She's a Pomeranian I don't know how old she is I found her running the streets but she's pretty fat and she pants alot and how can I help her lose weight without feeling like I'm starving her
The great weight-loss mystery. :)
When I adopted my border collie mix, she was about 15 lbs overweight (and she's only a 33 lb dog now, so she was a SAUSAGE when I got her). I put her on a high quality food, and just gave her slightly less than recommended amount for her current weight. She could still have high quality treats, though I'd take those into consideration when giving her her dinner, adjusting the amount to compensate. To slow her eating I'd feed her meals from puzzle toys (my favorite is the Kong Wobbler). Doing this made breakfast and dinner a game, and I didn't have to see her inhaling her food like she'd never eaten before. Additionally, I built up her endurance for exercise, going on walks, to the dog park, hiking, playdates with dog friends, etc. Ultimately she will be so much happier at a healthy weight - you'll see the difference in virtually every way. Her breathing, her coat, her energy, the spark in her eye, her digestion.. everything will improve, and seeing that will overcome any guilt.
I have a dog who I have to monitor her weight constantly. She is on high quality food as well. I cut down on her food intake and I stopped giving her treats. She lost weight in a month. Treats can be so darn fattening. Once she got to her ideal weight then I kept her on the same amount of food but now I am able to give her treats sporadically, maybe one a day and skip a few days. I get her natural, low fat treats and I only give it to her when she works for it. Like sit, come, jump on command, things like that. So now she sees a treat as something she works for and not given just for nothing. I have maintained her weight for a year now with no problems. Now that the weather is nice I let her stay in the backyard chasing squirrels besides her daily walks, so she can get some extra exercise it.