Reduced Fat (Reduced Protein) Dry Dog Food

[TKW]

My dog has gained 10# since last summer and my vet will have a fit on the up-coming annual check-up. We have been feeding him Innova at the minimum as recommended (sure there are other stuff from mommy since he lives in the kitchen). I know the best way to lose weight is to increase exercise but 2 walks a day (about 1 hour) is all I can afford to do for him. I found this reduced fat food of the same brand claimed to have 40% less fat but it also has reduced protein. 8% fat & 18% protein vs 14% fat & 24% protein. I thought cutting out protein may not be an good idea.
Here's my question: Since the reduced fat & protein goes hand-in-hand, what is the point feeding reduced fat diet while I can cut his regular daily feed a little more? Your thought?

[rainbow]

I would switch him to a grain free kibble. Orijen is my favourite but there is also Innova EVO, Wellness CORE, Nature's Variety, etc.

http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/134/8/2087S

[rainbow]

I just realized that the above article was written by Waltham which I find quite interesting since they are involved in all these brands....

http://www.waltham.com/brands.htm

[crazydays]

Hi TKW!

I will give you my two cents. When my dog was losing weight I needed to rethink the food I was giving her. I chose Innova because it was a excellent food. She gained back the weight she had lost, and now is maintaining nicely on this. I give her 1/4 cup less than directed because I don't want her tipping the scale.

If your dog has a weight problem, I think Innova is not a good choice. I wouldn't go to the reduced protein and fat foods before looking at different foods.

For example- Innova 24% protein 14%fat 557 calories (ooch)
Solid Gold- 22% protein 10%fat 367 calories.
SO- that is 190 calories/cup of food less and you haven't
altered the protein by much (or the formula).

Obviously your choice is based on what works for your dog and the issues.
Do you think the weight gain is related to the "treats" or has this occurred since being on Innova? Once again by cutting down on treats this will definitely help. If your dog has had rapid weight gain I am wondering if the thyroid has been checked, along with other bloodwork?

Keep us informed as to your choice and how things are going!!

[mika140]

The best food by far that I've gotten input about for weight loss is CORE reduced fat. It still has a good protein amount and good meat in it, and it's grain free. EVO also has a reduced fat, but the protein is even way higher than the regular EVO. Just for that reason I'd go with the CORE RF personally.

[crazydays]

I agree with Mika140- I think Wellness Core would be a great choice. My Springer is on it. I wanted to go grainless with her. As a 12 month old she has energy plus and is doing very well on this.

Wellness Core- protein 34%, 14% fat calories 430
Wellness Core Reduced- protein 33%, 9% fat calories 350

Going grainless may help with digestion and weight loss. I like the Reduced formula alot and it might be a good choice considering you want to get working on weight loss.

[TKW]

Thank you for all your replies!

I am somewhat reluctant to try him on new food without extensive research b/c he has very sensitive stomach. It was an ordeal (long story) before we settle with Innova. He just came off a 2-day mild diarrhea from chewing raw marrow bone the 1st time. We can almost predict the morning after X'mas or New Year that we have to let him out in a hurry (sometimes in the middle of the night) for all the stuff he gets from party guests.

I'm not sure gaining weight at this rate is consider rapid but I'll mention to the vet at his next check-up. What are other symptoms if his thyroid is not right? He does get tired easily for a young dog (28 mos. old) but I just blame on his weight. For now, I'll take him to dog parks more often. And I'll stay on Innova for at least one more bag b/c the next one is free from the store.(buy 12 get 1 free)

[crazydays]

Hi again!If you are going to stay on Innova just be aware that you may need to give your dog less than minimum if you want to try to lose weight. Exercise at the dog park is also excellent as well.* My dog that is on Innova should get 2 cups a day. I have cut her down to 1.5 cups per day to keep her weight in check. My dog also has sensitive stomach issues and well as bowel issues so I found Innova for whatever reason worked for her.* You are taking your dog to the Vet soon so you should have a discussion about weight and where he should be.Hypothyroidism has many symptoms including lethargy, depression and weight gain. I found this link that might be helpful for your knowledge. If you google canine hypothyroidism there is alot of info.http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/dog-hypo.htm

[geisha]

. Just wondering how old is your pup? My senior sammy blossomed and gained 12 lbs before my very eyes when she turned 7. I had quite a bit of trouble getting her weight down.
What worked for me was a good quality dog food but feeding the ideal weight amount or less.
Instead of dog biscuits I gave her carrots, green beans, and ice cubes. I was really strict about this. Labs are notorious for their pathetic I'm hungry, you don't feed me enough look. Be strong...your pup will benefit from less chance of arthritis, diabetes etc.

[hazelrunpack]

I have to agree with crazydays, TKW. If you had trouble finding a food that agrees with your dog, stick with what works, just reduce the amount. We also feed Innova, and we feed less than the recommended amount. I'm constantly adjusting the amount each dog gets, depending on the time of year and how much exercise they're getting. The amounts on the bag seem to be calculated for very high-activity dogs.

[mika140]

Is your dog extra sensitive to different kibbles, or just to special treats? Because if it's just the marrow bones and special holiday treats, I wouldn't necessarily worry about it being a sensitive problem. There's lots of dogs that would have poor reactions in those cases and I wouldn't equate it to a food sensitivity for differing kibbles. Just a thought.

[TKW]

Sorry I didn't check here often enough!

Indy is 28 mos old. He was 87# (about right for his breed then) last June and he was gaining steadily to 97# last month. I think his daily exercise has been compromised a bit due to the unususally icy sidewalks this winter. Lame excuses...I know. I also know he has a lot of unaccountable treats from DW during the day. Everytime she cooks, she'd put aside a little something for the dog. We all aware of the harm extra weight would do to him. But, all our kids are at the ages that they'd watch their weights and she has to keep somebody well fed. From now on, he'll get less kibbles if he gets any other treats during the day. BTW, I've been holding off weighing him the last 3 weeks.

[rainbow]

I think you need to convince your wife to stop giving the treats to Indy. If she has to give him something give him raw carrots. In fact, I would cut out all treats other than raw veggies until he loses some weight.