Expert: Jannie Balliett - 5/14/2008

Question
Hi,i have a male boxer who is 6 1/2 yrs old. He is 50 kilos which i now know is far to heavy even though he is a big dog. Please can you tell me the amount of food i need to give him daily to put him on a diet safely ie weight of chicken and rice per day etc. i am really worried about it and would appreciate any advice you can give me.

Thank you

jennifer

Answer
50 kilos is 110 pounds! Yes, that is too much. If he is a large framed Boxer, he shoudn't be over 80 pounds.

Buy a good (no corn and corn meal, or bi-products) dog food: a chicken and riceis okay, lamb and rice, and Google natural dog foods that are for dieting. He needs a low cal diet.

I always recommend allowing a self-feed: keeping his food available at all times,  but since he is over weight, feed him 2-3- cups twice a day.

Consult your vet for other solutions.