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adopted at 153 probably down to high 120's what now

2K views 16 replies 10 participants last post by  Anubis_Star 
#1 ·
Greetings all:

So, we inherited a 4-year-old white GS whose owner was older had a few heart attacks and could not take care of Yuri anymore and we got lucky and he landed with us. His first trip to the Vet he was 153 (he was a yard dog fed steak and other human food). A month later (4 walks a day of 2 miles like clockwork and 2.5 cups of food a day) he was 136, that was a month ago. He is 28" Tall and 39" long (he looks exactly like the Polar Bear German Shepherds I see online) he's a big boy and I know he is not going to be the standard 85lbs because there is just too much of him. I would like to read your thoughts on optimum weight for a dog that size and obviously come to a more realistic amount of food a day. He's is not losing his mind about food because I figure he is used to it by now but I do not want to deprive him of the nutrition he needs to slim him down. His activity and energy from day one to today is night and day, he is active, jumpy and you can set a clock on when he wants his walks. Thoughts, suggestions.
 

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#2 ·
Thank you for taking in this gorgeous boy. He looks very happy. You are doing a great job with his weight loss!!

Instead of thinking of a final number, think in increments. He is 135ish now. So next step should be 10% down, so 122ish. It can take time. Up his exersise by 10%. Instead of 2 miles a day, do 2.5. Just add an extra 10 minutes a day to his walks. The more muscle he builds, the more calories he will burn. You will get there!!!
 
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#4 ·
My dog is 27" tall and weighs 42 kilos (93 pounds approximately). He is at optimum weight for height and build. I feed 3 (measured) cups of kibble a day, plus topping and treats.

He gets an hour of off leash exercise every day in a 7 acre paddock. A part of the ground where I exercise him is rough and uneven, that seems to have helped in developing Nitro's muscle mass.

I will play a quick game of 'find it' should he gets 'antsy', or spend a few moments on obedience practice, or chasing a frisbee or ball in the yard. He settles and relaxes after a brief activity session where he gets to use his brain. Part of our daily routine is the car ride to the train station each evening to pick up a family member. Having a reliable and predictable schedule keeps Nitro relaxed and happy. Are you planning on maintaining the 4 walks a day when Yuri reaches goal weight?
 
#5 · (Edited)
You're a really great owner for taking his weight seriously. Owners make me crazy when they love a dog to death by making it fat -- without any regard for the long-term health consequences. Most pet owners don't even recognize what a healthy canine weight looks like anymore -- they often think a fat dog is normal.

Instead of concentrating on the scale, I'd focus on body composition. There's a veterinary body condition scale chart you can find easily online with a google search of "is my dog fat?"

The two biggest visual things I focus on are the top down view (can I see a waist?) and the side view (can I see a tuck?). Then I focus on what I feel (can I feel the last few ribs? can I feel muscle definition, not just blubber?). As a dog is hitting his target weight zone, you'll start to feel these things, and see his body shape emerge.

My vet's view is that a GSD should optimally be kept on the lean side of normal -- not quite underweight, but almost. The reason is to protect the joints and spine, in a breed prone to problems in those areas. Good physical conditioning from low-impact, regular exercise will help in that department too....with cascading benefits for the heart, lungs, immune system, metabolic processes, etc. You are probably adding quality years to this dog's life by doing this for him. Kudos!!!

You can help him feel full by giving him some veggies to fill up his tummy -- raw carrots and green beans are a favorite to crunch. I also find that dogs on low-quality, high-carb kibbles tend to have the worst problems with weight. Food quality seems to matter a lot for them, as with us. Check the bag on the number of kcals you are feeding with that 2.5 c. you are portioning out. That seems a little low to me, but it really depends a lot on the food. There are some "weight loss" foods that will add bulk (fiber) without adding calories, which might be more comfortable for him, if he's hungry all the time.
 
#6 ·
beautiful dog .

weight loss --- don't be in too much of a hurry from this point on . Gradual . Fat stores a lot of toxins , which are released into the blood stream and need to be converted by the liver for removal .

don't feed "weight-loss" kibbles which are so low in nutrition and are loaded with indigestible fillers .
appetite will be curbed because there is a sensation of fullness.

in the meantime the dog , yes, does eat less , but is denied good nutrition, and part of that weight loss is not fat reduction but loss of muscle tone.

feed a nutrient dense diet -- clean protein -- protein builds lean muscle .

give him that walk as you are doing .

reward him with affection and approval and not food .

there is much more to contribute but this is a good start

I love the happy expression on this dog .
 
#8 ·
yes we definitely have lots of carrots and green beans coming his way, found the salmon and yams mix from Costco seems to give him a good balance upping his scoops so that way he gets his nutrition. He no longer looks like a barrel from the top, nice definition of the butt and hind legs.
 
#14 ·
well today he is 122lbs, he looks very good and has lots of energy, not sure he has much more room to go down so we have upped his food to 5 scoops a day while maintaining a robust walk schedule
 
#16 ·
28 inches is tall, but it's not THAT tall. 2 inches above standard. My boy is 28 inches tall. He's been in the mid-upper 80 lbs, and now that he's 4.5 yrs old and finally filling out he hovers around 89-92 lbs. I figure he'll probably be a 95 lb dog, 100 lb MAX once he's filled out but that would depend on how conditioned he is. But they should be kept very lean. Unless a dog is built like a tank and has a ton of muscle (which isn't super common for german shepherds) then I dont think one should really be over 100 lbs, even for a taller dog.

Just take it slow. You should feed for the goal weight. So I would likely calculate food for a 100 lb dog to play it safe. Don't under-feed to lose weight, as that's not healthy.
 
#17 ·
Best examples - this is my 28" dog that probably weighs around 87-89 lbs in these pictures, you can kind of tell in the hind end he hasn't put a lot of muscle on yet (These were taken in April when he was just over 4 years old, per his breeder the sire of the litter didn't fill out until 5). Lean lean lean, best on joints. Nice tucked abdomen and waist. Should see clear definition of it going in behind ribs. Easily feel the ribs, and in motion or play when the dog is flexing you should sometimes visualize the last few ribs. I would expect a well muscled dog to look like this too, they just would be a bit thicker/broader in the upper chest area and haunches



 
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