Overweight pug?

[Heavenly]

I had my 9 month old pug Titus at the vet today and they said he is getting overweight.  He is 21.4 lbs and is a small build.  I currently have him on Whole Earth Farms puppy food and they said I need to switch him to an adult food and possibly a weight control food.  I just bought a 35 lb bag of the puppy food so that is frustrating!  Anyways any ideas for a good quality weight control food.  I am looking at Eukanuba Small Breed Weight Control, Nutrience Adult Small Breed Light,  Nutro Natural Choice Lite, Royal Canin Pug 25, Science Diet Adult Light Small Bites and Techni-Cal Reduced Calorie.  Any input on any of these?  I am not interested in raw feeding or making his food or anything like that so I would like input on bag foods, preferably not the most expensive brand.  Thanks!

[nd_deadhead]

I can understand your frustration about buying a bag of food an not using it! Your vet should have told you a long time ago that you didn't need to feed a pug puppy food for a year.

I used "diet" dog food once, when I was trying to get some weight off my Lab. My experience was that it did nothing but add bulk and make him poop a lot more. I found simply using regular adult dog food and limiting the amount we fed him (measuring his kibble, no table food at all) was more effective, and not as much cleanup.

When he got older we switched to a Senior formula, which had fewer calories (and not so much bulk), but obviously you don't want to do that with a young dog.

So cut down his feedings, and take him for more walks!

[Arduinna]

You know our pug was chunky too, until we put him on a raw diet about 4 years ago. He has stayed a healthy weight ever since. It's been really good for his teeth too. If you really insist of feeding commercial food then I'd suggest one of the grain free ones made with human grade meat, like Orijen. But personally I do not trust commercial food, too many dogs have died as a result of tainted pet food, and legally companies have 6 months to change the bag information when they change the formula so I don't trust the packaging to reflect what is really inside.

[greenmagick]

I wouldnt necessarily switch foods but the amount you are feeding.  

[RabbitMomma]

Stay far, far away from the foods that you're thinking of switching him on! Science Diet is a pretty low quality food, as is Eukanuba. I haven't heard of Whole Earth Farms before, but having just had a quick browse at the ingredients, it doesn't look like a bad brand of food at all. Basically what you want to look for is meat as the first ingredient, and stay away from things that have huge amounts of corn in them (i.e. Science Diet). Check the labels, especially with the ones that you just listed, and if it sounds hugely unhealthy it probably is! The ingredients in Science Diet brands are corn meal, chicken by-product meal, animal fat, soybean mill run, flaxseed, chicken liver flavor, dried egg product, dried chicken cartilage, taurine, and l-lysine. Unfortunately most mainstream brands of food are pretty horrible for dogs, and vets simply aren't taught nutrition in vet school anymore, except for a few seminars here and there sponsored by the wonderful Hill's Science Diet...but I'm starting to rant. :)

I would keep with the food you're on, but switch him to the adult brand of it. My questions to you would be

1) How much food do you feed him a day? and 2) How much exercise does he get?

 Basically a small dog like that should get 1- 1/2 cups of food a day, and that should include all of the "extras" such as treats that they get. So if you treat your dog a lot, reduce the dog food you give him. Decrease the food and increase the exercise and whatever you do stay away from Science Diet!

[Ldavis24]

Originally Posted by RabbitMomma 

Stay far, far away from the foods that you're thinking of switching him on! Science Diet is a pretty low quality food, as is Eukanuba. I haven't heard of Whole Earth Farms before, but having just had a quick browse at the ingredients, it doesn't look like a bad brand of food at all. Basically what you want to look for is meat as the first ingredient, and stay away from things that have huge amounts of corn in them (i.e. Science Diet). Check the labels, especially with the ones that you just listed, and if it sounds hugely unhealthy it probably is! The ingredients in Science Diet brands are corn meal, chicken by-product meal, animal fat, soybean mill run, flaxseed, chicken liver flavor, dried egg product, dried chicken cartilage, taurine, and l-lysine. Unfortunately most mainstream brands of food are pretty horrible for dogs, and vets simply aren't taught nutrition in vet school anymore, except for a few seminars here and there sponsored by the wonderful Hill's Science Diet...but I'm starting to rant. :)

I would keep with the food you're on, but switch him to the adult brand of it. My questions to you would be

1) How much food do you feed him a day? and 2) How much exercise does he get?

 Basically a small dog like that should get 1- 1/2 cups of food a day, and that should include all of the "extras" such as treats that they get. So if you treat your dog a lot, reduce the dog food you give him. Decrease the food and increase the exercise and whatever you do stay away from Science Diet!

yes yes yes... I know you don't want to buy the most expensive food possible but dog food is one of those things where generally you get what you pay for. You might have to shell out more money period... you love your pet, you don't want to feed him crap, so think of it that way. I agree with everything above except, I would switch foods, to a high quality grain free choice (there are several, I use taste of the wild) and I would get that little pug out exercising!

[Mirzam]

Pugs: Diet Dos and Don'ts