just got back from vets and he did Tilly anal glands again was rolling about on the floor for 15 min holding her down. He said they were ok he was uming and arring about putting her on put antibiotics but he decided it would heal better on its own. Then he said to prevent it put more roughage in her diet and that she needs to lose weight because she is 32 kilo and should be 27 he said broccli sweet potatoe etc is perfect but I've been working on her weight for months he said it wasn't muscle don't know what else to do her food has been cut down if I cut it down anymore she won't get her nutrients!
You need to cut her food down. Just cut her food down by a third, and if she starts to look better, then keep going. If she doesn't start to look better, then cut it down again. I don't understand your comments about nutrients. A dog doesn't have to over eat in order to get enough nutrients. But if you are worried about that then speak to your vet about whether she needs any supplements while her diet is restricted. (I bet he says no, just cut down her food. )
She gets a small cup of dry food then at night brown rice veg sweet potatoe but she's really active too we go on hour and a half walks nearly every day but time will tell I suppose
It's tough but if you've got a good "do-er" then you just need to feed her less and harden your heart to the pleading eyes. I agree with Julie, reduce by a third and see how you get on. Keep reminding yourself it will be so much better for her in the long run. Good luck!!
My entire male dog - he weighs around 29kgs, sometimes 0.5kg more or less - who spends every chance he gets running round like a loon, and goes out for between 2 to 3 hours a day, with active training, gets 100g a day. And most days I'll cut this down to 80g if he's had training treats or kongs. The bag says, for a 30kg dog who is slim and active, he should get 500g a day....300g if he is overweight (which he isn't).
Ah, I feel for you.... she'll tell you that she is starving and it will feel hard. But you absolutely need to do what the vet says. Harden your heart. You really need to do this, because you love your girl. Good luck, and let us know how you get on..... we're here to support you when it feels tough!
All Labs are 'starving' all the time! My Tatze is on a diet again as she should be 26kg and has crept up to 27kg. I cut her food by a third and treats are out except low-cal treats. (Fish cubes, carrots, filled bones or kongs from her food allowance - three of these a day. It works! Would that it were so easy to lose my own extra kilos!!
Feels like forever though I'm doing everything I can is their no weight loss pills for dogs ? I'm going again Ina months time for a check up anal glands and booster so hopefully she will have lost more weight
Feeling for you... it's tough! There is some excellent advice above, but isn't it hard to keep cutting the food down? I love to see slim labradors - they look lithe and healthy, whereas some of the really porky labradors just look unhappy. But they're certainly food-centric... mine only have to hear a chopping noise on a board in the kitchen to wake from the deepest slumber, and be sitting prettily and very alert at my feet! Our two (4 next month) arrived with us in February several kilos overweight (36.5kg and 34.5kg). Initially we fed them a high-quality kibble, but that didn't seem to shift the pounds, though, reading Julie T's post above I can see that, although we reduced the amount from what was recommended, I was still overfeeding. For various reasons we then made the decision to move them to raw feeding (about six weeks or so ago) and it's made a huge difference to Anna, and a good difference to Bella (the larger lazy one!) Their renewed joie-de-vivre is wonderful to see. Their stamina when they joined us mid-February was low, and their joints stiff and clearly painful. We use Nutraquin or Seroquin daily, cod liver oil and 450g of raw food per dog per day, giving raw carrot or buffalo lung as treats, but taking this into account in the day's rations. Anna's stamina and running is fantastic now, and, when Bella wants to, she can really move (more of a fast lumber, in truth!), much more so than a few months ago. The weights are now 34.5kg (Bella) and 31.6kg (Anna). Clearly there is room for further improvement, but we are taking it steadily, and aiming for even sleeker girls by September. We walk them generally for around 1.5 hours a day, sometimes a bit longer, but they have a big garden to play in, so there's that exercise as well. Last week we were in the woods, and were stunned to see the girls effortlessly scamper up the steepest incline (20m high) to reach the golf course above, and then shimmy down with ease when they'd finished their mooch, something that they'd never have been able to do only a few weeks ago. So we are resolved to keep on with the good work! I had hoped for my own waistline to be slimmer now than it is, given the extra exercise I'm having as well... suspect it's something to do with that large glass of wine !
how much food to give her how many grams etc not really good with measurements she usually just had a full cup with is about 4-5 inches long lol
I'd suggest just cut it down by (say) a quarter. If you don't see improvement in a week, cut it down again. Keep going until you begin to see the difference. Does that sound right to others (who all know more than me!)?
@laurenxo, it can be very confusing! Check what the daily guidelines are on the bag and as the others have said reduce this amount by a third. I feed Maisie Skinners Field and Trial - the bag says for her weight she should have 260-400g a day! I only feed her 200g a day, 100g in the morning and 100g in the evening. You need to make the reduction and see what effect it has, if there is no significant weight loss then reduce again. Maisie is very active, if she starts to look too "ribby" I just increase for a few days.
If you normally give her a full cup, give her 2/3rds of that, and if she doesn't start to lose weight, give her half. If you have changed her food, then you will have to calculate what calories she was getting before, and convert that to the new food, and cut that down by 1/3rd.
@laurenxo I would have thought reducing the third over the course of a few days would be better and not make her feel like she is starving all at once, she might be less likely to notice. I would do it that way only because I am so soft . I use Skinners Salmon & Rice. Charlie gets about 450g per day, he weighs 32kg but he is 27" to the withers and muscular, Hattie is just under 25kg and she gets about 300g both are split into two meals. I think it really depends on your dogs build. Charlie can drop weight overnight so I have to be careful. Hattie remains a steady weight. They are both very active dogs. Good luck!
