Gun Dog Forum

Hi All
My brother took his lab to the vet recently for some lameness in her hip.
His vet said she was overweight (she's 78lbs) and that he needs to put her on a prescription weight control food.

Now ... that being said, his pup is stout and thick. But she's active. She gets out daily for walks and runs; he hunts her during the pheasant seasons in PA (deer hunting is his game of choice, but he does get her out for pheasant in the early season). She's about 4.5 years old.

She's not a sloth of a dog.
She was eating Purina Pro Plan, and this doc wants to switch her to Hills Science Diet weight management.
For one: It's very expensive.
Two: The ingredients are not really all that enticing.

Just questioning the nutritional choice of feeding that diet?
And does she really need this?
There are alternatives, and pro plan offers a weight management option that is half the price.

Is there any real need to go on the prescription diet or is it a load of BS?
Thoughts?

My first suggestion is a simple one... keep feeding Purina Pro Plan, but feed less. It is a high quality feed. One of the very best.

Obviously, if the dog does not need all the calories it is currently consuming, cutting back is the easiest solution and the least stressful on the dog's system. It is tuned into PPP and its body is acclimated to it, so why change feeds?? Just cut back.

One could also dial back on both the nutritional content of the dog's feed while maintaining the amount. If the dog does not need a 30/20 ration, there are numerous choices with lower protein and fat content. I suggest looking into a feed with markedly lower fat content. I am sure Purina has several as does Iams, Sportsmen's Pride, Diamond, etc. A feed with about 16 % protein and 6 or 7% fat might be a good choice, especially for the off season. There might be some adjustment period(loose stools and such), but if you keep the supplier the same the adjustment might be pretty minimal.

A lower powered dogfood will generally have the result of increasing the stool produced because the digestible protein and fat will be replaced by roughage type ingredients which will pass through the dog's system relatively undigested.

If the dog is otherwise healthy, I see no reason to go to a prescription type diet in any case.

RayG

Like Ray said, control the feed consumption. Simple as that.

As puppies become young adults and then fully mature their food needs change. My 3year olds eat way less then they did at 18 to 24 months.
Healthy and stocky sounds like a big boned girl your friends are trying to set you up with

Yep, What Ray said. Somewhere on the bag of food there should be a recommended daily feeding amount, based on weight, age, etc. If she weighs 78 lbs now, and he wants her to lose weight, then feed her what the bag recommends for a 65 lb dog... and ONLY that! I get a lot of clients that say they are trying that strategy with no results... then after further questioning they admit that the dog is getting what they or the kids dont eat, or a little ice cream before bed, or helping the cat clean up its food, or the neighbor feeds it too... the list goes on!

I cut the pro plan by 25% and add green beans as a filler.

Forget the prescription food. ProPlan makes a weight management food that is lower in fat and calories. I would try that and get down to her ideal weight. Then switch her back to the PP she was on but limit the amount being fed. What is recommended on the that bag is just a suggestion. Your dog may require more or less food. I know of two litter mates that had totally different food requirements. One needed only 2 cups per day to maintain a healthy weight and the other required 4 cups. And like someone else said, make sure she in not getting any treats or food from some other source. And make sure she is getting plenty of exercise. Not just a walk but some strenuous exercise (running/swimming) several times a week.

Just keep feeding the regular food, but cut back the amount.

That's a Labrador. No matter how much you feed her, she will claim she is starving. But too bad puppy. Reduced amount of dinner and cut out all the treats.

Even with a Labrador, you should be able to easily feel the ribs and the dog should have a waist when you look down on the dog from the top.

If your brother and family can't live without handing out treats, hand out carrots slices and green beans, and maybe a tiny bit of apple.