Should I Switch In-Laws' Dogs' Food?

While they're at the house, you could try suggesting the switch as something that would be more convenient for you. "Hey, would you mind if we started giving your dogs EVO? It would be sooooo much easier for us if we could feed them all the same food!" Then while they're switching maybe you could share some nutritional info with your mother-in-law? If you're gentle with it and seem like you're telling her because you're excited and just discovered the neatest information ever she might be more receptive.

I was going to suggest the same as Cita... say it would be easier for you to just pick up one kind of food, and you'll pay for all of it (I don't think you should switch unless you buy the new food). When they go home, send them home with a big bag of food if you can afford to do that. If they switch back later, oh well I guess. Beneful is pretty awful. I think if you did just add a little EVO it would do them some good, but make sure you cut back on the overall portion because EVO is a lot higher in calories (I'm sure you already know).

Just a thought... but if you switch the dogs and get their weight down, you will also have to teach them how to feed the dogs properly. I did this with my parents overweight Eskie this summer. Over the course of the summer he lost over 10 lbs, and I tried my very best to show my mom the schedule (measure the food, seperate dogs for feeding) and keep it simple, but sure enough, when I was home for christmas, Barkley was just as fat as before.

If you don't think your in-laws will change their habits when they get their dogs back, chances are the higher calorie food will actually make things worse in the long run. Being overweight is far more damaging than being on a marginally healthy diet. Maybe you could try a better food that isn't as high in calories as the EVO?

It's not what Beneful doesn't have that scares me, it's what it does have and lots of it: Sugar, Salt, Artificial colorings.

If you could, maybe feed them Chicken Soup, or Canidae, or Diamond Lamb or Chicken and Rice.  All of those foods are actually the same price or less expensive than Beneful and much, much healthier.  Heck, if they are the type not to make the extra trip to a pet specialty store, buy Purina One.  It's not as good as the above mentioned but it is better than Beneful and about the same price.

Explain it to your in laws from this point of view - "You could feed better for less."  I would take it as being helpful, if I was your mother in law, rather than intrusive.

I have a friend with the same problem.  She moved in with her inlaws recently, as her husband went into the navy, she will be joining him soon.  But anyways, her in laws feed their dogs Beneful.  She feeds Eagle Pack and her mother in law is nagging at her about wasting money.  Nothing she says is right, over there.  But atleast she stands her ground on her dogs nutrition and well being.

Good luck!

Cita and Jones:  I like where you're going with it; pretending that SHE'S doing ME a favor by agreeing.  On one hand, I don't think she has energy to care what we're feeding them (she's spent the last 3 nights at the hospital due to us having to call 911 on Friday), but on the other hand, sometimes it's the little things that can just "set you off" when you're stressed!  If I just bought it (I would never expect her to buy it when it was my idea to change), I don't think she cares what they eat (obviously).  I have no idea how long it will be (if ever) before they go home (Dad is a very sick man right now).  Besides, the Beneful bag they brought is almost empty [sm=clapping%20hands%20smiley.gif]!!
 
Jones & Misskiwi67: The calorie content is surely a concern.  She doesn't even measure their portions, and the Tzu mix is (was) getting almost what the lab gets.  I cannot find the calorie content on the NB Duck/Potato that I put my boys on, but they have definitely gained weight since I switched a month ago, but I'm trying to find an allergy in one of my guys, and there is no "low calorie allergy formula" food that I know of!![sm=banghead002.gif]
 
I saw that Wellness Weight Management is only 325 calories/cup.  Maybe I could turn her dogs on to that - but then I couldn't use the "feed them all the same" theory, because I'm trying to reduce the ingredients in Sammy's diet. 
 
jojo the pogo:  You touched on exactly what my real concern is.  I'm not as concerned about what's not in the Beneful, but was wondering what IS in it that could be doing more damage than good.  I'm sitting here thinking "Why am I adding more stress to my world by concerning myself with someone else's dog food?!"  I guess I can't help it.  They live in my house, with my dogs, and I would never feed that crap to my own fur-kids, so I don't want to feed it to theirs either!
 
I don't want to seem pessimistic, but if anything "happens" where she cannot care for these dogs, they will become part of our family and I will likely have to give up fostering - at least for a while...... 
 
 
 
 

They live in my house, with my dogs, and I would never feed that crap to my own fur-kids, so I don't want to feed it to theirs either!

 
I completely understand this. When my sister and her dog moved in with me a few months ago, the first thing I did was go buy the poor guy some decent food and throw out his old food. And it wasn't just him that moved in here, my sister's here too! But I'd already told her that she was feeding him crap, and had bought her a bag of good food before, but as soon as that was gone, she went back to what was "easy" (easy because she could get it at Rite Aid, as opposed to the pet supply store that's a mile away [:@]). Now that he's in my house though, I can watch the level of food, and tell her to go buy more, or go buy more myself if she doesn't.

When i watched a friends dog once she was feeding kibles and bits.I told her nicely that i have a dog that has severe allergies to some of the ingredients and i would rather not have that food in the house.It worked! Unfortunately she still feeds the crappy food at home.

