Hunger Problem

Hi folks...I'm looking for some advice please.

Since my Benson (Boxer) developed his spinal problems, he has gone from a dog that could walk for miles across the countryside to a dog that just plods around the local park.

As you can imagine, he hardly burns up any calories anymore.

I currently feed him 50g of JWB lite kibble in the morning, packed out with vegitables and a bit of brown rice. I give him another 50g of kibble midday and then 50g at night, again packed out with veg and I include one pouch of JWB wet food.

So, in total, he has 150g of lite kibble and one pouch of wet...with a bit of rice and loads of veg.

However, even with this diet he isn't losing weight...it's staying the same. I can't feed him any less, he's already ravenous all day every day.

Does anybody know of anything I can feed him during the day which will make him feel full, but will not put any more weight on?

Thanks

I`d cut a meal out (midday) and give him toys to chew at instead.

Sorry, I meant to add that he is also on four steroid tablets per day which are making his hunger problems worse.

Somebody told me I should make up some gravy, such as OXO, and give him a bit of that to drink. That way he'll feel as though something is in his stomach but with virtually no fat or calories...any thoughts?

Thanks

Gosh its such a hard one - I struggled with Hoki when she had her cruciate ligament problems.

One thing though - veg can actually be fattening - particularly carrots and peas.

I tried the light foods for ages without much success. In the end I changed to a cheaper quality food where the feeding guide requires you to feed more. This meant that she could actually have more quantity whilst still being less than the recommended amount, so she did still lose weight (don't think I've explained that very well, so hope you understood it!). I still made sure that the foods I chose had no artificial additives though.

Would swimming be any good for him with his problems - perhaps ask the vet? If so, this could be a good way of giving him some exercise without his back suffering.

hi
imho hydrotherapy would be ideal if ok'd by the vet
also,i know its hard,but the steroids are a 'false' hunger,so try not to feed it
it sounds harsh,but if your dog has gained weight ,it is as simple as too many calories in,and not enough out.i think it can go either way too,with a dog that cant get enough excerise they either dont eat at all,or eat outa bordom i would try cutting his food back,but splitting the total amount into more meals(it may make him feel fuller)and enquire about ht(i was one for 2 years)i lived with a dog that had spinal dammage so i do know how you feel.
good luck!

A common trick is adding canned green beans or pumpkin to the food. Unsalted beans and not pie filling.

The cheaper food makes a lot of sense too. I know dogs do just fine on the basic corn based Purina.

Nothing to add to the brilliant suggestions you've had, hon. Just wanted to send you a hug and some good, healing vibes for Benson.

x0x

One of mine was on steroids - and yes I know the problem. The poor dog became frantic. Can the vet help? Is there any other medication you could try?

This is so true. I tried a cheaper dog food (Supadog) as an experiment once and it was mostly coming out the back end. If I had persisted with it mine would have lost heaps of weight which is why it was a very short experiment and they are back on premium dog food (Burns).

I know, it does go to show how different foods suite different dogs. We had Hoki on Burns high oats to start with but honestly it was a nightmare. She was so hungry all the time that she was really bad tempered and constantly picking on Stumpy. We ended up feeding her extra bits and pieces to keep the peace, so of course then she didn't lose any weight.

Hammer - one other thought - do you give him bones? These might be a way to keep him occupied without him eating too much? (I could never give them to Hoki because she was too possessive of them and it isn't worth the risk to Stumpy).