Recommendations for dog food

[tink_n_pooh]

Champ is our 4 year old boxer. He is a wee-bit over weight, ok actually he is about 15-20 pounds over weight. He is stuck around 105-108 pounds and he should be around 90, he is a big boxer to begin with but all this extra weight isn't helping any. We just had his thyroid tested and it came back ok so now we are really trying to find a way to get his weight down.

Right now he eats Royal Canin Maxi Boxer but I'm considering switching him to something else. He also has what appear to be allergies, itching (causing chewing) on his paws, red spots on his skin, and he has some other skin problems & bumps which a lot of boxers are known to have. The vets have assured us time and time again that its allergies but we just aren't sure what he may be allergic to at this point.

My goal is to find a high quality, limited ingredent (for his allergies) food which is reasonable on the fat content so we can get him to lose some weight.

Ahh yes, and exercise, we are trying to work more exercise into his routine but we are going it slow since his joints have been getting stiff, likely because of the weight - thats what the vet has been saying.

 

[Jockaroo]

This is a good website to get information and reviews of food:

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/

I know that Natural Balance carries a line called Limited Ingredient Diet (LID) that some have found success with--Duck and Potato is one that comes to mind. I haven't used this, however.

http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/dogformulas/home.html

Personally, I use Blue Buffalo organic chicken and brown rice. My dog breed is one with lots of skin problems. She does well on this food. Finding the right food is trial and error. What works for one dog, may not for another. Good luck.

Oh, and I know that many people feeding Blue Buffalo have needed to cut the portion size back in order to maintain weight (I had to cut my dog's ration by approx. 25%). I know you are wanting your dog to loose weight, so I wanted to mention that. You could add some carrots or green beans to the kibble if he still seems hungry once you have slowly reduced his portion sizes.

 

[Aimeedyan]

I'd recommend CA Natural - same company as Innova. They have very limited ingredients and are perfect for dogs with sensitivities. Since you're feeding something with corn and wheat (both common allergens in dogs) I'd try to find something with a different protein source (like lamb, duck, salmon - not beef or chicken) without any trace of corn or wheat.

Wellness and Solid Gold also carry great allergy formulas; I recently switched to Solid Gold Lamb and Rice and my dogs loooooooooove it. Good food, easy to find at Petco, good company to support.

Also remember that environmental allergies are by far the most common allergies in dogs (similar to humans) so you can always treat with something like Benadryl. Talk to your vet about other allergy meds to help with that.

We are dealing with severe (new) allergies right now in my 4 year old dog and my vet has us doing a combination of things to try and weed out the most probable causes. It's sad to watch them so miserable =( I hope you find a fix soon!

ETA: I agree with PP on websites suggestions; Blue Buffalo is another to consider and fairly easy to find; the green bean diet is GREAT for overweight dogs. They think they are eating tons and it's so low cal, nothing sticks to their thighs

 

[bballmom56]

We use California Natural Lamb and Rice Lite for our overweight St. Bernard who has allergies. As with you, we are not sure exactly what her triggers are, but eliminating wheat and corn has helped a little. However, she is in an itchy stage now and judging from past years, I think it is seasonal. We tried several different antihistamines from the vet, but none worked. The only thing that worked was prednisone, but it makes her very hungry and thirsty, and is not good for them to be on too long, so we try to avoid it.

 

[bballmom56]

Oh and for exercise, DH takes her on many of the trails around here. Since you are from this area, the Paulinskill trails are great as are the trails by Aeroflex airport.

I worry about her back end too, as she seems to get stiff. We give her Joint Health Chewables made by Springtime, Inc. They seem to help. I know they helped our previous dog.

 

[daisax]

15-20 lbs is about 30% of his ideal body weight, so he's significantly obese. I'd definitely switch to California natural to help deal with the allergy situation, and use benadryl to make him more comfortable in the meantime.

Remember that dog food labels always advise you to feed far more than your dog actually needs -- up to a third more. So never give the amount that they advise on the package.

Another good way to help him lose weight less painfully is to bulk up his food with no-salt added veggies added to his bowl (or rinse the kind with sodium in it really, really thoroughly). That will make him feel like he got a full bowl of food even as you're cutting back.

Extra walking is probably your best bet until he's lost enough weight that his joints are in better shape -- the last thing you need is a torn ligament and mandatory crate rest for months.

Maybe some obedience classes would be good, too - even if he's very well behaved, getting into a routine of working together as a team will give you both exercise and also give him an activity to keep his mind on other than where his next meal is coming from.

 

[luvwinnie]

Wellness has some very good choices...Hooch can't eat them though because he is allergic to SO many things. He eats Go Natural Salmon, but it's hard to find. I have to order it.

 

[Disney Doll]

We use California Natural Lamb and Rice Lite for our overweight St. Bernard who has allergies. As with you, we are not sure exactly what her triggers are, but eliminating wheat and corn has helped a little. However, she is in an itchy stage now and judging from past years, I think it is seasonal. We tried several different antihistamines from the vet, but none worked. The only thing that worked was prednisone, but it makes her very hungry and thirsty, and is not good for them to be on too long, so we try to avoid it.

