Lilly's diet is going to be TOUGH

We're only on day one, and she's barking at the empty food bowl!!!! :eek:

Can you give her vegies, or some other lo-cal snack (unbuttered popcorn?) instead? Will power - YOU've gotta have it cause she's a dog! :)

I know, I know! I tried to change Hannah's nighty cookie from a BONZ to something smaller. Miss Hannah threw a fit. Barked and barked. If it wasn't a BONZ, it wasn't a nighty cookie! I gave in, which meant she got the small treat and the BONZ. Other than that we are doing okay. She is accepting of the smaller meals, but we've only cut those down by about a quarter. But we pretty much are eliminating all kinds of training treats...who am I kidding anyway with the training? And most days we are going for a nightly walk, which she loves. The other night, my husband and I went out and came home past the dogs' dinner time. I asked Hannah, "Do you want to eat or go for a walk?" She ran to the door. I was really surprised. Of course she got fed later but it was encouraging to know that food wasn't her first priority. However, this puts the onus on me to increase the length of the walks.

[ July 02, 2001: Message edited by: RachelJ ]

Karen, she was so hungry tonight that she ate cucumbers and tomatoes out of my salad!! Now that is hungry!!!! :D She'll be fine...just got to shrink that tummy. Now, if I could just do the same for myself!!!!

Logan, I can relate. Buddy weighed 108 lbs.
at his last Vet visit and was limping with
on 1 hind leg.Bud was dianosed with hip
dispasia at 5-6 Mo. But My vet thought surgury (to shorten the back leg muscles)
and Cosequin should give him a chance at
a good life ..IF I kept is weight at no more
than 95lbs. I have not been doing my part
and he has gained lately.I swear he doesn't
look fat!!!
Oh well... I wish you good luck. BE STRONG
for Lilly.
P. S. Thanks for the info re CVS photos,CDs.

Oh poor Lilly! You can do it, sweetie! Just think of all the handsome boy doggies who will notice how nice you look all thinned out? :) Daisy respects you with the utmost respect! Dieting seems like the death sentence to her.

Hey Bridget, and thanks for the vote of confidence. Lilly and I need it! Happy 4th of July. Hope you're having a wonderful vacation. Let us know how things are going.
Logan

When I had to make my 7 year old cocker lose 15 lbs My vet suggested not only cutting back the food but feed her in the am and that way she had all day to use it up and not have it just ad fat at night. It worked great in 6 months I had a great trim girl.
I have been using that for myself latly and in the last 2 months I have lost 18 lbs. I eat just veggies or soup at night and now just got 30 more to go. Hope this helps.
I don't know if the seasons have any thing to do with it but Merlins starting to get the springer butt spread too. But it's been in the 80's here and he's too hot to play. Cutting back his treats and food too.

How is Lilly's diet going? Is she nibbling at
your ankles yet? HE HE. My SHEP/Huskey-Buddy
was 3 weeks into his diet and I thought I saw
improvement(He could get up quicker and with less effort) but then 2 days after my last post he had an accident in our backyard.
The Vet says he tore a ligament in his left
hind leg.It happened so fast. I was standing just 5 feet away from him when he spotted a
dog across the way come by our fence. Buddy
attempted a 360 degree turn to run the fence
with the other dog(friendly play)and down he went.It was 1 1/2 hours & 4 Azium tabs before
he could manage the back steps into the house.(4 steps up to the kitchen) He goes out
on leash for potty breaks but still needs a
boost getting back in the house.
P.S. Finally finished a roll of film and dropped in off at CVS.(Getting pictures & CD)

Logan how is Lilly doing on her you know what, I hate that word. :)
and
Lizbud, how is Buddy doing in his? Is he
recouperating from the torn ligament in his leg?
Hope both Pups are doing well.
Jackie :D

Lots of kisses for Buddy and Lilly! How are you two sweeties doing?

