# weight loss



## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

Hello everyone! My chi Emmie is about 2 pounds overweight. She is on several medications. One is phenobarbital for focal epilepsy. She has been on this medication for about 2.5 years. She gained the 3 pounds over a year when she was first on the medication (2010-11) Now she is 9.3 pounds. (She was 6.5#'s when she started the pheno.) I have fed her the same as when she was not on the meds. She gets fromm kibble about 1/8th of a cup, with a SMALL (less than 1.8th of a cup) of what ever meat/stew we have left over from dinner. So that is 1/4th of a cup total in the am. She gets about 6 cheerios during the day as treats. At bedtime she gets a treat that has 'hip and joint' supplements. That is it. I can't get weight off her. She has a bad knee (is going to have surgery AGAIN; third one on this knee, on Thursday). I am going to start having her swim in a big bin for exercise. Any other ideas?? I am thinking of green beans instead of the extra meat?


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

No one has any ideas???


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## lulu'smom (Jan 4, 2012)

I have the same problem with Lulu as far as easily putting on weight (although she is not on any medications). Lulu doesn't have a very active lifestyle which doesn't help--especially in the winter. I have cut back on her daily portions to the weight maintenance amount given on the bag of the food she eats, and I add green beans to her meals. I think if I were you I may try the green beans as well.


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## Barracuda51 (Oct 7, 2012)

Susan, the easiest thing to do is yes cut the cherrios out to much sugar in those and cut back alittle on the extra meat even though you feed a top quality food its the carbs thats in it try shooting for a top quality grain free food with lower carbs.. If you need help with how to calculate carbs i know of a website that has a converter i use it all the time as i have Muffin on a diet now. Deffinately more excersize will help alot. Muffin tends to gain weight in winter due to shes not outside chasing toys several times a day in the yard i make sure she gets LOTS excersize durring warm weather being in the house durring winter i make sure she still gets good amount running in but the hall way and livingroom is no match for running outside chasing toys.


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## Teddy76 (Aug 28, 2012)

Sorry to hear Emmie has to have surgery again  swimming sounds like a great idea though 


x


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## Wicked Pixie (Oct 14, 2011)

I would also cut out the cheerios (sugar and carbs) and replace them with tiny pieces of raw veg. (Ideally low cal ones like green beans or broccoli if she likes them) Or use her extra meat as her treats. (Cut off any fat and only give meat that has been cooked without fat eg boiled, baked, grilled)
Then just reduce the quantity of everything else she gets. Count her kibble ration, if you are giving her 25 kibbles for a meal now, cut it back to 20 for example. Cutting out (or just cutting in half) the extra meat or replacing it with veggies will lower the overall calorie content too. Just stay away from high sugar/carb veg like carrots, squash etc. anything green and/or leafy will be low calorie.


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

Good ideas all of you. Thanks. Green beans it will be. Unfortunately, Emmie can't exercise, and has not been able to for some time. She's not a retreiver, doesn't play fetch. Plays with the younger chi for several minutes, several times a day. That's it. Her leg is so bad, that it collapses on her, if she gets off balance. Hopefully she'll be able to exercise once we get past the rehab of the knee.


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