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Weight management food for a lab

2,039 Views | 20 Replies | Last: 6 yr ago by Rockdoc
Rockdoc
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took my choc lab to vet today. Vet says he's too fat and to change his current food (Fromms Gold Large Breed Adult) to weight management/control food. I hate it because the Fromms has been great for him. He's 4. Vet recommended Eukanuba weight control large breed. Any thoughts on that from you guys? Sometimes vets try to push certain brands of food. I have always kinda stayed away from Eukanuba, Iams, and Science Diet. Thanks.
bedofbrass33
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AG
Fromms is a great dog food. Your vet wants you to buy from him.

Feed according to the instructions on the Fromms bag. I would guess a lab would need between 3-4 cups a day depending on frame size. My 75 pound GSD eats 4 cups a day of grain free kibble because I run him a lot.

I'm guessing you are just feeding too much.

Here's the feeding recommendations. Big labs are 70-90 pounds, right? How much are you feeding right now?
https://www.frommfamily.com/products/dog/gold/dry/large-breed-adult-gold/daily-feeding-recommendations/
tlh3842
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Odd to hear someone group Science Diet in with Eukanuba and Iams. Why the dislike for Hills? I would try Science Diet Perfect Weight. Hills food is pretty good quality.
bedofbrass33
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Science Diet's ingredient list. Dogs were not created/evolved to eat wheat, barley, sorghum, or corn.

Chicken, Whole Grain Wheat, Cracked Pearled Barley, Whole Grain Sorghum, Whole Grain Corn, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken Meal, Pork Fat, Chicken Liver Flavor, Dried Beet Pulp, Soybean Oil, Lactic Acid, Flaxseed, Potassium Chloride, Iodized Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Oat Fiber, Taurine, Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Natural Flavors, Beta-Carotene, Apples, Broccoli, Carrots, Cranberries, Green Peas.
http://www.hillspet.com/en/us/products/sd-canine-adult-original-dry

ETA: Fromms does have rice and barley as well but a lower percentage.
bmfvet
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Your vet is making recommendations so that your dog will live longer (almost 2 years, study was done with labs). It mostly boils down to calorie intake. The exception is Hills Metabolic and Metabolic/Mobility prescription diets. They are highly effective at getting dogs to lose weight and keep it off. My parents' lab lost 17 lbs after a long battle to get them to feed her less of other diets.
Corps_Ag12
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Stop feeding him table scraps.
bmfvet
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There is no scientific evidence to back up your claims that dogs can't consume those carbs, but the marketing has done a great job convincing the public otherwise.
Rockdoc
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He weighs 97#. I currently feed him 2 cup am, and 2 cup pm. With some treats during the day. My fault.
TommyGun
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Post a pic of him.
powerbelly
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bedofbrass33 said:

Dogs were not created/evolved to eat wheat, barley, sorghum, or corn.
OKAY
Rockdoc
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That Hills metabolic sounds good but the price is twice the Fromms which is already pretty pricey.
green7
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My 4 year old lab is on victor food. He was on their professional formula but was still getting bigger than the vet wanted him too. I moved him over to the senior formula and that has helped keep him in the 75lb range.

He does get scraps from the kids as they are constantly dropping stuff on the floor. We don't feed him anything but dog food though.

He is an indoor dog during the day and gets most his activity on the weekends and walks at night.

Victor

No comments on Eukanuba, our trainer used it and my dog was on it for a few months. No issues at the time.
FrontPorchAg
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Rockdoc said:

He weighs 97#. I currently feed him 2 cup am, and 2 cup pm. With some treats during the day. My fault.
My chocolate lab (70# 7y/o F) is on the exact same food and we give 1 to 1.5 cups in the am and pm. The difference is dependant on how much exercise she got that day.

Also, how much exercise is he getting?
All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others
FrontPorchAg
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Rule #1 the dog. Let's see if he is actually overweight
All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others
jgh85Ag
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I thought labs were evolved to eat pretty much anything they can get their mouth around.
FirefightAg
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I'd Start slow with amount of food change and add a little exercise. It's not like he has to drop the weight in a week or even a month. 10-15 pounds in 6 months would be make for a happy and healthy dog I'd bet.

We feed victor as well. 3 1/4 cups a day 50# black lab Female
Al Bula
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ought1ag
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my sis used to have a super fat yellow and the vet told her to feed her 4oz of her food once a day. seemed very cruel to me but after a few months she slimmed up and looked like a normal healthy dog again.
CW Griswold
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I've got you set on what you need

Dogdoc
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bedofbrass33 said:

Dogs were not created/evolved to eat wheat, barley, sorghum, or corn.


And you know this how? I would really like to see some scientific research on this claim.
Dogdoc
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bedofbrass33 said:

Fromms is a great dog food. Your vet wants you to buy from him.


Ha! Most vets couldn't care less where you buy your dog food. It is by far the lowest profit margin item we sell and it takes up the most room in our inventory. The vet is making this recommendation because he has experience with this food and knows it works.


My recommendation would be Hill's prescription diet R/D.

Rockdoc
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Thanks for the replies guys. All the foods y'all recommended seem to be top choices. I decided to go with Fromms Gold weight management. He's been on Fromms his entire life and he does great on it. And it's sold a few block from where I live. The tough job is cutting out his daily treats. He's ticked off.
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