[rainisdog]

Hey!
I have a 7yr old chihuahua daschund mix who is about 15 pounds. I am currently feeding her Orijen Fish 1/3 cup twice a day with about 5 chicken jerky treats a week. I can tell the extra weight on her is slowing her down and she looks uncomfortable. For awhile she was doing great going on walks but lately she doesn’t want to go far. While I am going to continue walking with her, I want to give her the best food or combinations of foods possible to help her loose weight. I don’t think raw is an option but I have been looking into dehydrated/ dried foods, I am just unsure of what to look for. I think high fiber and protein with low fat and carbs? If that is correct (and using this website as a guide) what % are high/low? Should I focus more on high protein or fiber or low fat? I would really appreciate any help or suggestions!

[pugmomsandy]

I would just focus on the lower carb part and stick with above-average protein and average/above average fat. Low fat is not absolutely necessary for weight loss. What size are the jerky treats? Maybe you can cut down on those too or you need to reduce the food by the amount of jerky she gets. You can also just reduce the amount your serving of Orijen and you can feed Orijen to the puppy. My 23-24 lb pugs get 2/3 cup of kibble a day. Maybe she’s just eating too much. And at 7 yrs, that’s not old!!

[InkedMarie]

I adopted a dog years back who came to us obese. We used Wellness Core’s Reduced fat to help her lose the weight.

[BryanV21]

Normally my response to questions regarding weight loss mention lowering carbohydrates, and feeding a food with more meat/animal-based proteins, based on the fact that a dog’s system is designed for digesting animal-based proteins moreso than carbs.

However, you’re feeding a food that I’d normally think was good. So perhaps we need to take another step and look at the calorie content of the food, along with possibly adding a supplement. What you can do is try the Pacifica from Acana, which is the sister brand of Orijen, as both are made by Champion Pet Foods out of Canada. The Pacifica is 421 kcal/cup, where as 6 Fish is 480 kcal/cup.

You can also try adding pumpkin or green beans, and cut back on the food a bit. The pumpkin and green beans should add minimal calories, without any added, but will “bulk up” the feeding. Now, you don’t want to cut back on too much food, as you still want to give your pup enough of the vitamins and minerals that a full diet provides.

[pugmomsandy]

I always put the pugs (mine and fosters, 16-30 lbs) at around 350 calories!! And that’s with walking and playing around and chasing, not just laying around being pugs! That’s usually around 2/3 cup of kibble with room for treat calories. And I use food as treats so they’re still getting balanced nutrition and I can count the calories. Or they can get 1/3 cup of kibble and the other meal as freeze dried nuggets or canned foods. It varies.

[rainisdog]

Thank you for you your input! I thought i was feed on the low end, but seeing as how Rain doesn’t play very much I will cut back some and try the pumpkin (have tried the greens beans with no luck in the past).
I heard a supplement by Nuro was good, or is there one you would suggest?
I will definitely look into Pacifica and Wellness,is high fiber better than low? also would a dehydrated/ freeze dried diet be helpful for weight loss?
i appreciate y’all taking the time to help me!

[pugmomsandy]

The amount of fiber can affect the consistency of the stool and may or may not help with the feeling of fullness. (Pugs are never full!) As for freeze dried, you still should find a low carb food just like you would kibble and still watch their calories. My dogs seem to like any kind of freeze dried. Same with dehydrated – low carb. This takes more time as you have to add water and wait. Canned foods generally speaking have more meat than kibble and can be lower in carbs than kibble. My newest foster that’s on a diet is getting only canned food or raw food. He’s lost 5 lbs in 1 month.

[Shawna]

Hi Rainisdog ~~ no, high fiber is not as good.. Actually higher fiber does make the pup feel better but it also causes nutrient loss. Fiber prevents certain minerals from being absorbed. Like Sandy, I’ve had the best luck (with my foster dogs) feeding above average protein, moderate fat and low carbs. I even add high protein canned food as a topper to up the protein even more. My Papillon lost 15 pounds on a diet like this.

I rotate as well so my Pap was getting a variety of foods — Orijen, Brothers, Acana, Nature’s Variety Instinct etc. Even now, at 14 pounds she only gets 1/4 cup per meal with a teaspoon of canned. Any more than that and she gains weight. I only give treats when I leave the house and then only give a treat about the size of a dime or less.

Mimi, my once obese Pap, was 6 when she came to us and started her diet.

[Shawna]

PS — Dehydrated and Freeze dried are healthier in my opinion but you have to be very careful as many are WAY TOO high in carbs and fat.

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