I feel like such a meanie - Paw Talk

**Scarlette** · #1 07-03-2006, 12:34 PM

Sydnee seems to be getting fatter by the day. I keep telling her she's just short for her weight, but I finally had to become realistic about the whole situation when she started huffing and puffing 1/2 block into our walk.

I've always free fed my dogs. When they're hungry, they eat, when they're not hungry they won't eat. Well, there have been squabbles over food. Sydnee will actually fall asleep with her head in the bowl so that Mirra and Scarlette can't have any. I started using 3 separate bowls hoping to stop Mirra and Sydnee from fighting. The other day I filled up all 3 bowls and found them empty within an hour. I thought everyone was just hungry so I filled them again. I went back into the kitchen to find that Sydnee had just finished off one bowl and was working on the next. I think she had eaten all of the food the first time I found them empty.....if so, that means she had eaten 4 bowls of food and was working on the fifth bowl.

Enough was enough so I started feeding them in their crates at night. Sydnee is going insane. She will try to sneak food from the bag so I put the bag of food up where she can't reach it. Now she will sit and bark at the bag of food. I feel like such a meanie.

I'm going to try and feed 2 small meals (one in the morning and one at night) to see if that helps her at all, but I still feel guilty. I need to keep reminding myself that I would rather feel guilty about her whining, wanting more food, than to feel guilty about her having a massive heart attack from being overweight.

***Jade*** · #2 07-03-2006, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scarlette


	I need to keep reminding myself that I would rather feel guilty about her whining, wanting more food, than to feel guilty about her having a massive heart attack from being overweight.

This is what you need to remember. There are more health problems that come from obesity in dogs than you want to think about. Diabetes is a big one!

Try the small meals, and stay stubborn! You're actually doing what's best for her, not being mean.

Leo · #3 07-03-2006, 03:14 PM

It will take some time for her to get used to it, but it is for the best... I don't think you are being mean at all.... My dog Gunner was VERY overweight this past winter due to the fact that he was eating all the food and leaving very little for Ed to eat (this was before we had Leo). When we went in for his checkup he weighed 70 lbs and my vet said it is Diet time... this has included a reduction in food for him & all of his feedings are in a crate... he has lost 12 lbs since Feb. and still has another 10-15 left to go.. slowly but surely it is coming off (the vet is ecstatic about his weight loss and says he is healthier now)... the down side to me doing this is he got into the garbage a few times in the beginning, but has since getting used to the routine he has become a happier, healthier, more active dog... and my other 2 can now eat without having to worry about the food hog eating it all.

Denise · #4 07-03-2006, 10:31 PM

Rhonda, you are not a meanie!

If I had food available all day for the dogs, Molly would consume every bit of it! She could easily eat all day long. I feed three meals a day and give her smaller portions because her bodyframe is short n' wide and I notice she has a difficult time keeping up with Logan and I on walks. She is like a keg on legs! It is much better to have a dog that is physically fit than indulging his or her love for food.

**Scarlette** · #5 07-03-2006, 10:44 PM

What is funny (ok, not really) is that I noticed Scarlette getting thinner after I moved her in here. I thought maybe she was just stressed from the move. Well, duh! Sydnee is gobbling down all 3 bowls of the food like a little piggie and Scarlette is too much of a polite lady to push her way into the bowl.

Feeding her a small amount this morning helped with the whining. You can tell it's feeding time again because she's over barking at the bag of food as I type this.

Formula86 · #6 07-04-2006, 01:24 AM

Rhonda, I TOTALLY understand! Chaquita has gotten FAT. I not only had to stop free-feeding (which is actually better for Penny) but I have to feed Chaquita 1/2 cup of food each night and it is diet.

Chaquita will eat all day. She will eat while awake and while sleeping.

I've noticed that she snores more now than when I first got her (about 2.5 years ago).

The only problem is that I've noticed that Penny is hungry late at night and during the day because she can't eat enough in one meal to keep her full for 24 hours. So I feed Penny half a meal when I wake up and then a full meal at night. Chaquita only gets her night meal. When I feed Penny her little breakfast, I give Chaquita about 15 pieces of her food to keep her occupied.

You are doing the right thing, I promise! Think about it like this: when you see a really fat kid with their parents, don't you secretly think: "Gosh...what bad parents. That kid is so unhealthy and will hate this for the rest of his/her life." I do!

You can do it, Rhonda!!

HappyDancer · #7 07-04-2006, 01:53 AM

it was hard for me at first to cut back on the way I fed the cat...her pathetic meaows and the even moe pathetic sight of her licking her empty bowl while starring at me, but after awhile I got used to it and she is still trying to guilt me out of a treat lol...with my dogs I free feed the little ones, but my big one gets a cup in the morning and a half a bowl at night lol hes so over weight...but I am trying, he just has thse eyes that make me melt lol

Keritsubo · #8 07-04-2006, 09:43 AM

I can imagine its hard to watch your baby beg like that.But its the right thing. You know the health risks obviously and you love her. Its tough love but you can do it.

Leo · #9 07-04-2006, 11:46 AM

Quote:


	I have to feed Chaquita 1/2 cup of food each night and it is diet.

My dogs were on Diet dog food for 3 years and this is actually how they gained the weight.... My vet had us put Gunner on a lower carb diet that included a lot of protien... We are currently in the process of switching Ed from the diet food over to a food that is richer in protien, and doesn't include corn or other filler ingredients which is what most of these diet dog foods contain. Compare the sides of the packages of a regular and diet food and you will see all the fillers in the diet food. Feeding your dog smaller amounts of a dog food richer in protein is healthier for them than feeding one with corn as its base ingredient. If you reduce the amount of diet dog food it is possible that you could be starving your dog of essential proteins they require to stay healthy (It takes a larger quantity of diet dog food to give them the proteins than what feeding a regular food does).
Also I forgot to mention in my first post before trying to reduce a dogs weight significantly, please bring them into the vet or call the vet to make sure your plan is a healthy one and on track with their medical needs. We have worked very closely with our doctor on Gunners weight loss to make sure it's coming off at a healthy pace.

heavensmom · #10 07-05-2006, 10:07 AM

You are doing the right thing rhonda.

lkeffect · #11 07-05-2006, 02:34 PM

How much are you feeding now morning and night? Many years ago I had to switch from free feeding to scheduled feedings due to a golden with a very large appetite who was happy to eat everyone else's food. The trick was to get the right amount for everyone morning and night.

**Scarlette** · #12 07-05-2006, 08:06 PM

I'm feeding 1 1/2 cups in the morning and about 1 cup in the evening. Plus she gets 1-2 small treats a day. Two small meals a day seems to satisfy her more than 1 "bigger" meal per day.

I'm trying to get Scarlette to gain a little more weight because she's a little on the thin side since we moved. She's been eating at least 4-5 cups per day.

kathydip · #13 07-05-2006, 08:47 PM

I understand how hard it is. My Belle is also too short for her weight. I swear she just has a bad metabolism. I was free feeding them then I started to pay more attention to how much they were getting but I went back to adding little bits of food to thier dishes if they were empty. I am always concerned she may be hungry. She is not grossly over weight but she does need to loose a few punds. Funny thing is it's easier for me to starve myself to loose weight then it is for me to cut back the kids food!
I will try o be stronger though. I have extra concerns about her back since she is a doxie.