You may think four dogs is not a very big sample size. Nonetheless, my experience has to count for something. Last month I put four middle-aged, morbidly obese dogs on a strict diet, explaining that if they didn’t lose a significant amount of weight (5 lbs for all 75 to 115-pounders in the group) we’d be forced to give Slentrol a go.
I started offering this to my serious cases last month as a challenge. And every owner who took me up was rewarded with more than five pounds of weight loss. One (the 115-pounder who should’ve weighed 75) even lost 12 pounds—in 30 days! No Slentrol necessary, thank you very much.
The complaints:
She never moves. She’s just a lazy dog.
He acts hungry all the time.
There’s nothing I haven’t tried.
She won’t even chase a ball and couldn’t run around the block if I dragged her.
He sits on the stoop in the pool and won’t swim.
I can’t get my family to stop feeding her treats.
So here’s what we did (with some tweaking for one food-allergic patient):
I changed them all from their premium commercial weight loss foods to a super-premium high protein diet at 1/3 less volume than they reported currently feeding (I let them choose one of four commercial brands).
We measured the exact amount of food they could eat and everyone went home with a measuring cup (ironically, thanks to Hill’s, which was not listed among my clients’ brand choices).
Carrot nibblers for treats—no exceptions!
At least five minutes of exercise a day with carrot nibbler incentives (all were previously non-exercised pets).
A half-dose NSAID pain reliever daily for the two most obese.
No magic. It worked. All dogs were reported to be more energetic (the two lighter, smaller ones much more so). Not only that, three out of four owners also reported their dogs didn’t act quite so hungry. Their excitement over their dogs’ weight loss was a high-five moment in every case. More weight loss is surely on the way.
Slentrol? Not for my patients—not yet. Not as long as I can get more of my clients to listen to me. And now that I have four recent winners under my belt, this vet’s renewed energy level on behalf of her patients’ obesity surely means more of the same for next month.
I can see it now Dr. Patty: "America's Biggest Loser, Canine Edition". Can't youAnimal Planer picking up on this and running with it! Lol. Seriously - you should trademark it now and then send it off to them.
Caloric needs vary so much in dogs it's hard to give you hard and fast caloric requirements. I tried several bands based on their availability and higher than average protein percentages with lower percentages of carbs. I stuck to brands that use less high gycemic index carbs as well. Canidae, Solid Gold, Innova and Frommer's are available locally at several locations so it made for a no excuse situation (I needed that).
Oh, and the amounts: I just had them measure the amount they'd been feeding for a couple of days to make sure we knew how much was going in beforehand (already the bare minimum according to these owners since they were rreporting huge hunger and had already made reductions beforehand) then we subtracted a third, volume-wise. The calories might have remained the same but my goal was to reduce the hunger with the higher density, higher quality foods then subtract the high-fat treats and add in the exercise. I actually didn't expect a huge change in month one and expected to have to reduce the volume some more but I think we're doing OK at this level with THESE dogs.
I love the approach. Having just been dealing with someone avoiding diagnosis of their child for fear of drug treatment as an outcome. This gave me a good kick in the pants. Even treatment options we don't necessarily feel good about can be used constructively. The carrot and pill approach ;)
OK, 2 questions. One stupid and one slightly less so. :)
How do I do the carrot nibblers? (I'm a dedicated carnivore). I assume just cut up a carrot...but do I have to keep them refrigerated? Seriously, I know this sounds dumb but I had to call my Mom the other day to learn how to make grilled cheese. . .so don't assume *anything*.
On the super-premium food -- do you use the 'regular' variety or their 'diet' variety?
Thanks! My dog isn't too lazy to take pretty long walks yet, but she could definitely use to drop a few pounds. (although since she's a mixed breed, cocker/lab, I'm never quite sure exactly how much she *should* weigh.
Larry: Does she have a waist? Can you feel her ribs through her skin? If it's no to both she's overweight. While that's a VERY quick and dirty way to tell (some breeds don't conform so well to this) it helps somewhat for most people.
As to the food, I don't use the diet variety. While R/D by Hill's works for some of my clients (and that's a reducing diet), I was specifically working on the hunger thing in these cases. Honestly, this is all anecdotal but I find they act hungrier on the lower fat, lower calorie foods. And that's both uncomfortable and stressful for everyone--which means less weight loss.
On the carrot nibblers: I buy the skinny organic carrot hearts and cut 'em in half for small dogs. Keep them in the fridge--they last longer as they have a tendency to get slimy as they're peeled already.
On the grilled cheese: A good grilled cheese sandwich is an art. If my mother could make a better one than I could I'd be calling her, too.
I just recently started reading this blog, so not really familiar with everything, but had to comment to this post. You can add one more dog to your study if you want. My 9 year old border collie weighed 73 lbs a year ago, and had arthritis. We had already changed to a premium food and cut down the amounts also, but doing that made her actually GAIN weight. Had thyroid checked, etc. Based on a phone conversation with a different vet than our normal vet, and a tip from a pet store clerk, we also went the high protein route. Started using Solid Gold's Barking at the Moon and still cut down food from the former 1 cup twice a day to 3/4 a cup twice a day. She started losing weight immediately and a year later is down to 56 lbs! I'm now a firm believer in high protein, low carbs, at least for the dogs.
