Sorting out the Caloric intake again. +Shamas stealing everything

Shamas mom

Shamas mom

Location
Canada
Shamas has been on a diet for a while now. He got up to nearly 90lbs and his hips got so bad he stopped joining us on walks more than 20 minutes. He was on daily pain meds, and along with pain maneagement, we decided to go full tilt to get his diet down. Now the vet's not very helpful in the diet front...this is a case of me missing the old office, where I'd tell them the goal and they'd tell me what, and how much to feed. SO I'm trying to figure that out myself. Near as I could figure he needed 900calories as a sedentry dog with a goal of 70lbs.

So we set that goal. Then he got Colitis. The backup vet has suggested Duck and Potato formula, for a novel protein because food allergies can trigger bowel irritations. So we started him on that....but I obviously had his caloric intake off because he's stealing. anything he can. Treats, human food, you name it. Seems to me he's hungry all the time. Here's the intake: Calorie Content (Calculated) ME = 3,431 kcal/kg; 370 kcal/8 oz cup
FEEDING GUIDELINES
Adult Maintenance
DAILY FEEDING GUIDELINES (for adult dogs over 12 months):
Weight of Adult Dog (lbs) Serving Size
Up to 10 1 cup*
10-20 1 – 1 1/2 cup*
20-30 1 1/2 – 2 cup*
30-40 2 – 2 1/2 cup*
40-60 2 1/2 – 3 1/2 cup*
60-80 3 1/2 – 4 1/4 cup*

He was getting his old food, plus this food until the last week. That's when the stealing got bad. His 2 cups of his other food was 800 calories, plus treats(dog food, dental bones, Blue buffalo health bar cookies) for the other 100 to hang him around 900. Two cups of the new food is only 740, AND I've cut him off people food. AND milk bones. And he's gotten more active because he's not always in pain.

Then there's Trixie, whom I need to re-evaluate. Shes 62lbs now. She's on 3-4 scoops/day plus food in the treat bag. Still very slim. I know her mom's super slim, but her body score's at the low side of healthy weight, and it really hasn't budged since I got her
Calorie Content (Calculated) ME = 3,649 kcal/kg; 395 kcal/8 oz cup
5 – 6 MONTHS:
3 – 10 1/2 – 1 1/4
10 – 20 1 1/4 – 2 1/2
20 – 50 2 1/2 – 4 1/2
50 – 100 4 1/2 – 8
over 100 Add 1/2 cup per every 10 lbs. of Body Weight over 100 lbs.

So Trixie on this food could easily take another cup I think. Each of her scoops is a cup, and I put a scoop of the adult formula in the treat bag every day so that shamas isn't eating puppy food
He;s eaten all but one of my treat bags now...and I THOUGHT they were all out of reach at the time. He's gotten very crafty about getting food down, and I actually rearranged my kitchen cupboards to fit the treats, etc in the cupboard
 
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Shamas mom

Shamas mom

Location
Canada
Lisa said:
Is Shamas still overweight? If so, you need to hang firm on reducing food intake. Maybe you can try a chew toy of some sort to keep him occupied? Or feed his kibble in a frozen Kong?
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Yes, he is.

He's coming along and you can tell he's feeling better. He dipped under 80lbs at the end of October and started running again...but in November, when he was down with colitis, he got back to 83 and was limping again.

We want him at 68-70lbs.

I'm feeding his food as a soup, to make it sit a little more in his stomache....expand the kibbles. and I replaced treats with food. Specifically his, so he's not eating puppy food. HE thinks it's treats because it's extra food. SHE thinks it's treats because it's HIS:rofl:
 
Shamas mom

Shamas mom

Location
Canada
Aha! I finally found the number I'm looking for for Trixie. According to the month by month guide that I bought , she should need approx 2100 calories/day to play and grow

So the 4cups plus treats seems about right

I'm still hunting for the Blue Buffalo Health bars the dogs got given for Christmas...but I've also tried them on Mother Hubbards cookies, by Wellness.

I like to give a biscuit on the way into the crate to maintain positive association. She doesn't mind going in, because she knows I'll be back soon to let her back out. So she just settles down to wait. We stopped giving Milkbones, but have been looking for a healthier alternative. Using Shamas food in the Treat bag seems to help as a general rule, and Shamas hasn't stolen and eaten a treat bag lately. I'm keeping the buscuits and the sardines on top of the 6' bookshelf so he doesn't eat them on me
 
Shamas mom

Shamas mom

Location
Canada
I've got dehydrated sardines. The dogs love them, and I use them as the highest-ranking of treats

When I have time. I like to dehydrate sweet potatoes but that takes 4hours
 
Shamas mom

Shamas mom

Location
Canada
Lisa said:
To be honest I never use anything but kibble as treats. Poor Simba. He’s deprived!! :pensive: %)
Click to expand...
I stopped nearly all treats for awhile when Trixie went on food strike after 5weeks of puppy class. She would only eat top quality treats. Now I carry shamas food in the treat bag because she always wants what's his and will work for it even though it's the same formula just for adults lol!

I use actual treats now for crate training and for new behaviors, and also to reward coming in when called....because I know she'd prefer to stay outside and coming when called is an accomplishment for her every time:)
 
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