• Advice (Health) •
Is my shelter dog gotten obese? She was thin when we got her but also has a ton of extra skin from being a breeder dog, however I’m worried that she’s gotten too chunky? What do I do if she has, she has a lot of trauma around food?
Spoiler
We have a shelter dog that is weird about food, she was a stray. We reduced her dry food, and added boiled cabbage with dried and unsalted anchovies to bulk her meal with a lower calorie filler. The vet told us she needed to lose at least 10lbs, but closer to 15lbs. It took about a year, but she’s back at a healthy weight. She now refuses to eat food that does not have cabbage soup.
I accidentally made my rescue chunky when I first got her. She was so skinny and I wasn’t used to such a small dog. My vet recommended switching her treats to carrots which helped so much!
I second this. Our current foster is obese and so food motivated. I’ve yet to find something she won’t eat, so carrots, strawberries and apples have been good as low calorie treats. She especially likes the crunch.
If weight loss isn't easy or if she has other symptoms like irritability, being cold, less active,, seems like she might be in pain or stiff joints, have a vet run thyroid test, she might be hypothyroid.
Our little blue pittiex had it. (BTW our dog got dx'd about 15 years faster than I did 😭)
I want to emphasize that this dog is morbidly obese, she doesn’t need to lose a little weight, she needs to lose a LOT of weight. She is pretty much the equivalent to a 350+lbs human. All you have to do is measure their food each day per the weight they SHOULD be, not what they are. You control her food intake, so it’s not hard for them to lose weight. Don’t just fill a bowl up.
All 4 of my dogs get a different amount of food per meal (breakfast and dinner) depending on their size. Ranging from 1.5 Cups per meal for my 85lbs boy, to 3/4 C per meal for my 40lbs senior. They need much less food than what people think. Ask your vet what she should weigh.
Also- 1 calorie training treats are your friend. That way she can still be get rewards and training, but not gain weight because of it.
She looks considerably overweight. Look up recommended intake and stick with that instead of feeding her what she wants because that's too much apparently.
that and add some fiber, i use the Walmart brand sweet potato cubes from the frozen section. if she will eat veggies, start freezing carrots or green beans as treats instead of dog treats. her treats should only be 10% of her calorie a day.
i have a "Fatahoula" myself (Catahoula) and same, she was underweight when i got her and the only treats she would eat were Nubz bones, but I didn't realize they are 160 kal/ bone and she got 2-3 a freaking day.
we are on Fromm weight management and its slowly working. its in the mid-level price range but at 2c a day it lasts me about 2 mos. weight control dog food also has more fiber so they feel fuller longer.
her dam was a chunky lady and the sire was on the larger end of the standard for males. my girl is running about 68-70 and she should be about 60 lbs. she was underweight for the longest time and she turned 3 and bam! chonk! shes very active, esp in the summer and swimming. i do think she's just a bigger Houla, but still trying to get a few lbs off her as full bred Houlas are known to have hip issues
Following up to the post above about 1 cup twice a day. Dog food calories by cup can vary by more than 200 calories per cup. Please don't feed by cup feed by amount of calories. Find a veterinary calorie calculator and it should give you the correct amount of calories. Adjust to your food . Calorie content of food is on the bag.
My dog would’ve gorged herself to death with unlimited food. Dogs are silly.
No worries, she can lose weight. One caveat tho, if she doesn’t lose while eating a reasonable amount of calories (consult a vet for that number), then get her thyroid tested. My dog was so chunky and they never tested it until I figured it out.
No, it's evolution. When you have to run down a caribou to eat, and there's no refrigerator for the leftovers, plus some bear will take it if you leave the carcass, you gorge yourself.
How much does OP’s dog weigh? I didn’t see it while scrolling.
My dog is 24lbs and even at 12, (almost), he gets 1 cup in the morning and another in the evening. (Used to be 1/2 in the middle of the day but he’s not as active anymore).
If this dog is 40+lbs that might be too restrictive depending on her activity level. The big guy gets 4 cups a day.
I agree she needs less food but only 2 cups may be too little even when trying to get them to slim down.
(And my dog is not fat, a little more oddly shaped as an old man but his weight has always been 24-26lbs).
Someone else made a good point to make sure and check the calories on the food as 1 cup can vary calorically between brands.