There are people who believe their dog when it claims it is hungry with a full food dish? Or treats being hoarded about the house? I know my dog lies ! He is a master of the "I've never had food - honest! I'm nothing but fur and bones!" This is usually when there is a pile of pasta on the floor for him.
Please understand that the vet thinks he is in the best shape for a peke his age. I feed him a combo of dog food, people food, and treats. He also walks about 1.5 to 2 miles a day. For a peke, that is a marathon!
I've taken Zoe from 58 pounds (heavy) to 48 pounds (perfectly slim) in the last 5-6 mos...I just fed her less, imagine that! I thought for sure I'd run into obstacles or it wouldn't really work (seemed too simple, I guess), but it did. Her medical records graph her weight, and it's such a pretty downhill slope! The vets I work for laughed at my amazement...I just couldn't get over it, especially since I've got living proof that I could do the same if I was eating only kibble!
Our dog's shelter name was 'Big Julie'. She wasn't obese, but she was a pudgster. But we were lucky, she also LOVED ball play, and ran off 15 pounds in about 3 months. But she won't eat carrots. They actually ricochet out of her mouth. Green beans, too. She does eat apple slices, though. We're trying to figure out if the pup has allergies, so she's been on a limited diet. I'm ashamed to say that you can feel her ribs a lot better now that she isn't the 'pre-rinse' cycle of the dirty dishes. I like the Creature of Habit's idea of an Animal Planet show. I think owners have the hardest time ignoring their little darlings' begging eyes, and could use some examples of hand-holding or tough love.
Lin, wouldn't it be great!? I have never seen the human version (though I get the concept), but I think an animal version would be great. My dog is so food focused, you'd think she was a Lab. She just a little Chihuahua, on her way to becoming a Chiwhopper! I have a tough time saying 'No' when she does something extra cute (like, say, going into an unsolicited sit/down/sit up/shake medley while staring at me if she smells any food in the air......breaks my heart!)
Kathy: I loooove my Solid Gold Barking at the Moon, too. Two of these dogs tried that particular food since I confessed to that being my own dogs' choice. I chose it for the contents due to my dogs' rice and poultry allergies but it's excelled in every other arena--both my Frenchies are deliciously slim. But my dogs also eat whatever I eat for their second meal. It's not all Solid Gold's doing.
Kudos to you, Dr. Patty!! The thinking that dogs and cats need a high-carb, low fat approach to weight loss just doens't work well. It CAN work, if the calories are decreased enough, but it often results in an unhappy pet and unhappy owners. The "Atkins" type approach makes MUCH more sense for animals who are, after all, carnivores! I wish more vets, and more pet food companies, thought this way!
Nice to see that diet and exercise really does work - just like people. :) And the exercise is good for the humans, too!
How do I do the carrot nibblers? (I'm a dedicated carnivore). I assume just cut up a carrot...but do I have to keep them refrigerated? Seriously, I know this sounds dumb but I had to call my Mom the other day to learn how to make grilled cheese. . .so don't assume *anything*.
On the super-premium food -- do you use the 'regular' variety or their 'diet' variety?
Thanks! My dog isn't too lazy to take pretty long walks yet, but she could definitely use to drop a few pounds. (although since she's a mixed breed, cocker/lab, I'm never quite sure exactly how much she *should* weigh.
As to the food, I don't use the diet variety. While R/D by Hill's works for some of my clients (and that's a reducing diet), I was specifically working on the hunger thing in these cases. Honestly, this is all anecdotal but I find they act hungrier on the lower fat, lower calorie foods. And that's both uncomfortable and stressful for everyone--which means less weight loss.
On the carrot nibblers: I buy the skinny organic carrot hearts and cut 'em in half for small dogs. Keep them in the fridge--they last longer as they have a tendency to get slimy as they're peeled already.
On the grilled cheese: A good grilled cheese sandwich is an art. If my mother could make a better one than I could I'd be calling her, too.
Please understand that the vet thinks he is in the best shape for a peke his age. I feed him a combo of dog food, people food, and treats. He also walks about 1.5 to 2 miles a day. For a peke, that is a marathon!
I meant to say "can't you just see it on Animal Planet" - good grief. What can I say, Monday mornings.......
We're trying to figure out if the pup has allergies, so she's been on a limited diet. I'm ashamed to say that you can feel her ribs a lot better now that she isn't the 'pre-rinse' cycle of the dirty dishes.
I like the Creature of Habit's idea of an Animal Planet show. I think owners have the hardest time ignoring their little darlings' begging eyes, and could use some examples of hand-holding or tough love.
My dog is so food focused, you'd think she was a Lab. She just a little Chihuahua, on her way to becoming a Chiwhopper! I have a tough time saying 'No' when she does something extra cute (like, say, going into an unsolicited sit/down/sit up/shake medley while staring at me if she smells any food in the air......breaks my heart!)
I wish more vets, and more pet food companies, thought this way!
I did a search for Frommers and couldn't find anything. Just checking to see if it's something different.