[Fallow]

I have a 32 lb. mutt (Irish Wolfhound/Husky/Chow mix according to a DNA test) that needs to lose about 3 lbs. I did my homework and we’ve had her on Castor & Pollux Organix Adult (rated 5 stars on here) for a little over a year but switched her to Castor & Pollux Organix Weight management and have been very happy with it. However, she poops *a lot*- about once twice on any decent length walk we take her on, and usually 3 times on an even longer one. So she does number two 3-6 times per day! I’m just surprised because I’m pretty sure higher quality food is supposed to make her poop less! Everything is well formed and small. I was initially impressed with the probiotics and flax seed the food has, but now I’m starting to wonder if those are the culprits to her bathroom habits. She’s never had an accident in the house and usually does #2 towards the ends of her walk, so it’s not like she’s exploding to get outside, so I’m wondering if that’s just how she is? But it seems to excessive. I would love suggestions for a lower calorie, high quality food to look in to- something I could get at PetCo or PetSmart, and not crazy expensive. She’s got a cast iron stomach and is definitely not a picky eater.

[Mom2Cavs]

A few foods I would recommend are: Wellness Core Reduced Fat. It’s available at both Petco and Petsmart. Not all that inexpensive, though. I also think a new food by Natural Balance looks interesting for weight loss. It’s called Fat Dog lol. Note, though, it’s not grain free. However, it does have a decent amount of protein (for a weight loss food) and lower fat and higher fiber. I would try it for mine if they needed to lose weight. I also think this food might benefit a dog that had pancreatitis issues. Fat Dog by NB is available at Petco and I think it’s price range is average for this kind of dog food.

[Fallow]

Thank you for replying so quickly! I will definitely look in to those. I’m not so concerned about grain free. I know it’s better for dogs to go without, but she flourishes regardless. We had her on Royal Canin Medium Adult when we first got her so I know she’s not allergic either.

[pugmomsandy]

My foster dogs and mine have lost weight on grain free foods like Blue Buffalo Wilderness, Horizon Amicus, Wellness Core and Brothers Complete over the years and not the “diet” ones, just regular recipes. Recently my very obese foster lost 10 lbs on a grain free canned food/raw food combo diet – very low in carbs. My group only poops twice a day. Now they will poop during a walk or at the dog park just because they gotta leave one of theirs when they smell someone else’s and it’s usually not as formed because it’s usually not the time for them to go normally.

[NectarMom]

I would choose a 5 star food that mills the kibble themselves. Science Diet is not a good choice as you can read the ingredient list on how it only recieved 3 stars.

[Fallow]

Dogspot- That’s not the case at all. The only time she gets treats is when we’re training on walks, and they’re small ‘My Little Wolf’ treats that are less than 3 calories a piece, which are then torn in to smaller pieces. And there’s no way I’m going near Science Diet, the quality is crap! It’s ridiculous how much they charge for lower quality food. She only eats when she’s hungry, and it’s in small amounts. We feed her less than what her activity level suggests and she still has food left in her bowl.
Pugmomsandy- I’ve been looking at foods like Wilderness because it has such a high protein content which I know is so important for weight loss. However, I know that some of those have such high calorie content and Wellness seems to be flirting with a lot of food recalls. I’m trying to contact some customer service people of different brands and get some more insight.
NectarMom- That’s exactly what I’m planning on doing. I looked at the review again and saw Science Diet just got 2.5 stars. My dog could probably just eat something like Alpo and still be act as lively and still look healthy (she has an iron stomach and is so hardy), but there’s no way I’m going to settle for something lower.

[Fallow]

Aaand I was mistaken, Wellness hasn’t had any recalls this year. I think I got it mixed up with Innova.

[pugmomsandy]

Fallow,

Blue Buffalo Wilderness and Core have reduced fat/weight management recipes. Also with the higher protein foods I have always fed less than the recommended amount. There is also The Honest Kitchen Zeal formula which is high in protein and low fat and it is a dehydrated food so if you fed 1 cup of dry you would need to add at least 1 cup of water with it so you’re feeding extra volume which might help your dog feel full.

[Fallow]

Pugsmomsandy- Thanks for your suggestions. I had been doing food homework for the last hour or so and it definitely seems like Wilderness and Core are both excellent bets. I’m not familiar with Honest Kitchen Zeal and don’t believe it’s sold anywhere near me.

