What's the best diet for my overweight 6-year-old Rottweiler?

You can change to a light formula of science diet or Purina or change to a prescription food such as science diet metabolic formula to help. More importantly most people over feed as the bag recommendations are usually too much. A good starting point in 1 cup for 20 pounds of what they are supposed to be. For any larger breed dog, twice a day feeding is recommended and I would start at 2 cups in the morning and 2 cups in the evening that way you can still provide treats!

Many pets like Brees suffer from being overweight. If you are looking for an over the counter product, try Royal Canin or Hill Science Diet (both brand carry 'light' diets). In my opinion, the prescription food made by Royal Canin called Satiety Support is a great option because the portions are large (which most dogs like) but they still lose weight. The other things that could be contributing to his weight problem could be a condition called Hypothyroidism. This commonly makes dogs heavy and have problems losing weight. A doctor can determine Brees' thyroid status with a simple blood test. Medication is needed to regain normal metabolism.

I must say that I love the name of your pet. It is very unique. The question that needs to be answered is whether the getting tired is due to your dog possibly being overweight or if he has a medical condition that is causing him to get lethargic during the walks. So before you start decreasing the food or changing the food to a diet, I urge you to make an appointment with your regular veterinarian to have a complete physical examination performed. Things like cardiac disease, diabetes, hypothyroidism, etc. can all cause dogs that are similar in size and breed to exhibit the symptoms yours is displaying. The vet will probably need to run a few tests like a full CBC chemistry profile, thyroid hormone analysis, urinalysis, and possibly x-rays of the chest and abdomen. I realize that this may seem like a lot but trust me it is always better to error on the side of caution. And if all of these tests come back normal, you will have a great baseline to go by if he ever experiences any sickness in the future. Thanks for your question. I hope I have given you some help.

I would consider putting them both on a prescription diet food if you can afford it. Science diet makes two that are really good - Science diet metabolic and R/D. Your vet can write you a written prescription for this. If you cannot afford this food, then I would look for a LIGHT diet NOT weight management. "Weight management" and "healthy weight" food usually just keep them at their current weight. Science diet also has an OTC light diet you could look into. I would feed less than what the bag recommends and if they seem hungry, you can give them some canned green beans to help fill them up. I would also make sure no one is giving them ANY human food besides the green beans and NO dog treats. If you want to give them treats, give them raw carrots, raw broccoli, or canned green beans. As far as increasing their exercise, this can be difficult in your situation. You can try to feeding balls that they push around to make the kibbles fall out. I have some clients that feed at least one full meal with one of these balls which helps them to stay more active. You can also purchase an indoor treadmill and train them to use that if you wanted to go all out. Finally, if you are staying on a strict diet and increasing their activity a little, but they are still not losing weight, I would have your vet check their thyroid. If their thyroid is low, it will be almost impossible for them to lose weight without thyroid supplements. I hope this helps! Feeding Ball suggestion: https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/petsafe-busy-buddy-treat-dispensing-kibble-nibble-dog-toy-1586980?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&adpos=1o1&scid=scplp1586980&sc_intid=1586980&cm_mmc=PLA-GG-_-PTC_P_BND_PLA-GG_FY17_SCShopping-TM-_-Non+VIP+-+TM-_-92700027187667220&kwid=p27187667220&device=c&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6J-3ipDJ2AIVWbnACh2YTQ_bEAQYASABEgKg9fD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Oh yes. I would highly recommend Hlil's Metaboilc diet because it causes weight loss and can help with weight management. This is a highly successful diet that causes weight loss in over 79% of pets within the first 2 months. Royal Canin low calorie, Hill's R/D are two other options for weight loss. THese are all Rx diets and require a vet visit to get your pet started on the weight loss plan in mind. Also if your pet has any overt signs of hypothyroidism, then checking for a metabolic disease like this is recommended; however this is not common in small breed dogs like the Parson Russell Terrier. And of course it goes without saying that daily regular exercise for 30 minutes is recommended to encourage metaboilc break down of stored fats in the body.

Specialist weight loss diets are the most effective way to manage weight issues as they are designed to provide all nutrients required, promote fat loss and maintain muscle mass whilst also allowing the dog to feel full. Reducing weight on standard foods is very difficult and requires feeding of approximately two thirds of the recommended amount, based on target weight which can leave patients hungry

If it was not yet done, you should take Jada to your vet and have her thyroid tested. This is a blood test that will determine whether her thyroid is working properly or not. If it is hypoactive your dog would gain a lot of weight and have a hard time losing it. Another test that may be necessary is a test for Cushings disease. You should try feeding a weight reduction diet such as Hill's Prescription Diet r/d Weight Reduction Chicken Flavor Dry Dog Food. Your veterinarian should have this for sale. And she will need lots of exercise, such as going for walkies and playing with a ball.