Help Needed! Supplementing kibble with raw veggies and zero calorie treats

Valentine215

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Ok, so my big girl Petunia is getting weaned down to 1 and 1/2 cups of kibble per day because she needs to lose weight. The vet said I could add frozen green beans to her kibble to give her that full feeling and it doesn't add calories to her diet. However, she did not specify how much of the frozen green beans.

So right now, she is getting 2 cups of kibble a day...how much green beans should I add? 1/2 cup, 3/4 cup, more? Less?

She is always hungry so I want to give her something to make her feel full.

Additionally, she recommended I give her carrots or apples as a treat...does anyone else do this? How has it worked out?

Petunia weighs 68 pounds which way too heavy for her and hard on her joints, so I want to get her down to 55 or 50 pounds, for health reasons. I want to keep her for as long as I can!

Any insights or suggestions welcome!
 

Davidh

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I would say to give her 3/4 cup kibble twice a day and about 3/4 cup of green beans and slowly ween her off the green beans in a few weeks. Carrots, Apples, Banana, and Blueberries are good to give them and ours love them.
 
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Valentine215

Valentine215

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Thanks David...so just to clarify: 3/4 kibble morning and evening and 3/4 cup green beans morning and evening as well? Then wean off the green beans? Just making sure about the green bean amount.

Wow...never thought of bananas or blueberries! I am definitely giving her those for a treat!
 

RiiSi

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And maybe just a little bit more exercise with the diet??? Carrots, apples and such may be low in calories, but they're still sugar and dogs don't really need sugar. What kibble are you feeding her?
 

Davidh

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[MENTION=6915]Valentine215[/MENTION], yes, you can give the green beans twice a day, and you can use them as treats as well.
 
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Valentine215

Valentine215

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Thanks David!
[MENTION=3354]RiiSi[/MENTION]: YES DEFINITELY MORE EXERCISE! LOL! I will probably stick with the green beans and some carrots (but not a lot). She is currently on Earthborn Holistics Meadowfeast.
 

Vikinggirl

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Hi, we feed our guys 1 cup of Fromms Beef kibble every morning and 1 cup of home cooked every evening. We give them plain unsweetened yogurt as a topper on their evening meal. We give them cut up apples, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, green beans, and shredded carrots for treats. We also give them cheese strings, and cottage cheese but these contain more calories, so may limit these to once in a while treats after she's lost her weight. You can also give her the plain yogurt as a frozen treat, I put plain unsweetened yogurt in ice trays, and freeze them. My guys love these as treats, especially on a warm day, they also like ice cubes.
 
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Valentine215

Valentine215

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Thanks Vikinggirl! Much appreciate the suggestions! I am sorry to say that the Diva is pretty Diva-ish and we give into her. However, I really want her to be in the best health so I have to make a concerted effort to get her at a healthy weight.

Since I am in Texas and it gets pretty hot here (that is an understatement), the frozen yogurt sounds wonderful...she is not an ice eater but i bet she'd like the frozen yogurt!
 

Davidh

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Once you get the weight off another summer time treat and our bullies love this, is we take the plain yogurt and mix with peanut butter, about half and half or make to your liking and then freeze it. We put it on a small cookie sheet and make little bite size drops, once frozen we then put in a freezer bad and just take out when needed. Our bullies love them. The ice cube thing would work just as well. We just don't have ice trays so the small cookie sheet worked.
 

LynnA

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My vet recommended broccoli and popcorn (air popped, butterless) Otis LOVES his broccoli. He also need to loose weight. Did your vet mention the protein percentage in the food? My suggested something below 23% protein for weight loss as well. Good luck!
 
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Valentine215

Valentine215

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@ DavidH: I really like the peanut butter/yogurt idea...I am not sure if she has a dairy allergy so I will probably have to watch that.

@Lynn: never thought of broccoli or popcorn...will definitely have to try that!

Last night I mixed in the green beans and she ate it up! This morning same thing...

Thank you all SO MUCH for your suggestions! I was beginning to lose all hope of getting her weight down and having to do a thyroid blood work-up and all that other stuff. Ugg.
 

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