Baffled by unsuccessful obesity case

RE: Baffled by unsuccessful obesity case

shakira free miles — Fri, 12 Jun 2015 09:43:09 GMT

Thank you so much, i am going to get to the bottom of this. I have a billion more questions and tasks to get done to get this case sorted. Thanks for your input xxx

RE: Baffled by unsuccessful obesity case

Anneke Kuipers — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 00:09:01 GMT

If and when you're going to try a new food, do a very slow change over from old to new food. if he is that fussy I would even do it over 3-4 weeks.

i've made a little excel program to help with this if you'd like to use it so you don't have to do the calculations yourself ;)

and how about part diet food:part other food?

RE: Baffled by unsuccessful obesity case

Sal the 1st — Sun, 12 Apr 2015 11:47:14 GMT

I have had some really good results with chappie (and other canned and kibble as well).

I will never forget a client telling me that if she used the diet that I was recommending she would be spending more on the dog's food than she would be her own. This owner thought the world of her dog - there was just her and the dog, splashing out and buying a sack of kibble for somebody who is pretty much living hand to mouth just isn't a possibility for some people but they shouldn't be made to feel guilty because of it when there are other ways of achieving a result. I don't actually care about what name may or may not be on the bag or tin I go with whatever gets the desired result, and I don't rule out raw feeding either if it is done properly.

I must admit my thinking on nutrition has altered a lot in the last 10yrs - I am relieved to be working in a practice that doesnt push petfood in the waiting room - in fact the only food we sell is the Rx type which has been advised by the vet for a pets condition and is usually ordered in per client as needed, we carry very minimal stock of food , anything else we advise the pet shop.

BTW Chappie has worked really well with quite a few of our diabetics who don't like dry food.

RE: Baffled by unsuccessful obesity case

Kim Rathbone — Sun, 12 Apr 2015 09:30:11 GMT

I didn't want to leave a massive message, but when my weight clinics don't eat Hills are Royal Canin, then we use Chappie. All be it weight loss is slow, but they are losing weight and the dogs are eating. I see my clients every 2 weeks as well.

RE: Baffled by unsuccessful obesity case

nickyc — Sat, 11 Apr 2015 10:09:09 GMT

You could consider referral I think liverpool uni has great obesity management clinics? Personnely I am using RCW Satiety for all my weight clinics as if just seems to work amazingly.. Think the likely issue with the food is more then likely behaviour related caused by the owner.. Are they very very slowly adding new diet to old and by slowly I mean add just a teaspoon or one kibble at each meal and slowly build it up.. He hasn't got that heavy by himself so someone is feeding him, and if he has been used to human types food or not so great brands of food which are super palatable then any diet change is going to be difficult.. If he will only eat butchers food for the moment then I would get them to bring into a clinic then you can work out calories per gram and weigh out amounts he should have.. would also focus on exercise regime sometimes owners do fib and say they are well exercising dog when they are not or the dog is going to the park but just plodding along or sitting down, maybe consider hydrotherapy to aid weightloss as will be easier for dog until weight starts going down I would draw up a diet and exercise programme and get owners coming in 2 weekly to keep on track, also get owner to do a food diary and bring everyone who lives in the household to the clinic.. I did this once as couldn't understand why dog wasnt losing any weight and turned out the three teenage children had been arguing about who walked the dog, and so they just stopped walking her and mum didnt have a clue that this was happening.. Once we addressed the exercise regime and mum kicked said kids butts the dog lost weight.. If he is overweight then either to many calories are going in or not enough are coming out, so theres got to be a reason for not having any weightloss..

RE: Baffled by unsuccessful obesity case

Sal the 1st — Fri, 10 Apr 2015 22:03:51 GMT

have you ruled out anything/ everything else going on?

if yes then I would look at other people in the family - you say the owner is compliant but is everybody else? I have a lard arsed cat who will eat practically anything - and that is the problem - I can carefully weigh out hills or rcw or anything else you could care to name but the little sod visits other houses in the neighbourhood and gets his food fix there - if another family member , neighbour or dog sitter is providing something else edible that is more palatable than the Hills (which wouldn't be that difficult) then you are onto a loser because the chances are this dog will always hold out for the something else.

If it was me I would go right back to basics and forget for now what this dog should be eating and work out what it will eat (which it sounds like you are already doing) but list everything that it will eat and work as healthy a diet as you can around that . You can gradually try introducing healthier items into the diet over time.Yes Hills and RCW are convenient and its convenient to be able to measure out and know exactly what's in it but they are not the be all to end all. The leaflets will tell you how good it is and all the benefits of feeding x y or z but (stealing the comment on the Iams ad)the dog can't read.

Does the owner leave food down all the time when he doesn't eat or does she take it up and make him wait till the next meal time - I find that this really helps with some picky eaters. Leave the bowl down for no longer than 15 minutes and what isnt eaten he doesnt get (and doesnt get anything else either) until the bowl goes down again at the next meal time. Which if it was me would be after I have cooked and eaten my own meal so the smell of my food gets his appetite revved up a bit

Has he ever been in kennels? and if so did he eat ok there?

I am guessing this dog is spending a lot of time with people - maybe its a dog that will get on better by having lots of little snack like meals (from a carefully worked out daily allowance).

Another way to try it is don't feed him until he asks (and he is a beagle so there is no possibility he won't)- that way you know he is hungry and more likely to eat what he is presented with.

dont give up just get ingenius.