JACKYSIAN Posted December 18, 2007 Report Share Posted December 18, 2007 (edited) Just wanted abit of advise please? I've 4 dogs that I've been feeding raw for the last year or so. Tiz has always been on the round side (Staffy x Beagle so genetics are against her!!) but the 3 boys are fairly slim. I've recently had Tiz at training classes and after one exam the examiner said that she was 'grossly overweight' and I should be working on her diet. When I explained she'd always been this shape and was a very fit dog, she said then it must be because I 'insist' on feeding my dogs that 'awful raw diet' and that is the reason she's fat!!!! I was angry but common sense prevailed and I walked away without saying what I really thought! Anyway my question is do you think the diet my dogs have is too much? They all get 2 off lead walks a day, amounting to around 2 hours exercise. They do run alot on walks and 2 of the boys are ball obsessed so must run for miles with the help of the godsend called chuck-its! They are fed twice a day, having a quarter each of the standard blocks of meat, I vary between chicken, tripe, beef etc, mixed with rice, pasta or dried biscuits each meal. Twice a week for one meal they have chicken legs and once a week for one meal they have RMB's. They also have mushed vegi's to the odd meal and raw egg once a week. Do you think this is too much food? They are all hungry at meal times and rarely do I get a bowl with anything left. Edited December 18, 2007 by JACKYSIAN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jemimap Posted December 18, 2007 Report Share Posted December 18, 2007 No advice re overfeeding but maybe testing Tiz's thyroid function? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACKYSIAN Posted December 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2007 No advice re overfeeding but maybe testing Tiz's thyroid function? She's always been the same shape, she was tested years and years ago and was clear. She's just a chunky monkey. (Bit like her mum! ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ranirottie Posted December 18, 2007 Report Share Posted December 18, 2007 dogs come in different heights and weights the same as humans. You can feed two diferent dogs the same diet and have one fat and one thin. If she is having difficulty moving,or is panting on exercise then she needs to lose weight but if she is fit and able to do what the other dogs do then put it down to genetics. I am obviously not in favour of grossly overweight dogs but then I am not in favour of ribby ones either (unless they are meant to be like that of course).I think you should be able to judge whether she is unhealthy or not. x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alio Posted December 18, 2007 Report Share Posted December 18, 2007 I just love people who make comments like that I have a rescue not s not sure what she is to be honest..... my vet always says she is over weight....the thing is and i did ask my vet this.....if i knew what she was then i could roughly say what she should look like...i told the vet yet for a whippet she is probably overweight but not for a bull dog and as we are not sure of her perantage collie? terrier? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACKYSIAN Posted December 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2007 (edited) She's a lazy dog by nature but will have mad moments on the beach and runs rings round the boys! I'm not worried because she if fit and very well in herself, but it does bother me when people comment on her weight. I'm concerned that I'm over feeding them all, but because the boys do more on our walks, they are burning it off better. Although that said Cromwell is on steriods and he's maintained a reasonable weight despite them. Here's the blimp herself for you to judge! (Oh and she is panting there cos it was a very very long walk on a sunny day!! ) Edited December 18, 2007 by JACKYSIAN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spins4me Posted December 18, 2007 Report Share Posted December 18, 2007 If she were mine I'd drop the mixer and just feed meat and raw meaty bones - it's all mine get and they look great. Maybe the mixer and veg is bulking her up a wee bit. Mine are always ready for their food but not ravenous and they don't scrounge food at all. I feed more or less based on their weight and if I can feel their ribs but not see them. However, if you're happy with how she looks and she seems fit and well just feed what you feel is best and ignore anyone else - it's what the rest of us do! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
one.eyed.dog Posted December 18, 2007 Report Share Posted December 18, 2007 Tiz ain't fat. She is solid. Lottie eats twice as much if not more and looks like a starvation case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cathy Posted December 18, 2007 Report Share Posted December 18, 2007 Well she looks fine to me and happy. I have got 2 Labs and I feed them on raw meat, trip,chicken and tripe mix or minced lamb 454g in the morning then same in the evening with that they have lots of raw or cooked veg I give extras a couple of times a week either raw egg or probiotic plain yoghurt. I dont give them any cereal or mixer they are in good condition and according to my vet a very good weight 30 and 31 kg. I did find when I cut out the cereals they lost a bit of weight but I think they look better now, they have a waist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spins4me Posted December 18, 2007 Report Share Posted December 18, 2007 My 2 are Spinoni. The boy is a strapping lad, he has 1.25 lbs at each meal. The girl is smaller. she has 0.75lbs per meal. They have one meal of RMB - pigs trotters, chicken carcass, breast of lamb etc and one of meat - beef, tripe, lamb, fish etc, liver or kidney once a week plus eggs, tinned sardines etc. I've had dogs for years but these are the first I've raw fed - I'm a convert. They look great and are very healthy - only one visit to the vet for illness between them in almost 3 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akitas Posted December 18, 2007 Report Share Posted December 18, 2007 I would drop the mixer and pasta/rice too. Quite a lot carbohydrates which are not necessary. Rather feed more veggies to make her feel fuller without the calories Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alison Posted December 18, 2007 Report Share Posted December 18, 2007 Well she looks fine to me and happy Definitely She certainly looks like a solid little dog in the photo but I wouldn't have said either too fat or too thin. Sol looks like a great lumbering barrel when standing beside a Whippet but like a sleek lanky racing machine when next to a Corgi! He's a "waisted" dog but I've noticed that when he's sitting he can look chubby - it's simply because his tucked up loins disappear then and only his deep chest is visible, giving the overall impression of the chest being representative of his whole shape. As for your trainer's remarks, I'd say that the only opinion worth listening to would be that of your vet; if you're concerned, ask him/her Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alison Posted December 18, 2007 Report Share Posted December 18, 2007 Just to illustrate the remarks I made in my previous post: Fat dog.......(and yes, the people who were around when I took this photo told me they thought he was fat) ......skinny dog These pics were taken within a week of each other and he hadn't dropped or gained any weight whatsoever during that time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackmagic Posted December 18, 2007 Report Share Posted December 18, 2007 When you stroke her along her sides you should be able to easily count her ribs and she should have a waist. I had a retriever that always looked fat but when people stroked her they remarked ' oh, I can feel her ribs. She's not fat.' I also feed the blocks of frozen meat, and my retriever/ collie cross get 1/3 of a block, along with two chicken wings. He weighs about 29 kgs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACKYSIAN Posted December 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2007 (edited) Sorry wasn't on line over night. Thanks think I will definately drop the cereals and see what happens. I can feel her ribs, thank you it's made me feel alot better cos I was abit bothered by the comments. Doesn't help that everytime I see my mum she says that Sidney is getting fat...forgetting that he's usually shaved to the skin and at the moment he's growing back his winter coat!!! Sol most certainly isn't fat...he's a god. Edited December 19, 2007 by JACKYSIAN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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