Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 7:25 pm Post subject: Please help me with eva's weight loss
Hi everybody,
I recently took Eva to the vets and he told me that she weighs 32kg but she should be weighing 25kg
She's only a year old (and has been spayed) and i always said that i would never let her get overweight so im trying to nip it in the bud now.
I was wondering how much food should she be getting a day?? i.e. one or two cups per day.
I realise that it is my fault that she has a little podge. She doesn't get table scraps but she gets things like dentastix/chews/bones and general treats through out the day - these are usually as a reward.
She also get two walks a day and gets lots of play time and running around the park and garden (just being a general lab puppy)
Also does anyone know any good weight loss 'games'?
It's difficult to say how much food they should be getting a day in general cos they are all so different
But if Eva is looking a little ahem cuddly then you obviously need to cut down her portions.
Dylan is on 180 of Orijen in the morning and 90 in the evening. He gets treats on his walk and a couple of chews in the evening.
He was on over 300 a day of orijen but was lookng porky so we cut him down and he is looking much better.
If you are looking to give Eva treats then you need to reduce her food to allow for that. It's trial and error for a while.
Is Eva working or show? Dylan is a mix of show and working and weighs 32 kgs but vet says he is spot on and I think he looks lovely. Not fat but not skinny.
Re exercise are her walks off lead? Cos they use so much more energy off lead.
We recently noticed Lottie had crept up to 27kg from 25kg. She is 3 next week and has been a constant 25kg since she was 18 months old.
She has had 300g Arden Grange for over a year now in 3 meals a day (just because I can do 3...no particular reason) So I cut it to 250g and in 2 weeks she lost 1kg. She certainly isn't hungry and if she gets skinny I'll up it again.
The recommended amount for Arden Grange at her weight is 309g to 340g so she's always been under the recommended. I think the manufacturers over estimate to sell more food! No treats apart from carrot and apple and the same exercise. She gets masses because I'm a dog walker.
All I'd say is we used to have a cup from the vet with a big black line on it and if the food was over the line it weighed quite a lot more. I've found a small square tupperware dish and I level it. It's 80g serving.
Also to tell you that I've been told Dentistix are really calorific. I've never fed them. My friend's cocker had them every day and got really fat so they've stopped them.
she gets things like dentastix/chews/bones and general treats through out the day - these are usually as a reward
Cut all of that out. Just feed her her set meals - whatever the packet says for her weight (or should be weight) twice a day. Cruel to be kind in my opinion.
Grouse went through a tubby faze recently (to be honest probably in many people's eyes normal - my vet said she was normal but knowing me maybe a bit tubby) and she had 4 weeks on half portions, she doesn't get treats normally, the odd bone maybe every other month and a pigs ear once a month
I know I sounds dreadfully mean but they are happy
I really hate vets who look at a number on a scale and class a dog as overweight.
You need to be looking at her as a whole.
Can you see her ribs? Whats her body shape like?
A picture would be helpful. Diesel weighs 32kg and hes very lean lad.
What food is she on? Whats the guide line for her daily amount?
Eva has a bit of a waist, but can't feel her ribs easily.
Eva isn't working or show but i have recently started doing agility with her in my garden.
Because of my schedule i don't get enough time to take her to the parks in the morning/evenings most of the week. But she has two walks a day for around 30/40 mins each time. But i do take her to the park on my two days off on thursday and friday and she goes for two hours in the morning with a 30 min walk in the evening.
I think i will cut down on the dentastix...maybe give one every 2/3 days or something, and most definetly cut all unhealthy treats out (apart from when training).
Eva isn't a big swimmer, she's more of a muddy puddle girl.
Thank you for everyone's help and i will definetly cut out all non-essential treats and up the agility.
What do you feed her on? You could always try a 'light' version.
Also guidelines for food can be excessive.. obviously the more you feed, the more you spend! So you may be feeding more than she needs, Happy certainly only gets just over half of the recommended amount of food for her weight.. if I fed her what the bag says then she would be HUGE!!
As a guide, Happy is a small - average size girlie and is 26.4kg!
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but they are happy 
