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Old 09-26-2007, 09:04 AM   #1
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Omg Are You 'Loving' Your Pet Into An Early Grave?

This is an EXCELLENT article I just read on CNN. It's a good reminder for those who feed their dogs table food and lots of treats. It reminds us to WATCH THE PORTION SIZE regardless of what the food/treat is.

Check out the pictures attached to the article. In that first picture, that poor dog is SOOO overweight. He's 168 lbs!! Poor things looks like he has trouble breathing. No wonder his name is Fat Charlie.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/LIVING/wayof...ets/index.html


Are You 'Loving' Your Pet Into An Early Grave?


The growing obesity problem doesn't exclude pets.

We are seeing so many overweight dogs and cats, and it's sad because their weight levels are completely manageable with diet changes," says Dr. Kristine Yee, a veterinarian at California Animal Hospital in Los Angeles.

But pet owners are often slow to admit that their animals need to shed pounds.

A 2005 study from pet-food maker Purina found that 60 percent of pets in the U.S. were overweight.

But almost half of the owners of overweight pets rated their cats and dogs as having the "ideal" body condition.

Pet obesity can be a sensitive issue, says Susan Davis, a pet nutritionist based in Lake Forest, California, who has helped many pets trim down. Because some owners treat their pets like their children, people can take it personally when you tell them they have an overweight animal.

But pet obesity isn't just about looks. Extra weight can lead to myriad health problems and even shorten an animal's life span.

Some of the pets I've seen have severe respiratory, cardiac, metabolic and orthopedic dysfunction that is drastically worsened by just being obese," Yee says. One beagle she treated tore a cruciate (knee) ligament three times and had to have multiple surgeries, all because he was carrying too many pounds.

Why so fat?

It's common for people to show their pets love by giving them a lot of food and snacks. They pour on the treats, not realizing that one dog biscuit can be 100 calories. They let cats and dogs feast on the fat of their rib-eye steaks and other scraps from the dinner table.

"A lot of owners think their pets are suffering if they aren't getting table scraps and treats," Yee says. "But dogs don't need people food; they're perfectly happy with their own food."

As with humans, excessive portions are a main cause of the weight problem.

"People don't use measuring tools most of the time," says Davis, a certified clinical nutritionist. "They wing it or free-feed their pet, and end up giving them three cups instead of the recommended one-cup serving."

Like people, pets need to stay active, too. This means walking your dog or cat regularly and playing with them, indoors and out.

The obesity test

You can find out if your pet is overweight by determining its body condition score. This test is available on several Web sites, including Ohio State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. It's the same test that many vets use to determine a pet's ideal weight.

Yee offers two simple tests that show obesity:

• Run your hands across the chest of the dog or cat. You should always be able to feel their ribs but not see them. There should never be a layer of fat over the ribs.

• Look at the standing dog or cat from a bird's eye view. They should have what looks like a waist that tucks in right in front of the hips.

Steps to slimming down

Davis gives these tips to get pets back into shape:

• Control portions. Look at everything you are feeding your pet -- pet food, treats and human food -- and reduce the amount. Use proper measuring tools.

Also, food packages will recommend portions by weight ranges. Use the weight range of the overweight pet's ideal weight, not its current weight. And use the lowest suggested amount for that range. For example, if the manufacturer recommends two to three cups for dogs over 30 pounds, give the dog two cups.

• Control quality. Don't feed your pet human junk food like pizza or sweets such as baked goods, ice cream or cookies. Home-prepared meals using fresh ingredients are acceptable, Davis says. Wholesome items such as brown rice, fresh lean meats and carrots are recommended. Be sure to avoid the human foods that can be toxic to cats and dogs: grapes/raisins, mushrooms, chocolate and coffee. Tomatoes and garlic can also be toxic for cats.

• Increase exercise. Get into the habit of walking your dog every day. Getting outdoors is good for a pet's emotional health, too, giving it a chance to make social contact and find out what is going on in the neighborhood.

