i need help with my dog!!!!!!!!?

Question

i only feed my dog twice a day 1 cup of food at night and 1 in the morning but he just keeps getting fatter.and i can't get him to lose wheight. he was nutered and we are sure he is a boy dog

Answer 1

There could be a variety of reasons this is happening. Lack of exercise is a start. However, I always start with the vet when the most obvious questions aren't answered with the most simple solution.

In your case, a reduction in food "should" result in weight loss or at least weight stability over a reasonable period of time. Depending on the breed/size etc.

Talk to your vet about the correct weight for your dog. Also, about what you are feeding him. One of my labs was getting chubby even though we kept her food constant and her exercise constant. Turns out, a simple blood test was needed. She has a thyroid condition and her metabolism has slowed down. She is now on inexpensive medication, eats MORE, is not starving, and has lost weight. (still fed twice a day)

Talk to your vet. It could be this. It could be something else.

With any question about your dog's health and well being, your vet is always your first stop.

Good luck.

Edit: ALL of my dogs are spayed and neutered. It's a myth that it effects their weight. Exercise, food and metabolism does...

Answer 2

Dogs need 2 meals a day to prevent stomach ulcers. If your dog is gaining weight on 2 cups a day, give him 3/4 or 1/2 cup a meal to see which amount brings him to his ideal weight. My 50 pound dog maintains her weight with 3/4 cup twice a day, plus 6 or 8 treats for doing miner tricks, even if it's only "sit". Take him for a walk at least once a day, 30 minutes or more. This will help keep you both healthy, as well as develop a close bond between the 2 of you.

Answer 3

What breed? What are you feeding him? How energetic is he and how much exercise is he getting?

Without that info, I'd say feed him a higher quality food (more nutritional value, less filler), and feed him less. Not all dogs need the amount recommended on the bag. If he's gaining weight, he is getting too much. Also, are you giving him a lot of treats? Table scraps? Be careful...it all adds up.

I wouldn't recommend diet food (it's just got more filler than regular food!) or anything at Petco, Petsmart, etc for that matter. Do some research on dog food and you will find that there are MUCH healthier alternatives that are not much more expensive or harder to find. Wellness, Innova, Solid Gold, etc.

Also, try to give him a good amount of daily exercise if you aren't doing that already.

Answer 4

There are two ways to get a dog to lose weight: cut back on the food or give him more exercise.

Make sure that there's only one person in your family (you) who is feeding the dog. Sometimes in a busy family the dog will convince someone else that he hasn't been fed and wind up with two meals. If you're feeding him table scraps in addition to the dog food, then stop... and while you're at it, double-check how much food the bag says your dog should be getting.

Take the dog out for more or longer walks, and throw a ball around for him to chase. Play tug-of-war. Do whatever makes him happy and helps him exercise more.

Answer 5

A dog should not gain weight on that amount of food. I have two Maltese dogs that eat TWICE that much food each. They eat 3 times per day. They get dry food, wet food and table food. They are small dogs.

I would think there might be something medically wrong with your dog. It could be a lot of different things. I would be worried enough to take him to the Vet for a check up. I would certainly do that before I cut his food intake any more.

EDIT MEMO: PLEASE take your dog to the Vet. I read all the other answers. They are good suggestions IF you were positive your dog is overweight, but you are not. Think about how little you are feeding him and he continues to gain weight. TWO cups of food for an entire day is not much food.

Answer 6

Have you had him checked for worms? Does anyone in the household slip him goodies? What type of food do you have him on now?

If he is worm free try a high fiber diet. I know I'm going to get bashed for suggesting this, but it worked for my mother-in-laws dog. Science Diet r/d. Most vets carry it. Just temporarily until you can get him down to a decent weight. I do not recommend this food any other time what-so-ever, but this particular formula is very high in fiber, and will knock some weight off of him. For treats, you can give him 4 baby carrots a day, or 1/4 of an apple sliced up a day (make sure he does not get the apple core or seeds). No milk bones or any other treats period.

Once you get him down to a good weight, use a quality brand weight control food. (Not Science Diet, Iams, Eukanuba or anything else you can buy at Wal-Mart).

Answer 7

Double check the feeding standards on the back of your dog food bag. Some have a low and a high end of feeding. If you are feeding somewhere in the middle, you are probably good, but otherwise cut back a little. Also, you might consider switching him to a light food. Cut back on the treats and try to replace dog bones with chunks of carrot or apple. If you haven't been doing this already, you can also walk him. Start slowly since he sounds out of shape, then work up to a longer walk with a quicker pace.

Answer 8

You should consult a vet, they would be able to tell you if your dog is a healthy weight or not. They can also tell you wether or not your dog is diabetic. The only other reason for your dog gaining weight is the food itself. Get a food formulated for weight loss.....you can find it at pet specialty stores like petsmart, petco, etc. Also, make sure that you are the only one feeding him. A friend of mine had a cat who started gaining a lot of weight and he found out that he and his roommate both were feeding the cat everyday. Also, make sure no one is feeding the dog table food and not telling you about it. This can cause a lot of health problems in your dog, not just obesity. Good luck!

Answer 9

The dog is NOT getting enough exercise for the amount of food you are feeding him. Mix in some "diet" food with his regular food to start out with. Next, begin walking him for longer stretches at a time. You dont say how old your pooch is, so I dont know if there are age related health issues but swimming is very easy on the body for both animals and humans. I take my dog to the forest preserve a few times a week and let her swim. She HATES water (baths...rain) but will swim.

Answer 10

Same way to get a dog to loss weight as a human.
Less food more exercise.
The dog food bags often tell you to feed mor food than the dog needs as they are in the business of selling dog food.