# What should I give my fat dog?



## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

Dozer is becoming ridiculously fat. A couple of weeks ago I had him weighed and he was a whopping 195 lbs. Today I had him weighed and he was 200!

When I first started him on full time raw in January, I was giving him about 3 1/2 pounds. That is 2% for a dog weighing 175 lbs. Then, I went down to 3 lbs. I got the vet lecture, nothing I didn't already know. I guess even though I know he is much too large, seeing him every day made me blind to how bad he was really getting. 

They get no treats and no human food. The only treats Dozer gets is at the vets because they want to give him biscuits to make him happy and make it positive. 

I don't get it. I walk them EVERYDAY (with few exceptions). I used to walk them 3-4 times a week and the last month or so has been 6-7 times a week. 

SO I am forced to further cut his food down. I am going to about 2 lbs. 


Anyone have any suggestions on what else I should do?

Anything I can give him to make him feel full. Today was the first day I only fed 2 lbs. He was looking for the rest of his meal and double checking the other dogs' bowls once I left him off of his tie out. I feel bad but I would feel worse if he died early. 

Thanks.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Is he supposed to weigh 175? 

Rebel was the same way. i could not keep weight off of him and I was feeding 1 percent or less. He was 105 and getting one pound per day. And his weight was always between 104-110, up to 118 at one point.

Really, the only thing that changed was when we moved here and he started running the pastures. He lost 10 pounds right away. But before all the exercise it was impossible to get him to lose weight.

I wonder if Dozer could do a Kong with something frozen in it, to keep him busy but getting something to eat at the same time.


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## twoisplenty (Nov 12, 2008)

A friend of mine breeds Leonberger's and she only feeds her 195lb male 2lbs per day. Anything more than that am he puts on the weight. Her females only get 1.5lbs per day and let me tell you they arent skinny, lol.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Cut down on red meat, and feed a lot of chicken and turkey which is less calorie dense. Then when you have his weight where you would like it, keep the red meat down to the least that you can feed a dog his weight without him gaining the weight. That is how I would get my guys to lose weight if I needed to.


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## Makovach (Jan 24, 2012)

I just went through all of this with Nalah. She was 105lbs, and that made her over 40lb over weight. She was been eating 1% of her body weight (the 65lbs that she should be) a day. Did she like it? No, she looked for food and checked bowls and acted like she is starving. Once she was down to 68lbs, I started giving her 1.5% of 65lbs She is now maintaining on that 1.5% and I don't think I will ever be able to give him much more than that because she gains when she has any more. When she starts getting fattier more nutrient dense foods like beef heart and pork shoulder, she will probably have to go down to 1% again. Its just something I feel I will have to play with to keep her at a healthy weight.

Nalah is 65lbs. She eats 1lb (1.5%) a day. Tucker is 65lbs. He eats 2.5lbs (3.5%) a day. Annie is 65lbs. She eats 1.5 lbs (2.5%) All three are boxers. All three need to be around 65lbs. Dogs are like people, some need more/less than the one that is the same type and size as the other. Nalah is one that needs less, Tucker is one that needs more. Annie is one that is about average.

If he should be 175 and he is currently 200lbs, I would give him 1% of 175lbs which is 1 3/4lbs a day until he starts to loose weight and gets closer to his goal weight. He may never eat more than that or he could need 1.5% (2lbs 6oz) or anywhere in between or above that. 

Some times Nalah likes to get her food frozen because it takes her longer to eat it. I think this helps satisfy her want to keep eating when it takes her a longer time to eat it. 

It may also help if he has more leaner meats like rabbit chicken and turkey more often than richer red meats like beef/pork/lamb.

It is a long process, but it is so worth it. When a dog is visibly fat, that means they are internally fat as well  With Nalah this scared me more than anything because it makes her heart work harder as well as the rest of her organs. She was tiered faster because of the strain on her organs. She was over heating faster ect. 

Has he ever been checked for thyroid?


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

i was just going to ask about thyroid.

some dogs, like humans, have a slower metabolism...bubba does. poor thing exercises every day yet can only eat 5 ounces per day.

i don't dare tell him that other dogs his size get like 8 oz per day 

i would do what is suggested....put him on 2 lbs per day, taking him down slowly, so as not to upset his system.....and he will lose weight.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

we also did what whiteleo suggested...we fed less rich foods.....to get his weight down.


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## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

Oh my gosh, thanks everyone! I love the response time here. 

Also, I have had some wine so I love everybody. I am celebrating. LOL

I will do just that. i will start giving him more chicken and less red meat. I will keep him around 2 lbs. for now and see what happens. If nothing changes, i will decrease it a little bit. I do feed him a lot of frozen stuff but he powers through it and it doesn't take him long at all. LOL

He must have a slow metabolism. I see a lot of overweight mastiffs, I wonder if its a breed thing? Hmmm. 


