Hello, I have a 6 yr old Frengle (beagle Frenchie mix)
Concerned about his weight, i know he’s above weight but how bad does it look?
He’s currently around 37-39 lbs. we walk daily for 20-25 mins. We also do quick sprints playing with a ball but for a short time 2-3 minutes.
He used to have 1/2 cup of his kibble twice. However, now he’s into human food so he tends to ignore his kibble and wait for human food.
I eat clean and healthy. Grilled chicken/salmon/shrimps so when i eat , i get my kong toy and throw a small piece for him to struggle then eat, maybe 5-6 1inch size of food.
This is his body from the top. It gets wide in the middle but thins out.. is this just overweight-ok , or overweight-bad?? Thank you
He looks too heavy to me, especially in the side view.
The first course of action, if you haven't already, it to take in to the vet for a thorough exam, including blood work with a complete thyroid panel (more in depth than the in-house T4 test) to make sure there isn't something metabolic going on. Low thyroid is very common in middle aged dogs, and unexplained weight gain, and/or the inability to lose weight even with restricted calories, is one of the signs. After you've either ruled out thyroid issues or started him on medication if he needs it, work with your vet to come up with a diet and exercise plan.
He does look a bit overweight. Nothing to freak out about - LOTS of dogs are way more overweight! It's good that you've noticed and want to do something about it.
I agree with the having some bloodwork done if he's been putting on pounds without change in activity/food amounts, or if you've been unable to get him to lose weight by dieting.
I would suggest extending his walks (slowly, adding perhaps 5 minutes a week, so in a month you would be doing 40 minute walks, for example) if you have the time. Or adding in a second walk for a shorter time. Playing fetch is good, and if he is toy motivated a flirt pole is a fun way to get in some mor exercise. Just like people, a fit dog is going to be a healthy dog. A dog with a few extra pounds on him who is cardiovascularly and muscularly fit is most likely going to be healthier, long term, than a dog at a healthy weight who just lays around the house all day.
Eating fresh food is fine, if you're willing to put in the time/effort to make sure his diet is balanced. They say you can swap out 25% of kibble for fresh food without messing up vitamin/mineral levels. Personally I did 50-75% fresh food with my dogs for a while, but fed organ meat in addition to muscle meat, and they all blood tested totally normal. But I would make sure it's either or - not kibble AND his kong with the cooked meats.
STOP with the human food. He will ignore his dog food if you keep feeding him something better. He won't die of starvation if he skips a few meals.. so keeping that in mind, when you eat your food, he is to be crated with his. Cut his kibble to 1/3 c food 2X a day. When you are done with your food, he comes out and you clean up.
You can also feed raw food, but (as noted above) you much feed a balanced meal with sufficient ground bone and organ meats and the correct vegetables to balance his nutritional needs. Again, crate him while he eats his and you eat yours.
I would go so far as to crate him in a different room when you eat.
IMO kibble served in measured quantities is the easiest way to control the dog's calorie intake. With a dog that size, he can be gaining weight just because you slightly underestimated portion size or cooked with more oil than intended or whatever - it doesn't take many extra calories per day to add up to an overweight dog.
Thank you all for providing feedback. Just to note, when giving human food, I don't actually give him a meal. I have one of these Kong toys that have small holes where you can put snacks in.
So if i'm having grilled chicken or beef of shrimps, I would put a tiny piece (about the size of top finger) for him to lick and try to get it out. I give about 5-6 maybe.
Lately he's been giving up on his kibble. I tried different types, i know this is common because it only happened once i brought him back home with family and food is always around.
I mean...he does look pretty chunky. He's getting more calories than he's burning. I'd guess he's turning down kibble because he's just not hungry, because he's getting more than enough to eat. Ten to one he'll eat the kibble if you stop bribing him with treats and let him actually work up an appetite.
