# Weight-loss food



## Manxcat (May 6, 2013)

Pippin is going to have to go onto a low fat weight loss food as everything else we've tried for the last few weeks has made no difference (we're just waiting on blood test results).

I know our vet is going to want us to buy Hills Science Diet... Can anyone recommend a good quality weight-loss food suitable for a tpoo?

She is currently on one pouch of James Wellbeloved wet food per day over two meals (recommended dose 2-3 pouches per day) and a small (1/4) portion of Acana Regional dried food (to help keep stools firm). Additionally she gets a teaspoon of boiled fresh chicken breast per day with her two meals. For training treats she gets rehydrated freeze dried duck (little tiny peices) or liver cake, and maybe a small piece of dog biscuit (all natural ingredients with no sugars) depending on what we're doing.

I cannot stop using treats altogether, and cannot see how to reduce her meals any further, and she won't eat totally dried food all the time (hence the chicken breast). She also has very delicate digestion. *sigh* it's a problem!

Any suggestions would be greatfully received!


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I feed raw/home cooked, so can't help with commercial food. But I have found that even a small increase in exercise makes a big difference when mine need to lose a little weight. And I realised that the dried chicken I made for treats was very dense in calories - a piece to chew and half a dozen training sized scraps was about the same as half a full meal. I would imagine that duck might be even higher in calories?


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## Caniche (Jun 10, 2013)

Our senior mix is overweight and we feed her senior and weight management Fromm's. We've had good luck. Fromm's also makes a weight management (not senior) formula that I've heard good things about.

I switched my puppy to Wellness Core. They also have a low-fat option and it's grain free (I don't think Fromm's is). Neither Fromm's nor Wellness has a small breed weight loss formula, but our senior is 12 pounds and has jaw issues and Cash is 5 pounds - both can chew the kibble easily.

I'd also recommend adding white turkey breast meat and cutting back on the kibble. Our senior also gets canned pumpkin (it's low calorie but has tons of fiber to make her feel full longer) and cottage cheese/low fat yogurt. 

We still give treats - we like Charlee Bear for crunchy treats (only 3 calories a treat) and Zukes minis for soft treats - also low calorie. I even cut the Zukes in half. 

I've also heard people give pieces of raw carrot for snacks. We don't since our senior has jaw issues (half of her jaw was removed when she was 2 because she had an abscess and tumor we thought was cancer) but all our dogs love uncooked green beans.

Our senior lost a good chunk of weight using this - and because of severe arthritis, she can't go for walks anymore. So she just wanders in the backyard twice a day for exercise.

Hope this helps!


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

How about Honest Kitchen? I feed raw and use this when I am on vacation. Raw bones would be a great way for your dog to have the satisfaction of chewing with few calories. Duck is high in fat as FJM point out so I would check the calorie count on that and on all the treats you are giving. The dog biscuit might shock you with the calorie count. Here is a link to Honest Kitchen weight loss stories.

True Stories | The Honest Kitchen


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## Jamie Hein (Aug 17, 2013)

I suggest either a prepared raw food (Natures Variety, Stella & Cheweys) or making your own raw food. Here are some details about a raw diet: 

Raw Fed Dogs - Natural Prey Model Rawfeeding Diet

My cat Simba was very overweight. He was eating "good" quality grain free kibble and canned food. Wellness CORE Indoor and Blue Buffalo or Halo cans. He was very overweight and I was feeding less than what the bag said to feed for his weight and exercising him daily. I no longer think that anything other than raw food is high quality. It isn't species appropriate. Some dogs and cats do fine on it, others pack on the pounds. After switching to Nature's Variety raw food he dropped the weight quickly. I now do a prey model raw diet since it is cheaper than buying the premade, but it is also less convenient.


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## Jamie Hein (Aug 17, 2013)

Here is a picture of Simba before I switched, he is the orange one. Poor baby hehe.


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## Manxcat (May 6, 2013)

Thank you all for the advice. Raw might be a bit problematic, for reasons I won't go into, but prepared frozen might be an option. I will sit down with the suggestions and work out where we can change things!

Appreciate the input


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Manxcat said:


> Thank you all for the advice. Raw might be a bit problematic, for reasons I won't go into, but prepared frozen might be an option. I will sit down with the suggestions and work out where we can change things!
> 
> Appreciate the input


Or freeze dried raw like Stella and Chewy's!


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## N2Mischief (Dec 3, 2012)

I was feeding my cat Wellness Core weight management. When I went to Dr. Dodds she said it had way too many calories and switched him to Taste of the Wild, Canyon River formula, he has lost 3.5 pounds in just a few weeks.

For my dogs, my chi Pablo has always had a tendency to pack on the pounds. I tried a lot of different weight loss kibbles, all high quality and he never lost weight. Recently I switched to Solid Gold in the green sparkly bag. The fat content is only 6%. Pablo had lost weight and looked pretty good. Recently he went on steroids and has packed on a couple more pounds but we are working on portions.

Edit to add: For treats my dogs get freeze dried yogurt I get in the baby section at the grocery store. Each little piece I break into tinier pieces.


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

I use pre-made raw. Aunt Jenni. High quality ingredients and Swizzle loves it. I did not know if you would be open to raw so I did not mention it before. The honest kitchen is a powder that you just add water to and Swizzle scarfs it down too. I am sure you will have Pippin at her best weight soon once you figure out what food works best for you.


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