Fat Dog?
Ilsa and I went to the vet today and found this. Slentrol.......dirlotapide........A weight control medication for dogs. 
Weight does play an important role in a dog's health. Some breeds and mixes are prone to weight gain. Excess weight can play hell with joints, leading to early onset hip dysplasia. It can cause arthritic back pain in extra long dogs like Corgis and Dachshunds. Heart disease and breathing problems can result. A vicious cycle of overeating and lack of exercise from a lethargic lifestyle can lead to a pet not being as happy as they should be.
If you own a dog, and your dog is fat, take a look at yourself. You are in total control of it's diet. Use a measuring cup or a tin can to dole out the kibbles, and cut back on the amount. Send the table scraps down the garbage disposal. If your dog is fat, it's because you feed him to damned much. He doesn't need dope. You need to stop being one.
Weight does play an important role in a dog's health. Some breeds and mixes are prone to weight gain. Excess weight can play hell with joints, leading to early onset hip dysplasia. It can cause arthritic back pain in extra long dogs like Corgis and Dachshunds. Heart disease and breathing problems can result. A vicious cycle of overeating and lack of exercise from a lethargic lifestyle can lead to a pet not being as happy as they should be.
If you own a dog, and your dog is fat, take a look at yourself. You are in total control of it's diet. Use a measuring cup or a tin can to dole out the kibbles, and cut back on the amount. Send the table scraps down the garbage disposal. If your dog is fat, it's because you feed him to damned much. He doesn't need dope. You need to stop being one.
posted by Xavier at 3:40 PM
4 Comments:
We lost our dog Ditto to Diabetes last year. He was over weight and got that way by us feeding him pizza crusts.
While we spent our mornings and evenings giving him insulin shots, he was wasting away.
Losing him was hard but it was harder knowing we had caused his early demise.
Now our dogs get meter food daily and do not get leftovers or any other "extra" treats.
Of course there is always the occasional squirrel that get splattered in front of the house if they are still hungery.
Normally I can't stand to see a fat dog, most of the time, it's pure laziness on the owners part to allow it, not fair to the animal. It requires effort on the part of the owner to properly exercise their animals, nowadays many just dont have time for it. Sometimes its kindness that kills them...
I will never forget one time, for some reason or other, my Grandmother was asked to look after and feed four very lean and fit Walker Coon hounds my dad had, she boarded them for a couple of months.
When we went to pick them up, I remember the look on my fathers face and what he said when he saw them hounds, "Mother! Just look at them he said dejectedly! You have made them so fat they can't even jump into the back of the truck!".
The poor hounds had their front paws on the tailgate, tails wagging, tongues out, panting giving their best "Over the shoulder" doe eyed look for a boost.
In my Grandmothers defense, she said they always "Looked & Acted hungry", of course they did! They're hounds! If you knew my Grandmother, one thing you had to be careful of around her was "Looking Hungry", you Southerners out there know what I mean, you might end up with a fried chicken, or two, in ya before you got out of there.
One serving of good ole Alabama cast iron skillet cornbread and they were hooked. Those dogs worked her pretty hard. I laugh when I imagine the four of them on stage.
Drumroll........
The award for "Looking Hungry" goes to "The Four Hounds!" ..."First, we would like to thank the Academy, our handlers, friends and family for this award". Ha Ha!
Come to find out, she was cooking them three or four BIG pans of cornbread and white gravy a day! All this on top of their regular allowance of dry dog food!
Those hounds looked so sad for the next couple of weeks when there was no fresh buttered cornbread in their food bowls,just half-rations of "Good Ole Roy" for you actors till you shape up, I ain't Granny and I ain't got no cornbread for ya! I swear I could see their eyes water up in sadness, missing my grandmothers cooking! We all do.
But, as the old saying goes
"A Hungry dog hunts harder"
This euphemism applies to more than coon hounds for sure...
Maybe it's Genetic?
Normally I don't buy fat excuses, but I've got a fat dog and I can find no traditional explanation. He's very active, He's a blue heeler mix, so inactivity is not an option. He's one of three heelers in my household, the other two being the model of fitness. We all run 2 miles every other day and they spend atleast an hour a day in action (chasing cows, balls, lawnmowers, my truck, or just swimming). I've had him on a diet for the last 2 years. He eats 1.5 cups of dry, lite dogfood twice a day, with absolutly no change in weight. I don't feed him table scraps, but you talk about looking hungry, that's him. He'll steal things off the kitchen counter, but it's rare that food is left out, so I can't blame it for his weight. I love my fat dog, and I'm doing what I can to keep him here, with me as long as I can. But maybe he was always meant to be a tubby dog? Either way, it's not always the result of neglect, so please reserve your judgment.
I agree with chris. And excuse me Xavier, I also am a Regestered Nurse working now for over 35 years. I have a male chihuahua who was the runt of the liter. He is now a year old and weighs about 12 pounds. He started gaining weight after being neutered. He eats home cooked food which consists of veggies and chicken. I give him about 1/4 cup every evening and 1 cup of dry food all day long. Treats are minimal and are healthy such as carrots/tomatos. Mind you I have 2 ofther chihuahuas that do not share the same problem but do eat a little more on the evening meal. I walk, play and exercise 2 of them daily. (the one i dont is 14 years old) So it is NOT always laziness. I suspect a thyroid problem and will be having labs drawn on him soon. Any other suggestions are welcomed as long as they are not accusatory or degrading. Thanks
Kathie
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