Helping my fat little dog not be so fat
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels die of heart disease. I wanted to help Zuul lose some weight.
Having one big dog and one little dog has made doggie weight management more of a challenge than ever before. In general, I've usually had two or more similar sized dogs. The Great Pyrenees is supposed to be 100+ pounds larger than his bossy best pal, Z.
First I switched off calorie-rich snacks to carrots. Zuul will eat all the carrots I give her and keep on begging for more. Her poops will turn into piles of masticated carrot if I let her. She got no smaller.
Then I reduced her food from the meager 1/3 cup she got each meat to 1/4 cup. She was just not satisfied at al! The tiny monster would steal from the Great Pyrenees. One chunk of Nemo's kibble is a massive amount of food for her, and he doesn't mind sharing with her. She got no thinner.
I walked her more, but the caloric burn of an extra mile or two didn't help.
I switched her over to this Nutro weight management food and increased her per-meal volume back up to 1/3rd a cup. She stopped being as starved all the time. Baby carrots help her get full, but no so many she is crapping out undigested carrot.
Giving carrots to a Great Pyrenees turns their slobber orange, and then their fur orange anywhere they lick. Give white dogs the white 'heriloom' carrots or whatever they are. You'll thank me! Carrot orange spots are gross.
My darling Zuul has hips again! She is tiny, and a loss of just a few pounds should help extend her life!
I did a very slow transition to the new Nutro food from the old. I mixed the two foods in staged concentrations over a month, in an effort to keep darling Z from getting an upset stomach. Z lets me know when she doesn't feel well by leaving the liquid-y poop in places I'll find it. Yuck.
I still have to police the dog treats to ensure that Nemo gets and eats the things I intend for him, but Zuul is no longer attacking his food bowl after clearing hers. Nemo isn't grieving that I won't give him anything fun to chew on or snack, but Zuul is noticeably lighter and isn't chewing holes in the walls out of hunger.
Check with your vet on what food is best for your pets. Pay attention to recalls.
Nutro Lite And Weight Management Adult Dry Dog Food via Amazon