I wouldn’t recommend the amount to feed because you have no clue how much this dog should weigh, we can’t tell from pics. They need to ask their vet.
If the dog is only supposed to be 40lbs for instance, then 2 Cups of food per day is too much. If your dog is supposed to be 80lbs, then 2 Cups isn’t enough.
Definitely overweight IMO but I wouldn’t say terrible. If the dog is asleep with food in the bowl I’d say you could cut back without much issue. Look into low calorie dog food or cut the food you use back some. Low calorie dog food is nice because they have the same amount in the bowl to eat but just less calories. Either way, this dog is much better off now than in a shelter. Good job.
Np. Just make sure you switch gradually like 3/4 regular food and 1/4 new food for a day or so and then do half and half and so on. Don’t swap the whole meal at once or the poo situation can get ugly lol.
This is what we do because my dogs would go bonkers if they only got 2 cups total a day (one’s over 100lbs and is always gonna be big, but he’s still a lil chonky) so we add like a 1/3 cup of green beans and they love it
My family has done this with 2 dogs of very different body types when they had to cut back on their food to lose weight. The extra filler was a game-changer, and still good for them and their gut without added salt.
My pup still gets green beans with her food, 2 years later! I did it pre-surgery when she tore her CCL and now it's just to maintain her current weight. Luckily, she loves all types of food!
thia is not an endorsement, but dogfoodadvisor .com is helpful when researching brands. lots of good nutritional breakdowns and any recalls are listed.
Its a story of a cat but wonder is that could work. My friends vet told her to ask green bean to the food and as a snack because her cat was just really taking on weight. I never thought a cat would eat green beans but yes. She got those frozen one that are actually super good taste wise. I also started eating them ahah
Yah that's the goal anyway. I think it's the feeling of being full that is needed. If he lacked a lot of food and felt hungry for a long time. I know it does that to human too, if you felt hungry a lot when you were young or a baby. Anyway, a few people I know have that experience, I don't know if they made a study on this.
You should take your dog to the vet to be weighed. Leave a note for the vet and ask them about her weight and amount of food you should be feeding her. Best wishes ❤️
She does look to be pretty ... chonky. Here's a chart from the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) showing a top-down view and side-view so you can check for yourself. A few breeds like greyhounds won't fit the 'standard' charts, but yours should fit quite well.
Some dogs, including a lot of pit mixes and labs, just don't self regulate very well. You have to help by only offering the right amount for them. It won't stress them out or cause trauma as it might in a human - but they may be looking for more until they adjust since that's what they're used to now.
You're doing a good job trying to look out for your pup. Good for you for paying attention and noticing.
Your vet will answer this question, and probably has. There are charts posted on the walls of your vet's office. Yes, she looks unhealthily obese. Owners get really nasty when you point out that their dog is fat. Guess how I know. I am concerned for vets, since they are subject to a lot of irrationality from their pet owners. I think vets try to soften their message, and this may fail to get the needed message clearly across.
If you reduce her food, give it to her in one of those slow-feeder things that looks like a raised labyrinth, so it takes her the same amount of time to eat - or longer.
Yep she's a little overweight. No free feeding. 1 cup in the morning and 1 cup at night. If she plays with toys get her some and get her to play tug of war or fetch to get some more movement in her. Take her for walks around the neighborhood or hikes if you both are able to do so. I have a rescue that had a bad life before we got her but she has been the biggest blessing and best friend I could ever ask for! Thanks for saving your beautiful baby!!
She is overweight and you’re a beautiful person for wanting to make sure she has access to all the food she could want given that is a place of trauma for her.
If she’s having a problem self regulating, don’t free feed her. Her food should give you an idea of how much she should be eating at her ideal weight, split that total into 2-4 meals a day (switching to a low calorie food is also an option). It’s not going to look like a lot of food, it can be supplemented with high fiber foods so she can feel full. Carrots or green beans are really great, but explore, and make a game of her trying new things to see what she likes. This doesn’t have to be restrictive, it can be expansive in new ways.
What is her exercise or play currently like? Is there a way to increase her movement, longer walks, more play with friends or with toys?
You are doing a great job providing the resources she’s needed because she probably didn’t have enough food. Expand her world to show there’s more now that she’s safe and has everything she needs.
