How little is too little food to give an adult
He went to the vet on Saturday and is now 92 pounds. He was 84 in August. Yes, he needs more exercise, but so do I, so we do it when we can. Once it's no longer dark when I get home from work it'll be better. So, that leaves us focusing on his food. We give him the Nutro that has the good joint stuff in it (either that or the good skin stuff--it's been a while since I looked at what the bag had to say). I just feel like decreasing his food too much more isn't an option. Plus he's always ravenous b/c of the steroids... |
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Can you give him something he likes that is low-cal to help fill him up and keep him from being so hungry? I don't think 2 cups sounds like enough.  I'd try adding in something like a cup of green beans or maybe some carrots. Not high in calories but it will make him feel full. |
| I'm having almost the same problem with Walter. We now feed him about 1.75 cups a day and he gets the same amount of treats and people food (which is a lot..)
I do second the suggestion to add green beans to his food... so maybe do 1.75 cups of dog food and then green beans and some other veggies? |
| have they had recent thyroid tests? |
| Yes do have the Thyroid tested and all OK then to help barney loose the pud try grated raw carrot in with the dry to help satisfy the hunger and help trim him down.
Also the fibre as long as he is not sensitive to it helps with the weight loss. He is mature so that mixed with his dry should help. I know when on steroids there appetite is rampant but putting something like the grated raw carrot or even like tammy said also green beans, something not so calorie intense, fills them up without the gain. 
Even steamed greens like brocoli, zuchini etc. will bulk up but not chub up. You can cut the dry to 3/4 cup morning and evening then & bulk it up to satisfy barney with grated carrot, a 1/2 to a cup of that or the greens, will help to satisfy his appetite and also then help him drop the tub while not feeling so hungry all the time. This is all if his system can take other stuff besides his kibble and also no thyroid problems with him. Amount is not an issue as he is not developing like a puppy does and getting weight off him is only better for him. Treats can be as simple as a carrot stick then or a green bean. I did that when my girl peppa was on predisone as she was ravenous and got tubby but decreasing the dry and wacking in vegies raw or steamed helped her loose the pud, as I could not exercise her due to surgery at the time. So cutting her food was like cutting her throat, so hence cutting back the dry and adding the lo cal vegies she was happy and so was I as the tubby bubby slimed down. |
| Thanks guys! I think I'll try adding the shredded carrot and green beans into his food. |
| Just a note: my green bean eater will only eat the canned green beans, no frozen and cooked and absolutely no raw or fresh cooked. Carrots somewhat steamed or boiled is preferred by her to raw. |
SheepieBoss wrote: Just a note: my green bean eater will only eat the canned green beans, no frozen and cooked and absolutely no raw or fresh cooked. Carrots somewhat steamed or boiled is preferred by her to raw.
Good to know, although I don't think Barney's the picky type!  |
| I don't think less than 2 cups would be enough... it's not just his weight, using green beans or some other filler can help satisfy his appetite but not his vitamin and mineral requirements....
I really think more exercise is the only way to go..... |
Willowsprite wrote: I don't think less than 2 cups would be enough... it's not just his weight, using green beans or some other filler can help satisfy his appetite but not his vitamin and mineral requirements....
I really think more exercise is the only way to go..... I was thinking the same thing about nutrition. |
| If you go with green beans, make sure you buy the "no salt added" brand.
Have you tried a reduced calorie formula of the brand of kibble you normally buy? When I was feeding Sensible Choice awhile back, they had a reduced calorie formula of the Lamb & Rice I had fed for years. I switched my older dogs to it at the time as they were having a bit of trouble staying full & not gaining weight. I was able to give them the same volume & they lost the extra pounds & then maintained their weight well. I had to switch when the food became unavailable in my area. Even special ordering it in it was too unreliable to be delivered. When feeding multiple dogs I had to have it readily available. |
| I'm planning on more exercise for him, but I can't really do that until it stays light a little longer, so I was mostly thinking of what to do in the meantime. And I agree--I don't think that much less than 2 cups is a good idea, but that's why I asked all you experts, just to make sure. The vet only said to cut back on his food and either didn't hear me or want to answer when I said he only gets 2 cups at the most each day. She just kept saying cut back, cut back.
But the added veggies are a great idea, especially since he already seems to be so hungry. I always forget about adding them. And he LOVES carrots. Since we cut out all processed treats when trying to figure out if his itchies were due to food allergies, he's only had carrots and banana pieces as treats and loves them. Although I can no longer peel and enjoy a banana by myself anymore |
| Can he do a couple extra days at day care? That would probably do it. |
| With the 3/4 cup morning and evening plus bulking it up with vegies or even steamed/poached chicken flesh or fish, stuff Lo Cal to help satisfy his appetite while starting to hopefulley kick in weight loss while he is not so active is not a long term thing, just to kick him off dropping some pounds. Grated apple is also a good thing too to add.
Also because he is de-sexed and inactive at the moment there calorie requirement is a lot less needed and it does not take much for them to increase in weight. With peppa it was only short term to start the tub loss, she was spayed at the time, surgery for another thing and of course at the time could not exercise her and blew up quick with the pounds, said to the vet only feeding her 1 cup morning and evening at the moment and she is ravenous due to the predisone, he said cut her back on the dry again to 3/4 cup as she is not utilising it all and at the moment till the pounds start to drop off to help fill her bulk up the meals with vegies etc to help satisfy her without plumping her up more. After a few weeks she finally started slowly dropping the weight then she went back to normal proportions when I could start exercising her again. With Barney too due to his hips keeping the weight managable and keeping it off him is really important for him especially while he is inactive so it is a good kick start to help in the short term. |
ButtersStotch wrote: Can he do a couple extra days at day care? That would probably do it.
If he hadn't been banned from daycare that might have worked  |
I'd like to recommend a furfriend because I know that definitely ups the activity level EVEN if they do their best NOT to participate in those activities, but I've got a feeling you're not as crazy as others on this board.  |
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