expectancy and, of course, enjoyment of life anyway.  I hope your vet is able to give you help and guidance.  Many larger surgeries have nurse led clinics on obesity.  Perhaps they will be able to suggest appropriate treats.  What about puffed rice crackers, hardly any calories but quite a nice crunch?  I think if you cannot find anything suitable it might be better to stop giving the others treats.  I never give mine treats, well, not routine, expected ones, but they have always loved me nonetheless :D

Hi

Will try the rice crackers she will probably like those.

We are off to the vets at 4.30 today and then obviously will have to wait for the results.

I have just taken her for a walk down the road on her own (normally take her out with some of the others) and if she trotted for approximately 50 metres she got a tiny piece of banana which she thought was a great idea. It did work instead of a plod she did trot! Think we did about 1500 metres trotting which is probably better than 1/2 hr walk of plodding.

Will let you know the results of the test but will try trotting again tomorrow maybe with melon!

Good work :)  I think you will have to view training to stop plodding in the same light as training to stop pulling :D

Just re read this thread and you say you occasionally give pigs ears. These are really high in fat and so personally I would cut them out completely. Also as isabel says giving some low calorie treat instead of gravy bones could just be enough to cut down the weight.

Also have you ever thought about hydrotherapy. It can be really good at getting weight off dogs and with a lab she may really enjoy it.

Also does she ever follow you around the house? A few extra trips up the stairs may be good?
And another thing is to give her dinner by walking around the house just dropping pieces hear and there whilst the others are eating (and shut away so they can't get her food!!!) or even if you have a garden sprinkling the dry food in the garden on the grass so that she has to use her scent to find it. Brain work also uses up calories as well :)

not sure what else to suggest
Hope this helps

sorry one more thing. On your walks could you get some one to hold her then you and your other dogs walk on a bit and have huge fusses so that she may when released run to catch up with you to have loads of fuss? Or if she has a really good stay ask her to stay then move away with teh other dogs and do as above

and a treat she could have instead of gravy bones could be some really thin sliced ham cut up really small - so she can have lots but only one slice is used. Each slice is only about 15kcals (about the same as a rice cake thing) and probably may get her moving - it is the quality of the treat that matters to her not the quantity.

Not sure if any off the above helps but it is all worth a try

Hi

Lots to think about here like the ham idea and that would definately work as she loves it and also easier to carry on a walk than melon and banana!
As for her stays they are good but she wouldn't rush up to me for any treat she will however plod! Will give it ago though. She does occasionally break into a trot when out with the others but it only lasts 5 seconds. This morning on her own went better than going out with the others and it is nice for her for us to spend time together so often she waits for a fuss whilst I deal with the youngsters.

We will try everything listed on the answers we have got and hopefully it will start to work as I have already said I am seriously commited to this and have been for 3 yrs, sooner or later it has got to work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations Em on getting your lab fit can't believe you got him to lose 10kgs! WOW!

The lethargy and the failure to loose wwight on such a small ration really doespoint towards symptoms of an underactive thyroid.  What is her coat condition like?

Coat is lovely.

Well I did feed my old Elka 100g a day for maintenenace and had to ahve her on haklf that to loose wieght, but we are talking about5 a 20kg dog at correct weight here.

Once she was older and her system less efficeint she was able to ahve 150g a day.

Most of my girls have up to 200g a day, cut back if they are a bit lardy.

My now oldest spayed bitch of 9 who is on the small side of standard and weighs 18kg at a niceely covered weight only gets 150g as maintenance, but they all get the standard adult food not a veteran diet.

My breed is know to do well on  a lot less than the food manu's advise.

36% protein! That'd kill my dog (and others with his condition) within months. We have to aim for between 10% and 15% crude protein.

What condition does your dog have JG? Coincidently, Ive just been looking at a thread on an US based forum, the thread was requesting the protein/fat % in the food you feed (a Golden retriever forum)...I noticed that the protein levels were rarely lower than 28%...some even going up to 46%...I know very little about canine nutrition so just wondered why there are such differences in protein levels in those foods to most over here (Im just generalising after doing a teeny bit of dog food research...most foods over here seem to be not much higher than 22% protein) Just curious really?

My dog is a confirmed urate stone-former, and a month ago he had to have emergency surgery to remove a small bladder stone that was totally blocking his urethra. All dalmatians have a genetic predisposition to this, but not all will have problems because of it. A high level of protein is one way of increasing the likelihood of problems though.

