diet dog food

Question
I have one Golden with serious weight problem just diagnosed with thyroid problem. Also have 2 year old Goldens that are a tad overweight.  The vet wants me to use a really expensive diet food that I can't afford for 3 dogs.  Any suggestions?  I want them to get the right nutrition but not starve to death either. Thank you so much.

Answer
Hi Barb;
Well, the dog with the thyroid problem is a really serious situstion. As you probably know, if this is not taken car of, it can cost your dog's life.
You don't say how old the dog with the thyroid problem is, what kind of food it is your vet wants you to feed, and what you are feeding them now.
With more information, I might be able to make some suggestions for the 2  dogs that are a year old and a tad overweight. Moslty, more exercise for them.
It is not good just to feed a dog all it wants to eat, because dogs can have eating problems just like people do. Some get more exercise and burn up all they eat, others need some coaxing to get more exercise.
Exercise is important now, for their health in later years.
Some of the better brand foods come in a lamb rice formula, that has all the nutrition, and less fat.My dogs love it.
If you are buying grocery store brands, and think they cost less, you may be under the same misinformed situation most people are in. The , what I call, off-brands. Old Roy, Good Boy, etc, have a lot of fillers. There are usually more grains, but in cheaper foods can actually be sawdust. They make the bags fuller, so it looks like you are getting a lot more for your money, but it takes more of them to satisfy the dog's nutritional needs. Brands like Iams, Science diet, Walthams, etc, do not have fillers. It takes less of these foods to feed your dog properly. and all the food is nutrition, not empty calories, that do nothing for the dog's health, and only makes more volumn of poop to clean up, and puts more fat on your dog.
Feeding the better brands, actually costs about the same, or even less. For instance, where one dog might eat 3 cups of an off-brand food, they will eat 2 cups or a little less of the better foods. So, 10 pounds of that goes as far as 15 pounds of the other, or even more.
If you would like to give me some more information about what dog food you are feeding now,and how much exercise etc they get, I might be able to make some suggestions that your vet would agree with.
With the dog with the thyroid problem, I would say do exactly as the vet says. That is too serious to mess around with.
Charlotte