Prescription dog foods? (vet, tropical, diet, bones)

[Amarena]

Hello,
I am new to this forum, and I am sure someone has posted this before but Im not sure how to find the post, so Ill ask again!
First I have 2 Lab/pit mixes, Ellie is our girl 48lbs, and our Ernie is our boy..at a whopping 82lbs...and the shocker is that they are full brother and sister! But adopted separately..Ellie from the owners, and Ernie off of CL who was supposed to just be a similar age playmate for our little spaz Ellie...well as fate will have it...they were from the same litter! And this was in Portland Oregon...so on a regular 40 animals a day being listed! Long story short, he was severely abused, under weight, couldn't barley walk or run (even broke 2 twos!)
Well after 2 years (they will be 3 this sept.) they are both doing great..well maybe a little too great!
Our vet at banfield put both of them on Royal Canine Cal ctrl 26 Hifiber. I didn't buy it because I have some concerns...is it really worth it, is it necessary, etc..I know they need to loose some weight! but I don't think the food is the main culprit...its the treats, bones,etc! They get a lot of exercise...3days (1hr) at the pond which is non-stop running and wading! and the other days either they play in the backyard for 45-2hrs, chasing birds, bunnies and frogs! On the weekends we usually take them on hikes, beach trips etc. They are eating Authority Chicken..2cup total for Ellie and 3-31/2 for Ernie, I usually mix a little chicken, steak,turkey etc in it with a little warm water (1-2tablespoons of meat). They will eat anything..veggies, fruit, anything!
Im thinking about cooking them there food for a few months as a trial...meat, potatoes, veggies etc. The vet tech said well they don't get all of the right kind of vitamins proteins etc....they said this food has a lot of protein so it gives the full feeling, but when I ask if I can cut down on the food and fill more with veggies and chicken..oh no that wouldn't work..hmm..seems the same if not better to me!
Just wanted to get some thoughts and ideas before making my decision!

Thanks in Advance
Amarena, Ellie, and Mr. Ernie!
I also volunteer at a no-kill shelter in Georgia, if anyone is looking for a healthy happy pet, we have a ton!

[FiveHorses]

Originally Posted by Amarena

.they said this food has a lot of protein so it gives the full feeling

I think you mean the prescription food has a lot of fiber. Protein would contribute to further weight gain.

While there is difficulty in getting the right balance of nutritional ratios for dogs in a home-made diet, it's hardly impossible. Plenty of folk do it. Plenty of folks feed raw too and - I believe you'll find whole websites/forums dedicated to either of the above.

If your dogs are merely overweight, the idea of having to put them on a prescription food is - in my book - pure and utter BS.

I have to say, this is a new one for me - ie, that an overweight dog now needs prescription food. . What? Has the word "diet" - just the same as you would for any omnivore - disappeared from the veterinary lexicon?

[Lana C]

You absolutely right about replacing (I use 1/3 of green beans) to the present diet. The extra weight will come off quickly..it's common sense

[Keeper]

What kind of food are you feeding them now? I have a JRT and he was more than 10 lbs overweight. I cut out the treats and bought a better brand of dog food not found in grocery stores but not the most expensive, with no corn or wheat. I fed him the amt listed on the bag for I wanted him to weigh along with some green beans. For treats give them raw carrots, sweet potatoes, bananas or raw green beans. My fur kids love them.

If you do a search on raw there are lots of threads here on that topic. If you want to review dog food.. check here
Dog Food Analysis - Reviews of kibble

[MAK802]

The best way to help them lose weight is to feed a high-quality food (Royal Canin is not one of them!), in smaller quantities. No need for all those ingredients you can't pronounce! For what you'd be paying for the prescription food, you can get a very good food at the pet store for much less.

[Amarena]

Thank you for all of the responses! I have decided...and started it tonight, to do have dry food/veg in the A.M and meat, brown rice and veggies at night. I also found some really good homemade dog treats recipes to go along with the veggie treats.
I'm pretty sure the treats (way to many), moving across the country to a area where walking your dogs is dangerous (strays, and alligators!) along with not adjusting the serving size to match to the exercise just caught up with them!
So sorry prescription food, your not for us!

[FiveHorses]

Originally Posted by Amarena

moving across the country to a area where walking your dogs is dangerous (strays, and alligators!)

I'm not sure where you moved from... but the alligators gives a pretty good clue as to where you moved to.

One thing to bear in mind with that type of (potential) climate change is that you'll find your dogs need fewer calories in a warm/tropical climate. They're simply not burning any staying/keeping warm so it's something else to take into account.

Good luck with the new "lean cuisine" routine.

[Keeper]

Just be sure you aren't feeding them too much if you are feeding twice a day it is easy to do. A dog that weighs 40 lbs should get around 2 cups total all day if you are feeding them a good kibble food.

Not that I ever had a problem giving them too much.. LOL