However dalmatians aren't the only breed at risk; there are many types of stone (oxalate, struvite, that can be caused by diets that cause the urine to become too acidic, or too alkaline in all breeds.

JG, I hope your boy is fully recovered from his surgery now, I will a have a good look at the links in a minute which will probably answer this, but what sympotoms do you look for?...Im guessing difficulty to urinate...I ask as I am putting my dogs on higher protein food so it always good to be aware.

Does that mean that the breeds that are more at risk should avoid a Barf diet as wouldnt this diet have a very high level of protein (although I suppose you could tailor it to your dogs needs...but I assume the basis of it is meat, and therefore protein) I have a friend that has had their dalmation on a barf diet for a few months now, Im not sure if they know about this condition.

The first symptom we had was Piglet being totally unable to urinate - he'd been fine last thing at night and was totally blocked first thing next morning. Sedation and catheterising mid-morning relieved the immediate danger but he immediately reblocked and he had to have his bladder opened up that afternoon.

Some meats are better than others, and some should be avoided entirely. It's very complicated, but she should certainly have her dog's urine tested for PH and crystals occasionally. Her dog should never have oily fish (sardines, herring, mackerel etc) or offal, and limited red meat. Eggs and cheese are fine (unless the dog has an intolerance to them); chicken, white fish and fatty lamb are better than beef. Rice and potatoes are good for bulking the diet and, for a confirmed stone-former, should make up at least 50% of the diet.

Thank you very much for the info, I will pass it on and Im sure she will look into it further, sounds like it came on very suddenly, Im so glad that you caught it in time and he is ok. I must say, 'Piglet' is an excellent name!

Get her to have a look at the Urinary stones part of the Health section of the British Dalmatian Club website. There are several links to background information and suitable diets. :)

Shannon the higher the meat content and the less  grain,the higher the protein content will be,unless ofcourse corn gluten meal is in the ingredient list,this is used to artificially inflate the protein so consumers think their food has more meat in it than there really is.

America is leaps and bounds ahead of any other country when it comes to pet foods,ofcourse they have the crappy ones,which every country has,but they are also big on meat based,natural foods,once again meat based usually = high protein.

Jeangenie the average,healthy dog will do just fine on 36% protein,these diets are meant to "mimmick" the dogs natural diet,as much as they can in kibble form anyway,most raw diets have between 30-40% protein.This is what dogs are designed to consume,their whole make up is geared to handle high protein/fat diets,ofcourse when we are talking commercial food this means more meat which means more expense for the manufacture,which means less profit margins ;)

My average, healthy dogs have never done so well on high protein foods.  I prefer at least 3% fibre too.  I think a higher fibre food could be more beneficial for a reducing diet too as it will help the dog feel fuller during a reduction in calories.

My lab used to weigh 41kg!! I hold my hands up to the fact that it was our fault he was that big and I make no excuses for it.  He now weighs a respectably 31kg!!!!  Believe me he is also a very very laid back dog.

It was done just through diet and exercise.  We cut out all his titbits and "treats" which were doing him more harm than good and kept him on his Burns food only.  The weight steadily but surely came off and he looks FAB now!!  he is so much better and lesson learned here that I will never ever never let him get fat again!

Em

Well done Em!  I think treats are definately an issue and Burns does seem to be a "lean" food.  I bet he enjoys his exercise a lot more now doesn't he? 

Isabel HE IS A DIFFERENT DOG!  It's amazing!

The best thing I ever did was get to grips with his weight.  Since losing his weight he is like the duracell bunny!! I don't know where his batteries are tho!! :-D

Bet he's keeping you trim too :)

I've lost 3 stone since I had him! ha ha must be something in the water too :-)

>the average,healthy dog will do just fine on 36% protein

My dog was an 'average, healthy dog'. :rolleyes: In fact he still is! ;)

Just as people suggest that it's sensible to titre test before routine vaccine boosters, I suggest it's sensible to monitor your 'average, healthy' dog's urine to limit the chances that he's a stone-forming time-bomb.

Even though your dog is overweight 100g of food per day seems a tiny amount. We have a GR of 13 months and he has 800g (raw) food a day.and is not overweight in the slightest.  Now I know absolutely zilch about  most things so perhaps someone else can expand upon the following thought for me and say if it would have any bearing on this or if it has any relevance  at all  to dogs.

With human dieting I believe that if you do not have enough food your body will  store fat rather than use it ( no technical terms or scientific words for me ) so is it the same with dogs as the amount of food being consumed would seem tiny to me so perhaps the dog is just utilising and storing everything she eats which is maintaining her body weight rather than decreasing it.

