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Do you feed him once or twice a day? If twice a day you might want to try once a day. Dogs have large stomachs and when you cut the food amount in half to feed twice a day it does not allow them to feel full, so they feel hungry all day then you do it again in the evening and once again it does not lead to them being satisfied so they act as if you are starving them.
If you feed them once a day (the amount they would get when the two meals are added together) they will feel more satisfied. You are not really ever filling their stomachs but that larger amount verses two smaller meals can make a difference in how satisfied they are. It also allows for a long fasting period which is how wolves and wild dogs usually live, sometimes they do not even get one meal a day. A high protein diet will help with satiety as it takes longer to break down a protein than it does a carb. (kibble is mostly carbs).
Research is showing dogs that eat once a day tend to live longer due to the fasting. So, you need to cut the calories and try feeding once a day. It may take a while to get the dog use to the once a day as they tend to be creatures of habit.
Do you feed him once or twice a day? If twice a day you might want to try once a day. Dogs have large stomachs and when you cut the food amount in half to feed twice a day it does not allow them to feel full, so they feel hungry all day then you do it again in the evening and once again it does not lead to them being satisfied so they act as if you are starving them.
If you feed them once a day (the amount they would get when the two meals are added together) they will feel more satisfied. You are not really ever filling their stomachs but that larger amount verses two smaller meals can make a difference in how satisfied they are. It also allows for a long fasting period which is how wolves and wild dogs usually live, sometimes they do not even get one meal a day. A high protein diet will help with satiety as it takes longer to break down a protein than it does a carb. (kibble is mostly carbs).
Research is showing dogs that eat once a day tend to live longer due to the fasting. So, you need to cut the calories and try feeding once a day. It may take a while to get the dog use to the once a day as they tend to be creatures of habit.
I am going to try this. Both of my dogs need to lose a few pounds, or at least not gain any more weight. They are old and more sedentary now. Will feed them once in the morning, and then a tiny bit at night, reducing it until they don't get anything until morning. Another thing I might try is giving them 1-1/2 portions in the morning, and a few bites of raw meat (organ meat) at night. I give them organ meats from the butcher, gizzards which are lower in calories than heart or liver, and not too much.
Do you have access to a body of water/pool? When my 75lb dog had to have knee surgery, after the stitches came out along with his regular therapy, we took him swimming once a week for an hour. At first he took several breaks and now he darn near swims the whole hour non stop. It also helped him regain range of motion and build his leg muscle back up without putting so much weight on the joint, and it helped keep his weight down as well.
A vet once told me he could sell an expensive kibble that used ground peanut shells as a no-cal filler so our dog would feel full with fewer calories, or I could buy canned green beans on sale for a lot cheaper and mix it in and achieve the same effect.
Green beans have worked every time. I buy the no sodium added variety when its available.
Weight loss begins and ends at the food bowl for dogs and cats, Weight loss for humans and dogs is 60-70% diet and 30-40% exercise. when it comes to the long-term management of your dog’s weight, it’s essential to establish a concrete benchmark for how much to feed. This means determining the number of calories your dog needs everyday. the feeding guidelines on pet food packages, says Ward, are based on active adult dogs for all life stages. “Spaying or neutering, for example, reduces energy requirement by 20 to 30%,” he says. So, if your pet is spayed or neutered, and not particularly active, you can already be overfeeding by 20 or 30% or more.
For at-home calculating, you can use the Resting Energy Requirement (RER) formula. Take your dog’s weight in kilograms, multiply by 30, and add 70 (or, take their weight in pounds, divide by 2.2, multiply this figure by 30 and add 70). You can then factor in a metabolic energy requirement (MER) depending on things like health, whether they’re spayed or neutered, etc.
Typical MER factors:
Weight loss–1.0 x RER
Neutered/ Spayed Adult–1.6 x RER
Intact Adult–1.8. x RER
These tools provide an estimate, but every dog’s metabolism is different, so be sure to keep monitoring your pet’s weight.
While the recommended minimum of daily exercise is 20 minutes, twice a day, many dogs will need much more. For many breeds, an hour of exercise a day is a good target. If your dog needs to lose weight, try to increase the amount of exercise they currently do. So, if that’s none, or barely any, start with short intervals of walking. If you’re already exercising, try lengthening your walk or other activity by at 10-20%.
A rousing game of "Fetch" and a regular nice long walk.
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