[leslieholland]

I have a 5yr old female, has had back surgery and hind legs are wobbly but usually OK. She gets only about 1/2 cup of dry food twice a day. I think the problem is lack of exercise because she will not willingly go out or run around. Any suggestions about food? Has anyone tried the diet of canned green beans? I have a swim vest which could be used to let her swim in the tub but a hell of a lot of trouble. Any help will be appreciated.

[labman]

Any extra exercise you can give her would help. I don't know that she needs the swim vest. You might try a diet or senior version of what you are feeding now. They are short of calories, but other wise the complete and balanced diet dogs need. Be careful of treats, and try to keep other family members from slipping her tidbits.

Green beans are a common addition to an overweight dog's diet. You and the dog feel better about how much the dog is getting to eat, but they are virtually indigestible, filling the stomach without providing any usuable calories. Don't be surprised if it leads to larger, softer stools.

Check this link to know when she has reached the weight she should be, http://www.puppychow.com/products/po...condition.aspx You might ask the vet to confirm your judgment.

[doggie_poopie]

Swimming is the best form of exercise for a dog like yours. Can you find a pool locally? The tub would be hard. How about the YMCA, gym, school, friend?
Veggies are good for your dog as a treat(cooked) or to supplement its food with, but as Labman said difficult to digest whole. Raw veggies should always be shredded for best digestion. The best low calorie food is Senior Plus by Innova. It has everything they need and has lower carbs.

[doggie_poopie]

VEGETABLES
Dogs have actually eaten vegetables the whole period of their evolution, and that's a long time! As such, vegetables, particularly green leafy vegetables should form part of the domestic dog's diet. Dogs need vegetables because they contain many important health promoting nutrients. The fiber your dog obtains from raw vegetables includes both soluble and insoluble fiber. Vegetables supply many other nutrients. Many of those nutrients are the ones that have been found to be in short supply in the modern dog's "civilized" diet. This includes difficult to obtain omega 3 essential fatty acids, most of a dog's vitamin needs, masses of enzymes and various anti-aging factors, including antioxidants and phytochemicals.

Broccoli
Broccoli is one of the most nutrient dense foods. It is dense in vitamin C, beta carotene, folic acid, calcium and fiber. It is also a good source of chromium. Like other members of the cabbage family, broccoli has demonstrated remarkable anticancer effects. Broccoli contains several important phytochemicals: beta carotene, indoles, and isothiocyanates and over thirty-three cancer preventative compounds. Research suggests that phytochemicals prevent carcinogens from forming, stop carcinogens from getting to target cells and boost enzymes that detoxify carcinogens.

Spinach
Spinach contains twice as much iron as most other greens. Like other chlorophyll and carotene -containing vegetables, it is a rich source of antioxidants. Besides beta-carotene, it also supplies two other carotenes, lutein and zeaxanthin. Spinach has long had a reputation of being very high in nutrients. It is a good source of fiber, calcium, potassium and vitamins A, B6 and K.

Celery
Celery is rich in calcium, potassium, phosphorus, sodium and iron, as well as vitamins A, B, C. The phytochemical 3-n-butyl phthalide, one of the components that gives celery its characteristic smell and taste, is especially potent as an anti-tumor agent. Along with the compound sedanolide, an aromatic ingredient also found in celery, 3-n-butyl phthalide significantly reduces the incidence of tumors in laboratory animals. It is said to decrease nervousness, and is used as an acid neutralizer.

Bok Choy
A cruciferous vegetable like cabbage, bok choy is an excellent source of Beta carotene, vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin and calcium. It contains significant amounts of nitrogen compounds known as indoles, as well as fiber - both of which appear to lower the risk of various forms of cancer. Bok choy is also a good source of folate (folic acid).

Carrot
The carrot is the king of the vegetables. It is the richest source of pro-vitamin A carotenes among commonly consumed vegetables. But unlike vitamin A, beta carotene and other carotenes in carrots do not cause toxicity. Beta carotene is also a powerful antioxidant. Carrots also contain vitamins B, C, D, E, K, riboflavin, niacin, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, sodium, and iron. Carrots have repeatedly shown to nourish the optic nerve and significantly improve eyesight.

Capsicum
This is an excellent source of many essential nutrients. By weight, red peppers have three times as much vitamin C as citrus fruit. Moreover, red peppers are quite a good source of beta carotene, and they offer a good amount of fiber and vitamin B6. Because capsicum stimulates circulation and enhances blood flow, it is considered food for the circulatory system and as a digestive aid. Red peppers are one of few foods that contain lycopene, a phytochemical that may help prevent various forms of cancer

Are you going to dispute veterinarians? I can do this all day!
Veggies in diet

Question: The UK Cancer Research Campaign says humans should eat
At least five portions of fruit or vegetables a day to reduce the risk of human cancers.
Is there any reason not to feed the dogs one and a half human portions
Of cooked vegetables a day in the hope this will reduce their cancer risk?
I am thinking of potatoes, carrots, cabbage and the like. Dogs are about
45 to 50 pounds in weight.

