Weight loss: homemade Vs store-bought

I have two Dachshunds and if you are familiar with the breed, you'll know that keeping them fit it's important because they can suffer from disk disease due to their long bodies. My dogs are both crazy about food but, while I have no problems with Diana since she is very active, Moka on the contrary is very lazy and she tends to gain weight.
In the past I had an only-dry-food-for-my-dogs policy but I had to reconsider. I used to buy the light version for Moka but she seemed to get even bigger and I was really getting frustrated so I had a talk with my vet. He suggested a homemade diet and with a bit of skepticism I decided to try it out. I started to cook fresh food for my dogs, making sure to balance carbs, proteins and vegetables and keeping in mind the advice of my vet about the quantities. Since then Moka has been losing weight and both of my dogs looks happier and healthier: their fur is shinier, they have more energy and they produce less waste. I'm very happy about it and I won't go back to dry food.
What about you? Have you had similar experiences?

 

My dog seems to do well on his dry dog food, and I bought a higher quality dog food. Once in a while, I will make him some chicken soup with carrot. Talking about carrot, he also gets some fresh ones for treats, and apple pieces too.

He is healthy and in good weight!

 

Dry food is the best for dogs since it acts as a tonic for the digestive system and the waste produced is easier to dispose. Store bought food fares better than homemade food because its well formulated with the dog's nutrient requirements in mind. To cut expenses, one should also feed them with homemade preparations which are a good source of roughage.

 

Thank you for your replies.
I know that dry food should be the best for dogs, but mine are doing much better since when I'm feeding them with homemade food. I make sure to follow the vet's guidelines and I balance all the required nutrients exactly as he said I have to. I've been doing it for two years now and they haven't had any health problem. The annual check-ups and the bloodworks show perfect results.

 

There are foods sold at the pet store specially created for overweight dogs. I'd consider those over the homemade food, because well, sometimes it's a bit hard to calculate the calories in our own food... better be safe than sorry, and go for the safe bet.

 

You are right, I know that store bought food it's specifically created for our dogs, and it has all the balanced ingredients they need. But when I was feeding Moka with store bought dry food created for overweight dogs, she was getting nowhere. She was getting bigger, especially her belly, and I was very careful about the quantity of food I gave her.
Since I switched to homemade food, she has been losing weight and her periodical check ups show she's healthy.
I'm not encouraging people to give their dogs homemade food, I know that dry food is balanced and healthy. I was just saying that it didn't work out for my Moka.

 

That is good that your homemade food works for her. Stick with it if you don't mind doing the extra work. I kept mine on dry dog food for convenient reasons, especially when we travel out of State to visit family. I also can't cook everyday because of schedules and have to eat out, so on those days having dry dog food is a great thing!

 

I'm terrible at cooking, I don't think Homer would want to eat my food, lol
When he gained too much weight, we started giving him diet dog food and a lot of vegetables instead of store bought treats. It helped

 

I don't mind the extra work of cooking for them, after all it's not like I'm cooking sophisticated meals. Besides, the food will stay fresh for at least two days in the fridge, so I don't have to cook for them every day, and that helps. I consider myself lucky, because my dogs love vegetables and I can vary their diet.
Claudine, I did that too, no more store bought treats, I'd rather give them a carrot instead, they seem to love them.