[lovemypets4life]

try out HOLISTIC HEALTH EXTENSION LITE FOOD it helped my friends dog loose the 7lbs it needed to loose! it was very overweight and now its fine

[scottNY]

I’m a newbie here, but my understanding is that with grain-free food, more of the food is digestible as dogs don’t digest grains. If more of the food is digested, I would think there would be less poop. My 7-month old pit mix poops twice a day and for 60 lbs, it seems a lot less comes out than from some smaller dogs I see at the dog park who I know do not eat grain-free. I hope this helps and good luck!

[theBCnut]

There are grain free foods where this is certainly the case, however not all grain free foods are made equally. Some dog food companies have jumped on the grain free band wagon, but they have made cheap fillers the main ingredient, instead of meat. They end up being high fiber instead of high protein, so you have even more poop. Some of them are so full of peas, lentils, and legumes that they appear to have a good amount of protein, but they really don’t.

[scottNY]

That is absolutely the truth. I should have specified I was referring to high-quality grain-free, for example only those that get 4 or 5 stars from DFA. I just switched from TOTW, which is 4-star, to Instinct Grain-Free Rabbit Meal Dry Dog Food based on what I read here. Since my puppy will be at least 75-80 lbs before he is done growing, I followed HDM’s advice from her spreadsheet for large-breed dogs.

[Anonymous]

I don’t have brand recommendations, but even while on the same food, adding an enzyme supplement can help more of the food be utilized. When it is more completely digested, less will end up in the poop.

Also, an interesting little article… http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/the-poop-on-dog-diet-digestion/

[dogspotindia]

Royal Canin Labrador adult breed specific food which is specially designed for Labrador Retriever. Food kibbles and ingredients are tailor made for Labrador which help in maintaining ideal weight. It will also help in reducing the smell and size of poop.

[cdubau]

We switch our hound to Fromm gold reduced activity senior dog food. Never used Fromm until then but it has greatly reduced her poop amount . She’s 65 pounds.

[OhBichonPlease]

Our rescued Bichon went from going once usually, sometimes twice a day [sizable pile, lighter brown and a bit floppy sometimes] on a low-quality corn based kibble to pooping 2-3 times a day [mostly dark brown, harder/more solid, slimmer and well-formed] on Wellness Core. We spoiled her a bit at first and she gained three pounds during her first month or two with us. She lost that weight easily when we switched to a high quality grain free kibble and nicer dog treats crumbled into tiny pieces. As far as bowel movements during the transition and continuing now, most of the time it is easy out, but sometimes she squat-walks for a minute or two until she feels like everything has passed. She recently went on a hunger strike [and lost a half pound in about a week] and didn’t eat kibble for a week straight and hardly touched treats, human food or stinky, delicious wet food until after giving her some Pepcids. [I created a topic about doggie heartburn in another section on this forum and am curious about other people’s experiences with food refusal due to heartburn or indigestion.] Things are back to normal and settling down digestion-wise, but we are interested in rotating her food and trying different brands and are starting on Dr Tim’s grain free. I am curious to see what this does to her stool volume [never a sentiment I thought I would have]. I too though stool volume would decrease due to her grain-free kibble, but put down her increased regularity to finally getting proper nutrition with quality fiber sources. During her week of not eating, I started making ice cube treats [out of necessity to preserve what was being laid down, but not consumed] made with Wellness 95% salmon and organic canned pumpkin – she loves these frozen goodies [gets 1-2 cubes most days] and I will probably continue to provide them for her for the benefits to skin & coat and digestion. I may even add a bit of yogurt as I understand that freezing doesn’t affect probiotics and I want her to have as wide a variety of helpful gut flora as possible. [As a note, she was pooping more before we started adding pumpkin to her diet. Since she has been getting her ‘salmon pops’ and eating kibble again more regularly – but never yet enthusiastically – she has continued with going 2-3 times a day and never in the morning anymore, curiously.]
Don’t get me wrong – I am happy to see stuff moving through regardless or quantity or frequency, but I read lots of posts where people discussed decreased stool volume and that has not been my personal experience either, so far.
You might also try adding canned pumpkin or frozen or fresh green beans to your dog’s food – that will provide fiber helping pull stuff through and also contributing to a feeling a fullness. It may make your dog poop even more though.
Dog treats can be a major culprit in weight gain, so you may want to switch to treating with toys/playing, smaller treats with healthier ingredients, carrot slices, bones for chewing or something like the Lickety Stik – a great liquid treat [in multiple flavors] with a roller ball dispenser [perfect for training and keeping pockets clean and smell-free]. There are hundreds of licks per bottle and it is super-low calorie – they claim only 1 calorie every 10 licks so you can still indulge your dog without extra/empty calories.