Answer: I would lean towards green beans (string beans), carrots and peas,
Personally, but I don't see any problem at all with feeding dogs some
Vegetables. We commonly recommend this as a way of giving more food to dogs
On diets without adding many calories. One of my dogs really likes raw
Potatoes and it doesn't seem to bother her to eat them.

Hope this helps some.

Mike Richards, DVM

[tre_cani]

Are you going to dispute veterinarians? I can do this all day!
Veggies in diet

Question: The UK Cancer Research Campaign says humans should eat
at least five portions of fruit or vegetables a day to reduce the risk of human cancers.
Is there any reason not to feed the dogs one and a half human portions
of cooked vegetables a day in the hope this will reduce their cancer risk?
I am thinking of potatoes, carrots, cabbage and the like. Dogs are about
45 to 50 pounds in weight.

Answer: I would lean towards green beans (string beans), carrots and peas,
personally, but I don't see any problem at all with feeding dogs some
vegetables. We commonly recommend this as a way of giving more food to dogs
on diets without adding many calories. One of my dogs really likes raw
potatoes and it doesn't seem to bother her to eat them.

Hope this helps some.

Mike Richards, DVM

I don't think anyone here is disputing that giving a dog some vegetables is okay in moderation. I think that what labman means (correct me if I'm wrong), is that one shouldn't give veggies without also feeding a complete, balanced diet. I think we can all agree that giving a dog vegetables as his main source of nutrition IS bad.

The veterinarian from the web site you quoted ( http://www.vetinfo.com/dogdiet.html ) even said that he recommends giving veggies as a way to give more food without adding calories. I understand that to mean that veggies are a source of fiber, making the animal feel full without too much caloric intake.

I try to understand the passion about 'natural diets' and holistic appoaches to healing, but these methods of feeding are not the only healthy way to feed a dog and they are not the only correct way to treat a pet's illnesses. Many dogs do well on commercial dog chows, just as many others must be on special diets due to health concerns.

We all have opinions on what works best when it comes to diets and we can all back up our opinions with studies and clinical research and web sites with 'experts' that tell us that we're right.

But what it comes down to is common sense: Feeding a few carrots to an overweight dog to add fiber to the diet is perfectly fine, but introducing a cornucopia of vegetables to take the place of his regular diet is ridiculous.

Also, what no one here mentioned that I think is noteworthy: canned green beans (any canned vegetable for that matter) are high in sodium. If you must give vegetables, try fresh or frozen (read label for sodium content) or no-sodium-added canned vegetables.

[leslieholland]

Swimming is the best form of exercise for a dog like yours. Can you find a pool locally? The tub would be hard. How about the YMCA, gym, school, friend?
Veggies are good for your dog as a treat(cooked) or to supplement its food with, but as Labman said difficult to digest whole. Raw veggies should always be shredded for best digestion. The best low calorie food is Senior Plus by Innova. It has everything they need and has lower carbs.

Didn't know this would spur so much discussion! Thanks for the rec of food. Swimming will be good I know but in winter there are not many choices. Short walks will be the key and small portions of food. For your future questions, and as background, I feel that Daschunds are prone to overeat and mine grew up with two young children who gave her 'floor food' and that started it. The extra weight caused back problems necessitating surgery and now she is feeling the effects of it all plus age - although she is only 6. They also tend to be emotional, if you can say that about a breed, and respond to treatment that allows them to be 'couch dog-potatoes'. Now, she even looks like one. "Lap Dog" has definite original meaning. Thanks again - we're working on it.

[labman]

All the extra discussion is due to one individual that is exploiting this site to promote an extreme junk science natural diet. The web is badly infested with them. There is no arguing with such true believers.

[doggie_poopie]

Check out websites for foods like Flint River Ranch, Wysong, Nutura, and California Natural. These are really good foods and you can make the decision for yourself.

[BonniePharmD]

My dachshund is 13 months old and he only eats 1/2 cup of his dry food ONCE a day, so depending on the food you are using, you may be overfeeding your dog. My dog eats Flint River Ranch which is more concentrated than some of the pet store varieties, so less food is needed (they suggest a 20% decrease when converting). Anyway, without knowing what you feed your dog, no one can say for sure.

He definitely could use some exercise, a couple of shorter walks per day as opposed to one long walk may be easier for your dachsie.

The bottom line is to get the extra weight off as these dogs inherently have weak backs to begin with.

Good luck!

[labman]

I agree about getting the weight off a Dachshund. In fact, overweight is one of the biggest health problems for all breeds. There was a recent study that comfirmed overweight dogs have shorter lives.

However nobody can say how much of anything you really should be feeding. 2/3 of what you are feeding might be a good starting point for an overweight dog.

''Check this link to know when she has reached the weight she should be, http://www.puppychow.com/products/po...condition.aspx You might ask the vet to confirm your judgment.''

''Anyway, without knowing what you feed your dog, no one can say for sure.'' Wrong, even if you did know, you could only give a starting point.