One of my major pet peeves are fat dogs.
I work with dogs all day, and teach dogs most evenings. Lots of fat dogs. Seriously. If your lab looks like a coffee table on legs then perhaps a diet is in order?
All dogs should have a nice tuck, and a noticeable waist line. In most dogs you should be able to see the last rib. If you have to seach through a layer of fat to feel the rib then I'd say your dog is fat.
There are three easy steps to help your dog to lose weight
1) Measure. seriously. it's that simple.
2) Feed a good quality food.
3) Exercise your dog. One 10 minute leash walk a day is not going to cut it.
If your dog is seriously overweight you can do a few extra things to help them along.
Green Beans and Pumpkin are great fillers. If your dog is on a small amount of food and thinks he is starving the filler will make him feel full without making him fat.
Take into account your treats. If you are giving your dog three milkbones every day on top of training treats you may have to cut back, use smaller treats, or even use kibble if your dog will work for it.
Split your meals. I forget where I read this first, but by splitting the meals into smaller portions it can help the dog to metabolize the food better, and help with weight loss.
With my breed I have noticed that it is very easy for them to get fat- a few days of too many extras, or not measuring kibble and all of a sudden Wicca starts looking like a torpedo. :o) I have recently had to cut everyone back after switching to a food with a tad bit higher fat/protein....
Wicca gets 1/2 cup a day.
Pixel gets 3/4 cup a day
Vito gets 1 cup a day
Boone gets 3/4 cup a day.
These aren't yorkies folks. They are dogs that range in the 25-30 pound mark...
Why does it matter if your dog is fat?
Joint health- if you have a large breed dog that can be prone to displasia, or a small breed dog that is prone to patella (knee) problems carrying around the extra weight on potentially compromised joints doesn't make much sense. it could make that issue much, much worse.
Heart health- same as in people an overweight dog is more likely to have heart problems later on.
Longevity- do you want your dog to have a long, healthy life and live well into their teens? By keeping them healthy (including weight) you can increase the chance of that.
Appearance!! As humans we like to look at things that are pretty or handsome...a fat dog is just not attractive. Especially a fat dog with no hair to hide the offending fat rolls...
And of course if you participate in agility, or any other dog sport then it is a given. You don't often see fat dogs doing agility anymore as people seem to be more health conscious. There are the odd ones out there though and I always cringe when I see them struggle up the frame, or land with an "oomph" over a jump...
If you aren't sure if your dog is fat or could lose a few pounds ask someone! Most people are going to be honest with you. I'd tell you for sure...or you could take an honest look at your dog yourself....
13 comments:
wonderful post Amanda....
I'd also like to mention that people should NOT feed what the bag tells them to! Also to feed for what you want your dog to weigh, not what they weigh now if they are overweight.
Good post, hopefully it is read by those who really need it! I need to monitor my dogs on a daily basis as it takes very little time for their ribs to vanish!
It is one of my peeves as well! Nothing worse than seeing a fat agility dog, although once the agility addiction kicks in, most owners fix the problem.
Wonderful post!!
That poor fat Lab. Wow.
Totally agree. I'm doggysitting a cocker right now who is (no exaggeration) 50 lbs. Just to put that in perspective, Claire is about 20 lbs. He is easily heavier than my 2 cockers put together. Granted, he's 3 inches taller but still. We are cutting way back on his food and giving him lots of exercise. By the time his owner picks him up (mid-April) she won't recognize him LOL.
Great job! I see a ton of fat dogs. And the people with normal dogs always think their dog is too thin-they are so used to seeing fat dogs. They are so surprised when I tell them their dog is perfect! I really have to cut back Lyric's food on training days-a little goes a long way for 9 lbs!
Hell, send some of your fat over here. I have two I can't get fat for love nor money. (And one I can't slim down, so I guess it balances out.)
Great post!
Great post!! I agree with you 110%. When we adopted Jake he was 108 pounds. When he died, he was 72 pounds. I used the green beans for filler and then had him on a senior food. He was happy his last years.
Here, here!! I can't stand it. I really wish vets would stand up and say something. I really can't stand people to say well the vet said he was in great shape at this weight! It makes me cringe...
HAHA...you had NO problem telling me when Neena was getting a little chubby! Glad you did! Now I get told she is too thin by my family and you know what I'm thinking about their dogs in my 'inside voice' right? lol!
Awesome! Add diabetes in there as well as one of the risks of being overweight. Breathing problems too. I feel so bad for fat dogs.
What a great post. I wish i could cut and paste this to all the forums with the people that somehow think that a 45 lb pembroke is "not that fat" and the owners who try to justify the fatness by saying that "he is on the large side of the breed" or worse, the folks that either "don't know how he gained the weight" or the ones in denial who don't think their dog is fat.
It is not hard to measure the food, weigh the dog regularly so you can adjust the food if needed and exercise the dog. The people who can't find the time for that, maybe should have considered getting a goldfish for a pet instead... or a stuffed animal.
Emilie
Awesome post! I try, tactfully, to let people know when their dogs are on the heavy side but it doesn't always take. I have one dog, an older, spayed bitch, who will put on weight in a flash. In fact, looking at her today it's time to bring out the pumpkin.... This darn snowy weather has ruined their chances for exercise.
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