Mordy...

[~Tucker&Me~]

I am posting this for a friend who has been having some trouble keeping her dogs weight under control. Here is the dogs info:

Name: Brandy
Breed: Springer Spaniel
Age: Almost 2

So, this dog could actually serve as a small coffee-table she is so fat. She is being fed a cup a day of Pedigree. Brandy was originally being fed about 2 cups a day, then was cut down to 1.5 cups, now finally 1. She has been on dieting food, which helped zip. She gets 2, hour and a half walks or runs a day, so is definately kept well excercised. Acts normal, not lethargic, just hugely overweight.

I don't know what other info you want, but just ask .

Thanks in advance!

~Tucker

 

[Herschel]

There are definitely genetic causes of obesity--a defect in the OB gene will yield decreased leptin activity, hypersensitivity to ghrelin will create a constant appetite. However, before we fall back on that crutch, I think there are a couple of things that might help.

First of all, she should change her food!!!

Pedigree Chicken and Rice:

The ingredients are mostly grain, fillers, and carcinogens. But here is the crude analysis:

kcal/cup 320
Protein 27.3%
Fat 14.3%
Fiber 1.9%

She isn't a puppy, she doesn't need anywhere near that level of protein or fat.


Canidae Platinum would be a much better food. Guaranteed analysis:

kcal/cup 400
Protein 18.50%
Fat 8.50%
Fiber 4.00%

Innova EVO Reduced Fat:

kcal/cup 433
Protein 18.0%
Fat 8.5%
Fiber 5.0%

Based on the low fat level and the smaller number of calories/cup compared to the EVO, I would recommend that your friend feed Canidae Platinum.

 

[Mordy]

I need the current weight of this dog please, and if possible the ideal target weight. With those parameters I can make suggestions for feeding amounts.

While I agree with Herschel on switching to a better quality food, I do not think that feeding "lite" or "diet" formulations like the suggested ones is a good idea at all. Both foods are very low in protein but full of carbs, which isn't a good thing for healthy weight loss. Reducing the feeding amount only can push the body into "starvation mode", where it will make a desperate effort to hold onto body fat instead of slowly but steadily losing weight.

It has been proven that a food high in protein, moderate in fat and low in carbs leaves the dog far more satisfied and it also does not cause drastic spikes in blood sugar like high-carb foods do, making healthy weightloss easier on the animal even with reduced feeding amounts.

I also do not agree with the concept of just because a dog isn't a puppy anymore they don't need high(er) levels of protein and fat. Their digestive system has evolved utilizing especially fat as a source of energy, and it is important for skin and coat health too. What dogs don't need much of are carbohydrates, for which a dietary need hasn't even been demonstrated. Feeding dogs large amounts of carbs has only become prevalent ever since commercial dry food has become widely available, and these are traditionally heavily grain based.

In addition to that, the Innova Reduced fat food Herschel described above is not Innova Evo, it's the regular Innova Senior. The ingredient quality is good, but the overall composition is not. The Evo reduced fat has 52% protein, 15.5% fat and around 12% carbs and would be an excellent food in this situation, but in strictly measured amounts adjusted to faciliate weight gain.

The new Innova Senior Plus (24% protein, 10% fat) would also be okay, but in the way of traditional kibble, the Large Breed Senior (26% protein and 10% fat) would be even better.

I would also suggest having bloodwork done, including a full thyroid panel.

 

[Herschel]

I just noticed that as well. Sorry, I posted the information from the regular reduced fat dry.

I agree that the Innova Senior Plus and the Large Breed Senior would both be good choices, but I think the EVO Reduced Fat is still too rich. Protein is more satiating than either carbohydrate or fat, but excess protein is stored as fat.

 

[papillon806]

I would also recommend getting checked for hypothyroidism before anything.

 

[Mordy]

Excess carbs are stored as fat as well, and they are the culprits for spikes and lows in blood sugar, which cause hunger.

There is nothing "rich" about protein itself really. I would describe a combination of high carbs and moderate to high fat as "rich" rather than a high protein, low carb, moderate fat food. Keep in mind we are talking about nutrient requirements of dogs here, not people.

As a somewhat unrelated note on non-traditional kibble, Innova Evo (the regular) has been tested by a number of owners of diabetic dogs in various stages, with the result that most of the less severe cases were even able to stop medication.

 

[~Tucker&Me~]

So, Brandy is around 64 pounds, and English Springer Spaniels are supposed to be around 40-50 pounds. We are hoping she can get to about 45 pounds, as she is rather small for her breed.
Thanks for the replies and reccomendations on foods.

~Tucker

 

[Mordy]

So you are looking at a roughly 30% weight decrease for Brandy, if you want to get her down to 45 pounds. That's quite a bit, the equivalent of a human being going from 200 pounds to about 140 pounds.

It is critical that this dog has a vet exam, bloodwork and a full thyroid panel done before you take any steps more drastic than switching to a better quality food. The problem at this point is that her body has the nutritional requirements of a 64 pound dog to function but they can't be delivered in a daily ration that supplies enough calories to maintain her overweight condition.

Once you have the results, I'll be happy to give you some more detailed information on how to help her lose weight safely.

 

[~Tucker&Me~]

Okay, how much will that cost (approximately)?

~Tucker

 

[Mordy]

I really can't say, you need to check the pricing of your local vets.