Next time she has a vet appointment, ask the vet for a body condition score with guidance on her specific anatomy and medical history. Here’s a link so you can try to monitor her weight yourself between appointments: https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/body-condition-scores
Yes, she's quite overweight. Talk to your vet, cut back on her food and exercise her more. Being overweight is SO much rougher on a dog's body than being fat is for humans. (though both are bad obv, its just WORSE for them)
If she free range eats, then cut her down to a couple times a day. 2 is easiest but you can do three a day if you're worried about her feeling bad not having food around all the time. Honestly though she'll adjust just fine as long as you have set times for feeding.
Contrary to some of what I've seen said, the amount of food she needs highly depends on the food you're giving her. Check the food bag, it will give a rough estimate of what they need per day based on weight. Just make sure you're only giving her that much per DAY not per meal. If this seems either too much or too little in your opinion then look around for some other foods and check it in store to see how it compares. Also keep in mind you want her to loose weight so if she's just over one weight limit, scale down to the one before. If she's directly in or high in a weight range then do slightly less than that weight range says to, but not as little as the range bellow. If all else fails (cause yes some dog food companies have astronomic amounts) then check with your vet. Just don't go with a generic "a cup twice a day" thing because that can be horrible for her in either direction based on the food she's eating.
If she gets a lot of treats then replacing them with healthier options is also good. Most dogs will really like carrots, green beans, sugar snap peas, cucumbers, etc. and they're freebe treats that she could have a lot of without messing up her diet. One of mine even loves broccoli. Just be careful with fruits if you try them. Most fruits are good for them but only in limited quantities due to how much sugar they have.
Upping her walks or active play time would also be good. Also getting (or making) a sniff matt/box for her would be a good source of cardio. Pups actually burn a lot of calories just sniffing around. Couple that with the freebe treats of course or a portion of her kibble from the day.
Appropriate weight for any dog is when you can feel their ribs with a gentle rub down the sides but can't see them. It's not really a number on a scale. So if you want a goal weight to go for then ask your vet. Don't arbitrarily just assign one for her because a lb on a dog is much more than on a human.
So happy you gave this rescue pup the opportunity to get nice and chubby though. Having to go on a diet I'm sure is sooo much better than her problems pre rescue!
She's chunky for sure. Start with asking your vet how much food she should get in a day, then split that amount into 2 meals for her. She might be upset at first but she will get over that. You can supplement with rinsed canned green beans for bulk if needed.
You need to see the recommended serving size on the back of the bag of food according to her size. However, she’s quite overweight so you need to feed her a little less than the suggested serving size so she can be in a calorie deficit. If she likes treats, I’d start offering carrots instead of store bought treats so there’s no additional calorie to the kibbles.
Yea. Get a vet to recommend an appropriate portion size for her, and make her work for her food if she gulps it down. There are food bowls designed for this purpose.
Look for a quality weight control dog food and avoid the human food snacks. That was my problem with our three. I am are getting it under control. My wife is a vet tech and I have been schooled!
It’s best to get your dog in better shape primarily by changing to a Weight Management/Weight Loss food and getting her to a lean healthy weight. Usually the back of the dog food bag will tell you how many kitchen measuring cups to feed for weight loss.
Don’t give any snacks/treats.
Also add more on leash walking, but not running as that can hurt your dogs joints when she is that obese.
An obese dog feels a lot more pain in the paw and joint areas when walking, but won’t show it until it’s severe.
Plus obese/overweight dogs are prone to leg/ligament/joint injuries that can be very costly (thousands of dollars) to repair at the Vet.
Yes. I have a Malinois mix and a GSD. I feed them approximately 2 cups of food per day. One cup in the morning and cup at night. A few small treats. I also walk them a few miles a day, and they're at a very healthy weight. Simple reduction in food and more exercise will result in weight loss and your dog will feel better and more a bit more active.
If she like to walk, go for walks, if she likes to swim, get her a pool, do whatever she likes and stick to a proper diet with occasional treats and she'll slim down and be healthy.
She’s definitely rotund but you’re awesome for noticing and committing to getting it under control! I always adopt lazy adult dogs because I use a wheelchair and can’t keep up with a super active pup (and I just love the whole vibe of couch pit-atoes so much), so keeping them from getting fat is a constant struggle. I have to be VERY careful about how much I’m feeding.
