Yesterday a few people left comments about Lucy being overweight on my Mornings with Mavis post. In addition to those comments, I also received 2 emails about Lucy’s weight.
Now, as an adoring puggle mom, of course I didn’t want to believe that Lucy was anything but the perfect little puggle. I love her in any shape or form. But then I really started taking a hard look at her and got worried. What if my girl was unhealthy? Obviously I want her to live the longest, healthiest life she can. So maybe if she is just a wee bit, um, fluffy, and I’m not allowing her to live her best little puggle life.
According to the chart above, I would guestimate that Lucy is between a 3 and a 4. So you guys have a point. Earlier this year Lucy had more of a curved indentation in the area around her waist. And now, she has more of a straight line. Lucy’s not an ideal weight, so I’m going to fix it. And I have a plan to do just that.
- I’m going to walk her more. A little more exercise can’t hurt!
- I’m going to cut back on her treats. I might consider switching her to a lower calorie food, but that won’t be our first step.
- Most importantly, I’m going to give the HH a good talking too since he’s pretty keen on feeding Lucy cheese and handfuls of treats when I’m out of town {or when I turn my back!}.
I’m going to take a slow and steady approach and I’ll keep you posted on her progress. Wish me luck!
Any tried and true things you’ve done in this situation?
Help! I love my sweet Lucy and really want to help her.
~Mavis
Mal says
Poor Lucy! Body shamed by a bunch of strangers.
Tasha says
I don’t think it is “body shaming” (a ridiculous term by the way) to be aware of health issues. Our last dog ended up diabetic, largely because of his weight. Twice a day insulin injections for 4 years were neither cheap nor fun ($80-$100 a month), cleaning up pee everywhere when his insulin levels were off, and having to put him down because of a diabetic-related stroke was not fun either.
Mavis has said that this is her first family dog, so she still has things she doesn’t know about pets. (Not saying I know best, as our new dog needs more exercise.) As for Lucy, she does look a little heavy when standing, but I would ask your vet for their opinion. But obesity in general (humans and pets) is a problem, and ignoring it won’t make it go away.
Mavis Butterfield says
It’s a good thing she can’t read. 😉
Lace Faerie says
In my next life I want to be a dog. That way if I’m fat, it’s somebody else’s fault! Ha!
Good for you taking steps to ensure a long healthy life for my favorite Puggle Princess!
Crystal says
I’m looking at it more like this. Mavis loves Lucy, and wants Lucy to be as healthy as possible, as happy as possible, and to live as long of a life as possible. Since Mavis hasn’t had a family dog before, she isn’t incredibly familiar with what a dog looks or feels like when they are at a healthy weight versus being overweight, or with the potential side effects of being overweight. So by pointing out that Lucy is overweight (which is easy to overlook if you aren’t familiar with what healthy weight is in dogs, and if the weight gain is gradual and you see the dog every day, it is easy to miss the weight gain), we are helping Mavis achieve the best possible life for Lucy.
People make choices about their own exercise and food. But people make those choices for their dogs, which means that, even if we make poor choices for our own exercise and food (which I certainly do), I think we have an obligation to our pets to make the best possible choices for them.
Cindy says
Good for you for taking this seriously and doing what is best for Lucy. Overweight dogs tend to end up with more health problems as they age, just like people do. The low calorie foods tend to have lots of non-nutritious fillers added (such as ground peanut shells!) to reduce the calories, so I have found it better just to reduce the amount of a good food instead. You can add some nutritious fillers to the food if Lucy genuinely seems still hungry, such as a tablespoon of pumpkin or some cooked green beans. You can also use most fruits and vegetables as treats, don’t feed grapes or onions. Lots of dogs learn to enjoy a bite of apple or a baby carrot instead of a high calorie treat. Congrats to you for taking on this challenge. I’m sure Lucy will become slim and trim and feeling great!
Tamara says
Our Suzy PREFERS green beans and carrots over her regular dog food! Ask the vet what Lucy should weigh.
Gwenn says
You can keep her on her regular food, cut it back a bit and add green beans. We gave our dog frozen green beans in her food (she was a gobbler and the frozen beans slowed her down) but my sister thaws the beans in some warm water before giving them to her dog. Green beans have a low glycemic index. My dog also likes broccoli and carrots as a treat. But mainly talk to your vet….they are the best source of information.
Just my two cents.
Bonnie says
You can also talk to your vet to find out what her ideal weight is. They can do skeletal measurements and give you a better idea of what is ‘ideal’.
The chart provided may not be the best resource because that can very a fair amount by breed.
