Skip to content

Helping your dog lose weight

Basenji Health Issues & Questions
  • @tanza:

    About the recommendations you find on food bags… honestly... I thing it is Twice the amount then a normal dog needs... way/way to much.... and of course if it has lots of calories... then doesn't matter... it is going to put on the weigh. And last but not least... I totally agree about set feeding times... period... they have X amount of time to eat... if not eaten... it is gone till the next feeding time.

    Totally agree - Your eye should be your best guide to the amount your dog needs. I find Tilly puts on & loses weight really quickly - keep the same quality of food, just reduce the quantity.

    Yesterday i went down to see one of the "pups" i bred - a dobermann bitch i bred 13.5 years ago (the best one i ever bred but she was never shown, just a loved pet - isnt that typical?)- when they opened the door this enormous thing waddled out - i thought it was the old girl - no, it was a 3 year old dobermann bitch they got last year as a companion for her. Honestly, she could lose 25 pounds and it would hardly show. I know she gets plenty exercise but obviously portion control had gone out of the window. So i read them the riot act - am going back next week to see if its made a difference!

  • when you see this beautiful dog and they are way overweight. All of a sudden my B, Sahara was 6lbs. over her ideal weight. Well, I can't have that so I am doing what I can to get it off. She already looks leaner, I think I need to weigh her tomorrow. She is getting less food, and more exercise. :D

  • My Vet said that Marko is overweight. I've cut back on his treats and food. I also feed him veggie when he's still hungry. But he's still not losing any weight. He's 41 lbs. Is that to heavy a weight for a Basenji. We have a big fenced in back yard and he goes out and runs with Bella every day. Also my husband takes them both on walks daily. Is there anything else I can do? Or do you think he's OK? I've had the Vet check his Thyroid and he's OK, so the Vet says. Help:eek:

  • Is Marko a full Basenji? I do not know but I think 25 lbs or less is more correct. Hopefully the long time owners of Basenjis can help out here. Do you have a picture you could post on here so we could see Marko?

    Rita Jean

  • A 17 inch male should be around 25 pounds. There is some variability based on muscle and bone density so some will be a little heavier, some a little lighter. You should be able to see a visible waist on your dog when viewed from above.

    How much are feeding him? Did your vet have a full panel run for thyroid or just T4? Was he well within the normal range? Or was he low normal?

  • IMO… that is way to heavy for a Basenji....

  • Green beans and more green beans. I garden, and this summer froze many packages of beans and canned some, too. The dogs get canned green beans for treats (w/o added salt).

  • My dogs get raw carrots, they think they are "bones" and they love'em..makes for really pretty poop too..;)

  • @Basenjimamma:

    My dogs get raw carrots, they think they are "bones" and they love'em..makes for really pretty poop too..;)

    Carrotts are great for them… but remember, they have sugar.. so as they say.. everything in moderation...gggg

  • 41 lbs?!! Wow that's a record. How much and how often are you feeding? Is it free feeding? What brand of food? Is he getting table scraps that are high in fat?

  • I have a neighbor who has a little black daschhound - that little thing is so fat his stomach drags when he's walking sometimes. They think it's cute - to me it's a shame, the poor little guy - the only time he's outside is to do his business, then right back in, so he also gets no exercise that I can see. Not my business, but hard to watch.

  • I was walking Buddy in the park and ran into a guy that adopted a little black dog that looked like it was part Min Pin. Anyway the poor thing was way over weight which the guy said the dog went from 12lbs to 21 lbs because he was feeding it table scraps. He took the dog to the vet and now it's on a diet.

  • There was a person here on the Forum for a short time that posted a picture of her Basenji… she was as big around as tall, poor thing.... she was all put out that her Vet said the dog needed a diet... and thought she look just fine and was perfectly healthy.... didn't get the support to that from anyone on the Forum...

  • @tanza:

    There was a person here on the Forum for a short time that posted a picture of her Basenji… she was as big around as tall, poor thing.... she was all put out that her Vet said the dog needed a diet... and thought she look just fine and was perfectly healthy.... didn't get the support to that from anyone on the Forum...

    Some people have the abberated idea that a fat dog = a healthy dog. :eek:

  • Look at what people are doing for their kids…plump baby = healthy baby..not necessarily, and we know fat children does not = healthy children..

  • Basenjimamma, true fat babies not healthy have you really ever looked at a can of formula and broke down the fats in it. Like feeding cattle just to fatten them up.

