# Looking for food to help my girl lose weight!



## Sophiegirl (Oct 17, 2015)

Hi! Sophie needs to lose at least 7 pounds and possibly have a food that would help with her knees. She has a problem with her back knees and they pop out of joint. The vet said it isn't bad now but I should consider giving her glucosamine. Sophie was eating Merrick Classic chicken dog food because it was recommended and has a great amount of glucosamine. I recently stopped because it made my other two dogs sick, Sophie had no bad reaction to it. 

Can anyone recommend a really good food that would help her lose weight? Helping with her joints is a plus but I could always use a supplement. Thanks for the help!


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## mss (Mar 1, 2006)

It's hard not to overfeed little dogs--I have been guilty of that in my life! I found that the best solution is to feed them smaller, measured amounts of a good quality food, and avoid treats other than additional bits of their food. Some of the weight-loss formulas have "fillers," like some form of fiber, that make the food less nutritious, and you're paying extra money for peanut hulls!

I use an extra set of measuring cups for my different-sized dogs who eat different foods. My smallest gets a slightly rounded 1/4 cup of kibble twice a day. The next one up gets a slightly higher-rounded 1/4 cup of another food. 

I also have a little scale which I am thinking about using for one of my dogs whose weight seems to be yo-yo-ing!


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## LOVE_BABY (May 5, 2015)

Sophiegirl said:


> Hi! Sophie needs to lose at least 7 pounds and possibly have a food that would help with her knees. She has a problem with her back knees and they pop out of joint. The vet said it isn't bad now but I should consider giving her glucosamine. Sophie was eating Merrick Classic chicken dog food because it was recommended and has a great amount of glucosamine. I recently stopped because it made my other two dogs sick, Sophie had no bad reaction to it.
> 
> Can anyone recommend a really good food that would help her lose weight? Helping with her joints is a plus but I could always use a supplement. Thanks for the help!


I feed freeze dried raw {Primal, & Stella & Chewy's} but it's not cheap. So far blood tests have been healthy & he's been eating it for about a year now. I alternate between flavors feeding a different flavor every day. My boy is small, he was 7 lbs. but after feeding raw for a year he lost 8 oz.{1/2 lb.}, so he is now 6.5 lbs. You can sign up for free dog food recall alerts on dogfoodadvisor.com just in case any brand of food you are feeding is recalled. Chicken seems to be recalled more often than anything else among all brands, so I don't feed freezed dried raw chicken at all. The freeze drying process the two companies which I mentioned use usually kills most bacteria etc. which might be lurking.


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## shellbeme (Mar 1, 2011)

Halo, wellness, Fromm, all have weight control formulas. These are good to get but, they do not help if you free feed so be sure to feed twice a day. Did the vet say what her weight should be? My boys are 5 and 6 lb and they get 1/4 cup twice a day. Don't give her any treats except maybe the occasional green bean while she is on the diet.


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## shellbeme (Mar 1, 2011)

Fish oil (I buy from Nordic naturals website) and a joint supplement like cosiquin or dasiquin (no idea if that is spelled right) can help lube the kneecaps to alleviate some pain.


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## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

The LP in her knees will be less problematic when she loses the weight, so that's a priority for your girl.

Many of us like the raw formulas, but as someone else said, they are expensive. Fromm is a fabulous food if you feed kibble; be sure to add very warm water to it and let it sit for a few minutes to absorb. This will encourage her to eat the whole thing and also help her kidney and digestive function as kibble by itself is so dry that it can be harmful in small dogs. 

It's important that you measure her food so you know how much she is getting. For many of us, 1/4 cup two times a day seems to work well. You might start with that and see how quickly the weight comes off; if you need to increase it or decrease it to maintain her weight, you can do so.

Cosequin is a great supplement for joints. 

Good luck!


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## Furbabies mom (Jul 25, 2011)

Be careful switching foods even weight management types. My Violet got Pancreatitis from Fromm weight management because I didn't transition it from the regular Fromm. You can decrease the amount of food from a high quality food and add some green beans, carrots, or some other healthy low calorie vegetable. It helps to fill them up without adding calories.


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## Sophiegirl (Oct 17, 2015)

Thank you all for the help! I will say that I definitely make sure she doesn't over eat. When my husband and I rescued her she was this overweight.  I am very interested in the raw diet but I will have to look into it more to be comfortable doing it. 

I think for now I will try Fromm and add the vegetables, that is a great idea!


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## kd1212 (Nov 5, 2013)

I had the same issue with my other dog Trevor-he was about 5 pounds over weight. We also used Wellness, but then switched to Three Dog Bakery kibble, which he loved. We also used Party Animal canned, which he also loved. He also had crystals in his urine and prone to bladder stones. His doctor did a lot of research and reached out to his medical forum. Turns out the formula of overweight management food was good for controlling the crystal issue, so we stayed on it. He did lose weight at a healthy pace. He was a big eater so I had to be careful about controlling the amount.


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## [email protected] (May 9, 2015)

I don't know if this helps...but when I got Sophie she was 9lbs while eating a name brand kibble food.
Since being with me, she's now steadily 11lbs. She eats home cooked meals (mixed in with some Wellness) and her only snacks are veggies and fruits. She's lean and very, very muscular!:HistericalSmiley:
Everyday, she usually gets walks/jogs 3 times a day.


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## Sarahsphere (Oct 4, 2015)

> She's lean and very, very muscular!


 :aktion033:

how do you see this under all that fur lol


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## aprilb (Jul 9, 2010)

You have received great advice...what has helped me with my 3 is I use a 1/4 cup measuring scoop and I also have a baby scale on hand to check their weights...with all the hair, it can be difficult to tell whether they have been gaining or losing...my Rose, who is 8yrs old, gains very easily...she is 5 pounds..and actually gets 1/3 cup per day...they should have a waist and you should be able to feel(not see!) the ribs.


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## [email protected] (May 9, 2015)

Sarahsphere said:


> :aktion033:
> 
> how do you see this under all that fur lol


Easy. Just squeeze those biceps aka her drumsticks. Feels like really tough beef jerky :HistericalSmiley:


aprilb said:


> You have received great advice...what has helped me with my 3 is I use a 1/4 cup measuring scoop and I also have a baby scale on hand to check their weights...with all the hair, it can be difficult to tell whether they have been gaining or losing...my Rose, who is 8yrs old, gains very easily...she is 5 pounds..and actually gets 1/3 cup per day...they should have a waist and you should be able to feel(not see!) the ribs.


A little meat on the ribs is a good sign. As with humans, the key to losing weight is diet and exercise.


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