is your dog overweight?

[*LabLoverKEB*]

I wish that Sadie wasen't overwait, but she is. lol, I don't know why it makes me me mad, I just always want a 'prefect dog', I guess! She probally needs to loose about maybe 10 lbs or so, I'm not sure.

Anyone have any tips on how to help Sadie loose weight? Thanks!

[Crikit]

When I was trying to get some weight off of Smudge I switched him to a reduced fat food (which he's still on) and put him on the pumpkin diet which he loved.

[lovemyshiba]

I just found this article, and thought of this thread

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...c/pudgy_pets_1

[shais_mom]

Originally posted by Cincy'sMom
That is usually very true...but not with Cincy. On her "Reduced Calorie" food, the bag says she should get 4 c/ day. I give her about 1 1/2 -2, and add green beans to "fill 'er up". She just doesn't lose. This is why we are investigating a helth reason

Ditto,
Keegan was on the reduced Calorie food and didn't help. She has hypothyroidism, so once we get that regulated hopefully, it will come off. And she does get plenty of exercise.
I don't like it when people say to me, you have a fat dog. That is just plain rude. In my line of work I have seen plenty of overweight kids and people and I wouldn't dream of going up to a person and saying, "you have a fat kid'' Which Tracy, I already told you last night that I don't think that is what you are doing, and I didn't mean you!

Keegan has an hour glass figure also, just a wider bottom!! Just like her MOM!
Kylie needs to lose weight also, and I did switch her to the low fat version but since she is long haired she still requires a skin and coat formula or at least the hairball treats, so I have mixed in some of the hairball formula food but it isn't helping, so has had more hairballs then when she was on the other formula.
Hopefully the three of us can turn over a new leaf, and lose some weight. I think the only thing in my house that doesn't need to lose weight are the 2 fish!

[stacwase]

I told you about my mom's dog, didn't I? She has this adorable little chihuahua. She's had her about a month and the dog's already getting a pot bellie from all the table food mom's feeding her. She wouldn't listen to anybody when we told her that if she wants to have the dog around for long she'd better stop feeding her so much. That's abusive. Here's a picture of the dog - you can kind of see her pot bellie.

[Crikit]

Originally posted by shais_mom


I don't like it when people say to me, you have a fat dog. That is just plain rude. In my line of work I have seen plenty of overweight kids and people and I wouldn't dream of going up to a person and saying, "you have a fat kid'' Which Tracy, I already told you last night that I don't think that is what you are doing, and I didn't mean you!

I know Staci. I would never actually go up to someone that I don't know and say something like that...heck I don't even really do it to people I know. I let my friend do it I will occasionally give people a hard time about their dogs weight but that's really only when they've said that they're dog is to fat.

Sometimes I wish that I was the type of person who would say stuff to people because you should see some of the dogs in agility class. They shouldn't be in the class because it's not safe for the dog due to the weight.

[stacwase]

I'm a nurse and we're constantly getting overweight people coming in with health problems caused by their weight. I don't know how many 400+ pound people of working age come in, disabled and receiving medicaid because of the problems their weight has caused. So while I don't have a problem with mild obesity (obviously - look at me!), I do have a very serious opinion about morbid obesity. I'm sure the problems dogs suffer from it are just as serious as the problems people have, and since we're the ones who feed them then if they're morbidly obese we're directly responsible for their health problems.

[Samantha Puppy]

Sam is a German Shepherd/Lab mix and is about 48 lbs. Dr. Amy said that she was right on her target range. That said, Sam gets a can of dog food for dinner each night, crunchies out all the time for her to munch on, and usually someone will slip her a little people food. A couple times a week she gets an evening snack too.

[stacwase]

Sam must have a very active metabolism! Jake very, very rarely gets any treats and he's on the lower calorie senior dog food (which he hates and will hardly eat) so the only food he really gets is the cat food he steals! He got weighed today and he's lost 5.3 lbs. 4 more pounds to go until he's at his ideal weight. He's 44.1 lbs now.

[shais_mom]

Originally posted by *LabLoverKEB*
I wish that Sadie wasen't overwait, but she is. lol, I don't know why it makes me me mad, I just always want a 'prefect dog', I guess! She probally needs to loose about maybe 10 lbs or so, I'm not sure.

Anyone have any tips on how to help Sadie loose weight? Thanks!

Sarah this comment disappoints me.

Just b/c Sadie is a little overweight doesn't mean she isn't the perfect dog. I am overweight and does that make me less of a person? Does that mean I am not 'perfect'?

Ask your vet before starting any diet program for Sadie. But he will probably advise you to start using reduced fat/calorie food, and maybe supplementing with green beans or pumpkin (canned). And Lots of exercise. Concentrate on making Sadie 'fit' and healthy so she can be around longer than having the perfect dog, or wishing you had another one.

[shais_mom]

http://www.msnbc.com/news/963396.asp

[Tonya]

Good thread, Crikit. I think that is a good thing to know. It doesn't bother me to much if dogs have extra padding. -But it makes me sad too when they are flat out obese. To the point where they waddle. There hasn't been a single dog in PET TALK (that I've seen) that is that fat. I've been lucky with my dogs. I free feed them and they stay thin. Teddy is getting a little porky though, so I am going to stop free feeding him. He is 6 lbs right now. (He's a pomeranian.)

[Kater]

I found a good article relating to this topic of overweight dogs...

"People overfeed their pets for a number of reasons. It’s easier to put the food down and leave it than to schedule meals and monitor the amount. Even the fattest pet can give a convincing, heart-rending portrayal of a victim of starvation."

Pets and Pounds: http://www.vetcentric.com/magazine/m...ARTICLEID=1730