My 7-month Blue Heeler puppy is overweight. What food for growth?

Decreasing her eating amount after a growth spurt is normal. They probably recommended large breed puppy so she wouldn’t grow to fast which can cause bone problems. Once she’s full grown I recommend regular adult food. No reason to do either large breed or small breed since she will be medium size. I don’t think grain free food is worth it. I like a well balanced dog food such as Hills. They do research on their food and include the optimum amount of nutrients, rather than excess. Your breed could become overweight so please adjust the quantity of food to keep her on the lean side. Hills does have some Natural foods, and many speciality foods such as those for sensitive skin and stomach, joints, weight management, and for medical problems also. My dogs start on Hills and stay on for life, changing the specific food as they grow, and even into their senior years, or with medical problems. There is a lot of advertising to sell different dog foods but I like to base my choice on scientific research, not hype. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Bella.

Maisy is adorable, but I agree she does look heavy. I'd recommend Hill's Science Diet Adult Perfect Weight. I would also exercise her daily to help burn calories and add in the her weight loss. I hope this helps!

The best time to switch them over to adult food is between 10 and 12 months of age. If they seem to be getting too heavy, just cut back the amount of puppy food you are feeding currently. Blue Buffalo, in general, is very high in calories so if you stick with this brand they will likely get very little to eat in order to maintain a healthy weight.

Hi there and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. 7kg is 15.4lbs which is rather hefty for a 7 month old Shitzu. Typically, Shitzu's when they are adults should weight between 8-15lbs. The Happy Dog Grain Free Food is good, but I would feed less perhaps. If there is a guide on the package as to how much to give, I would advise on following their recommendations. At 7 months, she should be less than 15lbs. As always, nothing can beat a hands on veterinarian exam. If you are concerned about her weight, having a veterinarian take a look at Hazal and accurately assess based on her body condition score, if she is truly overweight or not. Sometimes it can be hard to say without an exam. I hope this helps and thanks for posting!

HI, good for you for adopting an older dog! She does not look very overweight but can stand to lose a few pounds. You should be feeding her a high quality dry food like Science Diet and look for the weight loss food. Make sure you feed her what it advises you to feed on the back of the bag. treats should be low fat like baby carrots or ice cubes. Based on the picture I would say get her down to about 30kgs and see how she looks. there is no need for wet food if she likes the dry. You should be able to feel her ribs easily but not see them. She should have a tucked in waist as well. Keeping her slim will keep her healthier. Start out with short walks and gradually go on longer ones. Exercise is vey helpful in losing weight. If she feels hungry, you can give her pieces of kibble as treats or stuff a rubber Kong toy with some weight loss canned food as well. Good luck, i hope this helps!

No she is not too young for this type of diet but she is just very slightly overweight so you can switch her to a "light" version of the same food she has, it should be enough for her to not gain more weight.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! How long you want her to heel on a walk is up to you. If you want her to not pull and be by your side then she should be able to do it the entire walk. At 7 months old Sienna is still growing bone wise. She doesn't look overweight in your pictures. Dogs do tend to get overweight after their spay, so you do have to be careful. I would continue the current amount of food. I provided a link on how to determine ideal body condition. If she gets too overweight, cut back. She is approaching the high end of the weight range for a female. I am guessing she will hit 50 lbs. If she is a larger framed husky she could go over that. I hope this helps! https://oregonvma.org/files/Purina-Dog-Condition-Chart.pdf