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My dog had a good result with this food, but it wasn't what I expected. My veterinarian wanted my dog to lose weight because my dog had no indentation at his waist or under his belly. I tried Blue Buffalo Longevity Dry Food for Adult Dogs, 24-Pound Bag, but his physique never improved and his weight never went down. For both weight-loss foods, I used a calorie-determination formula instead of the feeding guides. For both foods, the feeding guides on the bags recommended a lot more food than the formula (see formula at end of review.)
Many dogs will not drink enough to process a very high protein dog food like Premium Edge (49% protein) even when fresh water is offerred. I suspect dogs may limit their drinking to accommodate a potty schedule. At my dog's 2 daily feedings, I add enough warm water to just cover his kibble. (When I first added the water, my dog had accidents because I feed him after his morning exercise walk. I had to change his feeding to 30 minutes before his walk.) I let the food it soak on the counter for 2 minutes, and then I stir in 2 heaping table-spoons of low-sodium canned green beans (10 cals.) My dog eats the food with gusto and seems to feel full after he eats. He begs less and is happy with small treats. On the other weight-loss food, he was acting full at first but, after a few weeks, he began begging for food right after he ate, even with the water and green beans.
I also should say that I walked my dog about a mile per day on both weight-loss foods.
When the vet saw my dog 6 weeks after switching to Premium Edge, I though he was going to tell me to go back to my dog's old food because, on my scale at home, he gained 3 pounds. I was so frustrated. To my surprise, the vet told me that my dog was in excellent condition. The weight gain was due to higher muscle mass! His waist and belly were not flabby at all anymore. I guess the high-protein levels in this food are giving my dog what he needs to grow muscle, and the increase in muscle mass enables him to burn the fat more efficiently. He may have been so hungry on the other food because he needed more protein. I am so happy with the results that I am continuing to feed my dog the same food at the same amount indefinitely. He is still very satisfied with his food.
If you are not willing to exerise your dog every day, I don't know if you will get this result, but I think it is a fabulous food if you are committed to walking your dog a long way each day, rain or shine. It is an economical yet high-quality food.
At 49%, this is the highest-protein in a dry dog food I have ever seen. Not even Blue Buffalo Wilderness Grain Free Dry Dog Food, Salmon Recipe, 24-Pound Bag, which is grain-free, comes close to this food in protein. To get this much protein, I ordinarily would have to feed wet food. There was no way I could afford wet food for my dog--it would cost $120 per month to feed my dog a quality, high-protein wet food. For a low-quality (and lower protein) wet food, it would cost $45/month, whereas Premium Edge dry food costs me about $25/month.
In addition, this food is high in fibre, grain-free, low fat, and contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, probiotics, and chelated minerals (which are more bio-available than minerals that are not "chelated" to protein.) At 347 calories per cup, it is it is as low in calories as Blue Buffalo Longevity Dry Food for Adult Dogs, 24-Pound Bag, but Premium Edge has more than twice the protein and no calories from grains.
As with every dog food label I have ever read, the feeding guide on Premium Edge over-feeds the dog. If I followed the instructions on the Premium Edge bag, I would be feeding 2 1/4 cups per day. According to Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition, the calories a dog should consume to lose weight is computed as follows: (1)Determine your dog's "ideal" weight with your vet or by looking up your dog's breed (or predominant breed) with the AKC. If your dog ever appeared to be a healthy weight, you can use that past weight as an ideal weight. Convert his ideal weight in pounds to kilograms by dividing the pounds by 2.2. For my dog, 44 lbs over 2.2= 20 (2) Multiply her weight in KG by 30. For my dog 20*30 is 600. (3)Add 70. In my dog's case, 600+70=670 calories per day. This food is 347 calories per cup, so 670/347 = 1.93 cups per day is the most my dog should be fed. The Premium Edge feeding guide recommends 2 1/4 cups per day, which is 781 calories. A small difference in serving size makes a difference of over 100 calories. Ironically, my dog is well-above his 44 lb "ideal" weight, but he is at a new "ideal" weight with heavy muscle mass.
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