Kibble is more starchy than reading a label will indicate. Even "field peas" are starchy though they are used as a protein count. But Kibble is an inefficient way to nutritionally support a dog's health. Especially an aging dog. And while the dog isn't obese now for his age, every year will slow down his metabolism. The growing weight is hard on joints. Making it less comfortable for healthy walking.
Kibble would be like you eating a dry, although balanced, "health bar" everyday for life, skipping the accompanying fresh (whole) food sources your body also needs. After you do what "LeoRose" suggests, consider alternating days by feeding a raw food meal. Or at least canned PF. Or at least some form of whole, fresh protein. A chicken breast is okay. Dark meat is good.
Or use a Limited Ingredient (but NOT necessarily "weight management") PF so you can control (monitor) which ingredients are making up the protein-to-carb ratio. The first 5 ingredients on a label are the most meaningful. Ideally you want as much full (non-pea) protein among the top 5 as possible. Accompanied by a carb (or 2) for energy.
Remember to always measure (with a cup or scoop) the meal to be consistent. Weigh the dog every month. Then adjust the measurement accordingly. As long as the dog is healthy, you should be able to control his weight without problem. As long as activity is the same, or stepped up. Ball playing is excellent!
Unless intentionally over-portioning, generally raw food won't make a dog (in good health) fat. "Northwest Naturals" is very lean, very basic, in nugget form, and is an efficient alternative food. There are also some "freeze dried" varieties.
Weight loss is simple for humans or dogs. Burn more fuel than what is put in.
This is where extra walks can be big help in combination with reduced food. Bump his walks to 3 or 4 per day. Gradually, increase the distance. Be mindful of hot weather and heat stroke signs. Also be aware of pavement temperatures, very easy to burn their pads in just a few seconds.
I have a Mini Schnauzer, we walk minimum 3X each day. MiniS are prone to gaining weight as a breed. I feed a raw diet, mostly chicken with a veggie mix. Roughly 75% protein/25% veggie. Meals are 2X each day at 200 grams each. In January, when the weather was nice, we walked 133 miles that month. We walk rain, shine, night, cold........ we go. My training snacks are simple small pieces of chicken, blueberry, banana pieces. Never anything large, just enough to have a smell and a taste. Never food from my plate. My point is exercise, good diet. Read that kibble bag, you'll be surprised at the calorie count. Talk to your Vet to determine how much he should consume in a day.
A dog that is overweight will end up with more health related trouble. The link between weight and health is well establish in humans and dogs.
Good Luck. Remember, he won't collapse if a meal is missed or reduced.
Look at that. He's so adorable dog in round shape. I'm really love the dogs are a bit overweight . However, you should have a vet check for his health concern.
Yes, he's too chubby, and yes, now when it won't take an extended diet would be a good time to fix that. One problem I have when trying to get a dog to lose or gain weight is by the time I'm certain of the effect by appearance, I can have overdone things. PetMarts around here have scales, so if I'm trying to adjust weight, I take the dog in there once a week to see how the plan is working. My vet would let me stop by and do that too, but it's more out of the way.
Dogs gain weight on raw food just fine if fed too much. I feed one of mine raw, miscalculated how much when I started, and she plumped right up.
Years ago I had an Akita who was a fussy eater and wouldn't look at her own food if there was human food around. What I ended up doing was always feeding her first, before even taking any part of my own meal out of fridge or cabinet. When dog was done, then I'd bring out the human food.
My kibble dogs all get a little fresh food mixed in to make it more appetizing. You have to consider the addition as part of the diet, though, so it doesn't just add too many calories and feed the weight gain. You also have to keep it a small portion of overall diet so it doesn't unbalance things - or use something that is balanced as your addition. I tried freeze dried raw, but it struck me as so unappealing I didn't continue with it, and one of my dogs acted as if she wasn't too enthused either.
I know people who add green beans to dog meals when they diet a dog to help them feel full without adding a bunch of calories. Whether that works depends on your dog's attitude toward green beans, of course. 😀
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