[Becky A]

Hey there,

I’m looking to see if anyone out there can suggest a high end dry dog food for my Schnauzer. He’s about 36lbs and his ideal weight is 25-30. He’s overweight and the dry dog food I’ve been feeding him seems to be making him fatter. I switched him to Orijen about a year ago and recently changed his food to Acana Low Glycemic Chicken and Burbank Potatoes. I want to keep his food GMO free.

He gets fed 2x a day 1/2 cup morning and night.
He gets daily walks about 15min 2x a day morning and night

Thanks in advance!

• This topic was modified 8 years, 10 months ago by Becky A.
• This topic was modified 8 years, 10 months ago by Becky A.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Becky A-
It seems like you are feeding about the right amount unless there are treats being added as well. Those can add up fast especially with a smaller dog. Has he had a blood test to check his thyroid levels? Some dogs are prone to hypothyroidism.

If it is a case where you are feeding treats in addition to his one cup of food per day, you might want to switch to a food with less calories. The Acana has over 400 calories per cup. I feed lower calorie food with low to moderate fat to keep my dogs weight under control because they didn’t want me feeding them less! Lol!

[InkedMarie]

Annamaet Lean & Wellness Core reduced fat are two good foods to try.

[Becky A]

Hey Crazy4Cats,

I feed him about 1/2 cup in the morning and 1/4 cup at night now. He’s been cleared for cushings, diabetes, and hyperthyroidism. He’s just a very hungry pup, lol! I was feeding him orijen and switched him to Acana hoping it would help. He’s always hungry since i don’t give him a full cup like I used to back in the day ): My vet keeps recommending I feed him Hill’s Rx but I absolutely HATE that brand and its fillers esp since it contains corn/corn meal. I never had any problems feeding him orijen last year and his weight was kept in control and he even lost weight! ):

[Becky A]

Hey InkedMarie,

I’ll def try out the Wellness core! 😀 thanks!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Becky-
Glad to hear your dog has been checked for any health conditions. The Wellness Core reduced fat recipe looks like it may be a good choice. It’s turkey and contains 360 calories per cup. Which, I believe, is quite a bit less than the Acana you are feeding. It is pretty high in fiber at 8.5% although. That is pretty typical of weight loss type food. It may cause larger or more frequent poops! Hope it works out for you. Give us a report on how he likes it! Best of luck.

[Becky A]

Hey crazy4cats,

Thanks! I put him on a probiotic supplement too. Hope that can help it along as well. I’ll def keep you in the loop to see how he’s doing! thank you for your help! 😀

[C4D]

Hi Becky A,

The others have given you some good suggestions. I’ve used the Wellness before and haven’t had any issues with it. The other one I use, generally in the brutal cold of winter, when my dogs aren’t getting exercised enough, is Nature’s Variety Instinct Healthy Weight. It’s only 347 kcal/cup and only 5.5% fiber so I don’t see any difference in poop quantity. I don’t use it for weight loss, but just to keep them slim when they aren’t able to burn the extra calories. Another trick is to add some frozen (thawed or lightly cooked) green beans. Just don’t use canned unless they are “No Salt”. That’s what a rehab vet recommended to me years ago when I did need to get weight off my lab. It worked well.

Another thing to do is increase those walk times and/or distances. A fifteen minute walk could work, but it has to be at a decent pace. A pedometer can help you stay on track. I use them all the time and walk my dogs about 2 miles a day. Good luck with it! 🙂

[Becky A]

Hi C4D,

Thank you for the extra info. I’ll def try adding some green beans to his diet. He’s a bit finicky about veggies so I’ll try sneak some into his diet.

As for the exercise, I signed him up for agility training to see if that can get him moving in between walks.

Thank you again! and to everyone else ^^

[crazy4cats]

Becky A-

C4D’s green bean idea reminded me of some veggie nuggets that I have fed my dogs in the past when feeding a little higher calorie kibble and had to feed less. They are frozen and made by Northwest Naturals: http://cms.nw-naturals.net/raw/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=78&Itemid=495

They are low in calories and have some good stuff in them!

[Becky A]

Hey Crazy4cats,

wow thank you! I’ll check out my local pet food store if they have them there. I’ll let you know how he likes these ^^

[Andrew B]

Suggesting you with my experience, when Rex (my dog) was overweight, I just took him to the vet for checkup and after his opinion I made some changes in his diet. The vet also advised me to give dry salmon pet food and take him for a walk at least 1 hour daily. I hope this works for you too 🙂

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