How much kibble should my 17.5 lb dog eat to safely lose weight?

Yes! You can certainly do that! Good question! For her weight she would need about 390 calories per day. If you cut her food to 1/2 cup that would equal approximately 220.5 calories. Then you would have about 170 calories left over for the veggies and pumpkin. Be sure to count in any other treats/food you give her. It doesn't take much to add on a lot of extra calories to a 17# dog! The other option is to switch her to a "light" or "senior" formula dog food that has less calories per cup. Then she can eat more :) I hope this helps! Best wishes to you and Chloe. She is beautiful!

Without knowing her breed of dog, I can't say if 17 pounds is a good weight or not for her. Some dogs do need to eat less based on their activity level, as they may be less active than others. With on a 17 pound dog, 2/3 cup of food per day is fine, especially if it's within her daily caloric range. I feed my Chow, who is 50.6 pounds, 1.5 cups of food per day, and she's a healthy weight. If she needs to lose weight, it sounds like you are doing it in a healthy and safe way, and I would keep going. Typically, dogs are affected by hypothyroidism, so if there was a problem with her thyroid, she would be gaining weight, not losing it.

Female kelpies should weigh between 30 and 46#. Let's go in the middle and say she should weigh about 38#. She looks like a bigger dog from the photos so if you aren't sure what her ideal weight should be just call your vet and ask. They would know better as they have actually examined her. The ideal weight is important as that is what you will use to determine how much food to give her. If I used 38# as her ideal weight she should eat about 588 calories per day which includes her food and all treats. Honestly, the best weight loss food is going to be a prescription from your vet. These foods are specially formulated to have high fiber and lower calories so that your dog can continue to eat a more normal amount of food. Then they won't be hungry and begging all day. Once they reach their ideal weight on that food, then you can transition them to a maintenance diet. ( https://www.royalcanin.com/products/vet/weight-loss-support ) If you don't want to go that route, they can lose weight on any diet but she just may not be able to eat much. If I had to pick an over the counter diet I would use this one: ( https://www.chewy.com/hills-science-diet-adult-large-breed/dp/42749 ) If you used that diet at 297 kcal/cup she would eat 2 cups per day. That would leave no room for treats. You can refer to this article for more information about weight loss: ( https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/creating-a-weight-reduction-plan-for-dogs ) Hope this helps. If you have more questions feel free to post again. Best wishes.

You are correct that it is difficult to find a good quality weight loss diet. Good quality meats and fats are high in calories. At the end of the day, weight loss is about calories. So, a weight loss food is beneficial because they can eat the same amount of food. But you can achieve the same decrease in calories by feeding less of the Acana that you are currently feeding. A 10-20% decrease in daily calories is exactly what I recommend for weight loss, so you could simply decrease from a level 2/3 cup to heaping 1/2 cup for a month. If Chloe is losing weight, then continue at that amount. If she is not losing weight, then decrease to a level 1/2 cup. Since she is a small dog, it should take her a number of months to lose the weight, so don't be discouraged if she only loses a few ounces in that first month. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Chloe is super cute! From your pictures she doesn't look overweight but I understand your concerns. I would recommend 315 calories total per day, which is about what you are giving her (~311). You can increase activity, cut back a bit on treats or change to a low calorie formula with in the brand you are currently feeding. I hope this helps!

I think cutting the food in half may be a bit drastic at first. You don't want the weight loss to happen too quickly. I suggest you start by cutting the food by 25%. So, give her 3/4 cup twice a day and then weigh her after 4-6 weeks to see if you are making any progress. Keep in mind that any treats will increase her caloric intake so be careful and don't give her too much (if any). This is where I would start. Hope this helps. Best wishes!

You can continue to feed her the normal diet she normally gets, but feed according to the package instructions on the bag. Do not give her any treats or human food at all. Feed her twice a day, morning and night (divide the daily amount of food she's allowed into two portions). I would then make sure she gets exercise twice a day for at least 30-45 minutes at a time. By feeding her only her the recommendation daily amount of dog food, cutting out all treats, and making sure she has plenty of exercise, you can help her lose weight is a slow and safe manner.