General Chat

Hi all The dog has to lose weight and have been told to feed her Hills RD light for older dogs but it is about £ 52 pounds a bag she has dry food for 12.5kg which will last a while but is a lot of money all at once she is also on meds had to pay £54 for meds but that is for six monthes anyone know of a simalar one that is not so expensive Val

What breed/size dog is it?

My vet advised just ordinary human Veg, Some cooked,some raw.

She is a lab and is 7years

she has problems with her joints

fairly typical lab then! I would suggest something like activa supadog, but small feeds to compensate for the higher protein content. Or maybe John Browns, whatever. Half the normal amount of food, but give an egg once or twice a week, maybe a tin of sardines as well, or any other oily fish. Getting the weight off is the important thing for joint problems. Is it hips?

Val - amazon has it for slightly cheaper - has she always been on dried food?
Why not try giving her less? Eat less, lose weight - works for us.

Yes and legs abit. This is the first lab we have had with this seem abit young had it with two of GS but they were 13 and 14. thanks that sound a good idea about the sardines thank you

It's something they seem to be terribly prone to. DId you get them scored?

Its about the age where it starts to show, but if you can get the weight right down the effect can be startling. One tip about dried food - change the brand every few months, as lots of them, even the expensive brands, can allow toxins to accumulate over a period of time and cause additional problems. And don't forget that vets are as prone as any other business to the marketing ploys of the animal food and drug industry.

You wouldnt believe the number of reps handing out freebies to veterinary practises. I always just ask for the prescription and get any drugs off the internet. After all, if you went to your GP and they tried to sell you their own drugs at four times the price of the ones at the chemists, where would you go?

Several years ago we had an overweight lab & were advised by our vet to add rice & vegetables to a smaller amount of her usual food.

Are vet told me to look on line as it is cheaper than thire's which was good of him and will not chrage fee to see how she is as it will be an on going illness which i thought was good but have used them for years thank you .

sounds like you have a good vet. Good luck with the dog.

Tins of sardines/pilchards/mackeral available in Lixl/Axdi at much cheaper prices and they are good - we eat them and enjoy!

Used to give tin of fish mixed with wholemeal bread occasionally to our dogs and they woofed it down!

Chris she has been on it for four years she only has two smalll cups in a morning one at tea time she loves veg she gets that too and apple she gets them off the tree hershelf. Carol and Penny we had to give one of are old dogs rice, veg with chicken or trip years ago thank you all

Chris i used to give that to the pups to fill them up there was eight of them

If if we didn't have kids and animals to worry about - life would be so simple - but dull!!

Hello Valium

Our Madoc was 27kg when we first got him 2004, he now weighs 22k.He's a Lab x Pointer and now 11yrs old.
He has Hyperalergenic (sp) dry food...chicken or rabbit & rice, approx £21.00 15kg Skinners Field and Trial. He was very itchy, hence the hyperalergenic foods.
We just had to cut down the amount for some months , he's on a cup full now and raw veg or cooked as treats, or we always have a small dish of his dried food to hand!!...he adores his veg. An egg every now and then and tinned fish every now and then. He does'nt have our food apart from the odd crust....unless Vic sneaks a digestive.

Hope you can find the best thing for your dog:)

jude :-)

my dog is 68 kgs of solid muscle
if he gets above this

i just cut his normal food down and add more veg
but never broccoli as thats poison to dogs

and i exercise him more

if a dog has joint problems i would also give oil of primrose caps
or cod liver oli

Thanks for that JoyBoro....l have often given Madoc broccoli stalks, just checked it out and they are toxic.....quite a few websites out there about fruit and veg for dogs!! His favourite is carrot:)

jude :-D

i didnt know myself till a couple of years ago and stopped then
mine also like carrots best out of vegs
mind theres not much he wont eat

but bread is his very favorite plain white
and if given with meat he leaves the meat and eats the bread first