[rogerharris]

You can give her frozen green beans, diced cooked chicken breast. Plain cheeries and fave are also good to lose weight. Best idea to lose weight to do her exercise,
If your dog eat more low calories food, automatic lose weight.
I would like to tell you before doing any think you must concern with VET first.

[dogspotindia]

Royal Canin breed specific food which is specially designed for specific breed . Food kibbles and ingredients are tailor made for Dogs which help in maintaining ideal weight. It will also help in reducing the smell and size of poop.

[GizmoMom]

Royal Canin is a low quality food.

[theBCnut]

dogspotindia, don’t believe all the advertising you read. There is absolutely no reason anyone should need to feed supposed breed specific foods. Dogs intestines are not breed specific. And Royal Canin is lousy food.

[slvet2]

Try a home made diet using a carbohydrate source like rice or brown rice. This will slow down the GI tract and firm your dog up. Or use a commercial diet that has rice instead of grains or potatoes as a second choice. Great basic recipes can be found in How To Cook For Your Pet, c. 2009.
I don’t agree that Royal Canin or Hills are bad foods.

[theBCnut]

Well you believe in feeding dogs 2/3 of their food as rice, so I would guess that Hill’s would be right up your alley. I want better for my dogs than that.

[Shasta220]

For the weight – how much do you feed her? If she gets a daily walk and an extra 20-30m of any “vigorous” activity (fetch, jogging, etc), then her exercise is fine. Honestly I wouldn’t use a “light” food. I never have, and I never will. Even the great brands use fillers, which could contribute to her extra doo doos. Try going back to a regular quality variety, but feeding a bit less.

I will have to completely agree about Royal Canin. Breed-specific foods just irk me. Sure, there /could/ be a good theory behind that, as certain breeds will be prone to general health issues and nutritional needs… But every dog is different, and it really varies on his tummy, environment, and activity level. A food that will work perfectly for a Labrador might not work for my Lab.

[Leah12345]

Please keep us posted once you have tried the food for awhile with good results! My dog also poops a lot so I am “lurking” on these boards to try to find a quality food that causes less pooping – she is also allergic (itching) to grains and poultry. We had been using Fromm’s, but are changing even though it’s good food.

[robertdee]

Here’s the thing:

At the first glance it appears that there are a lot of things that cause weight gain in dogs, but the reality is that just like with humans it’s all about energy balance. Dogs gain weight simply because their daily caloric intake is greater than their daily caloric output. In simple terms they either eat too much or they don’t move enough.

There’s no dog food that will make your dog lean, but I would recommend you to look into supplements for example: http://bestdogremedies.com/product/w8-off-weight-loss-aid-for-dogs/

[Ray M]

I’m not concerned about the elimination portion of the conversation, but we have two Australian Shepherds, 17 months old, very active. Over the winter, the male has gained to a whopping 83 pounds. He is very fast, very agile, but you see no ribs, no indentation, and the vet says he has to lose 15 pounds. Put him on Hill’s RD Science Diet, and after reading about it, wish to change. The female is 58 pounds, and doesn’t need to lose weight, so we were sneaking in 1/2 cup Blue Buffalo food with her morning and evening cup. Since Bubba doesn’t act like he is starving, I have to swoop in after 15 minutes, and pick up the bowls because she will eat hers and then his, also. We are now putting one teaspoon of canned food spread around to tempt him, as he doesn’t like the Hill’s. We need to go weigh him, it’s been 3 weeks, we’ll be interested to see if he has lost an ounce. We have been giving them some canned green beans, then realized we needed to get the salt free. This morning, they had a few frozen green beans, and both liked them. I am thinking of changing to Wellness Core but needed guidance. We are in Montana, not a lot of choices in the Bitterroot. I see that you have Evanger on the list – have you READ why it was recalled, and about the owner being sued for stealing electricity and water, and threatening a witness in his case? I was sort of taken aback. We’ve been members for about 15 minutes now………

[InkedMarie]

Hi Ray,
I used Wellness Core reduced fat to help an obese dog we adopted lose almost half her weight. While I haven’t used it, I’ve read good reports from Annamaet Lean.
You’re on the Internet so you can buy any food online. My favorite places to order are Chewy.com, PetFlow.com and Wag.com. With your size dogs, you’ll be able to gret free shipping. Chewy has the best return policy, if you needed to use it.
I would not buy anything Evangers.

[Ray M]

Thank you! We found that we can get it at Aslin Finch here in Stevensville. It’s a 60 mile round trip to Missoula, so that is good news. Bubba hates the Hill’s RD Science Diet, and after reading about it, we understand why. Thank you so much for your quick response.
The part about Evangers that bothered me the most, when we found it to be so much less expensive by the can, was that the METAL DETECTOR at the plant had not caught some of the metal shavings from the tags on the chicken’s legs and so some got into the food! We were horrified that a dog food plant felt it even necessary to HAVE a metal detector, much less have it fail. The rest of the shady dealings from the owners made us feel that the brand should have been removed from the shelves. We’ll check and see our next trip.

