what can i feed my dog to get her normal sized?

Question

ok my beagle is, well....fat. i still love her, but she getting on up in her years & when she sits she sits really slow & i know the extra weight is not helping. i even took her to the vet & he gave us some diet dog food. she lost about 4-5 pounds & then she would gain it back. i have her back on her regular dog food & i give her about a half a cup in the mornings & a half at night. she lost 10 pounds during the summer. but now shes gaining it back. i was wondering if i could give her anything like eggs or rice that could help her lose weight, you know something less fatty than dog food cuz thats really not working! do u know anything that i could give her?

Answer 1

You were doing the right thing when you gave her the diet food from the vet. Only give her what the vet says to don't give her free access to it and feed her the same time each day.


Dogs naturally gain weight in the winter, the extra fat helps them to stay warm. But when they already have extra weight this can be a problem.

If you are not able to get out as much because of the cold. see if she will chase a ball in the house. It does not have to be far. Just get her moving. Does she like to be chased? Run or walk after her through the house. Find some activity that she likes and join her. Have fun together.

Answer 2

I have an overweight dog, too. She was adopted that way, a 100lb border collie/heeler mix. You probably should keep her on regular food, not diet, because diet food is high in fillers (grains and corns) so she'll have to eat more to get nutrition. What we're doing is feeding her 1/2 a cup of canned pumpkin (NOT pie filling... pure pumpkin), in place of 1/2 cup high quality food. We feed her 3 cups of food a day, 1 or 1.5 is pumpkin. The reason is that it's filled with vitamins and it's a great source of fiber, which will fill your dog up fast. (when we ran out of pumpkin, the dogs counter surfed and stole food, even though they were still being fed the same amount of food. It's THAT filling) Also, play fetch, and excersise otherwise. It seems obvious, but my pup has lost 2 pounds in a week! Good luck!

Answer 3

First of all, you need to look at every calorie she consumes from her dog food to her treats. Put her on a quality low calorie diet (i.e. low carbohydrates) and cut the amount you are feeding her- this includes any treats she gets. The benefit of having a beagle is that they'll eat anything. Change her treats to rice cakes as they are essentially empty calories; you can also use carrots. But again, watch the quantity.

Secondly, and more importantly, get her outside and walking as best as the weather permits. The reason she probably lost weight in the summer was due to exercise; now you've likely decreased the amount of exercise without changing her caloric intake.

Lastly, feeding is not an exact science. It's a matter of looking at her body weight and adjusting the amount of calories she gets. Beagles will eat anything and love to eat...so you have to watch the amount and EXERCISE, EXERCISE, Exercise!

Answer 4

Exercise is important! Since she's older, maybe two shorter walks a day rather than one long one will be easier on her and keep her metabolism running steady. I agree, she shouldn't be getting treats, especially table scraps. But SOME people food is okay...

One cup of food a day is a pretty normal amount for an average-sized beagle and I wouldn't worry about reducing it a bit. Try replacing a fourth cup in her evening meal with unseasoned greenbeans in order to add tasty bulk without adding calories. I hadn't heard about using pumpkin for weight loss, but it sounds like a good idea too. I've used it in the past to help relieve doggy constipation. The dogs really like it. Again, just keep it unseasoned.

Answer 5

Number one, if she's gaining weight on that small an amount of food I would talk to my vet about getting her thyroid hormone levels checked. If these numbers are fine, try removing a little bit of food and replacing it with a veggie like green beans. Because veggies are higher in fiber she'll feel full faster and she'll be taking in less calories. Watch the snacks too! You never mention if she's getting any, but consider cutting those back and trying to find diet treats or turning her onto veggies as a treat instead.

Answer 6

Diet dog food and exercise are your best bet. Just lowering caloric and fat intake wont do the trick, she needs to move a little. She may be getting old, but I am sure she can still take a little walk and wear some of that extra weight off.

Answer 7

Hey me too! Actually though, we've got him down to one cup of dog food a day with lots of water and him on walks. He's lost a good bit of weight. It's just a matter of keeping him on the diet and not giving him treats. So, that's probably my advice to you. Feed him half a cup of dog food per day and take him on a lot of walks. Good luck!

Answer 8

I dont know about feeding her table foods but I think if u gave her the diet food along w/ walk her in the morning and in the afternoon the more exerise she has the better she will get her joints to move around, that way thought out the day she wont get any stiffer than she already is. along w/ moving her joints she will be burning off fat that is causing her to move slow

Answer 9

It is not just what you are feeding her she needs to be on a good exercise plan as well. Take her for 2 or three vigorous hour long walks a day. Not walks where she is doing her business. After she has done her business, walk her quickly (not running a fast walk) for 45 minutes to an hour two or three times a day. It will help with her weight and her heart.

Answer 10

watch her food intake (talk to your vet for the proper amount) and exercise her. You said she lost weight in the summer but now is putting it back on. Less time outside/running around maybe.??