Hannah is hanging in there with sticking to her diet. She seems to have adjusted to the smaller meals and almost no treats much better than expected although we have not been very consistant on the nightly walk routine lately. She looks a little thinner to me, but it is hard to tell if she has lost anything because that involves me lifting her up in my arms and standing on the scale and between her and my own girth, I can't see the numbers on the scale. heehee. I really would like to see her around 27 - 28 pounds. She was 33 - 34 to start with.

Corinna, I'm with you. Got 30# to go. Unfortunately my husband is out of town for a couple days and I have a half gallon of ice cream to keep me company. That and sitting at this computer are not condusive to losing weight.

Keep up the good efforts Lilly and Buddy. (Buddy I hope you are feeling better. Can't wait to see your pictures.)

[ July 14, 2001: Message edited by: RachelJ ]

Rachel, I didn't know that Hannah was on a you know what, it's hard for me to say that word. :) It sounds like she is doing good, but maybe not too happy. I think Daisy could join her, she used to feel like picking up a feather, now she feels like a sack of potatoes. Hannah is such a beauty, how is Tucker doing? I love his name. :)

Buddy ha a minor setback Thurs.The Vet had me cut the amount of Pain & anti-inflamitory tabs he had been taking. Fri nite he went back on the original 4 tabs per day and
is walking on both legs now.The Vet says there is a specialist in Anderson,Ind who
can operate to repair the tear, but I was hopeing not to put him through that.

Tucker's doing fine, thanks for asking, Jackie. He has always been svelte but did pick up a few pounds when we first got him. I can still feel his ribs though, which is another example where a guy can eat more than a girl and she is fat and he is thin. Tucker gets a little more food than Hannah, is less active and yet is thinner. :confused:

Lizbud, Poor Buddy, I'm glad he is walking on all fours, but I'm hoping maybe he won't have to go through that operation. Give him a big hug and a few extra treats from me, Perry and Daisy.
Jackie

Thank you everybody for the concern & good
wishes for Buddy. Congratulations to all the
other babies who are'fighting the goodfight
for better health.It's really tough.Buddy
is being taken off the diet list because the
Vet said to make sure he had plenty of food in his stomach.(to tolerate the anti-infam.
drugs his has to take)
I do not see any real improvement in Bud's
condition.. So Mon I'll call the Vet to set up an evaluation by Vet specialist (Surgury)
Buddy is suffering, I can see it in his eyes.
I think he is becoming depressed?? Can you
say that about a dog? He really misses his
daily walks thru the neighborhood,and Sunday
walks in the park.If Bud can have even a
chance to regain some of his former strength
I want him to have it. We'll see what the specialist says. He would do the same for me
in a heartbeat. HE IS MY TRUE BUDDY.

Oh poor Buddy! Good luck at the vets, you poor pup. Keep that fuzzy chin up, kiddo! Daisy and I will pray you get well soon.

Thanks for all the good Wishes.Buddy's appt. with the Specialist in Anderson is 7/31/01.
The Vet just returned from vacation and has some 'catching up' to do.That's why we have to wait so long to get in.The Specialist is prepared to do x-rays of the leg and lumbar region and then tell me if sugury can help.
I feel it could.I hope it will.Meantime he
stays on the pain meds and leash walks for
potty breaks in the backyard.
P.S. Picked up my pictures and CD from CVS
yesterday and would appreciate some advise
on where to upload them. Thank you all.

So sorry to hear about Buddy. Do they think it is a cruciate ligament rupture? My Great Pyr, Avalanche (Rainbow Bridge) had surgery for that. I hope Buddy gets well soon!