[aquariangt]

I have a lot of clients who swear by precise light. One of our vets rev’s it, as well as a pet boutique that recently closed, and people started ordering their dog food from us. Haven’t tried it myself

[Cesar M]

Yes, high quality food is very helpful for loosing weight of dogs.

Thank you

[zcRiley]

Get Orijens. Switch slowly, decrease amount slowly. Lots of exercise (a walk around the block does not count). Add Nzymes for better food absorption. Don’t worry about the amount of poop, worry about what it looks like. Link: http://www.waltham.com/dyn/_assets/_pdfs/resources/FaecesQuality2.pdf

[Lynn J]

The easiest thing to do is to reduce the amount of food. My agility instructor told me my 34 lb border collie was a few pounds over weight. So instead of changing foods I just reduced everything. She gets fed twice a day so each meal went from 1/2 cup Orijen and 2 TB Grandma Lucy’s Purformance chicken as a topper (then rehydrated) to 1/3 cup Orijen and 1 TB Grandma Lucy’s. I upped the exercise a bit, and she has lost two pounds in just a couple of weeks. AND, the amount of poops has dropped as well. Other than being a bit more eager to eat her meals, she doesn’t seem overly stressed. Stay will high quality foods, no need to go to diet formulas for weight loss, IMHO.

[Adam D]

Had a similar issue with my 2yr old Border Collie, we started her on the wellness brand, she was good for a while but started having diarrhea 3-4 times a day, after talking to the vet they recommended just changing the flavour, so we switched to the core brand and again similar issue. She was still very active, full of energy, coat and teeth looked great, but she also couldn’t gain any weight as the food went right through her (was under weight according to the vet). While away for work one week she spent stayed with my parents and they feed there dog purina plus, and she really enjoyed it and became regular, I have kept her on it for the past 6 months and she enjoys the food, hasn’t had diarrhea since and actually gained weight. However her coat doesn’t look as shiny, she seems like she has lost energy. I am trying to find a middle ground here, I know the purina is a lower grade dog food but it accomplished getting her to the look healthy weight wise, and become regular, but obviously the ingredients are having some other effects, the wellness worked in some ways but not in others. Just looking for some suggestions from those with highly active dogs, and what is working for them.

[DogFoodie]

I was just browsing “weight loss” foods and found one that looks like it would be an excellent choice.

Petcurean Go! Fit + Free Senior. 32% protein, 14% fat and 4.5% fiber. 394 kcals / cup

Ingredients look excellent: Chicken meal, turkey meal, salmon meal, de-boned chicken, de-boned turkey, de-boned trout, potatoes, peas, tapioca, lentil beans, chickpeas, pea fibre, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), natural chicken flavour, whole dried egg, apples, duck meal, herring meal, flaxseed, salmon oil, alfalfa, de-boned duck, de-boned salmon, sweet potatoes, canola oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), coconut oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), potassium chloride, pumpkin, carrots, bananas, blueberries, cranberries, broccoli, spinach, alfalfa sprouts, blackberries, squash, papayas, pomegranate, glucosamine hydrochloride, dried chicory root, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Aspergillus niger fermentation product, dried Aspergillus oryzae fermentation product, L-carnitine, vitamins (vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, inositol, niacin, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (a source of vitamin C), d-calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, beta-carotene, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement), minerals (zinc proteinate , iron proteinate, copper proteinate, zinc oxide, manganese proteinate, copper sulphate, ferrous sulphate, calcium iodate, manganous oxide, selenium yeast), sodium chloride, taurine, New Zealand green mussels, yucca schidigera extract, chondroitin sulphate, dried rosemary, green tea extract, peppermint, parsley, rosehips, zedoary, dandelion, chamomile, ginger, fennel, tumeric, juniper berries, licorice, marigold extract, cardamom, cloves.

Here’s a link to the product on the Petcurean website: http://www.petcurean.com/for-dogs/go/fit-and-free-grain-free-senior

[Patricia W]

I’m new here and have been reading this with interest. I have a mini australian shepherd that needs to lose about 6 lbs. I’ve been fighting his weight loss for a couple years now. was feeding him Chicken Soup for the Soul weight management which is 20% protein and about 6% fat. I tried switching (very slowly) to Fat Dog, which is higher in protein and after a very short period he got pancreatitis and had to be hospitalized.

