Looking for high quality diet food to help young dog lose weight quickly?

[Heather]

I have a 1 1/2 year old beagle pup who has gained a signifigant amount of weight over the last year. He is now up to 40lbs. He is currently eating 3/4 cup of Evo Small bites twice a day- the same as our other beagle who is almost the same age and very slender and muscular (29lbs). Our pup has always had knee problems but this extra weight is causing issues getting on/off furniture and running,etc... I want to continue to feed him a quality food, but the weight needs to come off. I have tried giving him green beans to supplement dry food, but he is not interested in them. None of my dogs get table scraps, or rich treats. Any help you can provide would be much appreciated!
I find it interesting that everyone here assumes that I don't exercise my pup. Just as an added detail- he is currently walking/running two miles every night with my husband and I. Thanks for all the answers that didn't assume I was an idiot! ;-)

[Shelly B]

I feed my overweight 2 year old (Pug) Canidae for seniors and overweight dogs.

I think your feeding too much food. I have a beagle that only gets 1/2 cup of diet dry food 2 times a day. And, lots of walks will help with weight loss too.

Think of it this way...your dogs tummy isn't as big as your fist, right? and your stuffing 3/4C food in there, then he goes and drinks water and that food swells to almost 2 times it's size now your pups tummy has nearly equal to 1 1/2 cups food in a tummy that's not meant to hold more than about 1/2C at a time.

since I've made the change to this food, I have seen a huge difference in their weight.

[Leigh]

You could try the reduced fat version of the EVO, and feed less of it. Feed for the weight he SHOULD be, not the weight he is. I feel that Natura's feeding guidelines are a little on the high side, as well. My dogs eat up to 2/3 of the recommended amount every day. They never eat the recommended amount...one of my Goldens, for example, sometimes eats only a cup or so of his food in a day, then the next day, will eat about 2-1/2 cups, but the guidelines for his food (California Natural-made by the same company that makes EVO) recommend 4-1/2 cups per day for him. He couldn't even eat that much.

California Natural is a good weight-loss food, as well as being good for food allergies and sensitive stomachs, though it is fine for a dog without these issues, as well. If the EVO doesn't do it, I recommend trying a switch to the Cal. Nat. to see if it helps, and remember not to overfeed...if your dog should be on 1-1/2 cups per day and is not losing weight, cut down to 1 cup.

Last, don't forget the EXERCISE...make sure he gets at least one walk per day, and walk him for at least 1/2 hour. Exercise will rev up his metabolism and make it easier for him to lose weight on his diet. It will also benefit stiff knees. Look into a glucosomine supplement or Rimadyl (or something similar) from your vet to help his knees out, too.

[Night_owl]

You can try a restricted cal dog food (all the ones I know are prescription from the vet,) like Hills RD but the main idea is to just keep feeding him less at each feeding until you get the right balance of him at a perfect weight.

Check the ideal weight for your dog and feed according to THAT weight- I know a woman who had a forty lb. beagle and didn't understand why her dog wasn't losing weight- she was feeding him AS a forty pound beagle so rather than have him lose weight she was maintaining it despite the reduced calorie diet he was on.

[Gomez Adams Obama]

There is diet dry dog food. Lay off the treats and give Mr. Dog more exercise.

[Jennifer]

You should not try to make your dog lose weight quickly. As with a human, it is unhealthy to drop weight very quickly. Adjust his diet and pay attention to the food you are feeding him. If you are very concerned, try feeding him boiled turkey legs and chicken breasts. ( about 7 oz a day will be plenty) which will cut out all the empty calories in dog food like wheat products and things that are hard for him to digest. In addition, you will see overall health improvement and he will use the bathroom less often (less waste in pure food). You should also consult a vet to see if he has a thyroid problem which is making him not metabolize food efficiently. Always make sure he is getting plenty of exercise... take him on a long run every night (a benefit for you too!) and play fetch, etc. Good luck and I hope this helps! I know it is a lot of work but that little guy is definitely worth it!

[Rylee is.]

I don't know if your dog is on Evo for any particular reason (allergies, etc) so I'll make a recommendation for a similar type of food. Wellness makes a grain free variety they call Wellness Core, which comes in a reduced-fat formula. So you could try swapping onto that food. But really you just need to give him smaller portions and take him out for more walks and runs.