Aargh! Ami needs to most weight. So I've cut portions about 10%, only giving bones without a lot, if any, of fat. So what does the big boy do?

Says nuts to that, I'll get my own dinner. And leaves half the carcass for me.

And. His doxy has specific requirements in relationship to eating. No calcium 4 hours before or an hour after his pills.

I'm assuming there is calcium in bunnies

Lol

aljones wrote:

Ami wrote:

I am not! Who do you think you're calling fat?  Have you looked in a mirror lately??

Very funny.

Sigh.

True. But I don't leave half eaten bunnies in the walkway.

Rabbits are lean. Whole prey is balanced meal. Don't feed kibble to offset. Kye is on Diamond Naturals weight management right now. He's dropped some weight while still being able to eat portions set by the nutritional guidelines.

My concern with dropping portion size goes to some of the DCM stuff of old now. They placed so much blame on people feeding grain-free but when you analyze how so many people feed they have a tendency to feed way too little in order to keep weight under control and the animals are likely not getting enough vitamins. Or they are feeding unbalanced by adding toppers and treats and then cutting back on the balanced food to keep weight under control rather than cutting out the treats like they should. 10% you aren't going to have an issue but if 10% isn't working I would consider swapping to a different food before dropping much more.

I'm just using up my bag of Victor hi pro plus. And that I've only dropped about a tablespoon. Unfortunately, the rabbit, apparently was "dessert." The big cut has been their cheese stick 1/4 instead of half) and their sorry whipped cream is 1 tablespoon between them (but that stuff is mostly air anyway, total validities between them is under 15.) Now, when they get a pan address dinner, I wipe it out with a paper towel so they get just a whisper. Husband lines to share his dinner with them but I'm now adamant: pea sized bits of meat, a tablespoon between them, or one ziti again in pea sized bits divided between them. I also cut their nightly chicken strip from a third each, to a quarter each.

The big thing I need to cut is their bones. The bone itself is not bad, they'd the day around them. Sometimes they're packed. I don't relish thawing them and trimming them but it's either that or going to a chicken drumstick without skin and cutting the evening kibble. Which means a vitamin supplement.

Over thought is to cajole the butcher into saving me the blade, ribs and neck pieces. No marrow bones. I try to get bags without those but someone's that's all he has.

I'm considering the diamond you're feeding as well as Victor senior weight control but that still has a lot of calories. Even the science diet , more enough, he can get some bulky food but I don't want sloppy poops to pick up,!

So. Nope on the hills. Expensive and a lot of recalls.

I really think the biggest change with all my dogs but shadow and weight particularly with shadow was instead of treats i use freezedried dog food and i factor that in with his overall calorie intake. Even when he ate the chipmunk i had to do math to figure out how much less of his dinner he was getting.

I add 1oz of unsweetened unflavored kefir to everyones dinner at night because my dog food lacks probiotics. Be glad you dont have a slew of allergies, it makes dog food shopping a pain in the ass.

Aargh. Allergies! Thankfully not the dogs - though son's dog seems to be allergic to beef and gets really itchy when I feed him the Victor. I now keep a small bag of toys wetlands in the house for when Archer visits. It's me with my good allergies/intolerances. I used to love to cook and grocery shopping was a joy. Not anymore. Reading labels, saying nope, nope, nope. Very demoralizing.

Ami really loves his bones, and the bones have done so much for Z'ev's teeth. I really don't want to ditch the bones it used to be lots of rib bones, neck bones, the tbones. Blades. But now that COVID-19 has trashed the restaurant business, the butcher is not selling nearly the same amount of boneless cuts so that waste is not available.

I think the bag I'm working on now is lamb. That are smaller, the color is different and there are bunches of 3-6" bony/meaty pieces of spine. Must be a very young animal, too, maybe 2" in diameter.

What to people think about pork bones? I made a Chile Verde. With just 2 of us, I didn't want to buy a whole pork butt so I got a package of country style ribs and cut the meat of the bones. As best I could. Rather a lot of meat left in the crevices, wanted to give it to the dogs but have this distant memory that pork bones are really hard.

@twisterII do you mean the diamond care weight management, the diamond senior or diamond naturals lite lamb and rice?

I've given mine pork ribs in the past without issue. We are on Diamond Naturals Lite lamb and rice. Mine can't have chicken or potato and that's the only low fat one that fills that niche. Since Kenzi is diabetic we have to be careful with certain fat levels in foods. She doesn't eat kibble, only Kye does, but I wanted to make sure that he was on a food that if she got a piece it wouldn't be too much of an issue.

the vet said Jack was overweight when he had surgery on Fri. 64lbs but he has been holding that for a yr, we switched (a yr or so ago) to the earthborn venture LID for him, low 333cal a cup (i think) and half the time he does not eat his breakfast so no idea what i would cut on him, and we work all day so treats are not an issue.
Finn is a FATTY! 59.5lbs!!!! and he is on the small side for a male. i will be changing his food to a lower cal in a few weeks when he runs out of the current food. earthborn came out with a good looking not grain free food i want to try.
these damn dogs