How to stop losing and just maintain?

[ElvisTheNewf]

Well, as most of y'all know, Elvis Dog used to be a huge fattie. We're talking tipping the scales at 185 pounds just over two years ago. We've worked hard with his diet and he dropped 40 pounds.......but he's still dropping.

We boarded him over Christmas and he's down to 136 pounds. We can feel his ribs but we can REALLY feel his hips. In fact, I feel like I can almost grab his hip joints. We can't see them, but it feels weird to pet him because they're so prominent.

He gets 2 cups of high quality dog food for breakfast, and then 1 cup of dog food and 1 cup of green beans (or another veggie) for dinner. He doesn't get any snacks and his treats are baby carrots and occasionally some tablespoons of peanut butter. He's been on this regimen for two years - it's nothing new.

My husband and I feel that perhaps Elvis needs to be back up to around 140-145 (no higher) and we really don't want him to lose any more weight.

As you can imagine, having a dog who is almost too skinny is completely foreign to us. What's the best way to get him to stop losing and just maintain, maybe even gave a few pounds back? Go to 2 cups of food for breakfast and dinner? Lose the veggies? Keep them in? Split the difference and up dinner to 1.5 cups kibble and 1/2 cup veggies?

 

[lmfoltyn]

Jake gets 2 cups 3 times aday...he is at 140. We now have to cut back to 2 cups in the am, 1 cup in the mid day and 2 cups at night. So we are going from 6 cups to 5 cups. Maybe try upping Elvis to 4 cups and see what happens. It is trial and error at times.

 

[Sound Bay Newfs]

He does sound a little too thin. You really are only giving him 3 cups a day. I would try 2 cups, morning and night and skip the veggies.

 

[Angela]

My 3 boys all get 2 cups twice a day, sounds like you could increase it a bit. Is he hungry? Is he healthy otherwise?

 

[ElvisTheNewf]

My 3 boys all get 2 cups twice a day, sounds like you could increase it a bit. Is he hungry? Is he healthy otherwise?

Yes, he's healthy but he is definitely hungry. We've been having issues with counter surfing and stealing things from the trash. He was getting 4 cups per day while being boarded and seems much happier. We will try that for awhile and see if his attitude improves. I think we will do this through March and then take him back for a weight check.

 

[Leonard and his bud Snuffles]

Boy Snuffles eats almost nothing compared to the other replies here. He gets 2/3 cups AM and a cup and a half PM, though I do put a couple of spoonful's of canned food in the AM and generally about 2 oz of boiled chicken or cod fish fillet in the evening meal. Not what I would consider a lot of treats through the day, and he has been holding about 145 for a long while now.

 

[Brandie&Maggie]

Maggie was maintaining on 4 cups a day (split AM/PM). Now that we are on a homemade diet, I'm actually in the same boat as you! She lost a few pounds (which she needed to do) but now needs to stop and maintain. She's also begging and counter surfing. We are starting today adjusting her calories up a bit, maybe even just for the winter since she's so much more active.

I've been told to just do the rib test weekly and adjust calories up or down as needed - trial and error basically.

Hopefully we can both figure this out!

 

[Newfielover89]

To get him back up, you can try adding some puppy food into his diet.

 

[chumleysma]

I would say up the calories and get him walking and more walking to build up those hip muscles. After all, that's why we work so hard to keep the weight off...to help the hips.
Chumley went from 163 to 157lbs. I was shocked when I weighed him last week, 161lbs! That means he gained 4 lbs in the month of Dec. Christmas parties and baking and less walking were to blame.
Let us know Elvis' progress at beefing up. He's the tallest Newf I've ever met, so I think his weight is getting too low.

 

[ElvisTheNewf]

Good idea, Stacy. We do walk a lot more in the winter and he loves to frolic in the snow so hopefully we have a few more months filled with the white stuff.

I thought last summer I would find him a good place to swim, but I never did. There is an indoor pool just for dogs (I think it's mainly for rehab but anyone can use it) that I had looked into right before his TPLO. It didn't seem too expensive at all so that might be something we start as well.

 

[MC Sullivan]

I would up his calories too. It may also be possible, that just like with people that exercise or do outdoor winter sports, that he is burning more calories keeping himself warm during his outdoor winter past times. My son does winter mountaineering and snow shoeing, which makes him shed weight without even trying. He really has to up his calories to not lose weight. Good luck.

 

[jane]

I would definitely put him to 2 cups 2x a day. He's probably more active now in the winter too. If you have any hills around you, take him walking up them. That will help build his rear. Anything to throw his weight to the rear, while moving, will help build his muscle. While walking, hold a treat in front of him but above his nose. That will get him to keep his head up, in return, throwing his weight to his rear and working those muscles.

 

[chumleysma]

I would definitely put him to 2 cups 2x a day. He's probably more active now in the winter too. If you have any hills around you, take him walking up them. That will help build his rear. Anything to throw his weight to the rear, while moving, will help build his muscle. While walking, hold a treat in front of him but above his nose. That will get him to keep his head up, in return, throwing his weight to his rear and working those muscles.

Great idea! Whenever I walk the dogs in this freezing cold weather I start out on the steepest, biggest hill in my town. Actually, I'm doing it for me because I'm cold ALL the time so I really dread going out in the winter. I can't say no to these guys. My dogs beg for their walk with lots of enthusiasm! I've found if I bundle up, then power walk that first hill I can count on overheating by the time I get to the top. I find I'm stripping (my layers, that is) through the rest of the walk. This works for me no matter how cold or how high the winds are.
We have lots of hills to climb here in Pa and NY, but does Ohio?

 

[ElvisTheNewf]

NO - it's flat as a pancake here.

Ok, not really..........but definitely flatter than our beloved Mountain State (WV). We do have some rolling hills and a small slope in our own yard that we can use. Rumor has it there are some parks near here with some good hills and hiking trails, so we'll have to find those and test them out.

We can totally do the treat above the nose thing. Elvis dog will do anything (anything!) for a piece of cheese.