Reducing protein in dogs diet

rev229

I have been adviced by my vet to reduce the protein content of our dogs diet. She is an anxious dog who gets over excited. I have been told to increase the carbohydrates which is fine. But our dog has a sensitive tummy so has wainwrights/wellbeloved dry food. I give her breakfast in a kong so she has dried food mixed with wainwright/natures choice/PAH wet food so protein based. Evening meal is the same but with home cooked rice, potatoes, fruit and veg. Really don't know if she is having enough/too much her weight has stayed the same and she is not bulging yet. She is also on zylkene but seems quite chilled out after her main meal in the evening since increasing the carbohydrates. Apart from the above wet foods which are gluten free does anyone know any others which are also gluten free as the above are quite expensive. She will eat chicken/fish if we have some otherwise it is dog food and veg.

Pruflo

Hi - One of our woofs is abit of a chunky monkey so has a weetabix in her breakfast - she still gets the volume and is nice and full but without the calories - she also has james and soggy food - not that ours are spolit or anything.......

suki1964

Mixing a complete and a wet is doubling up on the protein straight away.

Did your vet say what percentage to aim for at all?


James well-beloved complete Lamb kibble is pretty low in protein at 20 % - I think thats about as low as you need to go before looking at specialised diets. I would feed that and bulk out with cooked veggies - cabbage is very good as its cheap and filling. You will have to suffer the side effects for a while but she should settle down on it pretty quickly.

I also use left over rice, noodles,sprouts,broccoli,carrots, beans etc in small amounts. Add a splash of gravy if needed if she dont like dry (not made from granules - way too salty)Do remember to reduce the amount of kibble slightly to take in account the adding you are doing

orlao

You could check the protein content of senior dog foods (wet or dry) as they are usually lower protein and look at bulking them out with rice and/or veg.

Did your vet say what percentage of protein you need to drop too?

A cheaper option, but harder work is a version of BARF but again bulked with carbs.

moomin5

I think the senior wainwrights salmon & potato dry is about 18.5% and other senior foods are probably around the same. I think you need to cut out all the meat/wet food add-ins as it will make it difficult to work out what protein is being given and just add in carbs (pasta/rice/poatoes) /veg if its to make the food more appealing

rev229

For the time being I have halved her dry food intake, with about a dessert spoonfull of wet food to mix with the dry food in the kong otherwise it all falls out. Tried rice in the kong without success and peanut butter/pate/cheese give her the 'runs'. The bulk of her food is now potato, veg and rice which she is loving also some fruit mixed with the dry food and some warm water to make it less dry. We are giving her most of her food in the evening to keep her food motivated when we need her to stop barking during the day and to aid further training. It is amazing how she has learned that if she gives just a few woofs she gets a treat!! Or failing that if she doesn't stop then a squirt of water. However they sight and smell of food seems to win her over now she has got the hang of it. She does seem a bit less anxious at home with strange noises with the zylkene, DAP and more carbs combination. Just got to get her back to being less nervous with other dogs following her being bitten by a dog a few weeks ago.

Mrs_pbradley936

I think I would have asked for more specific advice, such as what brand should I use? Off the top of my head I would not know the breakdown of dog food brands. Now if it it was a horse I could do it! More hay less oats.

Spentit_3

I can recommend Burns new foods with maize, my dogs were both on Lamb and rice but I have switched to Lamb and maize as it's cheaper, currently on offer at only £29 for 15 kilos. Nothing else needs to be fed with it although you can add a few veg and some well cooked brown rice. Excellent advice available too from the nutritionists there.
Lamb and Maize is 18.5 % protein.

foreign_correspondent

I would have a look at CSJ if I were you - they are a food which was initially designed for worrking collies, and tend to be highly rated by people who use them (I havent, but have hard a lot of good things and would consider them if I needed to swap!) - they do a whole range and I am sure there will be a low protein variant in there...

..ok - looking at the website, at first glance..
- their herbie nuts are 20% protein (£13.10 for 1kg)
- their lamb senior/light is 17% protein, is gluten free (£18.20 for 15kg)

here is a link-
http://www.csjk9.com/productcart/pc/viewCat_P.asp?idCategory=4

I have also heard that if you give them a ring/email them they are very helpful in giving out advice on the best food for your dog's requirements and will send out samples for you to try your dog on - contact details here-
http://www.csjk9.com/contact.asp

hope that helps!

hethmar

Have a look at Royal Canin too - they have an obesity control diet food which may be worth looking into.

rev229

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

I would have a look at CSJ if I were you - they are a food which was initially designed for worrking collies, and tend to be highly rated by people who use them (I havent, but have hard a lot of good things and would consider them if I needed to swap!) - they do a whole range and I am sure there will be a low protein variant in there...

..ok - looking at the website, at first glance..
- their herbie nuts are 20% protein (£13.10 for 1kg)
- their lamb senior/light is 17% protein, is gluten free (£18.20 for 15kg)

here is a link-
http://www.csjk9.com/productcart/pc/viewCat_P.asp?idCategory=4

I have also heard that if you give them a ring/email them they are very helpful in giving out advice on the best food for your dog's requirements and will send out samples for you to try your dog on - contact details here-
http://www.csjk9.com/contact.asp

hope that helps!

Thanks, thats a lot cheaper than wainwrigts/jwb may well try it.