# How much food do I give my overweight golden?



## greenm&m114 (Aug 10, 2009)

My female golden is overweight. We cut back her food a bit, but it didn't seem to make too much of a difference. She's not a couch potato, but she certainly doesn't run as much as my male does. They run in our fenced yard and walk just about daily. We give them carrots as treats for the most part, and one Old Mother Hubbard biscut daily. I feed her Eagle Pack Holistic Select and she gets two cups per day. A cup and a quarter in the AM and 3/4 of a cup at dinner time. If I don't feed her at dinner time she gets sick by morning because of an empty belly, so I can't give it all to her in the AM. Our vet tells us to cut her food to 1 and 1/2 cups, or switch her to the weight managment food, if the food she is on makes it, which they do. I'm just afraid she'll be starving if I cut it back that much. Her current food is 392 kcal per cup and the weight managment one, which I did not purchase yet...still undecided on what to do is 302 kcal per cup. Do I give her the cup and a half of food, or switch to the weight management one. If I switch, how much of the weight management one do I give her? She is 72lbs,the same as my male but we would really like to see her at 62lbs. I like the brand of food that she is on because both of my goldens do well on it.
Thanks,
Sarah


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

If she's overweight, she's not starving. Keep cutting back the food really slowly until you start to see slow weight loss. I don't see the point in a weight loss food, since it simply substitutes part of the bulk with filler. Less of the original food will accomplish the same thing.

You can mix in unsalted canned green beans for bulk if you want. Some people think that makes the dog feel fuller.

If you're giving lots and lots of carrots, cut back on them some too. There aren't many calories in carrots, but there are some.


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## greenm&m114 (Aug 10, 2009)

I've also heard of the green beans! Thanks, no they really only get maybe 2-3 baby carrots per day, not much. My husband said the same, can't see doing it all at once, just maybe gradually cutting back, which is what we are trying. I am kind of against the weight loss one too, but wanted to see what someone else had to say. It actally lacks some of the things that are in their regular food, from what I am seeing.


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## Wagners Mom2 (Mar 20, 2012)

I'm generally not a fan of the weight loss foods either. IF I were to consider one, it would be Wellness Core because I believe it still gives good nutrition without sacrificing nutrition for weight loss's sake.

With that said, I would try cutting her back to 3/4 cup am and 3/4 cup pm--and add green beans (no salt) as already suggested.

Another trick I found that helped my golden is adding a bit of warm water to his kibble--and letting it soak in a bit. Makes him think he's getting more than he is, without adding more calories. We have successfully slimmed down about 7 lbs by lowering the amount he gets only (we do add water, but he will not eat green beans, at all). 

Good luck!


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## OutWest (Oct 6, 2011)

I haven't had to put my Golden on a diet but I did successfully get several pounds off my toy spaniel. She had gotten up to almost 23 pounds over a period of several years and was suppose to be 18. I did it by cutting her food in half and filling in with green beans, peas, carrots. Pretty much whatever veggie we were having for dinner I'd add to her bowl. She turned into a very big food shark for several weeks and played the "I'm starving" act for all it was worth--big soulful eyes gazing at me, etc.  But I withstood it and she lost the weight. I'm making sure she gets more exercise now, and have switched her a lower calorie food. She has to take a prescription food (for urinary problems) and the maker came out with a lower calorie version so I switched. 

Your dog can lose the weight and you shouldn't have to switch foods to do it. The frozen veggies are very good to fill in with, and they don't even need to be heated. Just make sure no salt has been added. 

Good luck!


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

The suggestions above are good. There is a general rule that some people use, feed them 10 cal per pound you want them to weigh. So if you want her to weight 62 lbs, she would get 620 cal per day. That doesn't sound like a lot of food, so adding the green beans will help fill her up.


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## GoldenOwner12 (Jun 18, 2008)

I know how you feel I'm still working on Shelley my female golden to lose weight. I only feed Shelley 2 spoonfulls of raw mince meat in the morning and 3/4 cup of kibble at night. SHe does alot of runing around our yard chasing my whippet missy, They also go for 40 minute or more offlead exercise at the oval. I can't seem to get Shelley past the 34kg mark,She acts like she is straving sits there for 30 minutes after she has eatten licking the bowls. She trys to steal the other dogs food too which is why when I fed the dogs I stay out there with them. I swear I feel like getting Shelleys stomach tied lol.


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## Wagners Mom2 (Mar 20, 2012)

GoldenOwner12 said:


> I know how you feel I'm still working on Shelley my female golden to lose weight. I only feed Shelley 2 spoonfulls of raw mince meat in the morning and 3/4 cup of kibble at night. SHe does alot of runing around our yard chasing my whippet missy, They also go for 40 minute or more offlead exercise at the oval. I can't seem to get Shelley past the 34kg mark,She acts like she is straving sits there for 30 minutes after she has eatten licking the bowls. She trys to steal the other dogs food too which is why when I fed the dogs I stay out there with them. I swear I feel like getting Shelleys stomach tied lol.


I'm a little worried that she isn't getting any nutrition from that tiny amount of food each day.

Has she been to the vet? Does she have a health issue that is causing her to be too heavy on that little bit of food, like hypothryoidism?


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

Listen to your Vet. 
You're accustomed to overfeeding your girl. Cut her rations back to those suggested by your Vet. When she reaches her target weight, you can begin adding more food to find the balance point needed to maintain her weight. 

Don't pussyfoot around, get the weight off her.


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## jrr (May 26, 2012)

Sarah
Beside our 4 month old puppy we have two Corgis. Our female Cardigan was 47# ,not the 34# she should be. Green beans, chicken breasts and cut food in half. 3# loss in 5 months.
Just put her on Annamaet Grain Free Lean [they are just south of you in Sellerville]. One month and she has dropped 3# and is more active. The increased activity will now add to the results.


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## greenm&m114 (Aug 10, 2009)

Thank you for all of the helpful responses. We have cut down her food and are giving her the green beans as a filler. She's doing really well. I've actually noticed more spunk in her and increased activity.


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## WasChampionFan (Mar 31, 2012)

greenm&m114 said:


> Thank you for all of the helpful responses. We have cut down her food and are giving her the green beans as a filler. She's doing really well. I've actually noticed more spunk in her and increased activity.


Cutting her food back and giving her fiber won't help much. You will cut her fat consumption to a better level but you will underfeed protein. Higher relative protein is the key to weight loss in some dogs.

One of the higher protein, low fat diets will work better and be healthier for her. The Annamaet Lean diet is the newest of this approach.


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