Pug and feeding

Question
Hello.  I have an 8 year old male pug who is overweight.  He currently weighs about 33 pounds.  He isn't very active due to difficulty breathing.  I would like to know how much food he should be eating a day to reduce his weight.  He has some dental problems that require anesthesia and his vet would like him to be 30 pounds or under for the procedure.

Thanks for your help.

Answer
Hi Julia'
You don't say what kind of food, or which formula yyou are feeding him.
Iams, Science diet, Walthams, Natural Choice, and Eucanauba are all good brands, and come in a formula for senior dogs, which your dog should be on, a l;amb and rice formula.
Read the label for the amount for your dog's weight ( ideal weight) Feed that amount in two feedings per day.
I feed twice a day all their lives, because it seems 24 hours is a long time to go on empty.
I give half the daily amount, in the morning and the other half in the evening.
Take into consideration any dog biscuits or other snacks you feed him, and deduct that from the daily food amount.
More exercise, but with the difficulty breathing, don't tire him.
Just a walk, several timea a day. more exercise than he is getting now, but not enough to strain his heart or cause him to be more winded.
Gradually increase the exercise, waching him carefully to make sure you are not stressing him.
Dry dog food helps keep the teeth clean and keep the tartar off.
As you well know, any time they go under anesthetic, it is risky, so feeding foods that help keep the teeth clean helps prevent this.
does your Veterinarian make any recommendations to you?
He/she should be guiding you with this, not just telling you he needs to lose weight.
You should have been given directions to accomplaish this.
My Veterinarian is so caring, and so complete in his instructions and recommendations, I sometimes forget not everyone has as good and thorough a Vet as I have.
Good luck, and if I can help further, write me anytime.
Charlotte