With dogs, you can also play fetch, play hide and seek, set up obstacle courses for them or take them swimming. Cats can stay active indoors or out by playing with toys, "hunting" for food, or being walked outside on a leash.

Diet pet foods are also available. Ask your vet if he or she recommends feeding your pet reduced-calorie foods. Homemade meals tend to be lower in calories and healthier than prepared pet foods, because they don't contain fillers. In either case, vets say, portion control is the main issue in reducing or managing an animal's weight.
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Old 09-26-2007, 10:02 AM   #2
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Thanks!

When my son moved in with his father to go to school he took his lab with him.

The dog is 14 years old and I always made sure to keep him at fighting weight with a waist.

At his age, taking on extra un-needed weight would surely shorten his life.

We had the vet do up a letter along with a print out of the view down at dogs of all the diff wieght points.

We also told them a little fib----------that any table scraps would give him the squirts due to his older age.

It's been 8 months and so far so good!
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Old 09-26-2007, 10:14 AM   #3
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It makes me sad to see grossly overweight pets, but usually the owners are overweight too..
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Old 09-26-2007, 10:41 AM   #4
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I also get sad seeing overweight pets that the owners dont care and feed them whatever they want. They are slowly killing their health. I make sure that mine are always fit and get the right amount of food everyday as well as healthy treats.
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Old 09-26-2007, 10:43 AM   #5
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Thanks for sharing! That picture of the dog in the article is so sad! You are right, he looks like he is having trouble breathing!
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Old 09-26-2007, 10:44 AM   #6
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i beg your pardon!!!! im kidding.... lexi i think is over weight, we are gonna
check that, but me (mom) is definately not....
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Old 09-26-2007, 10:45 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mizzwanned View Post
I also get sad seeing overweight pets that the owners dont care and feed them whatever they want. They are slowly killing their health. I make sure that mine are always fit and get the right amount of food everyday as well as healthy treats.


Some owners feel bad because they think their dog is missing out. Others may feel that they won't eat any other food. A dog will NOT starve itself. They will eventually eat what they're supposed to eat. Those type of dogs KNOW their owner will give in and feed them whatever they want, so they refuse to eat their food. But trust me, if you refuse to give in and feed them food they aren't supposed to be eating, the dog will eventually eat ... it will NOT starve itself. It's just a matter of loving your dog enough to put their needs first and not feed them crap. Not only is their health effected but their teeth too!
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Old 09-26-2007, 10:47 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lexi Rae View Post
i beg your pardon!!!! im kidding.... lexi i think is over weight, we are gonna
check that, but me (mom) is definately not....
lolol you are soooo not overweight!!
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Old 09-26-2007, 10:48 AM   #9
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That poor poor pup! I think that is a different kind of animal cruelty!! They should be punished! You can starve a dog to death and you can over feed a dog to death!!! That person shouldn't be smiling but feeling embarrassed and guilty!!! Poor Charlie!
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Old 09-26-2007, 10:53 AM   #10
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my boyfriends sisters dog is like that. she does have him on a diet and
he losing lots of weight.... i dont think she should be punished, but now she
does know better and she is exercising him and feeding less. the dog actually can get up and down stairs now.
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Old 09-26-2007, 10:56 AM   #11
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Originally Posted by coroth View Post
That poor poor pup! I think that is a different kind of animal cruelty!! They should be punished! You can starve a dog to death and you can over feed a dog to death!!! That person shouldn't be smiling but feeling embarrassed and guilty!!! Poor Charlie!
I agree with you. It's cruel to overfeed a dog because, not only are you shortening their life span, but you're effecting their day to day life. An overweight dog can't enjoy life and run and play the same as a dog within a normal weight range. I wouldn't punish someone right off the bat. I would educate them first and then see if they make changes. If they don't, then I feel thay should be punished for their outright neglect. Once you know what you are doing is ruining your dogs health and teeth, it's you responsibility as a dog owner to correct the situation.
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Old 09-26-2007, 12:19 PM   #12
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That was so sad to see that poor dog. We give very little table scraps to ours, and I monitor the snacks.
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