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04-16-2011, 05:21 AM | #1 |
Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: upstate ny
Posts: 5,847
| Are we killing our dogs with kindness?? I was at the vet the other day with Mickey and I noticed that every single dog that was either in the waiting room or came in while I was sitting there was severely overweight. (Except for one puppy) It just got me to thinking that I am afraid we are killing our dogs with kindness so to speak. Over feeding our dogs cause a multitude of problems and some issues which might be a minor problem are so much worse on an overweight dog. I wanted to remind everyone that loving your dogs doesn't mean feeding them so much that they are obese. Loving them means setting limits and not allowing them to become overweight in the first place. Ok...off my soap box now! |
Welcome Guest! | |
04-16-2011, 05:27 AM | #2 |
Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: upstate ny
Posts: 5,847
| Wanted to add this visual too. I daresay most people think a heavy dog is perfect.... http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7rL-5qX6n4...ght_chart1.jpg |
04-16-2011, 05:37 AM | #3 |
Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: FL
Posts: 7,651
| Good point to bring up. Being overweight can severely shorten our pet's lives. It is more important than just the way they look -- it is a critical health factor to their heart, bones, and joints! I used to worry that my pups were too skinny but the vet said they were "lean" which is perfect for their health. My Ben gained a pound (1 pound on a yorkie can be a lot!) after he was neutered & had also been sneaking puppy food in addition to his own. I think he had a jealousy factor going with Annie, our new puppy & wanted to eat all of her food! I actually noticed in pictures first. When we are just holding & hugging every day, we don't notice the very gradual addition of a pound or so. But in his pic, Ben definately showed me he needed some smart weight reduction. I thought it about it and not only was Ben getting additional calories in the form of his stolen puppy food, but he was also not getting as many walks as usual because Annie has not taken to the leash quite as well as I would like. Realizing I had neglected Ben's needs a little, I made a commitment to fix this! I concentrated on two main things -- adding exercise and a switching to a different food. I switched all of my pups to the same All Life Stage food, Solid Gold Just a Wee Bit. It has proved to be a great food! Ben can actually continue to eat the same quantity that he was, but this is better for him & not as high in calories. It is a low residue food too, meaning little compact, tootsie roll poops. We are on an "all win" plan! He has lost most of the extra weight, still a little stockier than he had been for years, but at least not an unhealthy weight. This is something I'll have to stay on top of. Once fat cells are formed, they are always there, just waiting for a chance to plump up again. I want my Ben around for a very long time & do not want him to have to suffer bone & joint problems as he ages. So -- healthy weight it is!
__________________ FlDebra and her ABCs Annie, Ben, Candy Promoting Healthy Breeding to the AKC Yorkshire Terrier Standard Last edited by FlDebra; 04-16-2011 at 05:38 AM. |
04-16-2011, 05:38 AM | #4 |
Crazy about Kacee! Donating Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Kansas
Posts: 21,173
| Very good reminder for everyone. Also, I think part of the problem is that many dogs are not getting proper exercise anymore, either. Proper diet and exercise are both necessary for a healthy dog.
__________________ Karen Kacee Muffin 1991-2005 Rest in Peace My Little Angel |
04-16-2011, 05:44 AM | #5 |
Mardelin Yorkshire Terriers Donating Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: California
Posts: 14,776
| I totally agree with you. Sometimes we tend to forget that these little guys are canines and not babies to constantly be carried around.....Proper nutrition and exercise is always a good start to longevity.
__________________ Mardelin Yorkshire Terriers |
04-16-2011, 05:50 AM | #6 |
Donating YT 5000 Club Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: VA
Posts: 8,040
| I totally agree and believe me I've had some overweight dogs in the past. I have accepted that I enabled the weight issue. Along with the begging at the table and always giving into to bites. Those much loved dogs are long gone now, but it set me on a path of reading many books on yorkies before I got Zhoie and I was determined not to do that to her little frame. Thanks for the visual chart, really puts it into perspective.
