William Clodius wrote:
sighthounds & siberians wrote:

snip

It's reasonable to assume that Smoky is counter-surfing because he's
hungry. You don't mention how much the dogs ate before this change,

We didn't have good measurements, but I think a bout 2.5 cups a day. we
have been measuring lately using slightly rounded 1/4 cups, so about
1.75 cups a day now. Plus frequent treats when training.

but I assume the trainer's recommendations represented a decrease in
amount of kibble. What kibble are you feeding?

My memeory has always been a problem and its not getting better with
age. I recognize it in the store next to the other foods. Currently we
use a chicken meal and rice adult food, I think California Natural, but
it might be Nutro Max. Both dogs haved done well on other kibbles. Their
coats were great on salmon based kibble, but my wife objected to the
smell. I didn't notice significant changes with lamb, venison, or sweet
potatoe formulations. The only kibble that didn't seem to work was
Natural Balance.

1 1/2 cups per day
for a dog whose ideal weight is about 70 lb (you said he's 72 lb now
and could stand to lose a couple more) is not a lot of kibble, unless
you are feeding something calorie-dense like Innova and Smoky is a
northern breed with a very efficient metabolism.

Overall we think Lab/Weimaraner, brown coat with gunmetal highlights,
straight fine hair soft with an inner coat. Sometimes we wonder if he
might be a quarter chow, his tongue is about 80% black, but he doesn't
have a spitz tail or ears. His weight loss has been at a reasonable rate
at the diet we had him on while pumpkin was available, about 1.5
lbs/month.

Yet the dog is giving you signs that he's not happy with the diet and
that he is hungry. My suggestion of moving to a species appropriate raw
diet would eliminate the carbs which are the real problem. I mean, are
you going to feed him pumpkin the rest of his life? Does quality of life
mean anything? If you move back to kibble the weight will come back
because it is dense in carbs. What I am offering is a permanent solution
that will not leave your dog hungry yet will have him in a better condition.


If the kibble you're
feeding has a senior/weight loss formula, you might try that, or try a
senior/weight loss formula of another high-quality brand. Those
formulas are usually a little higher in fiber as well as lower in
calories, so you could feed a little more and the dog might feel more
satisfied. While canned pumpkin is great for stool issues and healthy
for dogs and humans alike (those orange vegetables!), I think green
beans might be a better filler for dieting dogs. Worth a try, anyway.
Thanks for the suggestions.


Dogs get no nutritional value from pumpkin or beans or fiber. He's
needing better and is letting you know through his actions. Feeding real
food would have him thin yet healthy too, something your diet can't
compare with.

Add the lack of nutritional value of the fillers you are using with
kibble which has never been nutritionally complete and you are on a road
to disaster.

Char