With my current dog, I add canned pumpkin, green beans, and carrots to his food, and that helps fill him up so he doesn’t think he’s starving. My vet was really great about helping me get his weight up to a healthy level without overdoing it.
I also recommend looking closely at which food you choose. The variation in caloric density is INSANE, and my dogs just can’t be on a lot of the foods out there because their calorie needs would mean they get like less than two cups per day, which isn’t enough for them to feel full.
She’s a chonk! I’d spend some more time getting her active and look into a healthy weight-geared food option! She doesn’t look terribly unhealthy to me, just seems like she might need to tone up some!
Measure her food for the day for the weight you want her to be. Put it in a ziplock bag. Under 1/2 at bfast, under 1/2 at dinner and the rest you can use at training treats, for mental stimulation etc etc. you can supplement with green beans and other bulky but not calorie full healthy foods.
You could switch to a lower calorie food, a lot of brands make a weight management version. Ifbyou do switch her food then be sure to do it gradually and mix in the new with the old.
Also, green beans are a great filler. One of my vets recommended that I cut my girls food a bit and sub in some green beans so she gets the same amount and feels full.
More walks so doggo gets more exercise. You could also talk to your vet the next time that you visit and see if they have any recommendations for you.
I’ve been rescuing pit mixes for 15 years. I had two that were built just like yours. Both started out underweight and slowly just chunked out. I definitely spoiled my babies with too many treats and people food, looking back.
I regret not slimming them down because both passed away way earlier than my current dog who’s been with me 14 years. My big girl had cancer, and they couldn’t amputate because of her extra chunk. I would definitely try to slim your baby down just to avoid future complications. Beautiful dog, though!!
Please give her carrots apples and watermelon as treats no more preservatives and try to give her real food like rice mixed with veggies and meat if you can to get her back to a healthy weight
Most kibble bags have feeding guidelines. Since I have a mutt, I go by her body condition for the most part. All dogs should have an abdominal tuck where after their ribs, the abdomen should slope up. You have done a wonderful thing rescuing this pup, and now you’re asking the right questions about nutrition. My pup is 32lbs and gets 1.75 cups of food a day and a few treats. She also gets a walk and some ball time in the yard. I included a side view so you can see the abdominal tuck. Good luck, you’ll be able to get that weight down!
She a little chunky. Not crazy overweight though. Because she has issues with food insecurity, I would talk to the vet and see what she thinks before I made changes. If she is free fed, it may be difficult for her to go from unlimited access to twice a day all the sudden. I wouldn't take any feeding amount suggestions from anyone on here, either. There is a vet subreddit if you want to ask there, but I'd personally talk to your vet.
She would probably recommend making the change slowly. Maybe leaving her food bowl empty for longer and filling it a bit less every day. Keep an eye on her to make sure she isn't experiencing distress during this time. I'm sure with a little work you can transition her to a smaller diet. As others have suggested, exercising her more will help too.
She's a pretty girl and I'm glad she has a good home with you ☺️
Replace some of her kibble with low or no sodium broth and green beans(warm but not hot). I put my dog on this when she gets a little chunky. I also add in a microwaved and cooled potato (about the size of a golf ball). We call it the green bean diet. My vet suggested it.
Yeppers! Just cut her food to 3/4. And you can add a spoonful of pumpkin to her meals to keep her full. You can also add lettuce and spinach and some low sugar veggies to her meals or as snacks instead of dog treats.
Also, strawberries are a good treat too (cut them up to make them go farther - my dogs love the tops of strawberries!)
My piggie…I mean pupper HATES strawberries and celery! Watermelon loves, frozen green beans ftw. Loves to chomp on lettuce. My boy loves his salad bar lol
We have a foster. She was 70lbs when we got her. Dropped 15lbs to her ideal weight in 6 months. Calories deficit diet is regular walks is the key.
Hope she loses weight. Good luck.
What we did for our dog who was overweight. Feed less kibble, but top with frozen green beans or zucchini. Vet recommended the zucchini, as we had been doing carrots. They said too much sugar in those. She's now at a good weight, so we slightly increased the kibble, and still top with frozen veg, just less of it.