Sudilar,,,YES That's exactly what the Vet said it was !!!How did you dog do after the surgery? Did it help Him/Her? How long of a
recuperation period? I'm full of questions.
Please tell me of your experience going thru
this particular type of surgery with your
Great Pyr.. Avalanche.(Beautiful Breed)

Lizbud, the injury happened to my Great Pyr about 10 or so years ago. She was jumping down the stairs from my dining room to the front room when she tore the ligament. The surgery was successful and she was able to walk again, however, years later, arthritis set in. I can't remember how long it took for her to recuperate, but I do remember that she wanted to tear off her leg wrapping. It was a while, though, because her leg started to atrophy and looked so skinny when the bandages came off. It didn't take long for the muscles to build up as soon as she was able to do a lot of walking on it again. I'm sure that surgery today will be a lot easier with all the advances made since the early 90's. Good luck with Buddy and let me know what's happening with him.
Sue

Sudilar... Please accept my apology for being
more concerned with the MESSAGE that I forgot the MESSENGER. Believe me I have followed Killian's trials from your first post.(My Bud looks like Killian.)
I hope and pray that He regains full health soon.Bud ,Kitties and I are praying for Him ...and also for Shiloh...everyday.
P.S. I also think we humans need a prayer
once in a while so You are also included in
our prayers. All the best. Liz.

Thanks, Liz. I seem to get all the poor dogs who have physical problems. (They know who'll take care of them through ANYTHING!)LOL I've been through hip dysplasia, blood clot, cruciate ligament rupture, allergies, hair loss, undetermined limping, tumors, cysts, warts, anal gland problems, eosinophilic gingivitis, and now whatever this liver problem is......

Is there a picture of Buddy anywhere? I'd love to see him! Please keep me updated on his progress. I am praying for his full recovery. Good luck!

Sue

Hey, Lilly, how's that diet goin', Girl?? My Mom says I hafta stop eatin' Killian's food. Ya know ya can't let good food go to waste (or is it waist? he-he)! I eat all of mine and when no one's looking...I eat the rest of Killi's. I must weigh more than 105+ pounds by now, Mom says. Now Mom picks up Killi's food and doesn't leave it for him anymore. I was doin' so well on my diet dog food before Killi got sick. Someday we're gonna take a ride to Petsmart to weigh me, if the shocks in the Blazer can take the weight (my human sis says. How rude!!). Good luck, and let me know how it's goin'.

Shiloh

lizbud...All of us at my house are hoping for Buddy's return to full health and vigor very soon. My Cody was recently diagnosed with hip dysplasia...She was not at all overweight at the time. But the vet wanted her down 10lbs to minimize stress of the joint. As Sue says, the surgery described is now fairly routine having a very high success rate! Please give Buddy and big hug for us.
Sandra, Star and Cody

Hey Guys....Buddy's got Pictures!!!!!
I put some up on our page over lunchtime.
They are at; http://community.webshots.com/user/lizbud4
The Album is called BUD AND THE GANG OF 4,
the four are my cats RED,MICKEY,BLACKIE and
PUNKIN.I have better pics at home than the
ones on this CD. so I'll wait to put up their pictures.
P.S. Please remember I have no experience
doing this stuff. Later.

Buddy is adorable!!! What a cutie. I love his face, he looks so friendly!!!

Lilly's moment of truth was today. She has been kept away from cat food, and severely limited in her regular food for two months. We went for microchipping, annual shots, etc this morning. Guess what....she gained 0.6 pounds. Next step is to switch her to senior food. She can have NO treats except for carrots and green beans. He wants me to drop by often, and have her weighed. I guess the main thing is that she not put on anymore weight, and that we start seeing some improvement in weight loss. And if she still doesn't lose, he will check the thyroid levels again. He was really, really concerned today, but knows I have been trying very hard to get the weight off with exercise and disciplined feedings. She is currently 96.6 pounds.

Please cross your fingers that this changing of food type will help her. I will obviously switch her gradually, but plan to start today after a visit to Petsmart.

Poor Lilly!

[ August 14, 2001: Message edited by: Logan ]

Oh poor Lilly! And poor you too, Logan, we all know how hard you have been trying to get Lilly to drop a few pounds. I hope that the switch in foods helps her lose some weight and Daisy and I will pray that her weight gain is nothing serious.