That is true Harley. Perhaps giving the same amount of food but over a period of 4 meals may be good aswell. It will also stop her looking for food hopefully as she will feel like she is getting fed more

To quote from another site:
"Other dog breeds predisposed to urolithiasis (the clinical term for urinary stone health issues) and similar urinary issues include the Beagle, Bulldog, Basset Hound, Cocker Spaniel, Bichon Frise, Miniature Schnauzer, Lhasa Apso, Miniature Poodle, Miniature Schnauzer, Yorkshire Terrier, Dachshund, Newfoundland, Irish and Scottish Terrier, and Irish Setter."

Ktee, you seem to suggest that none of these breeds are 'average, healthy dogs'.

Well have had the medication for an unactive thyroid for one week now and have to say that within 48 hrs she was a much happier dog who trotted instead of plodding.
Just had to tell everyone that we have just been for a walk up on dartmoor and it was fantastic to see my beautiful girl........................RUN......................YES RUN.................

All be it the run of a fat dog but she did RUN.

After one week she is doing this................. roll on the next month and hopefully the loss of a few kilos in time!

It really seems like someone has swopped dogs she runs, trots and still has energy to play and roll around when we are at home. She can even jump on the bed now which she hasn't done for a long time.

Thanks everyone.

Fantastic result! :)

That's great! :)

Thank you very much for updating up with such cheery news :)

That is great news. I'm so glad you found something to help her.

Wow what a result. So glad that she is feeling better. I know just how she felt. Super news.

THANKYOU so much to everyone here for suggesting getting a blood test to check for a deficient thyroid. The blood test has come back saying that she is just below the normal spectrum for thyroid and so we will be back to the vets tomorrow to talk and get it sorted.
I hope this will help shift some of this weight and make her a lively fit labrador again in time!
Will let you know how we get on but

THANKYOU
THANKYOU
THANKYOU

Hoping that this is the cause. She may also become more active - having had a underactive thyroid myself it makes you so exhausted and not really in the mood to do anything. It also made me have aches and pains all over the place. Lets hope she is a happy and fit labrador again soon.
All the best
Anna

If she loves swimming I'd try the hydrotherapy or a good brisk swim in the ocean or a river if you have one nearby. Running when that overweight might be what's making her so ploddy. Swimming would be easy on the joints and it fantastic exercise. A few zoftig labs go to my nearby pool for weight loss.

Have been to the vets and had blood taken although she did have to have a biscuit for the vet to be able to get her to sit still!!! Good start!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Test results will be back Tuesday now but the vet has said she does not look coat wise like she has an underactive thyroid. However she has said the same as everyone here that on that amount of food and at least one hour of plodding a day she should have lost weight. If it comes back negative she has suggested prescription diet light food. Does anyone have experience of this kind of diet???????????????

yes the prescription diets will make them losoe the weight, however they tend to have to stay on them for life, as the weight will just pile back on when they come off. it isnt cheap either.

Once they've lost the weight, however, they tend to become more active and can then gradually go back onto a more 'normal' diet.

>she has suggested prescription diet light food.<

As i knew she would.See my first response in this thread.

Many a dog has actually gained weight on the "weight management" foods,they tend to be high in carbs, and in some dogs, carbs are turned directly to fat,so be prepared for this if you do choose to feed a lite food.
If you absolutely,positively HAVE to feed one of those diet foods,do so for as little time as possible,and as soon as she's down to a near desired weight get her back onto to a normal foods with better levels of nutrients.

You say you used to feed the BARF diet,this means you obviously must know something about nutrition and what dogs need to thrive,compare this to the ingredients of the prescription food.....

Why not put her back on to a raw diet,this way you have complete control over what goes into her body and losing weight wouldnt be half as hard as it is on a commercial food. I would still be giving her plenty of rmb's,these provide both mental and physical exercise,plus they are a long lasting healthy treat :)

Having struggled for three years to get weight off an obese cocker spaniel who I inherited in this condition I found that the only way to manage his weight was by cutting out ALL treats (if needed for training they had to come out of his daily food allowance) and being hard-hearted about what he did and didn't fancy in his food bowl. Prescription diets did little in the long term and he seemed far better on smaller portions of regular grub bulked out with veg and fruit. Burns suited him particularly well since wet food just got wolfed down and also did nothing to help his dental disease either!

If he didn't like something and didn't eat it, tough luck I'm afraid, no substitutes were offered! And funnily enough he never came close to starving himself to death.