Suggstions for weight loss

I think it's hard to come up with a definite calorie number because each dog is so different.  Woobie eats alot of calories just to maintain his healthy weight.  Since you have a food that is working well that you have a supply of, I'd suggest just feeding less of it and increasing his activity as much as possible.  If he's acting hungry, you could try giving him chewing things that don't have many calories but would keep him occupied and satisfy that chewing need.  I'm thinking something like stuffing a Kong with pumpkin or tripe and freezing it, that would occupy him for a good while.  I'm taking 5 lbs off Indie and I'm going slow, just decreasing his food volume and increasing the distances we walk.

He's probably like Willow.  She only gets around 700 or so calories a day and she maintains her weight between 45-50 lbs.  If I read those charts it says she should be getting much more for her weight. 

I've been taking weight off of Buddy slowly.  4 months ago he was 120 pounds.  Now, he is 115 pounds.  He is a low activity dog.  I only decreased his intake from 4 cups a day to 3 cups a day.  I was feeding them Innova and have transitioned to Eagle Pack Holistic (lower calorie count too).

Because of the lower calorie count in EPH , I'm sure I'll have to increase (slightly) the intake for Heidi because she is a highly active young dog.  I'm keeping an eye on that.

Definately have to customize for the individual dog.

I would cut back on the kibble and add more green beans as "filler" to make it seem like he is getting more food.

DanielleNY

I would cut back on the kibble and add more green beans as "filler" to make it seem like he is getting more food.

That's the plan for now.  I went back to his old spreadsheet and realized that he had gone from 70 to 63.......and then we stopped being so diligent on controlling exactly how much he was eating.  I'm guessing he's part lab....and like a stereotypical lab.....is constantly on the lookout for food.  

I have the spreadsheet updated and will be using a kitchen scale to be consistant.  I have to do that for myself ! 

 Willow:  700 calories sure doesn't seem like much but I'm betting you're right.  His metabolism is slow and he just doesn't need much.  The trick is convincing his appetite   

Some foods also work better for individual dogs, so maybe shopping around a bit would help. That's what we did for Rosco and it turns out he thrives on Orijen.

He has lost 14 lbs since January, and it basically looks like the flab has melted off. He's not in great shape -- low muscle tone and cardio ability -- but he is clearly feeling better than ever, romping around and playing more. The vet just saw him yesterday and was really pleased with his health.

Food wise, I was a bit surprised since Rosco's been on a grain-free diet before without these results, but for whatever reason the Orijen is a great food for him.

Now we keep a close eye on what he looks like, and if he starts to pork up at all we trim back his PM feeding until he is on target again.

Good luck!
 

cut out the hard biscuits too and replace with a tiny bit of meat if you must give a treat. Many of those biscuits are surprisingly unhealthy and calorie-filled.

These buster cubes are great for slowing them down long enough for their stomachs to get the message.  When Indie was on a 5 meal a day program to gain weight, I'd put 1/2 cup of kibble in this to keep him occupied and he'd work on it for up to 1 hour to get all the nuggets out.  It was great!

Buster Cubes

Pit_Pointer_Aussie

Some foods also work better for individual dogs, so maybe shopping around a bit would help. That's what we did for Rosco and it turns out he thrives on Orijen.

 Same thing here. Orijen has really slimmed down my two chubsters, and they are more mobile and playful than before.

I agree with mudpuppy about losing the biscuits, they have no nutritional value and are adding unnecessary carbs and calories.  Increasing the exercise will help as well.

 He does have something similar to a Buster Cube.   Since his food is a mix of dry and wet...I have not been using it much.  I could put the canned and beans in his bowl and then turn him loose with the "treat ball" with his kibble as I head out for work.  He likes it....keeps him occupied for quite a while as he flips it in the air only to crash to the ground and pop out a kibble 

The other thing I just figured out was the calorie content of his biscuits.  I buy them at a higher end pet supply place that has stores in this area only.  They open the big boxes for people to bag up how ever many they want.  There is no calorie info on the box.  I finally did an online search and discovered they are 130 cals each !     Since I have a huge box...and I now know better...he will only get them sparingly...and perhaps only 1/2 at a time.

Wow, that could be a lot of his problem right there.  130 calories is quite a lot for one biscuit!  I know a lot of people said to do away with them completely but if when those are gone you still want to give them to him buy him the small or puppy size.  That's what Willow gets at 10 years old, puppy biscuits!! 

Something like Liv A Littles from Halo Pet Products might be a good alternative for biscuits. They're tiny bits of crunchy, freeze dried meat. Treats like those dried beef lungs and stuff like that work well, too.  

willowchow

Wow, that could be a lot of his problem right there.  130 calories is quite a lot for one biscuit!  I know a lot of people said to do away with them completely but if when those are gone you still want to give them to him buy him the small or puppy size.  That's what Willow gets at 10 years old, puppy biscuits!! 

I am of those folks who no longer give biscuits as treats for my lab.  He is almost 2 years old, about 68-70 lbs, and extremely lean (and quite muscular for a lab because of all the running and swimming he does with us).  Folks have told me that he looks skinny (he is skinny when compared to most labs).  I don't believe in weight management food for dogs (or humans).  To lose weight, we all just cut back the portions of food we eat.  If my lab gets a little chunky, we'll cut back the amount of dry food but increase other stuff like veggies and meat.  By the way, whenever I feed him Nature's Logic dry food, my lab would get leaner....so, that is our weight loss option...lol...