# Doggie diet day 1



## PoodlePaws (May 28, 2013)

Ok. Today is the first day of scheduled feeding instead of free feeding. It didn't go good. It sucked. 

I got 3 ziplock bags and put 1 cup each bag so it would be easier for me to tell how much each ate. Directions for 6-10 lbs was 3/4 to 1 cup per day. 
I offered it late around 10 am. They were so hungry, and we're really mad they weren't eating from their big bowl. All were separated. I left the food down for 20 minutes and took up what they didn't eat and put it back in the Ziploc bag. They had barely any. 

They cried all throughout the day for food and would go over to their bowl look at me bark at me, cry at me whine at me. They started chewing my table!! They got crated for doing that. Whining all throughout the day ?

For dinner I separated them again and gave them their own food in their own bowl. They were madder than before. Whining, pouting, it was a sight. Missy refused all food throughout the whole day. 

It made my heart so sad to do this. 
I measured the food at the end of the night and there was only a half a cup of food gone out of the whole 3 cups. ??

I'll trigon tomorrow and see if tomorrow's better. 

Any suggestions?


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

Be strong! They'll try every trick in the "I'm staring Feed ME book" .............just make sure they have lots of water and keep your resolve!!!! Good Luck!


P.S. 3/4 to 1 cup of food is actually a lot! Molly is a small mini (She's 11inches tall and weighs about 12.5 lbs) and eats 1/2 cup with couple of small treats per day because she is an apt dweller and not as active as a dog who has constant access to outdoor exercise .........and even with the small amount of food she is given, if I give her more she gets 'pudgy'!


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## cocojen (Oct 14, 2014)

dont succumb! they will come around! they are just testing how well they have you trained! they may pout and be moody, but once they realize they aren't getting their way and you aren't giving in, they will get the routine.

i would also agree with Molly, a cup is a lot. my doxies get 1/2 cup a day and they are between 6-10 lbs. my 120 lb dane gets 4 cups but she is not active at all. remember, feed for what you want them to weigh!


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Could you try feeding them separately from the big bowl while they get used to the new regime, and feeding them small quantities more frequently? That way fewer things are changing all at once.


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## AngelAviary (Aug 12, 2014)

I agree with the other responders. That is to much food for one day. I was always told that the food companies tell you to feed more than you should because they want you to buy more food! My 40 couple pound Border Collie and Stella the SPoo both eat 1 cup of food each a day! A bit on the thin side but it is a perfect weight for both (trainers and vets have assured me they are perfect) My 120lb Dane ate 4 cups a day and her 165lb son at 6 cups a day! Keep trying. You can feed multiple times a day, just don't go over your measured amounts.


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## PoodlePaws (May 28, 2013)

I guess I should mention I only used 1 cup per bag so i know how much was eaten by each dog. All 3 dogs usually share 1 bowl of food that contains about 1.7 cups per day. They share it. They barely eat anything and are still fat. I don't get it.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

It may take a few days! Also double check that those amounts arent too much. I'm confused about the cup in the baggies deal. If you think esch dog should eat 3/4 cup daily, I would measure out and put 3/8 cup of food in each dog's bowl twice daily. It will take several days for them to realize they need to eat during those 20 minutes, but they will learn. But in the meantime they will probably pick at their food.


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## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

Callie is 14" and weighs 16 pounds. I'd like her to lose a pound. I've tried cutting her back but she seems starved. I give her about 1/8 c kibble in the morning and a small biscuit. She gets a small treat in the afternoon and at 5pm gets about 1/4 c canned mixed with 1/2 c dry. She gets a small biscuit at bedtime (oh how she looks forward to that one!) She never loses a pound! I'm beginning to wonder if that is just her normal weight.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Do you know the calorie content of the food you are using? The same amount of a high calorie food could be several times as fattening as a lower calorie one - think of the difference between eating a cup of sugar versus a cup of lettuce! I would also make absolutely sure they are not getting food from elsewhere. One of my cats failed to lose weight despite my watching his food carefully - it turned out my neighbours were continuing to give him handfuls of extras despite my pleas! And another neighbour insists that her overweight dog gets hardly anything to eat, while absent mindedly offering it all her own uneaten dinner...


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## Poodlerunner (Jul 4, 2014)

PoodlePaws said:


> I guess I should mention I only used 1 cup per bag so i know how much was eaten by each dog. All 3 dogs usually share 1 bowl of food that contains about 1.7 cups per day. They share it. They barely eat anything and are still fat. I don't get it.


Kibble is calorie dense. If you were to moisten it with water, it wouldn't change the caloric value but it would grow a lot in volume. That might make them feel full and also make you feel better about the amount (if they will eat it that way). 

