Dog thread!🐾

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Brew has gained even more weight than before recently to the point that people are noticing… my dad, my brother who hasn’t seen him in a while, etc… I’ve noticed it too.

We will see exactly HOW MUCH weight when we go to the vet hopefully this week…

BUT!!!!!!

In the meantime, I’m thinking I need to switch his food again to a lower calorie food. His current food is fairly high calorie comparatively.

But then again, he also gets tons of people food, some treats from my family (not many but still), and a 100 calorie dental chew every night so maybe those are the bigger issues here…

I’m thinking I need to crate him every time I eat so I’m not tempted by his puppy dog eyes to feed him as well as maybe breaking the dental chew in half or giving it every OTHER night or something…

Also our walks could be longer… a LOT longer…

Currently we only do about .4 miles each walk (twice a day) so about .8-1 mile total.

We could walk the whole neighborhood instead of our down and back route which would be about .7 miles each walk which would be almost a mile and a half total.

OR!!!!!!!!

I could get up even earlier and start doing the 1-2 hour walk once or even twice a day. That is about 2-3 miles which is WAY more than we do currently. And if I did it twice that would be 4-6 miles.

I’m thinking that would DEFINITELY help LOL BUT!!!!!!!! I’m also thinking maybe start small like walking the neighborhood first before jumping into a 3 mile walk LOL

But anyways, I’m hoping the combination of a lower calorie food and more exercise PLUS NO PEOPLE FOOD and a smaller/less frequent dental treat will help because he’s really turning into a blimp/meatball.

And if you read all this, thank you! LOL

Or just let him be a bit chunky. How old is he now?

 

[Pampered chicken girl]

Brew has gained even more weight than before recently to the point that people are noticing… my dad, my brother who hasn’t seen him in a while, etc… I’ve noticed it too.

We will see exactly HOW MUCH weight when we go to the vet hopefully this week…

BUT!!!!!!

In the meantime, I’m thinking I need to switch his food again to a lower calorie food. His current food is fairly high calorie comparatively.

But then again, he also gets tons of people food, some treats from my family (not many but still), and a 100 calorie dental chew every night so maybe those are the bigger issues here…

I’m thinking I need to crate him every time I eat so I’m not tempted by his puppy dog eyes to feed him as well as maybe breaking the dental chew in half or giving it every OTHER night or something…

Also our walks could be longer… a LOT longer…

Currently we only do about .4 miles each walk (twice a day) so about .8-1 mile total.

We could walk the whole neighborhood instead of our down and back route which would be about .7 miles each walk which would be almost a mile and a half total.

OR!!!!!!!!

I could get up even earlier and start doing the 1-2 hour walk once or even twice a day. That is about 2-3 miles which is WAY more than we do currently. And if I did it twice that would be 4-6 miles.

I’m thinking that would DEFINITELY help LOL BUT!!!!!!!! I’m also thinking maybe start small like walking the neighborhood first before jumping into a 3 mile walk LOL

But anyways, I’m hoping the combination of a lower calorie food and more exercise PLUS NO PEOPLE FOOD and a smaller/less frequent dental treat will help because he’s really turning into a blimp/meatball.

And if you read all this, thank you! LOL

If he's getting a lot of human food I think completely cutting that out itself would be the most helpful.

 

[ShrekDawg]

How much dog food is he getting?

2 cups split into 2 meals. He was getting like 3-4 cups for a while and even 5 at one point. so yeah.

Or just let him be a bit chunky. How old is he now?

I would but he’s getting to the point where it’s more than just a bit now and he looks like a beached whale he’s 4 1/2 and sleeps most of the day so I think that’s another issue lol

If he's getting a lot of human food I think completely cutting that out itself would be the most helpful.

Yeah that’s what I was thinking cause that’s a lot of calories. And I don’t want to make too many changes at once lol

 

[StinkyAcres]

2 cups split into 2 meals.

Yeah that’s what I was thinking cause that’s a lot of calories. And I don’t want to make too many changes at once lol

That should help. And reducing his meal amount on days he gets extra treats.

 

[ShrekDawg]

That should help. And reducing his meal amount on days he gets extra treats.

That’s a good idea! Thanks! I always thought I couldn’t really go lower than 2 cups but maybe I could go a BIT lower when he’s getting extra calories LOL

 

[StinkyAcres]

That’s a good idea! Thanks! I always thought I couldn’t really go lower than 2 cups but maybe I could go a BIT lower when he’s getting extra calories LOL

Yeah, when I say reduce I mean by just a few kibbles, not a lot. It also depends on how much exercise he gets - he'll need the full 2 cups plus treats if he was running around all day.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Yeah, when I say reduce I mean by just a few kibbles, not a lot. It also depends on how much exercise he gets - he'll need the full 2 cups plus treats if he was running around all day.

Ohhhhhhh okay that makes more sense LOL thanks!!!!!! Like if we do the 3 mile walk

 

[StinkyAcres]

Even just a small adjustment in the food amount can make a difference for my dogs. Luna can gain a pound if she goes from eating an even cup to a heaping cup at mealtime. And she'll lose a pound if I reduce her food to very slightly under a cup.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Even just a small adjustment in the food amount can make a difference for my dogs. Luna can gain a pound if she goes from eating an even cup to a heaping cup at mealtime. And she'll lose a pound if I reduce her food to very slightly under a cup.

Oh wow. That’s good. Yeah, I level the cup out. And for a very short amount of time I used to weigh it to get to the exact gram amount on the bag and honestly it was slightly heaping then! Plus a lot more work. So now I just level the cup out so honestly it probably is slightly less than a cup lol but o oh by like a few grams or so probably LOL but still. I almost wonder if he’d do better with 1 1/2 cups but that feels like so little LOL

 

[StinkyAcres]

Oh wow. That’s good. Yeah, I level the cup out. And for a very short amount of time I used to weigh it to get to the exact gram amount on the bag and honestly it was slightly heaping then! Plus a lot more work. So now I just level the cup out so honestly it probably is slightly less than a cup lol but o oh by like a few grams or so probably LOL but still. I almost wonder if he’d do better with 1 1/2 cups but that feels like so little LOL

Yeah, he might stay hungry on 1 1/2 cups. I wouldn't do that just yet.