Obesity in Dogs

[Janet White]

Last night was the quarterly Affiliates phone conference. In the discussion, WSSH was telling us about a dog they recently took in that is extremely overweight. Because of the dangers of losing weight too fast (Cari, or someone can you post about that?), they are seeking possible ways to help this dog lose weight slowly.

Just wanted to start the thread! :)

[SammyLover]

While I do know from years of working at a veterinarian some of the best ways to help your pet (and yourself for that matter--LOL) lose weight safely, it is a huge subject to tackle in one day. I will certainly continue researching, however I found an amazing article that basically explains it all that I'd like to share with all of you. Obesity in dogs is mostly related to the aging process and the fact that, just like us humans, they no longer need to hunt (running, fighting, etc) for their food--therefore the calories going in are not being burned as they would "back in the old days". As important as it is for our dogs and ourselves to acheive a healthy weight, it is just as important to undertake this process in a slow, methodical manner. It is simply dangerous to the heart, liver, pancreas, kidneys, etc to lose weight too quickly.

I trimmed down my Siberian husky/shepherd mix in approximately 9 months using a weight management diet from Nutro called Ultra. It is a holistic diet with many wonderful natural ingredients. Not only has he stopped looking like a walking card table, but his coat is softer, eyes brighter, and he's limping less. But, as I said, this took 9 months. Do not look for instant gratification in trimming down your dog or yourself. Not only is it dangerous to lose the weight quickly, but if the weight is to be regained (as often is the case) it can place a huge strain on the heart. We've all heard of Karen Carpenter and her battle with anorexia. Well, it may surprise you to realize that she didn't die of losing too much weight directly. Her heart failed when she began to increase her weight back to normal. Her heart had been so used to only having to work for a tiny body and had been weakend by the lack of proper nutrition, that when Ms. Carpenter began to eat normally her heart couldn't handle the strain. Therefore, we NEVER want our dogs to lose weight too quickly. This CAN & DOES happen to dogs, also.

Losing weight is absolutely the right thing to do for your dog's overall health. Just make sure you do it safe and slow!

Here's the article I mentioned with all the technical advice. http://www.thepetprofessor.com/articles/article.aspx?id=184#

I hope this helps! If you have any specific questions, please feel free to ask! If I don't know, I'd be happy to research it for you! :)

Sammily yours,

Cari