Well, I discussed my concerns with DH and apparently he has already told her it's junk!  He took her to the store the other evening and she was going to buy more, and he told her it was junk food and to just wait until I go to the pet store and pick something up for them there.  She must not have fought it, because she didn't buy any! [sm=clapping%20hands%20smiley.gif]  He knows me pretty well, but he did see me reading the ingredients and shaking my head the first night they arrived.

SO, can someone offer assistance in choosing a food based on the following information?  (I'm stopping on my way home from work to pick it up!)

Female Lab is 9 years old and overweight (I don't know her weight, but I'm guessing she's close to 70 lbs by her round middle - she's not real tall).  She has dandruff flakes and itchy skin (no wonder, right?)

The other dog is a male Shih Tzu mix about 8 years old.  He's finicky, but is a little on the heavy side too (probably from cheese curls and table scraps combined with zero exercise)

I'm looking for one food to address both dogs. 

I'm looking at Wellness Weght Management SuperMix along with the Senior canned formula to add some appeal for the finicky guy.  I think this would be my choice if they were my dogs.

I don't know how "good" Natural Choice is, but someone here said that it more affordable if MIL had to buy it herself.  I noticed they have a low calorie canned food that could be added to the dry and that might be good for the finicky one.

I "could" put them on my dogs' food, but I can't find the calorie content (NB Duck and Potato).  I need to find an allergy, low cal formula food for my guys too.  - any ideas?

I "could" put them on my dogs' food, but I can't find the calorie content (NB Duck and Potato).

 
According to age=3#Post255' target='_blank' title='http://forums.dogfoodproject.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=253&an=0&age=3#Post255'>this, it's 465 calories per cup.

ORIGINAL: chelsea_b
          According to this, it's 465 calories per cup.

OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  No wonder my guys are looking so porky.  There is a "feeding guideline" on the bag, but I looked on their website and the bag and I could not find the calorie content. 

My guys are 13 and 17 lbs - both should be about 2 lbs less (judging from their height/length differences).  I feed them each a 1/4 cup dry with a tablespoon of canned twice a day (a daily total of 1/2 cup and 2 Tablespoons canned)

If I cut it back further, the food won't even cover the bottom of the dish!  LOL

I guess I'll have to cut it in half or find a lower cal food that doesn't give Sammy the itchies...[8|]

BTW: Thank you for finding that info - I even tried a Google Search, but i didn't see it..

Why does the calorie content matter? Dogs NEED fat. Just measure the food, and account for snacks, and they'll come to their proper weight.

Canidae Platinum might be a good choice, too.

ORIGINAL: jennie_c_d
Why does the calorie content matter? Dogs NEED fat. Just measure the food, and account for snacks, and they'll come to their proper weight.

I guess I'm doing something wrong somewhere then. I DO measure it - there is an actual measuring spoon in their food; but I guess I must be "measuring" too much![8|] LOL

 Their weight fluctuates a lot. SometimesSammy looks almost bloated (sides are rounded) and then a day or so later, he looks normal again.  Maybe because they are so short and can't distribute it if he overeats at a meal?

It looks like you have a daschund in your avatar.  Have you ever had a weight problem with him/her while trying to figure out the servings?  I know it is unhealthy for them to carry extra weight, so I have really been trying to keep it down.  They get approximately 2-3 cookies (3 is the max - they each get half at a time) each per day.  When we're training, they do get more, but I generally try to cut back their dinner on those days.  We don't feed table scraps, but DH has been guilty of giving  them a potato chip to split now and then.  He used to like to give them pieces of chicken breast if that's what he was cooking, but since Sam's allergy issues, I've convinced him not to do that.

How do I figure out the correct portions?  How long do I wait after each portion adjustment to see if the weight drops?

DH is always telling me I'm starving them because of their current portions looking so small, and they love the food, so of couse they always want more.  I just reply "Look at them; they're hardly starving."  But he does food duty for all 5 dogs if I'm not available, who knows if he follows my guidelines.[&:]

It looks like you have a daschund in your avatar. Have you ever had a weight problem with him/her while trying to figure out the servings?

Teenie weighed 23.5 pounds, when I got her. She's lost 12 pounds. I haven't had much of a problem, but I'm nasty about food (with myself, too). I don't CARE if they're hungry. I give them exactly what they need, and that is what they get. Period. When I got Teenie, I fed her 1/4 cup, twice a day. NO treats, NO snacks, no nothing. The weight melted off, in less than a year. She gained tons of muscle, and looks fabulous, now. I'm much more lenient, now, than I was, then. Of course, that was extreme. She was in pain and in danger of slipping a disk. She couldn't run, she couldn't jump, she couldn't walk 1/2 mile.

I weigh my dogs every month, and adjust portions accordingly. The vet will let you use their scale (they're HAPPY! when people moniter weight) just about any time. Some vets even have scales in the lobby. It's no big deal to do it every month. My dogs are out and about at least weekly, anyways. I don't let other people feed them anything, unless it comes from me, mostly because of Emma's allergies, but also because they're small dogs, and weight can be a major problem. One pound on an 11 pound dog is like 10 pounds or more on a human.