Lordbroll wrote:

It's a challenge to find a good quality (grain free decent protein) reduced fat kibble.

It is a challenge! Val suggested Acana Light & Fit, and in going around different specialty pet stores, I learned that it hasn't made it to the US yet. I wish it was available - I'm a big fan of Orijen, and Acana is made my the same manufacturer, and it has quality ingredients. However, Wellness Core is a great option.

My rotation is Orijen, Wellness and TOTW for the healthy and not overweight Mr. Sebo. The other 2 challenge me. I'll keep an eye open for when the US gets Arcana Light and Fit.

i think i suggested the wellness GF RC to claudia and melissa after the success i had with it on sierra
sierra gets the RC mixed with the nature domain from costco and she gets 3/4cup 2x's a day plus fruit and veggies. she was on full RC for a few months till i got her weigh down then i started mixing it.

jbealer wrote:

i think i suggested the wellness GF RC to claudia and melissa after the success i had with it on sierra

Yep, you definitely suggested it to me and it so worked!!!

I used Evo's Reduced Fat kibble a few years back when I was still feeding kibble and my boy was struggling with his weight. It worked wonderfully in that I didn't have to reduce his portions so he wasn't hungry all the time and he lost the excess weight while on it. I think the Evo Reduced Fat is now called Evo Weight Management.

And Claudia, I LOVE your new signature!

Aw, thanks Val!
Yes, I remember talking to you about kibble options for Storm when we first adopted him. Since I was a big fan of Orijen already for Ginger, I really wanted to go with either Acana or Evo as you suggested. Neither was readily available to me - actually Acana hasn't even made it to the US yet. So the only other good option was WC.

Since I want to get a couple more pounds off Storm, I still am going to keep him on a mix of WC and regular kibble and THK. The pounds aren't falling off him as it used to since we've cut his thyroid meds from 2 pills a day (when we first adopted him) to 1/2 a pill every other day. I want to at least be able to maintain his weight at 78 lbs with the amount of food he's getting now which isn't very much - just barely 1.5 cups a day (which is just about what Ginger eats).

It just amazes me how different their metabolisms are!

cmanding wrote:

It just amazes me how different their metabolisms are!

Mine do too! Faith weighs 6.5 lbs and Glory weighs 7 lbs yet Faith eats DOUBLE the amount Glory does because of her metabolism. Crazy!

Storm's thyroid meds have been cut down to half a pill every other morning, and he's been on this dose for a week now, and I got him weighed to check if he's still maintaining....AND HE'S STILL 78 - 78.5 lbs!

YAY!

Another week of his current dose, and we'll drop it down to half a pill every 2 days and hopefully he'll still maintain his weight!

Wouldn't surprise me if someday your able to cut out the meds all together. With the exercise he receives now it has made him into a totally different Husky.

Good job!

that's our goal - slowly wean him off the thyroid meds until he's completely off them. we do need to monitor his weight while we're doing this because he's still borderline. if he gains weight with all the exercise and same amount of food, we'll do another blood panel to check and adjust accordingly.

...but we're headed in the right direction so far!

That's great news. Well done!

Yay Storm!!

Chili lost even more weight - and it was unintentional! We're mixing in a cup of the Nature's Domain Salmon and it has less calories - so I compensate with the Nature's Variety. However, Hubby has been feeding them and hasn't been compensating. He's down to 67 lbs (or 68/69 depending on the fluctuating scale at the vet!) as of last weekend - which I NEVER thought he'd get down to! He's almost normal husky size now (except for being tall and long!). Crazy!

Chili is doing really well too! It's great that it happened without you even trying . How tall is he?

hollywoodhuskies wrote:

....He's almost normal husky size now (except for being tall and long!). Crazy!

Storm looks tall and long too! I was looking at a video taken when he just moved to Colorado and before we adopted him, and thought, 'Storm looks short in the body and in height!' But he was just round and keg-like shaped!

How tall is Chili? (I forgot.)

