[DeoxyHelix]

hey, i just joined and solely to make this thread lmao

anyway, i have a dog (8-10 yrs, m, lap/pit mix) and due to circumstances that happened later in twenty nineteen, he had to be fostered by a friend. for a long time. over a year. anyway, in the time, she didn't stick to the feeding regiment my dog (his name is jack) had. he was to be fed twice a day, but she let him have access to food constantly

long story short, my healthy weight dog is a fatass now and i need tips and the like on getting him back to his best self

steps i have taken already:

• cut off his supply of table scraps (he may have had them with the friend, but he gets none from me)
• cut treats from his diet
• switched his old food to a healthier alternative (nutrisource weight management)
• spaced his meals out so he's eating more often, but also eating less in each sitting

i've also recently moved to an apartment on the third floor of a building, so i'm hoping the trip up and down the stairs numerous times each day will help him lose some pounds

any help is appreciated. like, so much

 

[BigBlackDog]

Exercise is good, slowly lowering caloric intake is good, but crash diets and rapid weight loss is not healthy! Slow, steady progress is what you want.

 

[Schnauzaluv]

I had an overweight pup as well. Totally my fault as I didn't know I was to switch him over to adult food and didn't know enough to notice he was getting fat. He was not an active dog, super chill even as a pup, so just gained weight easily and I had to be careful with his food.

Since your boy never had issues before the overfeeding, I suspect he will lose weight easily again with the improvements, more exercise, healthier meals and quantity.

I'm not a vet and just talking out of experience, but I'm not a fan of "light" food. I would move onto a regular diet (not low calorie) once he is at a healthier weight. I would just reduce amount a bit if it's too much. I just don't like the replaced ingredients and feel they are missing out. It's like anything "light", take out the fat and add another unhealthy ingredient to make up for it. Purely my 2 cents