Green Bean Diet Returns For Q-Tip

Much to Qannik’s dismay, the green bean diet is making a return to his menu. He weighed in at the vet yesterday at a whopping 63 pounds.

Do we really have to tell everyone my weight?

Do we really have to tell everyone my weight?

At Q’s last vet visit, he weighed 57 pounds and we wanted to slowly work him down to 55 pounds. We had no clue that he had gained and will start him immediately on the green bean diet.

Oooooh. Liver treats.

Oooooh. Liver treats.

For those of you who don’t know, the green bean diet is the simplest canine diet we know. You take whatever quantity of food the dog is currently getting. Reduce it by some amount (in our case, 1/3) and replace it with the same weight in unsalted green beans. The dog feels full and yet has consumed less calories.

Oh, and you make sure to limit those pesky in-between-meals snacks like liver treats.

I don't like the green bean diet or the reduced liver treat diet.

I don’t like the green bean diet or the reduced liver treat diet.

P.S. – Because of Q’s age, we are also eager to receive the thyroid panel portion of his blood tests. We routinely do a complete blood test on all of the dogs and it is fairly common to see older dogs develop thyroid issues. Fortunately, it is also easily treatable. We will let you know when we know.

7 Comments

  1. Laura Y on November 8, 2016 at 9:59 pm

    Poor Q….they don’t understand calories in calories out. All they know is food is good and treats are even yummier. We have at one time had 4 out of 5 dogs with thyroid issues. We never thought of the water being an issue. My 2 Huskies are very picky eaters, so luckily they’re still lean. I know as they get older that will change, but for now we’ll take it…..

  2. Juno's mom on November 8, 2016 at 10:52 am

    Engaging Q in more zoomies by Ty and Landon should burn a few calories.

  3. KJ Pierson on November 8, 2016 at 8:24 am

    Just inform the human’s you are preparing for the very active snow season, that’s what I do…it hasn’t seemed to work yet, but I keep trying – Leena…the soon to be trying this diet if she doesn’t start losing weight Husky of my yet unnamed animal world.

  4. Lori on November 8, 2016 at 7:31 am

    Awww Q-tip…. it just coz you’re so furry!!!! Pffft on that silly weight gain!!! ????

  5. Pam on November 8, 2016 at 6:49 am

    This Qtip’s post vacation weight gain!????????

  6. Zoe on November 8, 2016 at 6:34 am

    Are you on a well? Sometimes in wellwater there can be an increase in lime, it may not be a lot but in older dogs that can affect the thyroid. A quick fix for this is increasing the vitiman c intake. I live in an area where even the city water was showing an increase in lime, we gave gummy vitiman c and sure enough one of my older dogs numbers came back in line, the other, however, did not and we have to use the thyroid meds. If the meds are necessary,even though they are a “lifetime drug” they show effectiveness quickly and as the weight decreases, so does the amount you need to give the dog.
    Here’s hoping that all is well and Qtip is merely suffering a little middle age spread

    • The Thundering Herd on November 8, 2016 at 6:19 pm

      Interesting. We are on a well that has a fairly extensive treatment system on it, but I don’t know the lime levels off of the top of my head.

      We will consider that when we get his blood tests back.

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