Weight Bouncing up and Down

My Shiba has a history of weight issues. Yes, some of it previously has been from over eating and eating way to many milk bones, treats and yummies from the grandparents when we lived with them. When we moved I was able to get her down to 30lbs, but this consisted of going to the dog park 4x a week and removal of the extra food. Then Ohio had a very nasty winter this year and not many activities took place. I moved to Texas before the dogs came down and they weren't going to agility training at all and sitting at home sleeping most of the day. Their daddy gave them quite a bit of bones during the winter too. They would go for walks and longer walks when the weather permitted.

Now that we are in Texas and summer is here, it is my first time being exposed to the "Texas Winter", which means not much outdoor activity. Asako is also the dog who hates hot weather and will only do limited activity. She has bounced up to weighing as much as Ty now and it is frustrating. She has always been on the bigger side of a shiba. She was the largest in her litter. She is still a firecracker and isn't lethargic or not wanting to play. We do play inside, tug, chasing balls, shiba 500 spaz and colliding to wrestle with Ty. We go on at least 3 40 minute walks a day. Some of them i will bring her to the small "dog park" to let her run. She will run for a bit, then its to hot and she will chill out next to me or eat grass. Just her MO when she is done at the dog park.

I feed her Orijen (alternating between adult and regional red) and she gets 1 cup a day. Although now I'm trying to split it to 1/2 cup in the morning and 1/2 in the evening. I do have to watch her when she eats, since Ty will eat until he is filled, which could mean not eating all of his food, and she would scoop up the rest of his. Although, she really hasn't done this for awhile. They don't get many treats. Maybe once or twice a month they will get a freeze dried salmon, bully stick (small) or a greenie dental bone. I don't have random bones lying around to be chewed on.

What are some of the better indoor exercises I can do with her? I am probably looking at September before I bring her to agility training again and frequent dog park visits to run. Any other suggestions in order to get this under control with her?

Comments

  • I am kind of in the same dilemma. I feel like 1/2 cup is so little for my shiba. He is 43 pounds, goes to the dog park once or twice a week and has at least 1.5 to 2 hours of walking a day outside.

    My vet told me he wasn't overweight, but is on the bigger side.
  • Orijen is a very rich and calorie dense food. If she is continuing to gain weight, you might want to switch her food to something a little less calorie dense. My Shibas get a half cup in the AM and a half cup in the PM, but are eating Taste of the Wild, which (according to their websites) has 140 fewer kcals per cup (Orijen Adult is 478 kcal/cup, TOTW Sierra Mountain is 338 kcal/cup).

    I would go ahead and switch food and up her exercise just a bit (something more along the lines of hill climbs for strength training may help) and see what happens. You may also want to take a trip to the vet to rule out metabolic issues or hypothyroidism.
  • I understand! My Shiba turns into a tootsie roll in the winter. Thankfully our summers are rather mild here, but when it's really hot out, she is a little on the lazy side.
    I can't really get Mya to exercise a whole lot because of the heat right now and she doesn't really have room to run inside. I just try to let her out more at night when it's cooler so she can exercise. I also cut her food down a bit because if she isn't burning as much, she doesn't need to eat as much.
    Mya isn't as big your Shiba, only 15 pounds, but in the winter or heat of the summer she can gain 2-3 pounds!
  • I agree with maybe the food is too nutrient dense for her activity level. We feed orijin as well. My 28lb Kai and my 55lb Amstaff both a little over 1 cup a day split into 2 meals (they get the same amount because my large Amstaff is not very active while my little Kai is all run run run). During the summer is when we are less active since it's too hot outside so I mix their food 50/50 with Merricks to bring down the high level of nutrients a bit without it being to dramatic on their digestive system
  • I never thought about the food being 'too' full of nutrients as long as I followed the amount per pound. But it does make a good point. My Kai will stop eating when he is done, so I don't worry about him over eating, and he is fit. Asako, however, will gorge herself if she could. I'm going to try a mix of and a switch to the TOTW and see how it goes. Thanks everyone!
  • Let us know how it works out! :)
  • Orijen is also very high in proteins, stuff that they need if they're super active. A switch to a less protein-rich food might help.
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