[Puddles Mom]

I can't believe Puddles has gotten so heavy, 10 lbs today and will be 1 year old on the 13th.

I did the food check last week and he does not eat a cup full in one day (Canidae).

I wonder if its the treats hes getting, don't even ask me how many he gets in a day? Canine Carry Outs (Bac'n Bites) and Iams Puppy Biscuits

Do I need to look for a better brand, low in fat? I am looking at the Bac'n Bits and they have 4.0% of crude fat, sounds like a lot.

Please let me know your brand of treats and ideal of how many you give out in a
day.

(he knows I'm talking about him)

Thanks !!

 

[Sylphide and Shrek's Mom]

Well, my question is: is he chubby? I wouldn't worry about restricting his diet unless he looks overweight.

Sylphide weighs in at 9.5 lbs, but doesn't have an ounce of fat on her. She's very lean and muscular (she's very active). I don't limit her food intake--she gets dinner (fresh meats plus kibble) once a day, has access to dry kibble (Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul) all day, and also gets both human grade (tiny cheese cubes; fresh pepperoni; fruit and veggies) and doggie (rawhide crunchies; greenies; pigs ears) treats.

 

[dr.jaimie]

well any time you give treats you have to subtract that from what you feed. if you dont want to switch to low fat, you can always give smaller peices. i've learned that it doesn't matter how big of a piece you give them, they just want something. so i make my pieces the size of peas. hes happy and i'm happy. parkers on the skinny side, so low fat isnt on his menu. but im sure someone can give you some treat options. oh i do know one thing that is good, that they seem to like is the pupcorn...low fat

 

[Brinkley & Neyland's Mom]

I have a weighty one too...I don't have any suggestions...ha ha...Brink is not fat..I can still feel some ribs...he is just bigger. He is on the Chicken Soup wet and dry...he gets a couple tablespoons of canned in the morning mixed with 1/4 cup dry...and another 1/2 cup dry for supper. He gets a few treats here and there too...and some people food when he is being extremely cute and hard to resist...

BTW!!!!

BEAUTIFUL picture of puddles!!!!!

LOVE his haircut!!!!!

Do you do that? His face/head look great! I am jealous!

 

[FannyMay]

Yeah feel for his ribs. If you ask me he doesn't look fat in that picture at all. I think he's just a big Malt. Ask your vet though, they can tell you for sure if he's overweight or not. Fantasia is 8lbs and the vet says she's not fat at all.

 

[ButterCloudandNoriko]

That picture of Puddles is the SHIZNITS

. Really, it's really nice! Noone can call there baby fat or heavy unless there bigger than Cloud which is about 12 lbs! Cloud needs to lose weight and it seems like he has. But if you can still feel his ribs fairly easily, you're ok.

 

[littlepeanut]

I do the same as LadyM. Peanut ranges between 5 and 6 pounds, but still, a little teeny piece of treat can go a long way, and saves $$ too. Peanut's sister from the same litter is 9 pounds. The last time we saw her, she didn't seem 'fat', just an all around bigger malt than Peanut. Puddles is looking very cute in his pic though!!!! I love when they stretch their legs out like that!

 

[Boom Boom's Mom]

The Boom Boom is 20 pounds!!! He was 22 pounds and at 22 pounds he was overweight... He was getting to the point we were starting to lose his ribs

So we cut the treats except his one treat he gets when my MIL leaves for work. Also, if I'm training him he gets something lil. He doesn't eat all his food. He gets an occasional carrot too..

Its all about whether or not you can feel his ribs and whether he has a lot of fat.

 

[maltx3]

Will is 15 pounds!!! Gracie is 10 pounds. They are littermates. Will needs to lose a few pounds, he is a couch potato. Gracie is a good weight for her build, but she is very very active. I agree, I don't think Puddles looks like he needs to lose weight, but the rib test is the best. I have started giving my three kids green beans as treats...hopefully Will can lose a pound or two

 

[doctorcathy]

yeah, if its because of the fat intake--try giving treats that are healthy. like carrots and peas. also, the dog food might be high in fat. like gruffi eats a lot more food (human food) than he would dog food. to make up for the calories and stuff. so try good veggies and fruits as treats.

 

[k/c mom]

Is a cup the amount to feed? That seems like a lot. I feed 1/4 cup twice a day and a couple healthy treats during the day. The main thing is not the number of pounds but is he overweight.