Poor Lilly! At least she didn't really gain weight. I have Shiloh on Nutro Natural Choice Lite. We'll see if she looses any weight! What does Lilly eat? Good luck!

Our little Pup is one of those dogs that has trouble keeping her weight down, and we have to keep her slim because of her hip dysplaysia. (Which also contributes to the problem, because she doesn't run and play as much as most small young dogs would.)
We keep her body shaved short so that we can watch her waistline, and we have her on a fairly strict diet. She's about 20 pounds, and she eats (total for the day) about 7/8 cup of Nutro Max Weight Control, and over 1/2 can of no-salt veggies (usually green beans). The vet told us that we could supplement the veggies as a stomach-filler, as long as she was still acting like herself, in terms of energy level. If she started to act lethargic or weak, that would be a sign that the veggie diet wasn't working, we were told. But, she does great on it - high energy; she act young and exuberent! She gets regular treats - we give alot of small ones in a day, rather than just a couple of big ones. If she has a high-activity day, we give her a little extra food to make up for the expended energy!
Anyway, this is just what has worked for us!

lizbud, how is the cruciate problem?

All you doggies on the D word, stop making it hard for your people!!

Seriously the less of an issue you make of it, the less the dog will notice. It takes them around two meals to get used to the lesser amount of food they can expect and after that they aren't really hungry but are playing to the audience!!
For those that are do the D for hip problems try taking the dog swimming - geat excersise without the strain.
Add fibre to the dog's diet with a handful (small!) high fibre cereal (we have All Bran and Bran Flakes).
Give up the idea that treats are good for your dog - the only one they are good for is YOU! It doesn't matter if it is bacon fat or carrot...dog's don't need treats! Of course they will always take them, that's how dogs are built, but it is much better for your relationship to give rewards in the form of games, physical contact and verbal praise. You will actually like your dog even more when it does what you ask for a cuddle rather than only if you have that special biscuit.

One thing I can say, Carrie, is that thank goodness, my dogs are not treat dependent. And guess what, I learned yesterday that Honey likes carrots, but Lilly hates them! LOL!! I have cut their meals in half in the last two months, and no more tastes of canned food, and they have done beautifully. Honey will be weighed on Friday when I take Butter to see Dr. Robinson. She's going along for the ride! She will probably have lost weight with my luck! :eek:

Thanks for all the good wishes everyone and the good advice. I found out today that Flint River Ranch does have a senior food and it is on its way now.

Logan..Lots of luck to You & Lilly on your
D*** efforts... Guess it's just a lifelong
thing that we all (Human & Animal) have to deal with on a daily basis.Does Honey gain
weight or keep it on, the way Lilly has???
My Buddy is back on a diet ,hopefully it
become second nature to me to feed him less
and not be tempted to go overboard on treats
because Bud's had a bad day or i feel sorry
for him.(Bud plays me like a fiddle)
Carrie...Sorry i didn't see your earlier
question re the cruciate ligament..
Bud is doing much better.Seems to gain
some strength every day.Almost fear to post
how good i feel about his progress.(bad Luck)
i've been posting when time permits on
GOOD LUCK BUDDY. Thanks for asking.

The bad "D" word has taken on a new meaning in this house! Honey was weighed yesterday at Dr. Robinson's office. She was still 72 pounds. No gain, but no loss either.

So, he has actually decided to put both of them on an appetite suppressent! Told me not to be tempted to take them myself because they are stronger than Metabolife! Cut the food back a bit more, and am supplementing with green beans daily.

Lilly's target is 80 pounds. 16 to lose for her.

Honey's target is 65 pounds. 7 pounds for her to lose.

I'm going to finish up the food I have since I just got a new shipment, only they will be eating even less of it. Next shipment will be the senior version of Flint River Ranch.

Cross your fingers, folks. We have to lick (excuse the pun) this and soon!

Logan

All paws and fingers are crossed here! Good luck, Honey and Lilly! You can do it!