I really want to get Storm down to 75 lbs, but now that he's almost off thyroid meds, and eating mostly 'regular' food, it'll be a lot harder to get weight off him. As soon as finish up his current kibble mix, I'm switching his kibble to Orijen Senior - it has about the same amout of calories and fat as Wellness Core, but more protein - besides, overall, I prefer Orijen over WC.

I measured him after you posted - and it's hard to get his exact height. He slouches a lot - he's like a teenage boy. He's at least 26" at the haunches but has about 2" of hair above that point and looks super tall. And he looks taller when he stands at attention (like if he sees a squirrel)!

You're right - they look so different with weight on them! I thought he might be part mal since his legs looked squatty and he was so huge but now he's undeniably full husky!

btw - I love your snowboarding pic in your signature. Looks dangerous!

Bwah-ah-ah - just looked up the husky standard on AKC. Frosti is 23" at the haunches so they're both out! Giving up my dreams of show dogs. hehe

Chili is tall! That's probably a good weight for him, then. It's funny what you said about him slouching - I know just what you mean.

hollywoodhuskies wrote:

I measured him after you posted - and it's hard to get his exact height. He slouches a lot - he's like a teenage boy. He's at least 26" at the haunches but has about 2" of hair above that point and looks super tall. And he looks taller when he stands at attention (like if he sees a squirrel)!

You're right - they look so different with weight on them! I thought he might be part mal since his legs looked squatty and he was so huge but now he's undeniably full husky!

btw - I love your snowboarding pic in your signature. Looks dangerous!

Storm and Chili is about the same size! Storm is about 26" tall and about 25" from base of neck to base of tail. And he currently weighs 78-78.5 lbs. Right now, Storm is SO fluffly, especially around his neck, chest and hips!

Everyone thought Storm was Mal especially when he was heavier, but he has blue eyes and Mals don't have blue eyes.

...hubby is running in snowshoes in my signature pic - he's crazy...I don't run. Period.

Storm's thyroid meds have been cut down to every other TWO days now for the past week...we checked his weight today, and he's still maintaining at 77.8 lbs!

Woo hoo!

Woohoo! Go Storm! That's awesome!

I think Frosti gained weight because my seatbelt warning beeper came on this morning when she was harnessed into the passenger seat. I looked it up and the weight limit is 65 lbs at which it turns the airbag on again! She was 51 at the vet 3 weeks ago so I doubt it....

I'm so done with being sick. Three weeks is just not cool.

Storm had his semi-annual check up at the vet today....

He weighed in at 76.7 lbs and his thyroid meds have been dropped down to 1/2 a pill every 3 days now....

I've also switched him to Orijen Senior.

Tara was at the vets today while I was there (Tara is the girl that runs the rescue that I adopted Storm from). She is just SO amazed at how far Storm has come.

Tara also gave me a little more background on Storm - Other than his original owners, Storm had been in 2 other homes before coming to Colorado. At the first home he was adopted to, he was let loose on a 'ranch' and killed a chicken and cat, so he was returned, and then went into foster care. No one wanted him and they were getting desperate and then Tara took him 'at the 11th hour'. Tara had him 2 weeks until we came along and adopted him. When Tara told me he killed a chicken and a cat, I said, 'Huh! So wonder he and Ginger took me down TWICE! Once for a bunny and once for a squirrel!!'

We had a good laugh
She then apologized for not telling me about the chicken and cat

chicken and a cat! man oh man you do have your hands full!!!

great job on his weight and dropping the meds

jbealer wrote:

chicken and a cat! man oh man you do have your hands full!!!

Tara said this happened when he topped out at about 140 lbs and says, 'I wanna know he got his fat ass moving that fast to catch a cat and a chicken!'

cmanding wrote:

jbealer wrote:

chicken and a cat! man oh man you do have your hands full!!!

Tara said this happened when he topped out at about 140 lbs and says, 'I wanna know he got his fat ass moving that fast to catch a cat and a chicken!'