Tami says
When I was in college my dog gained weight because I was not able to exercise him as much and I felt guilty and fed him treats. I cut his food by a small amount, going from one cup two between 2/3 and 7/8 of a cup. I added cooked vegetables, usually about a half cup. Most of the time I just used leftovers or odds and ends from my own fridge, but I kept a couple cans of green beans to rinse well because of salt, just in case I didn’t have time. It came off slowly but surely and he loves his vegetables now. Sometimes during periods of high activity he starts to look a little bit too lean to me and I take it back up to a cup for a little while.
Jonnie says
I put her at 3.5 on the chart. I have found, that as dogs age, they tend got put on a little chubby. It is to be expected. Even dogs that remain active working dots. Just as my great-grandfather’s did. Even going blind, Tommy, the oldest of his herding dogs. They went hunting, every season, all of the kids around, played fetch with them, and spent time swimming with the
M, etc… The vet saw how much activity they had, on a daily basis, and explained that lack of activity, was not the reason for the gain. He said, like people, age added weight, just as it does to people. We were assured, that while it was normal, it did make it harder on their joints, but to not panic, unless is was a large amount of weight, that could lead to more serious health problems. To cut back on snacks, but maintain their regular feeding habits. That as long as they were not sedentary, 24/7, they would remain healthy, even with the weight gain. To help them to retain their agility, strength, and stamina, you can easily do so, as my great-grandfather did. Do you know what a goat cart is ? It is a cart, that only has two wheels. They are located on either side of the cart, about midway, between the front, and the back ends. You want it to be as long as Lucy, and as wide. You want the top to be even with her back, in height. Taller would hinder her ability to be curious, so the top of the walls of the cart are limited Ted. Give her 1 week of pulling the empty cart, on your walks, then add something that is equal to one tenth of her weight. After a week, add another tenth of her weight. Do this until she is hauling her on weight, with no problems. As an added bonus, it will aid in reducing her weight, as well. Good luck,, just think, one day she might be able to haul groceries into the house, or potted plant from one area to another.
Crystal says
Thank you, thank you, for taking the comments seriously, and for being ready to take some steps to get Lucy back to a healthy weight. There are so many great things that you can do to help a dog get into shape. The most important are what you outlined already- more walks, less treats. A great way to give Lucy fewer calories during the day without feeling like she is being deprived is to take half of her meals and use those as treats throughout the day instead of higher calorie treat options. She will still get treats, you will still get to give treats to her, and she won’t be getting any extra calories.
Using a food dispensing toy is a great way to make a smaller amount of kibble seem like more for both you and your dog. I have and love the Kong Wobbler, which you fill with kibble and then the dog bats it with feet and nose, knocking the kibble out a little at a time. It stretches meal time from a few minutes to 15+ for my dogs. If you are just leaving kibble out for her full time, the first step to getting her to lose weight will be to pick up the kibble and make meal times, either out of a bowl or, better, out of a food toy like I mentioned above. Bonus with the food toy is that Lucy would not only be spending more time eating while taking in fewer calories, she would be having a lot of fun, and you can be amused watching her. My dog get really super excited when she sees her Kong Wobbler come out. There are other food toys out there too, if you want to try something else.
I’m really excited that you are making a plan to get Lucy to a healthy weight. I hope that having you go through this with Lucy will help your readers whose dogs are on the heavy side realize that their dogs should lose weight and help them figure out how to. Please, please keep us updated with your journey. Most vets will let you come in just to use their scale to weigh your dog if you call in advance to make sure they aren’t super busy. If you weigh Lucy once a week and update us, I would love to see her progress. Extra bonus, if you go to the vet once a week just to use the scale, and use plenty of (low calorie) treats to make it a fun experience, she will likely get more comfortable at the vet, which I know is a bit of an issue.
I am involved with dog sports, so know a lot about keeping a dog at a healthy weight, and have friends who are actually dog conditioning experts who do classes, private lessons, etc. I hope some of them will contact you- I shared this post with them.
This is a great read as well. Dr. Chris Zink is an awesome vet, and she writes short articles on various topics. This one is about overweight dogs, and is excellent. http://www.caninesports.com/uploads/1/5/3/1/15319800/corpulent_canines_for_website_2012.pdf
vicki says
Mavis, our dog Bella is on a diet. She is a Samoyed mix and has put on weight . We took her to the vet for her checkup. He had us cut down how much food she eats. Green beans are great to add to their food, carrots for snacks. You might want to check out on the web what fruits and vegetables are toxic to dogs. There are lists you can find.
Crystal says
I just realized that this is a perfect post for today, because today is the official Pet Obesity Awareness Day! #PetObesityAwarenessDay
Janet says
Another way to check their weight is to press on their ribs on both sides. If you can feel them they are fine. If you have to “dig” a little to feel them, they are overweight. It’s pretty much the same with any animal – even people.
