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Thread: time for a diet

  1. #21
    Senior Dog Berna's Avatar
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    I'd up his exercise gradually and with some diet modification he should lose the pounds in no time. Any place you could take him swimming? It's a great exercise and it doesn't stress the joints. So much weight must not be good for his elbows, I remember he had elbow surgery. I'd be extra careful. But the exercise he is getting sounds scarce for a Lab his age.
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  3. #22
    Senior Dog windycanyon's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JenC View Post
    I had 3 chocolates in my 2nd litter need thyroid medication around age 3. It can happen young.
    I'm not saying it can't happen young (I know it can), but it's not that common. That sounds like a familial thing in your case.
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  4. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by Labradorks View Post
    The funny thing about Labs is that they can "hold their weight" really well. Sam was once 110 lbs and he was not a coffee table. I could feel his ribs, but they had a layer on them. His belly did not hang. The vet said maybe he could lose 10 lbs. Well, he went on a diet and got down to 75 lbs. He doesn't look *that* different. I mean, people will say he was chunky at 110 lbs, but no one said he was fat. Linus was 96 lbs and is now 75 lbs also. Again, vet said, eh, maybe a few lbs and friends said a little chunky (conformation friends said just right - ha!). I have no idea where they held the weight. But, I do know that 45 lbs and nearly 25 lbs is a LOT of weight, especially for a Lab. Just like your dog, who has gained a lot of weight, just because he doesn't look obese, doesn't mean he doesn't have weight to lose. Their health, joints, energy, ability to handle heat all benefit from being lean.
    Excellent post! Healthy Labs surely love to eat, so it can be hard at times to cut their food back when they are looking for more.

    We kept our Toby at a healthy 76-78 pounds, but I was always careful and measured each cup of food.

    Healthy snacks are also a good idea...like baby carrots, green beans.

    Keeping your Lab lean can definitely add years to his life. But many of of don't think of that when we are feeding our dogs.

    Exercise is so very important, and as your dog loses weight, he will have more energy to move more.

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  6. #24
    Senior Dog Nancy0's Avatar
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    Chili says diets suck lol. I'm having the same problem with my daughter's shepherd. She is on Pro Plan Sensitive skin and stomach and it has a lot of calories. I think around 450. Niner used to be on the PPSSS, but the lamb version and it has a whopping 499 k/cal per cup. He would gain weight on that food. Check the calories in the Pro Plan Sport. I've had to cut Goldie's food to 3/4 c. twice a day. Goldie is the shepherd, but she still looks a little chunky to me even with the cutback. She does get treats throughout the day - same as Charlie and Niner, but for some reason she packs it on more than they do. Charlie is about 76lbs and Niner is 75lbs. Charlie eats Holistic Select sardine, anchovy and salmon meal (not the grain free one). He has eaten this most of his life and has maintained his weight well. He's 10 now. Niner is on Petsmart's Authority fish and potato (yeah I know it's grain free, but no peas or legumes). I'm still on the fence about it, but it's the only food where he does not have mucky poop. I would try cutting back his food to 3/4 c twice a day. Maybe give baby carrots for treats or buy small treats with few calories.

  7. #25
    Senior Dog voodoo's Avatar
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    we have been doing 3/4 cup 2x day. green beans arent working as chili spits em out(they fresh green beans so maybe some spray on em, idk) but he likes celery sticks..are they good? also forgot to mention he gets vetquinol fish oil pills and dasequin daily. its starting to cool off here so Im gonna keep a journal for month of oct and see if this plan works...maybe he will shed 15 pounds of hair
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  8. #26
    Senior Dog Jeff's Avatar
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    I would look into a weight management food. This way he gets to intake the same amount of food this way he is not hungry. Hungry labs can be even worse. LOL My sister had one lab once, he was a huge lab, the largest I ever seen and powerful. She put him on a diet when he hit 150lbs. He normally ran 135 as a healthy weight for him, yes he was that big. Anyway, his diet was her hell. He dug through a door to get into the pantry, started stealing stuff off the counter. The absolute best one which if she didn't see with her own eyes she wouldn't have believed it. She was in living room and in came running her other lab with a soup can. She figured they got into the trash, kids had made soup and didn;t dispose of it properly. She decided to quietly peek around the corner. He had got into the cupboard and was pulling out soup cans, crushing them in his jaws till the lid popped off. Let the other dogs take the cans, while he licked up the rest.

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  10. #27
    Senior Dog voodoo's Avatar
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    arghhh and after 2 days celery gets the stink eye.
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  11. #28
    Senior Dog voodoo's Avatar
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    chili after surgery on 2 front elbows and 95lb weight...maybe 2 yrs old....
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  12. #29
    Senior Dog Labradorks's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by voodoo View Post
    chili after surgery on 2 front elbows and 95lb weight...maybe 2 yrs old....
    I don't think he looks fat, but for a dog with elbow issues, I'd want to see him leaner. Try green beans from the can (no salt). Steamed baby carrots might work, but they have a lot of sugar, so try the beans first. Sweet potatoes, squash, all are pretty high in calories as is fruit. See if he'll eat Kale from the bag, maybe steamed. Easy to get into his food.

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  14. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by Labradorks View Post
    I don't think he looks fat, but for a dog with elbow issues, I'd want to see him leaner. Try green beans from the can (no salt). Steamed baby carrots might work, but they have a lot of sugar, so try the beans first. Sweet potatoes, squash, all are pretty high in calories as is fruit. See if he'll eat Kale from the bag, maybe steamed. Easy to get into his food.
    All my dogs have had the green beans mixed in because I like to keep them lean (and I agree that in that picture your boy, while not obese, could stand to be leaner). My first girl hated whole green beans and would occasionally puke them up, so we went to french style which are a completely different texture as they have been slivered. Maybe try that with him? And the canned ones are nice and soft as they have been cooked well past how done I cook fresh ones, also adding to the softness and perhaps the palatability.
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