__________________ Tena & Zhoie Sweet Little Miracle |
04-16-2011, 05:59 AM | #7 |
♥ Love My Tibbe! ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: D/FW, Texas
Posts: 22,140
| Oh, pet peeve!!! My neighbor's current Chihuahua was such a darling little apple head sprite when they got her and just so playful and cute and lively. Every year I have watched that poor little dog get so big she looks like a French bulldog now! I might think it could be a medical condition except their last chi got to the French bulldog stage right before it died!!! Each of those dogs' heads actually got fat - not just the body. Fat even on the face, jowls, neck and back of the neck. It is just as bad as starving a dog to me - the gross overweight that changes a dog's look to that of another breed solely due to fat. You can practically hear the dog breathing from across the alley the CHF is so bad! I <3 the Frenchie but not chi's so fat they could pass for one!
__________________ Jeanie and Tibbe One must do the best one can. You may get some marks for a very imperfect answer: you will certainly get none for leaving the question alone. C. S. Lewis |
04-16-2011, 06:56 AM | #8 |
Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: North Carolina
Posts: 8,317
| Thanks for reminding us how dangerous it is to let our dogs get overweight. I found out the hard way after I adopted Lady at age four. I'd never had a small dog before and didn't understand portion size. We were working on many issues so she got many treats. I never thought to break them in small pieces and she packed on 2-3 extra pounds. She was diagnosed with diabetes a year after I adopted her. Just like with humans, obesity is one of the main contributing factors in diabetes. |
04-16-2011, 07:00 AM | #9 | |
♥ Maximo and Teddy Donating Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 25,041
| Very good reminder to everyone. Max's first vet told us that 85% of her doggy and cat patients are morbidly obese. That is a staggering figure. Quote:
__________________ Kristin, Max and Teddy | |
04-16-2011, 07:07 AM | #10 | |
♥ Maximo and Teddy Donating Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 25,041
| Quote:
__________________ Kristin, Max and Teddy | |
04-16-2011, 09:08 AM | #11 | |
Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: North Carolina
Posts: 8,317
| Quote:
Seriously, my vet told that is one of the most common mistakes her patients make. They carefully measure out the food and can't understand why their dog is overweight. They forget to figure in treats they are giving. Lady thinks a green bean or a piece of a fresh strawberry is an amazing treat. Even though she is diabetic, I never took her treats away. I just make sure they are healthy treats in very small portions. | |
04-16-2011, 09:17 AM | #12 |
Action Jackson ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Maryland
Posts: 17,814
| I agree -- I think it's so sad to see an overweight dog. My dads Dachshund mix is becoming pretty overweight and my stepmom, thankfully, is working on helping him lose it. But my dad is one of those who kills with kindness and tends to give the dogs lots of treats and not just little pieces... he WAY over loads them. We get so mad at him. He's not doing it to be mean, of course, he loves the dogs... but it's a bad habit he's into. Instead of giving them 1/2 of a treat, he just gives 'em a big ole' piece.
__________________ ~ Brit & Lights! Camera! Jackson! CGC ETD TKP ~ Follow Jackson on Instagram: https://instagram.com/jacksontheterrier |
04-16-2011, 09:21 AM | #13 |
YT Addict Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Ontario
Posts: 273
| Although my other dog is considered small (Mini Schnauzer) at 14lbs she is almost 3X the size of my Yorkie. Needless to say, I also have had challenges around portion size. Esp as the girls are on Raw, and it is hard to weigh out the portions for such a small dog. We are currently using a tbs as a measure of size, and so far it seems to be helping...but we might move to a tsp if it doesn't decrease as far as I would like. A great treat is the puffed rice cereal. Works well...1 piece is next to nothing in calories, it's cheap and the girls think it's great! |
04-16-2011, 09:29 AM | #14 | |
Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: North Carolina
Posts: 8,317
| Quote:
Oh, dear. You have to be especially careful with Doxie's getting overweight because they are prone to back problems anyway. | |
04-16-2011, 09:42 AM | #15 |
YT 2000 Club Donating Member | GReat reminders. Also just like humans if you feed at night latish, your dog will put on weight, just like a human. I'm so glad spring is almost here, it is much easier for me to give the pups lots of exercise.
__________________ Razzle and Dara. Our clan. RIP Karma Dec 24th 2004-July 14 2013 RIP Zoey Jun9 th 2008-May 12 2012. RIP Magic,Mar 26 2006July 1st 2018 |
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