AshleyAshley says
How old is Lucy? I think with age animals – like most humans – get a little thicker.
Mavis Butterfield says
Lucy will be 3 in December.
JoAnn C says
I swear by low salt canned green beans for our dogs weight management. Also, eating the green beans cuts down on the grass eating, and in our dogs case, puking. I mix it in really well with the kibble and our dogs gobble it up. Since Lucy does get good exercise, chances are cutting out the treats and adding a few veggies would be good. Just as an FYI, our vet told us cheese is VERY BAD for dogs, might want to let the HH know. Keep on keepin on Mavis.
Pam says
It’s the fat content in cheese that makes it so bad for dogs (it can cause diarrhea very easily). But, like peanut butter, it seems to be one of those things that dogs just LOVE. I use a slice of low fat cheddar cheese split in half to deliver the monthly heartworm pill to my two dogs. Neither one is fond of the taste of the pill and the cheese is SUCH a treat for them, they usually gobble it down so fast they never notice the pill. Mine get a measured scoop of dry food in the morning. If it’s not eaten in 20 minutes, I pick up the bowls and pour the food back in the container. At dinnertime, they get measured scoops of a chicken/rice/greenbean food that I cook up myself. There’s never leftovers on that. The German Shepherd has never had weight issues (he’s still young and VERY active) but the Shiba Inu (he’ll be 5 in December) has a tendency to get a little thick if I get generous with the treats. It’s a balancing act and I’m sure Mavis and Lucy will find a way to keep her happy and healthy for many years to come.
Laura says
This cracks me up. My vet was appalled that I gave my dog cheese quesadillas to hold her anti-cancer prescription, which, because she was pretty skinny (41 pounds for a yellow lab) was one-half capsule. I couldn’t figure out how to dispense that so I put it in the cheese, melted it briefly and she gobbled it up.
He was so worried about the cheese! Me, I’m thinking, she is dying from bladder cancer and you are worried about a tablespoon of melted cheese? I’m just trying to keep her alive and happy and comfortable for as long as possible.
Dear sweet Amber lived for a year with that bladder cancer, contracted at age 15.5 and died in my loving arms at the ripe old age of 16.5. I wouldn’t have done cheese as a regular treat, but for my purposes, it was essential and literally, a lifesaver!!
Jessica says
Mavis –
Your Mornings with Mavis posts are something I quite look forward to reading everyday, especially because Lucy is featured. It’s unfortunate that others feel the need to comment on Lucy’s weight; it’s a good thing Lucy doesn’t read your blog because those comments would offend her!
I think your plan of action is a great start! Here is my experience with a similar issue:
I had a dog, coincidently named Lucy (a Labradoodle), that was prone to gaining weight. I, like you, felt that it was important for my dog to maintain a healthy weight. So, after doing quite a bit of research, I decided to switch Lucy to a “diet” food. I chose Costco’s Kirkland Signature “Healthy Weight Management” because it was affordable and rated as a fairly high quality food. I was worried she wouldn’t like it because it wouldn’t taste good or would leave her hungry. But she liked it just as much as her previous food! I understand that this might not be your most preferred route, but I would encourage you to give it a try with your Lucy. She really might not mind the food change at all! In my case, we only fed her the diet food for a little bit (maybe a month?) before we saw results and didn’t keep her on it for too long after she reached her ideal weight. I was worried the diet food wouldn’t be the best food for long term use, because, really, I wouldn’t want to be eating only diet foods for my entire life and she might not either. We were able to transition her off of the diet food to a traditional dry food and she didn’t go back to her “fluffy” ways.
Cutting back on treats was something we did as well. She loved treats, and I’m sure your Lucy does too, so we didn’t want to alter the frequency of her treats. I decided to just alter the serving size of each treat. I would just break each treat into halves or thirds so she could still have treats as often as before, but not be consuming such a large amount over the course of the day. She didn’t even seem to notice that her treats were smaller! We never went back to full sized treats because she never seemed to have felt jipped, it was quite cost effective on my end, and our vet advised us that treats are not made to be a large part of a dogs diet.
Walking Lucy more is a great idea. We were not able to really implement that for our Lucy as she was a rescue dog. She had broken her leg as a puppy and it was never set to heal properly (darned people who let her suffer) leaving her with an aching leg after walking distances. She would switch to walking on only her three good legs if we walked too far so we kept that to a minimum to avoid causing her discomfort.
All in all, I think you are doing the right thing. You are a great mom to Lucy, despite what the commenters and emailers implied. I know Lucy will be an ideal weight in no time!