 

[Brinkley & Neyland's Mom]

Originally posted by Kallie/Catcher's Mom@Mar 6 2005, 06:30 PM
Is a cup the amount to feed? That seems like a lot. I feed 1/4 cup twice a day and a couple healthy treats during the day. The main thing is not the number of pounds but is he overweight.
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Brinkley's bagged food says 1/2- 1 cup for 10 pounds and under. The canned says 1/3-1 whole can. The Chicken Soup doesn't give a wet/dry mix...that is why I only give him 1/4 cup with his wet food, and another 1/2 cup at night. He only gets a few tablespoons of the wet food. Nowhere near 1/3 of the can. He always makes a happy bowl in the morning...sometimes he eats all his nightly feeding and sometimes he doesn't.

 

[Puddles Mom]

Tlunn....are you kidding.....no way do I cut Puddles. I do good to get him still for the brushing. His hair is still cotton type and it was 3 1/2 inch long. I could not keep up with the mats, so off it came today. The cut is a collection of pics I had printed from the babies on here with short cuts.

I did the rib check and I can feel them a little, can tell there is some fat there also. I guess he's gonna be like his mom and dad, little over weight.

(He's giving me the cold shoulder, since his grooming today)

 

[jmm]

If he is a tad overweight, go ahead and get the weight off of him. Often they do not need the amount recommended on the dog food bag. Overweight dogs tend to have more health problems including joint issues (arthritis, injuries, back problems) and diseases like diabetes. Fit and trim is healthier for them.

When your Malt is wet, they should have a visible waist when looking down on top of them and you should be able to easily feel the ribs, but they should not be overly prominent nor should the back bone be overly prominent. Your vet can help guide you in the ideal weight for your dog if you are not sure.

Mikey will take a lb from someone. He's a dinky 5.4 lbs and should weigh around 6.2 or so.

 

[Brinkley & Neyland's Mom]

Originally posted by Puddles Mom@Mar 6 2005, 07:32 PM
Tlunn....are you kidding.....no way do I cut Puddles. I do good to get him still for the brushing. His hair is still cotton type and it was 3 1/2 inch long. I could not keep up with the mats, so off it came today. The cut is a collection of pics I had printed from the babies on here with short cuts. 

I did the rib check and I can feel them a little, can tell there is some fat there also.  I guess he's gonna be like his mom and dad, little over weight. 

(He's giving me the cold shoulder, since his grooming today)   

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Well, then I want the number of your groomer!

Is that picture from the fresh grooming? Again, awesome job! I just love the way his beard/face look!!!! I am so jealous! I try to do Brink's myself...but I just can't get it even or rounded, or something...I know what I want, I just can't get it to look like that!

Imma gonna copy your picture to my puppycut file for future reference...is that ok?

I don't want to be a picture theif...he he...
I recently cut Brink's ears really short. His ears are shorter right now than his face...if that makes sense..

.I like them short, but I would have to let them grow some to look like Puddles. Anyway, I am rambling...but he looks adorable!!!!

 

[kodie]

oh man... forget about the weight problem ... that is the cutest picture!

What a sweetie pie!

I would be giving him LOTS of treats just for being so darn cute!

 

[pico's parent]

Oh, yeah. Puddles is a great looking dog! And he really doesn't look overweight but the "rib test" is hard to do from a picture.

If you want a low calorie, low fat treat, try Pupcorn. I get a big tub at the vets and I think PetsMart sells it too. It is easy to cut each piece into smaller pieces. That way you could set aside the exact amount Puddles is to get each day and when they are gone that's it for the day!

The veggies for treats is good, too. Pico got a bit of potatoe and some zuchini (sp?) yesterday evening and he was so happy. A few bites of our lunch or dinner seems to kick start his appetite and then he cleans his own plate. Since he is 4.5 pounds and just right fat-wise I like to be sure he eats his prescription l/d.

He also gets treats of brown rice, green beans, squash, sweet potatoe, sweet red pepper and carrot, depending upon what I've cooked for us that day.

 

[Ladysmom]

Veggies are great treats. Lady is addicted to frozen green beans (thawed) in her Busy Buddy Twist and Treat. She prefers them to a piece of chicken jerky, if you can believe that! She loves carrots, even chopped celery. My grocery store has red peppers on sale this week and I gave her some last night. You would have thought it was filet mignon by her reaction!

This is from the girl who only ate Beggin' Strips and Snausages for a treat before diabetes!

 

[Sisses Momma]

Love, Love the picture, he is just adorable

His frame looks larger, Sis has that same frame....our Vet says she's NOT overweight, just built bigger....