So even though they barely eat anything as you say, since they are still fat, it means they are eating more than they are burning. If they got more exercise then they get now, they could eat more food because they would burn it instead of it turning to fat. 

So day 1 didn't go so well, it's a big change but necessary. You are doing it because you love them and ultimately, they will be happier when they are healthier, they just don't know it. Stay strong 


pr


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## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

I got into the habit of weighing food when my dogs were raw fed. When we got Blue, we switched to kibble, because I didn't trust myself to balance a raw diet correctly for a growing pup. I tried several different brands, measured out in a standard 8 oz dry measuring cup according to recommendations on the bags. Jazz gained too much weight, so I cut her back and started measuring on a digital scale. I was surprised to find that a level cup of Merrick weighs about 5-5.25 ounces, while a cup of Victor weighs 4 ounces. If you switch brands, don't assume that because Brand A suggests one cup, Brand B will do the same. Read the labels and then adjust as necessary, which is usually downward.


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## AngelAviary (Aug 12, 2014)

I know a few folks talk about wetting the food to make it expand and help them feel full. That can work but remember dry food is like 10% moisture and calorie dense. Canned food is 80% moisture and hardly any calories. Have you considered decreasing the dry and mixing canned in? The canned will make the food more yummy (so they eat their portions when you put it down) and will help them feel full and not get hardly any calories at all. We would tell clients to add canned to the diet for weight loss all the time at the Vet.


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## georgiapeach (Oct 9, 2009)

PoodlePaws said:


> Ok. Today is the first day of scheduled feeding instead of free feeding. It didn't go good. It sucked.
> 
> I got 3 ziplock bags and put 1 cup each bag so it would be easier for me to tell how much each ate. Directions for 6-10 lbs was 3/4 to 1 cup per day.
> I offered it late around 10 am. They were so hungry, and we're really mad they weren't eating from their big bowl. All were separated. I left the food down for 20 minutes and took up what they didn't eat and put it back in the Ziploc bag. They had barely any.
> ...


That's a lot of food for only a 6-10 lb. dog. Remember, dog food companies are trying to sell their dog food. My 9.5 lb. poodle eats 1/4 cup twice a day, for a total of 1/2 level cup daily. Also, he doesn't get treats, save for 2 pieces of kibble each time he goes in his crate willingly (about twice a day). Add some no-salt green beans to add filling fiber, if you want. Your dog may hate them at first, but hunger will win her over eventually.

Feed your dogs in separate areas, preferably facing away from each other. Supervise them while they're eating. Do NOT let one dog near the bowl of the other dog. Take up the food after 15 minutes when they've either finished or lost interest. The next feeding will only be a few hours away, if you divide up their kibble into a.m. and p.m. feedings. Be strong! Your dog's health is worth it!!

BTW, my MIL's dog that came to my "Beth's weight loss boot camp," (the term the family gave my rehabilitation of this poor dog - lol!) refused to eat for three days. She lived... After three days, she was happy to eat whatever I put in front of her, and with gusto! She was 28.2 lb. (goal weight was 14-15 lb.), and I fed her 1/4 c. twice a day, plus two heaping tablespoons of no-salt green beans and 2 baby carrots. Once she had lost this huge amount of weight, I upped the kibble SLIGHTLY to 1/4 c. a.m. and 1/3 c. p.m., but kept a close eye on her ribs to make sure she wasn't gaining again. 

Ignore the pitiful looks I'm sure you're getting...:aetsch: When she does this, take her for a walk!


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## PoodlePaws (May 28, 2013)

Oh I know that they each only eat about 1/2 cup per dog per day as it is - before the diet. I just can't imagine them eating anything less. Missy started packing the lbs on when I changed the food from TOTW to I AND LOVE AND YOU. It's about 10% more protein and about the same fat. Changed because their poops werent as hard as I'd like them to be on TOTW. For some reason my dogs are weird and higher protein makes the poop more firm. 
I tried one of the taste of the wild with higher protein and they wouldn't eat it. Oh well. Maybe I'll try 1/4 cup in AM and 1/8 cup in pm. They like fresh raw green beans so I can try that too.


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## mom2Zoe (Jun 17, 2014)

I am going to disagree with the amount of food being too much. Maybe it is or maybe it isn't.
The bag has a suggested amount, but it is individual to each dog. The best thing to do is check with your vet.
I was listening to everyone's advice here telling me that a 1/3 of a cup twice a day is too much for Zoe, not true.
My vet said it is perfect for right now. She is 12 inches and 8lbs.I guess she is still considered growing and she gets a lot of exercise.
That is why I feel the vet has to evaluate each dog and their situation.It should not be an arbitrary amount.


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