Thank you again for your suggestions!


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

200 lbs! DAMN!

I would definitely second (third?) the 2lbs a day and chicken meat.


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## SaharaNight Boxers (Jun 28, 2011)

I just found that Mastiffs do have a problem with hypothyroidism sometimes. I would get his thyroid levels checked.


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

When my collie girl needed to lose a ton we fed chicken, turkey and rabbit. She also got a lot of lung with the fat removed. She loved the lung and I could give her more because it was so puffy textured and it is low calorie. I also floated smaller cuts in water so she drank a lot and felt fuller after a meal. She was still ravenous but that settled as she started losing weight. She still only gets about 1.5% for food.  But she looks fantastic and she seems to feel great to.


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## mischiefgrrl (Oct 28, 2010)

If he's getting 3lbs now I'd cut it to 2.5lbs rather than 2lbs. A whole pound is a drastic cut for a dog. Tanis also held onto his weight when we first went to raw because he was getting a lot of red meat. He now gets mostly chicken with beef once or twice a week. 

Also, I feed it to him frozen so it takes him a while. When he gets fresh he gobbles it in a few seconds then looks around like "Is that it?" Frozen takes him about 10 minutes and he's satisfied.


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## BeagleCountry (Jan 20, 2012)

In addition to changing the diet as suggested consider increasing his exercise. Go for 1 hour walks 2-3 times per day. Pick up the pace. Walk fast. Jog. This may mean that it is just you and Dozer on these get fit walks with him on a lead. 

Work on his obedience training for 15 minutes several times per day. Sit. Down. Stand. Stay. This uses energy. Do it over and over in no particular order because you do not want him to anticipate the command. 

Practice placing a muzzle on him while at home and on walks. Let him get used to the feel and accept some tugging/hand bumping on it. Reward good behavior with praise, praise, praise. If needed, use food from his meals for treats.

Practice doing all of the things done at a vet clinic. Being touched from one end of his body to the other, trimming nails, lifting a leg, being touched with unfamiliar objects. Focus on anything he does not like you or the vet staff to do.

I seem to recall that the vet clinic is within walking distance. If so, walk to the vet 1-2 times per week. The purpose is to weigh him which should be free, and to get him used to the clinic and staff. Let them know what you are doing in advance. Limit the first few visits to going in and weighing him with no staff interaction other than him seeing you causally visiting with them. Make it upbeat, fun. Then, have staff (it can be a receptionist) approach with limited interaction. Have them give him a reward from his dinner for good behavior. Follow up with staff petting/stroking/touching him, praising and working toward allowing himself to be examined. Keep the visits short. As he progresses go into an exam room. Stay a few minutes, make it pleasant, then leave. Next visit, ask a staff member to repeat the touching. Practice using a muzzle in all parts of the building that are accessible to you. Set him up for success. Always stop on a positive before he misbehaves. In other words, give him the opportunity to know, like and trust the people at the vet clinic. This should advance to the point where there can be a well baby visit when the vet does little more than touch and interact with Dozer which will help prepare him for a real vet visit. If necessary, talk with the vet about prescribing a tranquilizer that is to be given before you leave home for a real vet visit.

If possible get him out around more people. Go for on lead walks in parking lots, near a shopping area. Visit friends and family. Sometimes with and sometimes without the muzzle. This will allow him to learn to trust more people and not anticipate that going somewhere, or having the muzzle is a bad thing.


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## creek817 (Feb 18, 2012)

Everyone else has really great suggestions, and most have more experience than me, but I'll chime in anyway.

Nobody jump on me (I know y'all won't unlike that facebook group! haha) BUT - I know we all feed PMR, and no veggies or anything, which I am completely for, and agree with, but.....I did know someone once who fed her overweight dog string beans to make him feel fuller. They don't get anything out of it, as we know, and go straight through them, but I don't think they could hurt him at all, and would give some extra bulk to his food to make him feel fuller.....just a thought!

And, now that you have two months till you start work again, I think lots of extra Dozer walks would be a great idea! What about a treadmill? I know he's not big on water, but anywhere you could take him and get him to swim? Swimming is awesome exercise, and not hard on joints, which would be a bonus for a dog as big as him!


