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Old September 13th, 2006, 01:25 AM
BeeBee BeeBee is offline
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Arrow I need help with my fat Chihuahua?!!?

I'm not sure if I'm posting in the correct area, as I'm new to this site and I don't yet know my way around. I'm hoping that I've reached the recipes/diet section, and if that's not the case, i apologize!!

I have two utterly adorable chihuahuas. One is in great shape. She's a 1.5 yr old shorthair who weighs approx. 4.5 pounds. She is currently on a diet of Innova Evo kibbles and doing just fine since she has endless amounts of energy.

However, my other chihuahua, Diego, is not in the best of shape. Long-haired purebred chihuahua, and he's adorable, but he's clearly ... well, fat. He weighs almost eleven pounds, which I suppose is not horrendous; but he is so obviously unproportioned, and he actually has rolls of fat. He has been quite large since I neutered him at the age of two.

I'm just wondering if there are any well-known, well-proven weight-loss diets for chihuahuas out there that you can recommend for me. It breaks my heart to see him waddle around and struggle to catch his breath. He's such a sweetheart, and he deserves to be in shape! I'd appreciate specifics, but any advice will suffice, of course.
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Old September 13th, 2006, 09:45 AM
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technodoll technodoll is offline
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simply feed your boy less, and exercise him more. have a full blood panel done to rule out any disorders (thyroid comes to mind). please do NOT feed him any "diet" food, which is just fillers and less protein. Feeding your dog an appropriate raw diet (premade frozen patties are great for small dogs, not expensive either) can help immensely.

what are you currently feeding your boy? how much? what exercise is he getting?
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Old September 13th, 2006, 12:24 PM
BeeBee BeeBee is offline
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I have been feeding him Innova Evo in small servings twice a day. He's been tested more than once by two different veterinarians, as this problem will not go away. They drew his blood, examined, and couldn't come up with a reason for his heavy weight. The vet gave him a diet kibble, but he refused to eat it so he went right back to his Evo. I know that Evo can cause weight-gain, so I worry about the little guy. Are there any different low-fat yet healthy food brands that you can recommend? He hates exercise but I still drag him - not literally - on hikes with me regularly. We used to have a small whiteboard in our kitchen that kept track of his weight as we tried different diets, exercises, etc, but he seems to be stuck at this weight.

I love the little guy; I just want him to be in good shape!
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Old September 13th, 2006, 04:20 PM
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mafiaprincess mafiaprincess is offline
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How much evo is he getting a day?
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Old September 13th, 2006, 04:25 PM
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erykah1310 erykah1310 is offline
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Put him on a set amount of food, try cutting his daily intake just a bit the first few days then a bit more. Until he is eating a reasonable amount of food ( dont want him to be hungry)
Divide his daily food rations into a few feedings throughout the day.
Hope this helps a bit.
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Old September 13th, 2006, 06:56 PM
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OntarioGreys OntarioGreys is offline
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It could be that you are feeding too much EVO, often people do not realize just how little is needed

My 80 lb couch potato and 70 lb young more active greyhound get less than 1 3/4 cups each a day, so if you break that down in terms of size you are looking at less than a 1/4 cup of food a day total for a 10 lb dog. So lets say 1/4 cups split into 2-- 1/8 cup serviongs with " absolutely no" treats thru day.
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