What grain-free food helps my dog manage weight on Blue Buffalo?

There is no evidence that grain free foods promote weight loss in dogs, and unless there is a medical reason to avoid grains I don't recommend feeding these diets. Reducing calorie intake is necessary for weight loss, although increasing exercise can help as well. You can either talk to your vet to help estimate Tasha's ideal body weight and calculate approximately how many calories she should be eating in a day to promote weight loss, or you can try reducing the total amount of food she is getting in a day by 25%. Remember treats and chews have calories too - think of every treat as a piece of candy and try to minimize them as much as possible or replace them with a healthier alternative like a frozen green bean.

It's difficult to know, because it really depends on the calories. Grain free is not necessarily good for weight management and there is no good reason to feed boiled chicken if you have a formulated diet. There are some products in the pet store that are actually formulated for weight loss and these would be the best ones to feed. I know Hills, Purina and Royal Canin all have good products, but don't know of any other. The best thing to check on the bag is the AAFCO statement, which is just below the guaranteed analysis. This will tell if the food has actually demonstrated what it claims. I've included a link to an article below that explains all of this. Make sure you feed the food according to the bag's instructions and cut out all treats and table scraps. If you still want to feed treats, then you should account for that by feeding less food. https://www.petcoach.co/article/what-to-look-for-when-choosing-your-pet-s-food/ The hardest thing for pet owners is that they feel like they are starving their dog. Trust me, you are not starving them, despite how bad they may make you feel. If your dog likes any vegetables like celery, carrots or green beans, then these are great, low calorie options to give as treats that can make you and your dog feel a bit better about the diet. In the end, know that a skinnier dog will be healthier and live longer, so it's well worth it. I hope that helps. https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-ways-to-help-your-dog-lose-weight/

Pro Plan is actually a good dog food. So unless your dogs have a problem with the food, I would not change. If you do indeed need to change dog food you can change to Royal Canine, Hill´s or Iams or any other reputable feed brand. Make sure you get a complete food for the size of your dogs. There is so much choice that it would be too much to list. I do not recommend Blue Buffalo as I have seen quite a few dogs on that brand who are not doing so well. Yes, definitely stay away from grain free dog food.

Most pets do not have grain allergies. More commonly it's the protein source that causes allergies. For most dogs, grain free is not recommended. For general food, I recommend the brand Royal Canin. It is low residue and highly digestible and this results in great stool quality, minimal quantity and low odor. I also like Nutro and Purina Pro Plan. If you want to rule out a food allergy, the fastest way is a proper food trial using a hydrolyzed protein diet. I hope this helps.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry to hear Gunnar has been having food issues. Having a grain free diet that is lower in protein is a little tricky, as you have found. It may be worthwhile to try a "limited grain" diet to see how he tolerates it, and if that would still be beneficial for his skin while being less calories. These diets frequently have rice or barley while not containing other grain options, and you could pick one and see how he does on it for 2-3 months to evaluate how it is doing (Purina ProPlan has some options, for example). If that does not work, he may need a true hypoallergenic diet, which you can discuss further what options are available with your veterinarian. Good luck!

Blue buffalo is one of the highest calorie foods. I recommend switching to Hills Metabolic diet, or another low calorie cat food. I’ve found the metabolic diet very effective with weight loss in cats and dogs. You’ll need to measure the food amount and in addition I add a tablespoon of plain canned pumpkin with each meal for added fiber and to fill them up. After my mother’s obese cat came to live with me I gave this diet and he lost over ten pounds. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Gatsby.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Firstly, good for you to get on top of Sydney's weight, once you get the weight under control Sydney will feel so much better! There are a few different products made for weight management, some of the best/most effective ones are the prescription diets. I personally like Hill's weight management diet, because the animals feel full but are getting less calories, and it also has joint support products in the food as well. You can try any company weight management food however, as any will work as long as you don't over-feed it. The best trick for this is to get a measuring up that is the amount you need to feed when it is FULL. Therefore you won't be tempted to 'just give a tiny bit more'. Measure the food out, and make sure everyone knows that Sydney is on a diet and doesn't get any treats! Remember, exercise is also important, to protect the knees in the start, try swimming with Sydney, it is great for the muscles and easy on the joints. Regular (every 2 weeks) weigh-ins with the vet will help you keep on track as well. Best of luck with Sydney and your weight loss journey!