Max is 9 years and heavy! Having liver problems changed to cooked chicken sweet potatoes no salt green beans and was doing great! Getting costly we have 4 beagles also! Trying to find the best dry food for him! Any ideas? We are trying no grain and not loosing any weight. Looking for the best to start feeding him! Thanks love our boy Max!
yes their vet dog food is $78.00 for 17 lbs! Or grain free dog food of some kind! Been on Rachael Ray not loosing weight. Trying to find another brand to try! Any info would be great!
I am no canine nutritionist...and agree is a minefield with all the new trendy dog foods on the market! A good quality kibble with a high meat content should be fine, you can always take the list of ingredients and check with your vet. I always read the first 3-5 ingredients carefully, the first two should ideally be a named meat (not animal meal unless specific protein source is stated )and state percentages..so if the main ingredient is turkey..well what percentage is turkey? A single novel protein is good if your dog suffers any food intolerances. I am a bit sceptical if a company base their whole marketing campaign on being grain free though! They are more likely to be intolerant to chicken and beef than wheat. All that being said carbs = calories, and in essence, you need to simply reduce calories. Potatoes, rice, rice flour are still calories! This is an example of clear ingredients on a pack of dry kibble: 1. Freshly Prepared Turkey (38%), 2. Dried Turkey (31%), 2. Sweet Potato (14%), 4. Chick Pea Flour, 5. Tapioca, Turkey Fat (4%), Turkey Gravy (2%) Metabolisable Energy 366 Kcal/100g - so I know that the ME is 366 actual calories per 100g. This gives me a starting point. Then you need to measure out every single meal. I have a bit of tape stuck on a measuring cup to makes things easy for me (and my husband!) I do empathise though, it is much harder to maintain a healthy weight on an older labrador, than a young one. I have an almost 10-year boy, with joint and back problems, so I know how difficult it can be, because of joint issues it is important to keep him at just below his ideal cruising weight. We use a premium kibble, and also a mixture of home cooked and raw. Plus he has a lot of home-cooked green leafed veggies, sometimes in a meat broth or mixed with a tin of sardines, he loves that! He only has approximately 60% of what my other dogs eat, and sometimes even less. I don't even look at the packaging, because according to the manufacturer I would be starving him! So I disregard package guidelines and work on how he looks. Of course, if a dog needs to lose a lot of weight, then I take a far more gradual approach. Some of the fosters we have had needed a good 2 - 3kg to lose! There are some good comparison food sites, have a look at them, and try for a 5 star, if your pocket can afford it. Look at calorie amounts per 100g, and try for a higher meat/protein content if possible. You also mention liver problems, are his enzymes a little high? I wondered if he is on any medications, as these can push levels up a bit. Hope this helps!
If your dog needs to lose weight but isn't on his current food allowance he is receiving too many calories and/or not enough exercise. Changing food won't necessarily make much difference if he is receiving too many calories. It would be a good idea to sit down and work out how many calories he is receiving in a day in total (food + all treats) and then look up how many calories a day he should be receiving for his ideal weight. What weight has the vet suggested he should be? You can then reduce food (calorie intake) and he will lose weight.
Are you sure you want to feed him only dry dog food ? I would suggest a mix, you could read this article, it may help you. *edited: to remove link
