Overwight Update...help
Submitted by RachelLara on May 10, 2012 - 10:07amI posted a topic about my girl about 3 weeks ago when the vet told me my bullie was a bit overweight. We cut her food down to 2 cups a day from 3 (first mate sweet potatoe and fish), completely took out treats (replaced them with green beans) and are going for daily walks. Im still concerned beacuase after 3 weeks she has only lost 2 pounds. The vet told me if she hasnt lost enough weight after a month of the new diet that she has a thyroid problem. I dont want to give her unecessary meds but i also dont want her to break a leg or displace a hip. She is down from 66 pounds to 64 pounds. Everyone even says shes a big dog and i feel awful! Help!
They can do a blood test for thyroid...
we had our old girl Oreo on thyroid meds for a long time, she tested low normal but the meds helped her a lot, she felt so much better. Thyroid meds are inexpensive, I've been on them for 6 years since having my thyroid removed (thyca).
Should I wait
Im debating on giving it a bit more time to try the weight loss or should i go to the vet in the next coming weeks. She not loosing weight but shes not gaining any either?
I would keep her on the diet and...
like Amy said, give her cooked green beans and see how it goes. Thyroid doesn't go wrong quickly, so I would give the diet some time. We are trying to get weight off Chester so he can hopefully avoid TPLO surgery and we give him 1/2 cup of salmon grain free kibble and 1 cup of cooked green beans at every meal and only one or two treats a day. It's hard to get weight off them, especially in his case because he's not supposed to walk a lot on his bad leg.
But she IS losing a little weight...
It takes time to get weight off, especially if you need a lot taken off. 2 pounds isn't bad, keep up the good work:-)
Another way to help her drop pounds more quickly is substitute one meal a day with a cup of green beans. You will probably want to put her on Pet Tabs (available at Petsmart) for the duration of the diet to be sure she is getting the vitamins and minerals she needs. But do that for a couple weeks, she will drop that weight fast.
Amy and Sophia
Might take a little while
for her to drop much weight. 66 doesn't sound morbidly obese though. My Onslow is tall for a bully and stays right around 68!
over weight dogs....like over weight people....
when you get way over weight it takes time to get the body to loose weight....your doing fine...your dog really should not lose more than 2 to 5 lbs a month...keep up the good work....as her system starts burning the fat she will lose.....
think about it in % of body mass
thats 3% of total body weight lost in 2 weeks, actually that is pretty good for humans, seems like it would be the same for a bully!
Loves and Smooches, Kippa and Mama (Annette)
Truth
The truth is you will never see a wolf eat a sweet potato, instead of meat. So although I'm no vet, I do have dogs and the dog food bloats them.
How do I know? One of my dogs was bloated and would not get up to eat one morning. He had no interest in the most expensive food at the store.
If I only had one dog, I'd stop the kibble now. Raw feeding is not that hard.
All the water the dog drinks after eating dog food? All the undigested dog food in the yard. poo......won't have it. You will see the stuff [kibble] passes through the dog, and I decided it did my dog no good laying in the yard.
A lot of folks feed raw and they will answer any questions you have. Also the internet will provide you with good info.
I'm trying to follow a diet of Chicken hind quarters for meaty bones, and beef liver cut up and frozen as a supplement, or snacks. [Only a little liver at at time or you will be mad at me as it can have a laxative effect if too much is fed at once. At first like a quarter sized piece [Quarter of a dollar sized piece]
As the dog gets used to eating raw richer foods can be added.
I'm giving a little mix of course ground turkey I get at a carnivor food shop. It's the whole turkey except for the feathers and guts. Ground beef tripe mixed with beef gullet, and ground beaver. They have other stuff too, and deliver to some places. I freeze these goodies in little balls and give a couple a day to add varity. I mix them up one day this, one day that.
It's just MHO but your dog will lose weigh and be in better health, again JMHO, and more peppy and sweeter smelling too. Here is Buddy and Brother it's a good pic to see their body form. Brother the white is a little thicker by nature, They are eating a raw egg, and not to sure of what it is.
If you do have any questions, ask here, as the vet, well that's another essay.....lol
Steve
Mean people still suck
thats good enough! why rush it!?
it takes a while.. i cant understand why the vet would say that unless there was some other pending issue? it took kibby about 6-8 months to lose 10 lbs... she was 65 when we got her and now she is down to 53-55 and I think she looks fine, the vet origninally said get her down to 45-50 but i think that would be too skinny for her. anyways, we had her on some special science diet perscription lo-cal food, which was good cause it kept her full, but it makes them poo like 5 times a day!
i think what you are doing is fine.. the weight will come off... dont over do it and end up hurting your bully! once it does come off, you will be amazed a what a difference those pounds make though.. kibby is mch more healthier, faster, more energy, once we got it off. she couldn't even walk a full block without lying down before.. now maybe she will "choose" to walk 2-3, if she is in the mood, you know how bullys are..:)
sincerely, christine
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