Help with Chloe's food portions

I'm worried about how much to feed Chloe. According to the back of her dog food bag, I should be feeding her 1 2/3 to 1 3/4 cups per day. Well I was reading some info about Corgi's and they said not to feed them as much as the dog food bad says, so I started feeding her 1 cup per day. That doesn't seem like enough. She's quite overweight, and I'm concerned about that also. I also started feeding her senior food per the vet. What do you all think. Thanks!

Dena, what kind of food is it?

My mom was feeding her little Rattie, Katie, senior food, thinking it would keep her weight down a bit as Katie wasn't doing as much playing and running around as she had done before she made Gracie (the cat) mad at her Katie's energy level really dropped even farther, so while my parents were out in California I got her some EVO and she really lost the fat and started playing and having a lot more energy . . .

Anyway, just thought I'd share my experience with you

I'm feeding Chloe & Jack "Exclusive" senior now.

How much does your dog weigh and how active is she?

Feeding guidelines on the bag are just that - guidelines to give you a rough idea of how much to feed. How much is truly needed you have to find out for yourself by keeping an eye on her body condition and adjusting up or down.

If you are feeding a good quality all lifestages food, there is also no need for a specific senior food, and in fact most of them leave a lot to be desired in their formulations, since they are too low in protein and too high in carbs to properly maintain a healthy, older dog.

She weighs about 45 lbs right now, and should weigh from 25-30 lbs. She's not very active right now due to her weight. I take her for short walks more often now, and she doesn't want to go. I've made another adjustment in her food portions again. She just seems really hungry now, and I'm worried about that. What about her thyroid???? Maybe I need to have it checked.

I would say

I would say maybe at most a bit over a cup a day if you want to get her weight down. We were overfeeding Wrigley and have begun feeding around a cup a day and he seems famished constantly (to the point where he'll try to eat bugs in the corner or fuzz off the carpet and stare at you when you are in kitchen)--but I know he is at a good weight and not to give him anything else....

For a target weight of 30 pounds (I'm going with the upper end here so your regimen will be less drastic), an inactive dog needs around 775 kcal per day. Of course this is just a rough figure not adjusted for individual need, but it's a starting point for you. This caloric amount includes any food, treats and extras you feed.

Example:
If you feed a food that has 350 kcal per cup, you could feed two cups per day and have a 75 kcal "reserve" for treats and extras. If the food has 430 kcal per cup, you'd feed 1 1/2 cups and would have 130 kcal left for treats and extras.

Make sure she gets her calories mostly from protein and fat and cut out carbs as far as possible. Most "senior" foods are "carb bombs" with far too little protein and fat content.

A grain-free food like Innova Evo (the lower fat variety) or Solid Gold "Barking at the Moon" would work well for this. If you have trouble finding a low carb dry food, you would be better off feeding canned or replacing at least part of the dry food you feed with canned food or fresh meat (either raw or cooked).

If your dog constantly seems hungry, you can add green beans to bulk up the portion size for a while and then slowly decrease the amount to let the dog adjust to less food volume. A decent fat content in the diet also helps to let the dog feel more satisfied. Most dogs like the taste of canned (well-rinsed) green beans and they add only a very small amount of calories per serving.

How much of the green beans should I feed her????

Since the beans are used as a filler, it depends how satisfied she is with her meals, which in turn depends on the composition of the kibble you are going to feed.

Start with about half a cup per meal and see how that works out for her. Then work on decreasing the amount so she gets used to a smaller portion size. The stomach adjusts over time, since the amount of food doesn't really matter, only the actual content of nutrients.

Thanks Mordy...I've been feeding her 1/2 cup of her dry food 2x per day, I'll add some green beans tonight to see how she does with that. Of course, I'll have to give some to Jackson Browne also so he doesn't feel left out!
I appreciate all of your help with this, and I'll let you know how she does.

Dena

Well....I just wanted to let you know that I did add 1/2 cup of green beans to Chloe's evening feeding. She thinks she has died and gone to heaven. I'm going to check out the caloric content to their food and get back to you on that.

That's great! Neither dogs nor people really need to suffer to lose weight, you just have to take the right approach.

You also don't need to limit yourself to green beans - if you want to offer some variety, feel free to substitute lightly steamed broccoli, grated carrots and other low calorie veggies.