Pami wanted me to ask what kinds of "diet" dog food does or has anyone used that their dogs will like and eat?  She's concerned that Abby is a little overweight.  I told her I'd post this question for her this morning.

Innova
Reduced Fat Adult
Dry Dog Food

With 40% less fat than our Adult formula, Reduced Fat Adult Dry still contains fresh meats, vegetables, fruits, dairy and grains.

Thanks, guys. Maybe Pami will see this thread sometime today.

I've never used a diet dogfood. Whenever my dachshunds or ratties have gained weight, I just cut back the kibble ration and supplement with chopped up canned green beans for added volume. My girls love beans, they're very low in calories and seem to satisfy the girls. They usually shed 1lb. in a week or so with this approach.

I don't believe in diet food. They only reduce the fat and protein and increase the carbs, usually by increasing the amount of grains.  Like Peggy and Nora,  I add green beans (the no-salt-added kind) and cut back on their regular food.  I add water to the kibble to increase their water intake too.  I've seen it recommended that you cut back on the kibble by a third. It can also be good to add bits of people food, like lean meat, eggs, or cottage cheese to increase protein. I'm a firm believer that low carb foods work the best.  They are higher in fat and protein, which is the only way to reduce the carbs. I saw it with my own eyes with Lucky.  He lost about 7 pounds while eating Innova EVO Reduced Fat. (the reduced fat EVO is 15% fat, which is about normal, but the protein is upped to 52%) I've been experimenting with other grainless foods lately but I'm getting regular EVO for the next bag. Lucky could still drop another pound or two. I think people get hung up on the amount of fat in the food, but it's important for a dog. The main thing is to reduce the calories and increase the exercise.  Nothing you  haven't heard before.  I like EVO because I can feed waaay less but still know they're getting the protein they need. Also, they absolutely love the taste.

I apologize for the rambling post.

Max can't have such a high protein food.   But he has a liver issue.  This is why we switched.  He needs lower protein and fat.  I never see Carbs mentioned on the label ??.  Only Protein, Fat and Fiber percents.   

I think I read somewhere that they're not allowed to put carb percentages on the label.  You have to figure it yourself by adding the protein, fat, moisture and fiber and subtracting from 100.  I don't remember the exact way to do it.

I looked into dehydrated raw food as an option for raw feeding.  Maybe one of the Honest Kitchen formulas would be good for Max.  It's very pricey but you can adjust the amount of protein by adding meat or just feed it by itself.  Some raw feeders feed this when they're traveling. A 10 pound bag makes about 45 pounds of food.

http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/products/food_comparison.shtml