kellieann2000
New member
Hey everyone, I have a yellow lab that is 8 years old named Houston. He is my best friend, but he has a issue with food and I have a mother and family that loves to give it to him. Unfortunately my big yellow fluff is over weight, has seen 5 different vets about a interdigital cyst between his toes on his front left paw, and has some arthritis issues that were currently managing with medication (gabapentin @ 400mg). He is 105lbs at his last weigh in. We currently give him Rachael ray just 6 Nutrish, 2 cups at 8 am morning and 2 at 7 at night like clockwork. The food that is being given to him by my family isn’t table scraps. The issue is they’re giving him random treats like chicken jerky, small milk bones, and these diet treats (fruitables.) And the other issue is he can’t exercise that well at all due to his hips and his paw. He can make it down the drive way, but when it comes to the hills where we live at he just can’t make it. There isn’t any flat ground to walk on it’s all hills. There was a point where I tried walking him but he couldn’t make it down the stairs to the bathroom after and was in a lot of pain for a week after that one walk. He got given to me when he was 6 years old. He was overweight when we got him and we got him down to 89lbs but unfortunately I had a parent pass away and I needed to move. I’ve already had a talk with my family about feeding him extra food but I’m not sure what to do here. The vet I go to says that he doesn’t believe in diet foods but Houston needs a change. I need a recommendation. Thank you for your help.
Edit: as far as his paw I have tried everything, he’s had it his whole life. I’ve soaked it in epsom salt every day for a year with it still being there. I’m hoping if his weight gets down it’ll go away then.
Edit: as far as his paw I have tried everything, he’s had it his whole life. I’ve soaked it in epsom salt every day for a year with it still being there. I’m hoping if his weight gets down it’ll go away then.