big girl blues

[carlinneworleans]

I have a what i consider to be healty 18month old female standing 171/2 inches and weighing in right at 80 lbs. I am constantly told she needs to shed a few pounds. We run every other day and walk on the days we don't run. Not short runs either (roughly 5 miles). She doesn't seem to be carying much fat and only eats once a day. pro plan performance is her choice of foods. Any input would be helpful because i want to keep a healty girl.

[jmann4]

My dog is like that as well. I'm sure I could drop a few pounds off her but she seems to hold the weight, even with lots of exercise. She's 70-75 lbs here. Some dogs need more exercise than others. If you could post some more shots of your dog from the side that would help others give you some better advice.

[carlinneworleans]

had to bribe her with water to stand still. best side view i could get at this time in the a.m.

[SKoth]

Yea, she looks like she could lose a little, but who am I to say. My guy needs to lose a little too. You could either step up her exercise or reduce her food. Honestly, more than her weight, I would be more concerned about her feet and stomach. They look stained as though she's been licking at them. If she has allergies and is constantly licking at herself she can develop some nasty skin infections. I'd check that out first. Otherwise she's a very beautiful dog!

[moto1320]

Alot of people have reported shedding fat with Wellness. Have you tried any diet changes?. Breaking up her food into two meals could help. How much is she eating?

[AllAmericanPUP]

How much do you feed her a day?

performance is high in calories, so that might be part of your problem, even if she does get a lot of exercise, maybe just try cutting her back like 1/2 cup.

[AllAmericanPUP]

is she active at home?
like does she play in your yard(if you have one) alot and stuff?

if she isn't then you might try just switching her to a regular adult food.
the performance foods are for like hunting dogs that are always on the go and have trouble keeping weight on..

[concreterose]

One of my dogs is constantly on a diet, so I feel your pain
Some dogs are more prone to keeping on weight than others. I would cut her food a bit, it sounds like she gets plenty of exercise. You also, if you have a yard, you could look into making a springpole, or flirtpole. They will give her an intense workout. Start off slow though, as she will be jumping a lot. You could also think about biking her, that will get her going a little faster than jogging. I also agree with looking at the fat content of her food, you may want to think about switching to a food with a lower fat content, or reducing her servings. Just some thoughts, she's a beautiful girl!

[damienApbt]

shes still young, it looks like you can afford to not feed her as much as you do.

[barbponys]

Pretty girl you've got there.

She looks like she could loose a little. You should be able to feel ribs with very little pressure.

Performance foods are designed for very active dogs, dogs that are in heavy training, pulling every day, running 5+ miles a day or dogs that don't keep weight on for some reason. I wouldn't recommend feeding a Purina product for performance, for any reason actually. With the high fat and 90% grain she won't have much luck shedding the extra weight. Get her on a higher meat content food and they weight will come off fairly quickly. Would recommend Timberwolf but I don't know where you are and it could be a royal pain to get soooo........ Wellness is a good place to start, chicken(purple bag) is pretty well received. It's a huge step up from the Pro Plan and though you will pay more you won't feed as much.

[barbponys]

I also agree with Sarah, it does look like she has skin issues. At that age the allergies might start cropping up. Red skin is a real good indication of over all inflammation, she may not be chewing much yet but I would expect by next spring????? Blow out. Getting her on a better food can make all the difference in the world.........get her body to start repairing some and strengthen her immune system so she's better able to handle the allergies.