doggie diet food

ok, Zoe's 22lbs and needs to drop a few. I'm afraid to give her carrots, which she loves, as I've heard they are too high in sugar. she sometimes gets green beans in her dinner. I've cut down on snacks, but it's not making a difference. sometimes she doesn't eat breakfast. I know for humans that's horrible! it's finally starting to cool down here and I'm hoping to get in more walks soon.

any other advice?

I would suggest a higher protein and lower or no gluten / grains. How much are you feeding her? I think most of us feed between 1/4 and 1/3 cup twice daily. My Ichiro is a bigger pug, so he gets 1/2 cup twice a day.

I think green beans are fine as a treat. My gang likes them frozen. I would cut out any fattening treats, like milkbones or things like that.

Try putting pumpkin and green beans in her food, and cutting back on the portion of kibble.

All three of my pugs have lost weight since being on Honest Kitchen for the last 6 months.

I'm with Renee, high protein and no carbs. You can order some sample packs from Honest Kitchen in the grain free formulas. We've been on it for about 6 months too and Lola is a lean, mean puggie machine. But also, like you said with the Vegas heat, it is really hard to get any exercise.

ok, it's settled then. which honest kitchen should I order? I think there's a few types.

thanks!

Mel, I know many of us use different kinds. I use Keen. It is turkey based, and not completely grain free, they call it low gluten. It has oats and flax as a grain. My guys do not have grain allergies, but I wanted to cut out any of the "bad" grains, so I feel really good about it. They love this stuff, and go NUTS for it. Find a seller in your area, if possible, and pick up some of their small size packets to try out. Usually they will give you tons of free samples too.

It's really easy to make, and I have a lot of fun adding additional stuff to it, like ground turkey, greek yogurt, carrots that have been lightly blanched, or scrambled eggs.

If there is one thing on earth that I can recommend for pug weight loss, thats Ziwi Peak !!!
Yoda was a teeny hefty at one stage, and then we changed to Ziwi thanks to Lisa - and Yoda has been steady at 9.7kg's = 20lbs.
He looks fantastic !!! :)

http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/products/dog-food/

I would suggest Keen in the AM and Force in the evenings. That way she can get some grains and you won't throw her into shock going totally grain free off the bat. You can go to Honest Kitchen site and order 4 oz travel size to try them out. Or if there is a pet store close to you that carries HK see if they have samples on site.

I'll just throw my $0.02 in here and praise HK as well. At one time, Tyson was a hefty 28lbs. but now is at 21lbs, a perfect weight for him. LuLu and Mac are both around 17lbs and their coats are beautiful, shiny and soft. LuLu & Mac each get 1/3c Keen for breakfast and dinner, with 1/2 tsp of Missing Link added in each meal. I normally add pumpkin, but with the shortage we haven't had that option for a bit. We've tried the Force and the Embark, naturally with my pugs, no one turned their nose up at anything. They are great about sending samples if you contact their customer service. I know Saira feeds it-you might want to see if she buys it locally or orders online.

Side note: HK is coming out with a fish based food called Zeal. It's pricey at $108 for a 10lb box, but I sat down and compared what I pay for a 7lb box of Preference, plus the canned Wellness 95% salmon, and it's actually just about the same, if not a little less for the amount of time it would last. I guess I will just have to give up on my hopes of having all 3 eat the same food, but it's a small price to pay to keep Tyson's allergies in check.

I LOVE HK, seriously just love it. Anyways, Mel-I order mine online but Scrapps bakery in Summerlin carries it. I just don't like driving on the roundabout.

I also feed mine about 1/3 c. (dry measured) twice a day-a little less for Sophie.

We alternate between Force and Embark.

Becky - don't feel bad about Tyson! My Ichiro topped 28 pounds at one point too! He's a lean 24 pounds now, and at perfect weight for his build. We got down to 21 pounds, and the vet said it was too thin for him.

And, I agree with Jana about not shocking their system by suddenly going grain free (unless there is an allergy). I really like the Keen, because while it has some grains (oats and flax), it is low gluten.

I think that I need to start eating HK!

PugLady3 wrote:I think that I need to start eating HK!

I have often thought that myself! I mean, I like to eat, but sometimes it is such a chore! I despise wasting money on eating out, and I also get sick of cooking every single night. Some nights, I wish I could just hydrate some "slop" for me, and be set! Weight loss would be a bonus too!

I too have a "fluffy" boy. George is on HK's Verve but he's not losing any weight. He's 24# & should be 21#. I cut back his food from 3/4 divided into 2 feedings to 1/2 c. Half a baby carrot for a treat & some frozen green beans as "fillers." Maybe some frozen broccoli.

He doesn't get much else for treats because I'm concerned about his weight, especially at his age (almost 12 yrs). He does like to roam the backyard looking for poop to "recycle" but I've been scooping more often.

Like all pugs, he acts like he's starving & can get food aggressive. His brothers are fed seperately for their safety.Any more diet suggestions?

Saira wrote:
I also feed mine about 1/3 c. (dry measured) twice a day-a little less for Sophie.

what dry food?

Mel wrote:

Saira wrote:
I also feed mine about 1/3 c. (dry measured) twice a day-a little less for Sophie.

what dry food?

The Honest Kitchen comes dry, you have to add water to it. So I measure out about 1/3 c. dry then add the water.

Saira, how much do you buy at a time and how long does it last?

Brenda wrote:Saira, how much do you buy at a time and how long does it last?

I buy the double pack of the grain free, I think each box maybe lasts about 3 weeks, if I remember right!

Saira wrote:

Brenda wrote:Saira, how much do you buy at a time and how long does it last?

I buy the double pack of the grain free, I think each box maybe lasts about 3 weeks, if I remember right!

Ours lasts a little longer, maybe a month to 5 weeks, because I supplement with canned food, raw food, and occasionally kibble. At a minimum, my guys get at least one meal a day of HK.

good news! I found out that the doggie store about 2 min from my house will soon be carrying HK. they took my cell and will call me once it's in.

Mel wrote:good news! I found out that the doggie store about 2 min from my house will soon be carrying HK. they took my cell and will call me once it's in.

Lucky!!! I wish it was that close to me!

Renee wrote:

Mel wrote:good news! I found out that the doggie store about 2 min from my house will soon be carrying HK. they took my cell and will call me once it's in.

Lucky!!! I wish it was that close to me!

Me too!! Good for you, Mel!

We have a store in town that carries HK, but they are all bitches so I don't go there. I usually order mine straight from HK. I order a box of Force, Keen, Embark, & Thrive so I can alternate their food. I normally order the 4lb boxes. Last time I was in a hurry and accidentally order the 10lbs boxes and it was 300.00! Yikes. I completely missed the price in the check out and did not realize it until 40lbs of food showed up at my door! At least I don't have to worry about running out for awhile. I put them in the giant ziplock bags to keep it fresh and just put enough for a week in stainless steel containers.

so Zoe's been on Force for a few days and she loves it! She barks constantly while waiting for it to hydrate. that, I could do without. can't wait to see the results after she's been on it for a few weeks.

Mel wrote:so Zoe's been on Force for a few days and she loves it! She barks constantly while waiting for it to hydrate. that, I could do without. can't wait to see the results after she's been on it for a few weeks.

Oh yes, my guys go nuts waiting the 5 minutes for it to hydrate. Use hot water, it will hydrate it quicker, and make it a warm meal.

I actually make up the next day's supply in a plastic dish (w/lid to store it in fridge) WHILE they're eating. No yapping while I'm mixing it & it's firmer.