i have a 1.5 old yellow lab who should ideally weigh around 55- 60lbs. Instead she weighs around 75 and is quite plump. She gets 2 cups of food per day. Until she was spayed in April she was a pretty slim dog who got 3.5 cups a day, but since being spayed has been cut down to 2. Would it be safe to cut her down to 1.5 or should I consult a vet before cutting her back that much? I know it's normal for a dog to gain weight after being spayed but she doesn't seem to be losing any weight despite having been on 2 cups for 4 months now. How much do you feed your labs?
Hi there, that's quite a large gain. Is it worth a trip to the vet just to exclude anything else medical ? Meg didn't gain after spaying but I have been careful with treats etc. I guess each food is different so she gets less than they advise...I always figure they want you to over feed and buy more ! How much excercise does she gets...Meg gets loads of off lead free running so I think that keeps the weigh off her ...good luck
She's gained this much over the course of a year so that's less alarming than a couple of months. It's concerning though because she doesn't have the greatest hips. She has a fencd in backyard that she runs around and plays in with our other dogs every day. She's also had blood work done and her kidneys checked because she has polydiosia which was determined to be psychological (she's a pretty sensitive dog), but I guess it wouldn't hurt to take her back and get her looked at specifically for weight gain! It actually is fairly normal for females to gain some weight after being spayed but I don't know how normal it is for them to not lose any weight after being but on a diet. She gets Simply Nourish weight management
Welcome from Hattie 9 years and rescue boy Charlie 6 years. I agree with the advice above. Do you give your girl any treats in between her meals as a lot of them contain lots of sugar and fat? A vet trip is the first step. The amount of exercise on/off lead is very relevant. My two get lots of off lead so they stay very trim. What's her name? x
What are the protein, fat and kcal/cup of the food she eats? Maybe a food with some lower numbers would allow you to feed the same amount but cut down on the weight at the same time? When I was rotating three foods I found a very small difference in kcal/cup made a change I could see in my dog in one week of feeding the lower number food. I'm in Canada, if you are in the UK maybe someone could say what the units used on your food are.
My two boys who are 30kg each, have one and a half mugs of kibble a day with a little tinned meat on top and a few titbits during the day. They are tall dogs and slim.
You say it's normal for dogs to gain weight after being spayed, but normal doesn't mean inevitable. If a dog gains weight, it's just because they're taking on more calories than they're burning. In the case of after spaying, it's because of the hormonal changes that change the metabolism. So, yes, go and get her checked by your vet to rule out other issues, but, if there are none, it's simply a case of her eating less or moving more. There's no reason whatsoever that she can't get back to the same weight she was before. My bitch was spayed and is still very slim and fit, with a fabulous waist and tuck-up.
My female only put weight in as she got really old. I just managed her food intake by eye, if she looked less tucked up I lower her intake until she was back to her normal shape. she had a fighting weight of 23kg but its a but more now as due to age related health problems she doesn't get much exercise now. I can't lower her intake anymore as I think it would 've unkind, my vet is helping me with this problem.
It is a real challenge managing the weight in older Labradors, especially neutered and with age related heath niggles. We mix and match with the same food company which offer a range for our dogs. The low fat range is around 8% fat and useful to get the odd half kg off without too much reduction in amounts. I added a bit of tasty wet food as it's less calorie dense plus a low fat fish chew right after tea to help them feel satisfied. The brand I use is Millies Wolfheart. Interesting, I can't feed the low fat version to my unsprayed 1 year bitch as the weight just melts of her!
Cooper is a big (not fat Lab) at 85# but she only gets about 2.75 cups per day. Our older lab who weighs 65# only gets slightly less than 2 cups/day,
Mine was fine until she got the heart murmur. Bizarrely I fed her the same as you down to the fish skin chew she just can't get about much without getting out of breathe now
What other excercise does she get...playing in the backyard is good but is pretty routine for her...does she get any other opportunities to burn energy...long walks ...off lead running ? I think that's what can break the cycle as well as eating less ? I don't think it has to be normal to gain weight after being spayed. Meg didn't with a few tweaks to her routine
Hi @Yellowlab1 My old girl put a massive amount of weight on when she was being treated for a tumour in her head. She was on 10 steroids a day plus other meds. The vet recommend Hills metabolic, over the past year she's lost 10kg and now the vet is ecstatic with her 32kg. I'd recommend to anyone who's dog is obese and can't exercise a lot. As a treat we soak the kibble and fill bones/kongs with it and freeze. Taking it off her daily allowance. Our young lab was spayed 3 months ago and we have cut her food down by about 1/3. She's of a pure working line, very slight and currently weighs 22kg at 10 months. We watch her weight by the sight and feel test. A bit thin and increase her food, a bit fatter, reduce it. Take her to the vet for a once over and ask their advice. Good luck!
What about raw carrots for a treat? I do whole carrots in small pieces for all 3 of my dogs. Seems to clean the teeth a bit. They love them, bits come out in the poo so I don't know how much is actually digested. Lol! We maybe a bit odd but they also like raw broccoli, asparagus, potatoes.... And I plant a cherry tomato plant just for Rex and Fudge to nibble in the garden. I know to eat the stuff up high. My 15 year old gets 2 cups senior a day and lots of carrots and she stays at 49 pounds with her limited excersize. My 2 year old gets just under 4 cups and he stays at 72... Lots of excersize! Good luck!
My boy weighs in at 40 kilos , he gained a couple of kilos due, I think, to the prednisolone he took as treatment for his lymphoma , but he doesn't carry any fat , he is just a very big dog, muscular and big boned . I only give him treats such as fish skin types , watch his carb intake . He enjoys two good meals every day, mix of some kibble , raw meat or fish and lightly cooked broccoli and carrots . He also adores fruit , regularly eating apple , banana and grazing on blackberries in season . Good luck to you !