My vet was pretty sure it was the new dog food and told me it was important to keep fat low and beware of high protein foods for a dog with this disease. I’ve been very careful since then and put him back on the Chicken Soup. He is still overweight and so the vet put him on a prescription Iams. After a four month period he had only lost 1 lb. The vet food was very expensive so I went back to Chicken Soup weight management.

He has breathing issues and also a chronic limp that comes and goes, so exercise is not something I can push. He chases our border collies around the back yard, and goes on short walks, but if he starts limping, I have to curtail it until the leg heals. He has had the xrays, blood work, etc., and the vet is pretty convinced it is a bit of arthritis and we have to deal with it, giving pain meds if it is bad.

I’m interested in getting some opinions. Right now I give him 1/2 cup of dry and 1 tblsp of canned (iams) at each meal morning and night. I think I am feeding him too much, but he seems so hungry. The vet had me feed him 1/3 cup dry and 1 tblsp wet of the prescription food and he was hungry all the time, with only 1 lb loss.

I’m also very confused about the high protein comment for pancreatitis dogs early in this forum. My vet says NO on high protein and it seems to be a disagreement among the vet world. Any thoughts?

Thanks

[sarah c]

Hello there,

I would recommend my Skinny pet treats!! My dog can’t get enough of those treats!:) They come in a variety of flavors, her favorite is yogurt banana. Nothing artificial or preserved, and that’s what I love about it. Give it a try!

[Daniel P]

I don’t let my dog to eat Royal Canin. Some natural food will be better.

[Daniel P]

Would rather provide more vitamins and other nutrients to him, Such as D-Biotin.

[Candyce M]

I find the best way is to make your own healthy low calorie dog food. You know every ingredient is benefiting your pups well being and the only additives are love. 🙂

Be careful of the amount of treats you are feeding your dog as well as that can heavily contribute to how much he is pooping. 🙂

Good luck!

[Lazaro B]

My dog currently eats Natural Balance Fat Dogs because he was slightly overweight. The food has about 7 grams of fat per cup and has about 250 kcal per cup. He has lost weight, but I was wondering if I should switch him to Blue Buffalo weight management. I’ve read several comments about Blue Buffalo that it gave there dogs gas or they won’t buy it anymore because of loose stools. What is your take on blue buffalo weight management for small breeds? My dog is about 23-24 pounds Pom poodle mix. He is neutered and is 6 years old. At what age should I switch him to senior dog food? What is there recall history?

Thanks

[Anonymous]

Increase his exercise, long walks. Quality kibble will give a dog regular bowel movements. See “General Guidelines” in this link for homemade, you may find some helpful tips. http://www.homeovet.net/dynamic/php/downloads/dog-c8470f2c75dbe4b683205c3919ee2310/dog_diet_complete.pdf

I like Wysong senior for my old guy or Nutrisca salmon and chickpea.

[Claudia D]

I am a nutritionist and formulated a super treat for dogs after my own dog died suddenly from eating tainted treats. This also inspired me to write a book on food safety, ‘Eat Clean, Eat Safe” which is dedicated to my dog, Chubbs that perished.
I would suggest that for weight loss, you add in cooked vegetables for added bulk and satiety and less calories.
My Organic dog treats are “Organic Doggie T
reats” and are made from only 2 super foods,
organic whole chicken thigh and organic sweet potatoes, manufactured here in the US, using locally sourced ingredients. I know how Mike feels.

[Claudia D]

I am a nutritionist and formulated a super treat for dogs after my own dog died suddenly from eating tainted treats. This also inspired me to write a book on food safety, ‘Eat Clean, Eat Safe” which is dedicated to my dog, Chubbs that perished.
I would suggest that for weight loss, you add in cooked vegetables for added bulk and satiety and less calories.
My Organic dog treats are “Organic Doggie Treats” and are made from only 2 super foods,
organic whole chicken thigh and organic sweet potatoes, manufactured here in the US, using locally sourced ingredients. I know how Mike feels.

[Sue V]

Try one of the dog foods with lower fiber. Mine can’t tolerate more than 3% fiber content. I like Taste of the Wild grain free lamb formula dry(330 kcal/cup) and Wellness Chicken Stew (wet).

[Raffy W]

I do agree that Royal Canin is a low quality food.

[Authority R]

If you have quickly want to loose your weight without help of any exercise so you read about a best weight loss supplement that is very useful for you.

[Razib P]

Good discussion.

[jack h]

vitamins and amino acid are important to dogs.
such as D biotin
and D panthenol

[Clarence K]

Nice to know about all this.

[Author]

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