# Question about Acana Light and Fit...



## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

I think I've finally decided on a food for Ranger for the next few months until I can start walking him again. It's still high in protein (30%) which is a biggie since he thrives on high protein food but is low cal enough (325/cup) he can get 2 cups or more a day and not pack on the pounds. 

My only question is I read on the dog food analysis website that it should be supplimented with other meat. Now, I don't take that website as gospel truth, but is that a concern with this food? Keep in mind Ranger switched from meaty EVO to this...

I usually give Ranger a frozen hambone or turkey necks on the weekend as a snack. Would that be enough extra meat per week, plus his raw eggs?

I would post the ingredients but I can't get the website to let me copy and paste.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

If the food is certified as a complete diet you shouldn't need to supplement extra meat. That would add to the protein percentage of his diet. I am unfamiliar with the Acana fit and Light, but their grainfree grasslands and prairie are wonderful foods with very moderate cals. Protein about 34% if I remember right.


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

I just checked the brochure and it says "complete and balanced for all adult dogs". I thought it was weird when that website was saying there's a lack of meat content in it...oh well, I'll keep giving Ranger his raw meat treats on the weekend and trust that the food is okay. Ranger loves the fact that he's getting 2 cups of food again. 

What's the formula for figuring out much to feed your dog if you want them to lose weight? Ranger's about 74 lbs right now and needs to get back down to 70 lb and unfortunately, I can't up his exercise so it's all about the diet.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

Just like with humans, figure out how many calories he's getting now and if he is holding steady at that point/ gaining or losing, then dose any new food to be a little less that that. Also like with humans, slow and steady is much healthier than drastic reductions.


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

He was putting on weight with the EVO at 1.5 cups and 527/cup so...790.5 cals a day. He's now getting 2 cups of 325/cals a day at 650 cals a day.

I thought I read on here that if you want your dog to be 70 lbs, there was a mathematical formula so you knew how many cals a day to give. Right now I'm just feeding him less cals but it seems like I can't figure out how much to give. He's either losing too much weight or getting fat!


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

Many go by the 10 calories per 10 lbs you want them to weigh... so for 70 lbs, 700 cals/day.


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## Garfield (Apr 7, 2009)

Ranger said:


> I thought it was weird when that website was saying there's a lack of meat content in it....


I find the dogfoodanalysis site to be presumptious aboutingredients and meat content without adequate research. It's much better to pose your questions/concerns to the manufacturer, plus learning the meat content/protein portion and the fat, protein and carb calories might be helpful to you in determining how much to feed for your dog's ideal weight.


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## Bender (Dec 30, 2008)

If you want to add meat or anything, I would go with knuckle bones that you can trim the fat and marrow out of first. It'll keep him busy for quite a while without being a whole meal. Ham bones worry me, between the salt and processing. Pork necks are a good choice too, if you're near a T&T market you can get them whole.

Lana


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

*Penny and Maggie's Mom* - thanks! That's the formula I was thinking of. I'll give that a shot and see if I can stabilize his weight using that as a guideline. I can never go by what's on the bags since they seem to recommend SO much food per day. Ranger would explode if I gave him what the bag says so I'm just going by what he looks/feels like week-by-week. I need something of a guideline though.

*Garfield - *I know lots of people don't necessarily agree with that website - like you said, the research that goes into it seems a little suspect at times. It did raise a question for me, so I thought I'd ask here to get some info since lots of posters here are very knowledgeable about canine nutrition. Plus, getting different ideas/opinions is never a bad thing. I can usually hold Ranger's weight steady when I get out to exercise him - since hasn't been an option lately I'm going just by food and maintaining a good weight seems to be escaping my grasp these days. He's either too skinny or too fat.

*Bender* - the ham bones he gets aren't cured or processed so there's minimum salt and no preservatives or anything. We get the "throwbacks" whenever I meet up with a rancher buddy so it's usually fresh or frozen. I'll check into the pork necks...I usually replace his kibble meal with raw when he gets them so he doesn't get too much food a day.


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