Eight on Weight – Tips For Shedding Pounds From Hounds

Tips for shedding pounds from hounds

Feed excellent food, but just feed less of it. Monitor defecation (pooping more than 1 x day means your pet is probably still eating too much to lose weight)
Choose low carb foods and treats with no corn or wheat. Substitute freeze-dried meat treats instead of baked treats with wheat.
While changing diets, wean onto new diet slowly. Over the course of 7-14 days, increase incrementally until you’re at 100% of the new diet.
Fill a begging stomach with low-sodium green beans and/or rice cakes, and other vegetables – most dogs love green beans. (No onions, grapes or raisins). Don’t feed high carb treats out of guilt because you don’t have time to hang out. Adding a thin schmear of meat baby food (no onions) or butter to his rice cake can make a dog think his life is grand.
If they don’t like the treat you’re offering, fine. You are not trying to convince them to eat! Freeze-dried meats are crunchy fun for them (I asked them). They snap them up so quickly, they hardly know what they are.
Change your behavior. When dogs beg for food, offer exercise, playtime and petting instead.
Ask your holistic vet about using supplements or herbs to help with appetite. If they have trouble exercising because of joint pain, consider supplements to help there too. Seek holistic veterinary advice before trying any supplement.
Have your vet do blood work to check Thyroid function and other body systems which could reveal problems relevant to diet and weight loss.