Overweight beagle

[Puddlypoo]

Hello everyone! I desperately need some advice. My beagle was 49lbs then in an attempt to get him to lose he gained 8 lbs more because of the food I was feeding him. He has since lost 15lbs and is down to 42lbs now. He seems to be hovering around the 42-43lb mark and I only feed him a cup of food a day plus some veggies. I feel if i lesson his food anymore Im gonna starve him, I don't know what to do but he clearly needs to lose more weight. He's 15 inch and gets about 45 minute walk a day plus about 15 minutes of play time. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

[brandypup]

What are you feeding? If he isn't loosing weight you need to up the excerise and decreas the food. Have you considered homade food? I know with cats canned food makes them loos weight vs the kibble food.

I would find a grain free food. Feed a small amount and add the veggies like you are doing and increase the excersie.

Is there a medcial reason for his weight? Thyroid??

DogAware.com Articles: Weight Loss Diets for Dogs

[Puddlypoo]

Hi Brandypup...I've been feeding about 1/2 cup of Wellness Core Ocean Recipe and 1/2 cup of Wellness Core Reduced Fat. I used to exercise him more, anywhere between 3-5 miles a day, but with the winter approaching it's a bit more difficult.

[BrightEyes]

Have you taken him to the vet?
I wouldnt decrease the amount of food you are giving him, as a cup a day is a fairly small amount... they only thing i would say that hasnt been said is... have the vet check him to make sure he doesnt have a medical reason for the weight gain and then increase the exercise he is getting. If you cant walk him yourself, having a weekly dog walker come is always nice. It is great for socializing on top of good exercise

[mysticpt]

I would get the vet's opinion, but I think exercise is the key. Since we got our beagle in July I'VE lost 9 pounds, and I'm not overweight - LOL. The winters can be cold here in Canada but I bundle up and take her for good long walks. My beagle is also a very lean beagle, so maybe she isn't prone to be being fat, but I think the long walks are keeping her lean and happy.

[Puddlypoo]

@mysticpt-how long do you walk your dog for, on average?

Since May of this year I had started riding my bike and having the dog walk alongside me so he could get longer walks. Thats when he would get about 3 miles in the morning and then another 1-2 throughout the rest of the day. I do have a disability which limits the amount of walking I can do which is why the bike was so great. I remember reading somewhere that you are supposed to feed the amount of food for the weight your dog 'should' be. And that dog food companies usually put more than what is needed on the bag. Since I am mixing 2 kinds of food, the one bag says 1 3/4 cup for a 35lb dog and the other says 1 1/4. So i figured if I gave a cup and substituted the rest with veggies, it would be good. He has lost 15lbs since the beginning of the year but just now seems stuck at 42 but I didn't think it to be right to decrease the food anymore. Ill try to up the exercise more and give it a bit more time, if nothing changes then I will take him to the vet and have him checked. I guess I just figured since he had been losing weight than he probably didn't have a medical problem.
I appreciate everyone's input. Thank you!
As for raw feeding, I barely cook a good wholesome meal for myself, I would have no idea as to what to feed him

[mysticpt]

You can buy raw dog food already packaged for you. Many pet stores sell this type of food. Check out this site Nature's Variety: Raw Diets for Dogs | Nature's Variety

In the morning, Emily's exercise is often playing with other dogs, and not a walk, but she really runs hard (we have an offleash area at my condo).In the evening, if she can play hard again, that's great, but more often than not I probably take her on a walk anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour. But now that I think about it, it's at a very slow pace, as she loves to sniff everything. She gets 2 cups of food a day, and a few treats throughout the day. So maybe she just has a faster metabolism has she seems to have maintained a pretty steady weight of about 24 pounds, and she is not too skinny. As for my weight loss, I'm sure it's not just about walking a dog, as I'm no longer at a desk job, but walking a dog is good if you can do it

[Dawna]

Dillon was 18 pounds 2 months ago, but he is a 13 inch Beagle. He is 9 months old now and I need to get him weighed. If he ate every time he wanted to he would weigh 200 pounds! He is a garbage can/vacuum cleaner on legs! One of my friends just insists that I'm starving him because he always acts so hungry! How old is your dog? I know that human's metabolism slows down as we age and dogs do as well. Also, have you had any blood work done on him recently-like thyroid testing? A thyroid problem can cause weight gain .

[Puddlypoo]

Vacuum cleaner on legs! haha! I know what you mean Dawna, mine is always acting like he's starving no matter how much he eats. I haven't had Puddles tested for thyroid yet, but I am definitely making an appointment to do so. He is just about to turn 7 and I have noticed recently on a few occasions he has an intolerance to the cold as well :/

[Dunmore]

Our rescue beagle weighed 49 lbs in July. When we adopted him in October, he had 5 more lbs to lose. His foster dad was feeding him on a vet's recommendation the amount of food for his ideal weight of about 32 lbs. We did the same plus no treats. We also increased his exercise with the use of a weighted back pack and lots of walking and running. He now has a waistline and has built muscle in his back legs. The vet said the weight in fat he would lose would go to his leg muscles which were underdeveloped due to his lack of exercise.