My dog is putting on weight even though we have cut down on his food.?

Question

He drinks a lot of water though. I believe the water is making his body swell. Is there any truth in that? Is it good for dogs to drink alot of water?

Thanks everyone! Perhaps I'll elaborate more :
-My dog is already sterilized.
-End of last year, brought him to the vet to get his tooth extracted.
-Vet rejected to do it as he found that my dog’s kidney is just 1 level before the unhealthy range.
-Vet recommended KD (dry + wet) for a month.
-Within a month, my dog ballooned. Also thought he drank a lot of water nowadays.
-Brought my dog back to the vet.
-Vet found his kidney level better by 1 mark than the last time.
-Vet gave go-ahead to get tooth extracted.
-We mentioned that dog put on weight. (Forgot the water part.)
-Vet said it’s good cos it means dog is getting all the nutrients in KD.
-Continued KD diet (twice daily). Brownie’s weight not going down.
-Cut my dog’s daily intake but still no change.
-His daily walk : 4 times; each at least half-an-hour.

My dad likes to give Brownie fruits too like watermelon, papaya, rock melon... is it ok?

Answer 1

overweight is usually the result of too much food or too little exercise, if you suspect one of these is the cause simply cut the dogs food consumption and increase his work load. Dont put the dog on a crash diet, eliminate between-meal snacks. Now, the amount of water your dog consumes will vary with the weather and his activity. You can expect him to drink heartily, for example, when hes exercising in hot weather. Excessive thirst (out of proportion with the temperature and his activity) however, can also indicative of fever in which case he should be checked out with a thermometer. Excessive thirst can also be a sign of diabetes.

Answer 2

Yes, dogs do drink alot of water and more so in the summer and no..it is not swelling because of how much water it drinks.
The factors that put on the pounds are these:

Is the dog on a good quality food, eating the recommened "DAILY" amount list on the can or bag?

Is the dog "actually" getting enough excersise? Daily play sessions AND walks? (crucial to maintain a healthy weight)

Has the dog been fixed? Spayed or neutered dogs will carry more body weight.

Mostly...are you giving it ANY people food? oh my...waht we eat can be SOOO bad for our pets and just because it's cute or it does tricks or drools at you is no reason to feed it what we eat.
Consider these questions and if that s not the answer it may be time to see the vet. there might be something internally in the dog that simple things cannot cure.
Good luck.

Answer 3

''(she eats about 2 cups in the morning and 2 at night)'' Wow.. I have a 9 mth old pup that is 70 lbs, 24 1/2'' tall, is still growing an only eats 3 cups a day... Don't know that you want her to run for 25 minutes with you. Get the weight off of her first...WALK with her for short distances a couple of times a day... I would cut down to a cup in the am and a cup in the pm, exercise and see where she is in a months time... She doesn't need to lose weight fast, but does need to lose some.

Answer 4

There are special dogs foods out there to help dogs lose weight.
Do not just cut down the dog's food because the dog will still be hungry!!
Talk to your Vet I am sure they can help you with a brand of food!!

As far as the drinking there could be different reasons as to why dogs drink a lot of water??
Your dog could be a diabetic??? This can happen as dogs become older. There is a blood test that can be run to find out!!

This can make a dog want to drink a lot of water~!!!!

Don't just cut the dog's food back that will only make the dog hungry and not happy. Talk to your Vet he can help you find a good brand of food!!

Answer 5

Have the vet check for diabetes. It can make the dog gain weight and they will drink a ton of water and have kidney problems

Answer 6

You didn't give much detail about your dog and your feeding regime. eg is he on dry food? But I would hazard a a guess that, if he is getting on a bit that there may be kidney problems.I would go to my Vet and take a urine sample when you go. This will short circuit the treatment a bit because otherwise the vet will have to use a catheter to get a sample.
Good Luck

Answer 7

The amount of water your dog drinks will not put weight on your dog. I'd get the dog into the vets for a check up and see whats going on. If your feeding him less and giving him enough excersise than he should be lossing weight not putting it on.
A good check up to see if their's something else may be going on with your dog I think is in order.

Answer 8

It could be a thyroid disorder. I suggest taking the dog to the vet in an effort to properly diagnose the problem. Excessive water consumption will not add weight to the dog.

Answer 9

Polydipsia (drinking lots) and polyurea (urinating lots) - known as pu/pd, is the first symptom of many diseases in dogs, including diabetes (along with weight gain!) hypothyroid (also along with weight gain) kidney or liver disease (usually with weight loss and vomiting) and finally Cushing's disease (becoming pot-bellied, but thin muscled).

Have your dog examined and blood work/urinalysis run to discover the problem so you can treat it. None of these disorders can be treated at home without a visit to the doctor for a clear diagnosis.

Answer 10

It is good for them to drink water but you need to keep your eye on him because to much water can mean there is something wrong with him. As far as the weight gain are you keeping him active or has he become a couch potato? Just because you have started to limit his food doesn't mean he will lose weight. If he isn't exercising he will still get fat.