    As the old story goes we do it to our children when they first start out in life then same goes for our dogs we do good old table food Ha!

    Rita Jean

  • We do need fats for development of our brain, as an infant, but their is no reason for babies, toddlers and children of any age to be rolley polleys..

  • You need a limited amount of fats for development. I my sister's daughter did a chart for a school project on the fats a baby needs and the fats in formula's, baby cereals, baby foods. Took chart did meals for a baby up to 12 months and the fats that a baby got were unreal.
    This what I say no different unless we learn, read what ever same as with our dogs good table food for them as baby foods for babies. I would have never ever know until I seen the chart.

    Rita Jean

  • I have a hands-free jogging harness. It's GREAT. The kids love it and think they're on a mission to lead the pack down the sidewalks where we go running. I will try to find a pic if anyone is interested!! :)

  • I would love to see it and if can tell me were you got it.

    Rita Jean

Suggested Topics

  • Need help!!

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    6
    0 Votes
    6 Posts
    2k Views
    D
    @nick4 Sounds like an allergy or something biting him. For sure the vets and see what they say. Benadryl for sure, as far as I know it does no harm if you dose correctly.
  • Help!!

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    10
    2 Votes
    10 Posts
    3k Views
    DebraDownSouthD
    I have never had a vet not know what breed my dogs are, even though when I got my first one they did not have any others in the practice. My vet immediately began reading up. And when I gave her info, she listened. Foxtails can be very nasty and a vet that lives in an area with them should know you have to REMOVE IT before your dog will get better. So I join the others in begging you to get another vet.
  • Dog Lice

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    4
    0 Votes
    4 Posts
    2k Views
    dmeyD
    Thanks for the advice. We are now lice free, thankfully. I did some research and it turns out that. Dog lice are a specific species, different from human lice and we cant get them, neither can my cats.(I have two cats) I guess the bird lice are different. I had already given them the frontlin( not actually frontline brand, its called Fipronex, so that they wouldnt catch it. So I was extra worried for no reason. I am not a big fan of chemicals either. Thats why I didnt have Ayo on the regular dosis of frontline but the thing is that we have such a big stray dog problem that , almost every patch of grass in town is flea and tick infested and we end up having to deal with it a lot, so most people use frontline or similar products regularly. I didnt really have that problem with my last dog ( my great dane CHelo). I used to find a couple of ticks on him like once a year and usually they would dissapear with one application instead of having to regularly do preventive treatment with it. I will read up on the natural remedies, maybe I can use them next time without having to use the chemicals. I also read that these lice are very very uncommon in countries like United States or European countries,.. again, its the conditions of all the stray dogs that we have here. Its a shame, and there are a lot of organizations that try to help, but in the end, you know, when you have a lot of people that need aid, its really hard to get aid for animals. Thanks for the help….
  • Rash help

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    18
    0 Votes
    18 Posts
    9k Views
    phoenix3P
    Phoenix has had a rash like that before i went to the vet I figured a yeast infection is a yeast infection right weather in people or pets so i went and bought some "womans yeast infection meds" those bullet shaped things and just took it out of the wrapper and just rubbed it on his tummy alittle i rubbed it in and made sure he didnt lick at it the next morning the rash was just about gone went to the vet and she said that's what he had and to acaully just use what i did for a day or so and it should be gone it was a surface yeast infection and so as long as i just rubbed that stuff on like it was lotion he would be fine i applaied it 2 more times and it was gone he gets them from time to time and thats all i do it's a alot cheaper in the long run the stuff she said she was going to give me was going to cost me $67. plus the cost of the vet so i figured now i will just save the moeny and go spend 8 :) i would think there might be a problem using that if u have a dog that likes to try and lick it but phoenix could care less he just enjoyed his belly rub while i was rubbing it in :)
  • Help!!!!!

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    9
    0 Votes
    9 Posts
    4k Views
    tanzaT
    Diana…. I totally agree that we seem to be seeing IBD alot more in our breed again........ And Janet, you should also point her to the Basenji Club of America site www.basenji.org and then she can go to the health section …. read more about health concerns in Basenjis
  • Help

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    3
    0 Votes
    3 Posts
    3k Views
    tanzaT
    On any older dog, cataracts are very common… It would be very hard for a Ophth. Vet to mix up PRA with cataracts. Did you take your Basenji to a board certified eye vet?