We gave this to our late dog Ted and he did great on it. Prior to starting California Natural he had a lot of skin allergy problems.

 

[luvwinnie]

Just wanted to add we've had amazing success with a holistic vet in treating Hooch's severe allergies. THey were so bad when we adopted him that we worried about his quality of life.

 

[sunnyday123]

Right now I have my puppy ( Newf ) on Chicken Soup for the Puppys Soul, and she is doing great. Her fur is nice and shiny, and it doesn't have any filler.

When she's full grown, I'm switching her to Orijen. It's one of the best foods for them, and I know a ton of Newfie owners ( and others ) that have their dogs on it. They've had allergy problems and once on it, they are gone. It's pricey, but the better the food, the less you'll feed and the better they will do. It'll cut down on allergy meds/trips to the vet. The only reason she isn't on it now is because the protein is a little too high, and I have to watch that she doesn't grow too fast.

 

[tink_n_pooh]

I got a small bag of Wellness limited ingredent diet Sweet Potato & Salmon last night. He doesn't seem crazy about it but I mixed it with about 1/5 of a can of Wellness Core (some fish flavor) and a few pieces of his old food to get him to eat it. I wanted to get the Wellness Core reduced fat but I went to three stores and none of them had it in stock

Our vet recommended that we keep him to 2 cups of a food a day but doesn't the type of food matter too? I would think a food with more filler would require more food to get the correct nutrients. I know he isn't going to starve that is for sure!

We will see how he does for the next week or so on this food, maybe he doesn't like the fishy taste or smell, I know I think it stinks

 

[Jockaroo]

Hi again. You are getting some great advice. I just wanted to add that when we had our overweight rescue, our vet told us something interesting about the "diet" foods. He said if she acted like she was starving, he could prescribe a "diet" food. It was basically fillers like corn and cellulose (think about eating a cardboard box). These "diet" foods serve to fill up the stomach, but provide little nutrition--passes through, but of course would have high allergen potential. This is a big reason to avoid the "diet" branded foods. My vet carried the "diet" food, but it was not something he recommended or frequently used.

I know many with overweight pets will think get the diet food, so I wanted to mention why these aren't the best options. I doesn't sound like you are considering it, but so many other people read these threads. Sticking with the carrots and green beans is a really good idea. Consider your dog's treats as well. I like using baby carrots for treat/rewards for my little dog. Another thing that most dogs go crazy for is canned pumpkin (not the pie filling with spices). This can be a treat as well. I've frozen it in teaspoon-size servings. Pumpkin is a great natural fiber and can help either "firm up" or "soften up" the poo. For this reason, you don't want to over feed it, but it can be used.

I know your dog is only 4, but you may want to ask your vet if he could benefit from a glucosamine supplement. I used the hip and joint treats by ProBios for my geriatric dog's last few years. My vet always remarked that he got around very well for his age (until his final couple of weeks) and he never needed pain medications so frequently prescribed for dogs. Your dog seems a little young to need these, but given he is a larger breed and is supporting more weight on his joints, he may benefit from a supplement.

http://www.probios.com/petTreats.html#

Also know that as your dog gets more active, he will shed extra weight, but he may gain muscle mass at the same time. Muscle weighs more than fat so he may hit a point where his weight isn't moving much (or he gains). It gets frustrating because you look at the number on the scale. Also look at his body and how it is changing. My obese dog didn't shed many pounds, but her body changed from a squishy-feeling spongy texture, to a more solid, toned dog. Good luck.

 

[Jockaroo]

Oh, and don't switch his food over so quickly. Do this in jumps of 75% old/25% new; 50% old/new; 25% old/75% new; then all new. Rapid switching frequently leads to tummy upset. I switched my dog too quickly to a new food and had frequent, loose stools for a few days. Just be aware of this possible problem. It can take a week to 2 weeks to make the switch.

Some people will add a little warm water to the dry kibble to make it more appealing (and smelly) for the dog. I have mixed feelings about this. It can help with bloating issues, but the damp food rapidly grows bacteria. Some feel it may promote dental issues.

 

[autumnpalm]

I feed my Golden Doodle Orijen and she has been great on it so far. Her stools are a bit loose on pure Orijen but we mix in some plain cooked brown rice and she loves it. There are no grains in Orijen which might help with your dog's allergies. It's kind of expensive but IMO worth it! Mine gets the puppy variety right now and hoovers it down!

 

[bballmom56]

The California Natural Lite (or diet or low fat - don't remember exactly how they label it) does not contain any filler such as corn or wheat. We do supplement a bit with no salt added green beans, carrots, sweet potato, rice, or oatmeal. She definitely prefers her meals warm with liquid added (we use the liquid from the vegetables).