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

creek817 said:


> Everyone else has really great suggestions, and most have more experience than me, but I'll chime in anyway.
> 
> Nobody jump on me (I know y'all won't unlike that facebook group! haha) BUT - I know we all feed PMR, and no veggies or anything, which I am completely for, and agree with, but.....I did know someone once who fed her overweight dog string beans to make him feel fuller. They don't get anything out of it, as we know, and go straight through them, but I don't think they could hurt him at all, and would give some extra bulk to his food to make him feel fuller.....just a thought!
> 
> And, now that you have two months till you start work again, I think lots of extra Dozer walks would be a great idea! What about a treadmill? I know he's not big on water, but anywhere you could take him and get him to swim? Swimming is awesome exercise, and not hard on joints, which would be a bonus for a dog as big as him!


why would anyone jump on you.... you're such a nice person. 

i think your suggestions are great.....and i can see feeding watery veggies during this time of weight loss.

the thing about green beans, though...they are gas producers, so she could be trading one issue for another.....and dozer's such a cute HUGE dog, it would take an entire costco bag full of green beans LOL

i'm teasing but i'd be more concerned about the gassiness of green beans than whether or not the dog was full.

Tiff, i don't know that this is a breed thing. bubba's built like a stocky little trucker, yet Kat's Ruby is slender and most of the pugs i see that are not overfed are lean......he is all muscle but if i don't watch his intake, he gains easily....so i think it's a bubba and dozer thing.


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## bully4life (Aug 9, 2010)

Less food !!


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## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

BeagleCountry: The problem with walking him to the vet (albeit, a great suggestion) is that I would have to walk him on a very busy road with not much room to walk. If he was a tiny dog, there might be room and I could just pick him up if things got hairy. Well, Dozer takes up SPACE. LOL. It would not be safe to walk him there. Plus, I don't want to use that vet anymore anyways. I did not appreciate their attitude so they are not getting my money. 

Right now, We are truckless. This means I can not transport him anywhere. I know I should have worked with him on his vehicle manners (he is a maniac in the truck, bouncing around, barking his head off, 'chasing' the cars). It would not be safe to put him in a car. Also, he would barely fit in a car. We do have a truck but it is out of commission for now. I think that is why he is undersocialized. He doesn't get out much. Maybe once Gary gets his truck back into working condition, I will take him out more. I am just nervous because unlike my other two dogs, I can not predict his behaviors. He is an angel and then a demon and I never know when. 
Maybe I will take him to Petco and fit him for a muzzle? Hmmm. 

Re, I think it just might be a Bubba and Dozer problem. LOL. I don't want to have to give Dozer 30 pounds of carrots a week! (LOL). What about cucumbers? He needs a healthy snack. 

Creek, I think I am going to see if he will swim. There is a small creek by my house. I might take him there more often now that he has proved he will get in it (I posted a picture to prove it. LOL). I will have to be prepared to go in with him though because he forgets I am there because he is having fun. But playing in the water sounds like a great idea.

I got his blood work results back. Everything they checked for (liver and kidney function, blood sugar, thyroid, etc.) was normal. YAY! This means him being fat is 100% my fault. LOL. Sooooo....diet (less food and mostly poultry) and exercise (more walks, water time, more training, possible field trips) and we shall see. I think I will take a leaf out of Makovach's book and start documenting and progress. Taking before pictures is depressing. LOL


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

just out of curiousity, why for does he need snacks?

but in answer to your question, you're better off giving him cukes which are watery than anything else. very low in sugar too.


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## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

No I guess he doesn't "need" snacks. I have cut all treats out of their diet except an occasional (and I mean like one treat every two weeks) for when we practice obedience or something random. I just feel bad for cutting down his food. He is trying to eat leftover rib bones in the yard now (so I guess its time to clean the yard up again). He never eats those bones so I know the tub is hungry. LOL. 

What in the world is a cuke????


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## SaharaNight Boxers (Jun 28, 2011)

Cucumber maybe? 

I definitely wouldn't give any large dog green beans. They are gas producing which can lead to bloat.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

sorry. cuke is short for cucumber. 

i know my dogs got over the snack thing, but then i don't do obedience training with them.

they do get their connectin (joint support) as a treat after exercise, along with their fish oil cap.

and daily they get either coconut oil or olive oil or emu oil.....and it's counted in with their food. 

even the organ they get is used as a 'treat'.....he gains weight so easily


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## Makovach (Jan 24, 2012)

wolfsnaps88 said:


> I think I will take a leaf out of Makovach's book and start documenting and progress. Taking before pictures is depressing. LOL


This was a big thing for me. Seeing her everyday, I don't notice the difference because it is so gradual. Looking at pictures, I can easily see the difference. I recommend top and side views


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## creek817 (Feb 18, 2012)

magicre said:


> why would anyone jump on you.... you're such a nice person.
> 
> i think your suggestions are great.....and i can see feeding watery veggies during this time of weight loss.
> 
> ...



That's a good point Re- I didn't think about the gas issue haha. Oh well =)


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

that's what i'm doing with bubba, taking vids of him on the treadmill...that way i can see the top and side and also see the muscles...


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