So diet food and more exercise for my hefty girl. Any one have any diet foods they recomend?[/b]
I have a real propblem with the vast majority of low calorie/diet foods from most manufactures. For the most part the a much lower in protein and fat than thier regualar product and much hiegher in charpohydrate. So you are sa yea that how they reduce the calories. Well thats a problem. Multiple studies have show on a equal coloric content A high protein low carb diet is far superior in weight loss in dogs than a high carbohydrate diet
High-Protein Low-Carbohydrate Diets Enhance Weight Loss in Dogs
Weight Loss in Obese Dogs: Evaluation of a High-Protein, Low-Carbohydrate Diet
Evolution of blood parameters during weight loss in experimental obese Beagle dogs
A High-Protein, High-Fiber Diet Designed for Weight Loss Improves Satiety in Dogs
Weight-loss programs for dogs are often hampered by increased begging and scavenging behavior that ensues when food intake is restricted. Hypothesis: A diet formulated to contain a high content of both protein and fiber is more satiating than diets that contain only high fiber or high protein
...Conclusions and Clinical Importance: The HPHF diet had a satiating effect as evidenced by reduced voluntary intake compared with HP and HF diets, and has the potential to lead to greater compliance in weight-loss programs.[/b]
<a href="http://www.jarvm.com/articles/Vol5Iss3/Yamka%20125-132.pdf" target="_blank">Effects of 3 Canine Weight Loss Foods on Body Composition and
Obesity Markers</a>
Feeding dogs a weight loss food enriched in amino acids and soluble fiber with reduced total dietary fiber resulted in increased fat
loss and a greater lean muscle mass compared to a high fiber food. These results suggest that enhancing the amino acid profile (lysine:calorie ratio) and soluble fiber content while reducing total dietary fiber of a weight loss food can increase weight loss, fat loss, and lean muscle mass in obese dogs[/b]
<a href="http://alter-idem.smartmonkey.org/cats/proteinweightloss.pdf" target="_blank">Role of Dietary Protein in
Weight Management</a>
Maintenance of lean body mass during weight loss represents an important component of successful weight loss. Lean body mass is the primary driver of basal energy metabolism. Loss of this tissue during weight loss may contribute to weight regain.
...Increased dietary protein spared lean body mass and facilitated greater body fat loss compared to lower protein diets in dogs during weight loss (Table 1).10[/b]
The other problem is these high carb diets are marginal in protein content wich also means in when the dog losses weight it is also lossing muscle mass. Muscle mas is an important factor in overal metabolic rate and calorie burning in general So the loss of muscle mass mean the dog need to be fed fess and less.
There are only a few manufacture that have relatively high protein content in low calorie food Royal Canin is one their
MAXI Weight Care 27 with 27% protein is about the only comercial diet food I would recomend and the it is only marginal.
What we have learned over and over again when it comes to weight and special diets is in the end they don't really work what doe work is simply to eat less. The easiest way to control the weight of a dog is simply put less food in the bowl. It is also the cheaper way to go feed less food rather than buy a special diet that costs a bit more and you have to feed more, does make much econmic sense does it.
If i fees less won't the dog be hungry. Um in a nut shell yes, Personally I have never met a hound that was of ideal weight that wasn't hungry. It is one reason they tend be be breeds that are more often obese. If you are trying to control hunger by filling up on fibre and filler in general it does not work that well. It is well documented that as such they are not as sating as richer foods. But if you still insist on trying you can just add your own filler at a much lower cost and in higher quanity than paying a petfood manufacture to do it for you.
The pumpkin/green bean diet is a tried and true corse of action for canine weight loss. Simply cut the amount of dog food you are feedingby 1/3 by volume. Add and equal volume of the new quanity of dog food of either canned pumpkin or frozen/fresh green beens.
This basical reduces the calaories the dog recieves by 1/3 at the same times increase the volume of food the dog gets to increase.
Here is a con create example. Suppose the dog normal gets 3 cups of food a day. Reduce the food by 1/3 so now the dog get 2 cups a day (1/3 of 3 =1 subtracted from 3 = 2) and add a equal volume of canned pumpkin 2 cups. So Now the total volume of food the dog recieves is 4 cups.
Once again thanks everyone. I knew I could get the advice I needed from people who also have bassets.