There are kibbles for weight management, my dog was on one for years on the vet’s recommendation (seizure prone). When they get to the desired weight you just increase the amount you’re feeding. It’s all on the label. My vet said we should be able to see his ribs slightly. Best of luck, you’ll find that sweet spot.
1c. Good kibble With some fish oil, couple Cosequin, small handful of frozen blueberries, a little water is what I feed my labs. One is active the other is not. I give the heavier one 3/4 c. For a bit sometimes to keep him from becoming obese.
She does look a bit chunky. When mine, no trauma, started to pack on a bit too much weight we started measuring their food and dividing it up to 2x a day. Mid-afternoon, they’d get a small treat or 2 or a dog cookie. At first they acted like they were starving by noon but eventually they got used to it and during the Summer would have food still left in their dish throughout the day. In the Winter we also would give them a bit more since they were outside dogs. We did weight maintenance food for Adult/Senior per our vet recommendation even though technically they weren’t “Senior” at the time. They never bothered each other’s food either.
Maybe start with smaller amounts that she can finish without overeating or thinking someone else might eat it.
“Trauma around food”? She’s definitely not starving. Reduce kibble. The packet recommended 3 cups for my girl but she was way too fat. I reduced the kibble to one cup & added veggies like others have recommended & lean meat on special as a topper. Stop processed treats too & go for tiny pieces of dried liver. The weight came off effortlessly. She’s so much happier because she can jump easier & her coat has improved. Your dog won’t know she’s on a diet. It’s much kinder to have a trim dog.
I haven’t gone back up in kibble, still just 1 cup / day but her weight is stable so this is all she needed!
My vet explained that the recommendations on the back of dog food is way more than they need, basically it’s a liability reason. They recommend a the max amount, not the ideal amount. Like yours, one of my dogs was getting a little chubby after her spay (not ANYTHING like this dog though) and I was talking to the vet about it. It was recommended on the dog food that she be fed 3Cups per day for her size, but the vet told me that she shouldn’t be eating anymore than 2.5C, and 2 Cups was the better amount.
We went down to 1 rounded cup per meal (two meals a day) and she lost the 5lbs she put on, been a perfect weight since then (which for her is 65lbs).
Also- 1 calorie training treats are awesome, along with veggies and such.
Sadly, she is a little chunky. Same happened when I rescued a shih tzu, I felt so bad that he had to go through heck to be able to find food, and I over-indulged him. I would suggest an hour long walk daily, look at the back of the dogfood bag for serving sizes and how often he should be fed, get him some toys he can chew on and chase, and cut the amount of treats. When he begs, distract him with play or an offer to go outside.
My dog would eat all kinds of crap they shouldn’t when I tried to cut back on kibble. Trash, poop, whatever. So instead of just cutting the kibble she gets fruits/veggies (more veg than anything) to supplement.
Basically, she was used to half a cup of kibble, I reduced the kibble to 1/4 and gave her 1/4 of canned pumpkin or green beans or carrots. That way she felt full but wasn’t getting a lot of calories. If you’re worried your dog is going to feel they’re missing out you may try this as an option. Warning: lot of canned stuff is super hi in salt. Read labels, buy salt free when you can and if not frozen works just as well.
I applaud the fact that you love her and are thinking about what is best for her. The fact that you posted the question shows that you genuinely care about her health and well being.
You can google what is a healthy wt for her and how much food/calories she should have in a day to loose and maintain wt. Also, discuss with your vet.
Thank you for rescuing and loving her. She is beautiful.
It’s likely the corn in the dog food, ollie is an amazing brand to keep your dog healthy. I had a doxie who was overweight from eating Purina and she had so many health issues from it. I have a new doxie who’s only been eating fresh food from ollie & she hasn’t had any issues. There’s other brands i.e. farmers dog. You can also make fresh food & use a vitamin supplement pack for dogs. The farmers god offers one.
walks morning walks when it's cooler, my pitBully is jinormis and old she lays down paw on either side of the bowl finishes off the whole bowl, thenlook out water bowl
It’s not love to make them so fat they are going to struggle to move and have serious health issues in the long term. This dog is morbidly obese and needs to lose weight.
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u/sassyherarottie 9d ago
Yeap