Now that I've got Ginger back on track and no more 'poop belly' issues, can I get suggestion on healthy snacks that will fill her up but not add weight?

I've got her on Orijen and she's only getting 1 1/2 c a day, but that doesn't fill her up. In between meals (I feed her 1/2 c 3x a day), she'll tell me she's hungry or want something to eat.

She loves carrots and apples, but was warned of the sugar content.

Her vet said she's still OK as far as weight, but I'd like to get her to drop a few pounds. (We take her for 20-30 minute walks 3x a day and a 30-minute run 3-4x a week).

Any suggestions as to what I can give her to fill her up a little more without adding a lot of calories?

Should this be in the nutrition section?

I would recommend green beans. Carrots and apples are fine in moderation too though. I use carrots and green beans as fillers for my pack too.

I hit the new topic and didn't realize where I was or where it went....sorry!
How do I move it under Nutrition?

Is it OK to give 1 carrot, once a day?

we feed blue buffalo once a day and she gets 2 to 2 1/2 cups. she doesn't act hungry during the day so we don't worry about it. but science diet makes low calorie treats as does blue buffalo. does the dog food she eats their company make a snack? and the green beans idea is awesome! is that like fresh beans or out of the can beans? mine love carrots and apples but im with you on the sugar intake! mine are already HIPPER enough as it is w/o all the sugar!! I guess w/ her sensitive tummy try and find something with similar ingredients to whats in her food. I hope it works out for you! She is a beauty!! love looking at her pics! her colors are awesome! IF and thats a BIG IF we ever got another i would want one similar to ginger :-)

I have found Nature's Balance L.I.T. potato and fish treats, and that's basically all that's in it. But the treat size aren't much bigger that her kibble. And I'm only allowing her 3-4 of these mini treats a day to start. So that little amount won't fill her up.

I would assume fresh green beans, but they're not readily available in the nearby grocery stores lately.

I was told celery isn't good because of the stringy fibers....? Not sure if that's true or not.

cmanding wrote:

I hit the new topic and didn't realize where I was or where it went....sorry!
How do I move it under Nutrition?

Is it OK to give 1 carrot, once a day?

You may need a mod to move it for you.

I don't give full size carrots to mine, I give 1 or 2 baby carrots a day max. You could do a rotation and do carrot one day and green beans the next as an alternative so you can cut down on the sugar without eliminating carrot and apple entirely.

firefighterchik04 wrote:

and the green beans idea is awesome! is that like fresh beans or out of the can beans?

You can use fresh or canned HOWEVER canned or cooked green beans are the better choice of the two since they can derive more nutrients from canned/cooked green beans since the cell walls have been broken down. Just be sure to rinse canned green beans well since most have salt added for flavor. I use canned green beans and just rinse then serve. It's a great filler and adds fiber to the diet and as an excellent choice for helping fill a dog up while trying to get them to lose weight.

Thanks Val!
Good to know canned green beans are OK!
I'll try it out and see how Ginger likes them.

P.S. I 'reported' this topic being in the wrong section to a mod/admin and hopefully they can move it to the right place for me.

I don't really have much to add, but my picky-eater LOVES green beans. He just doesn't "do" carrots... he'll eat apple pieces as a last resort, but he'll actually do a little work for a green bean. Canned is probably cheaper, but we typically buy big bags of frozen and steam them with a little dill - YUMMY.

Ginger started out as a picky eater when we first got her....hopefully Nik will open up more in the coming months.

Is there any other healthy fillers that you guys would suggest? Other than green beans? I give them green beans with their THK, but I want to have some variety. I also give them carrots.

I'm not sure if you get canned green beans or frozen, but Ginger didn't like canned green beans at all. However, she thinks frozen green beans are DELISH! AND it's cheaper too especially if you buy them at Costco!

I also get chicken wraps for treats that seem to make them beg less. They are 2 ingredients. They have carrots, sweet potato, apple and banana chicken wraps.

http://www.naturalk9supplies.com/search.aspx?S=dog%20nip

They also love these that are also only 2 ingredients:

http://www.naturalk9supplies.com/search.aspx?S=free%20range%20dog%20chews%20catch%20of%20the%20day

I'm not sure they would necessarily be fillers, but my 2 beg less when I break these treats out for them.

I also get Grandma Lucy's freeze dried Just Chicken, Just Tuna and Just White Fish from the same place since they have the best prices than other similar products in the pet stores near me.

Jack hates veggies and fruit but sierra loves them, I share when I'm preping my food.
Peppers, cucumbers, beans, cerly, chicken, apples, pineapple, strawberries, blackberries and I'm sure I'm missing some.

Here's a list of fillers that I have made in the past when helping others create homecooked meal recipes for their dogs...

rice
oats
quinoa
peas
pumpkin
yogurt
green beans
carrots
banana
apple (no seeds!)
sweet potato
cottage cheese

Claudia, I get the canned green beans and they both like them. At first Mya was like "ummm, what is this?" but now she likes them. She does prefer them cold though. As far as the treats, I'll check those out too for when they run out of the ones we currently have. Need to change it up!

I tried cucumbers with Mya, but she didn't like them.. Kody, will eat anything, but have to be careful with him b/c of his tummy. Ughh!

Val, thanks for the list!!! That definitely helps! =)

Is asparagus ok for dogs? I dropped a piece and Mya loved it! Not like I'm going to be buying aspargus for them, but I have the tips that I usually throw away.

Yep, asparagus is fine to feed as a filler or treat.

Thanks Val!