Susan S. says
Hi Mavis! I recently had the same issue with our Sheltie, so I can totally understand how you feel. Our vet got on my case, so I had to make adjustments. She gave me a little plastic cup that outlines the premeasured amount of food that our dog is supposed to be getting at every feeding. I was soooo surprised to find that I was feeding her more than double the recommended amount — YIKES!!!! She also told me that you can’t always trust the labels on the dog food, since their recommended amounts are usually based on active dogs that will eat the maximum amount… thereby, making you go buy more dog food more often. That made sense to me, too. Long story short, since I’ve been feeding my pooch from the premeasured cup the vet gave me (they’re free by the way!!!), she’s lost 3 pounds! That’s a huge amount of pounds for a dog! So – I would definitely recommend going to the vets and picking up one of those little cups and asking how much she needs. Our Sheltie only gets a 1/2 cup in the morning and a 1/2 cup in the evening, and she’s larger than Lucy.
Mrs. Chow says
This is a great idea! My dogs range in weight from13-18 pounds, and each one gets a different amount of food, but well below recommended amounts. They are extremely hairy, unlike Lucy Puggle, so you have to feel and weigh them to get a good idea of their fitness.
I remember reading once that most small breeds only need about 250-300 calories a day! I also divide their food into two meals, one in the morning and one in the late afternoon.
Dena says
Unfortunately, I have the same problem w/ my husband. Every time ‘kibble boy’ goes into the kitchen, dog is right behind because he is the ‘weak minded’ one. I’ve gone from medium to small hard dog biscuits, & snap those in half to put in the treat bowl. Soft treats (as a reward for going into the kennel, either outside or the dog box inside) are also halved. I try to keep a little bit of apple or banana chopped in a covered container near the treat bowl for substitutions. If I find my husband giving treats hand over paw, I reduce the next day’s meals a bit. 1/3 of the evening meal is placed inside a Cong, where dog has to paw the thing back & forth (dog switches from using the right paw one time, to using the left paw the following time!) & get some time where dog has to ‘work’ for the food instead of just food hoovering it. It’s as hard to train the husband as well as the dog, so breaking treats in half might be a easy(ier) way to go. Good Lucy!
Katie W says
I would definitely get her to the vet to have them evaluate her weight. Just like humans, dogs can have different body types, thus different ideal weights. My puppy is a tall lab mix, and had been holding steady at about 65lb, which is the typical weight for her age and height. At her yearly visit, she had gained a few pounds, so the vet recommended we reduced her food intake a little to better match her activity level. Fast forward to her next yearly visit and she was down to 55lb. I was super concerned, but I asked the vet about it. (This was a new vet, we had moved). She took a good look at her body, felt around her ribs etc, and said, “Nope, she’s at a good weight for her body. She’s very athletic and lean.” I would have tried to put weight back on her had I not asked that question! I do increase her food a little bit when I know she’s going to have a very active day, for example when we take her out to the deer lease and she runs and runs all day.
Cutting back on people treats is a good idea too! My dog loves veggies, so usually when I’m dicing some up, I’ll toss a piece or two to her. She also has a love affair with peanut butter, so when I eat a spoonful, I’ll let her lick the last little bit off my spoon. (She follows me around while I’m eating it and will pout if I don’t share lol). Other than that, we really try to watch table scraps – she doesn’t get much very often.
Mrs. Chow says
Mavis, I have four dogs, all some breeds like Lucy. I’ve also had big dogs. My vet keeps asking me why they are not fat, and the answer is diet. Exercise is important, but diet is #1.
So, yes, sweet Lucy is more of a 4 than a 3. She should have a well defined waist, even for a puggle. This could add up to two years of life.
My dogs are on a raw diet, which is not for everyone. What everyone can do, if their dog’s health allows, is to give healthy treats. In the case of my dogs, their treats are steamed broccoli, little carrots, Swiss chard (not kidding), green beans. No commercial stuff. They love the crunch, and the calories are low. I avoid carb-laden foods, including treats. If I roast butternut squash, they will get a cube of that. I also give them about a tablespoon of canned pumpkin every day, which keeps their poop in good shape, is very healthy, and they love it!
Mrs. Chow says
Small breeds, not some breeds!
katie p nc says
Try adding a little water to her hard kibble (and a wee bit less kibble), it will fill her and she’ll eat less calories. That’s what the vet told me when my almost 20lb cat had to lose some weight. In the meantime don’t worry what people on the interwebs say, the vet is the person you listen to. Although a little extra walking never hurt anyone!
Becky says
You can modify her name to Lucy the Pudgy Puggle Princess! I am completely astonished that people would comment on the weight of your dog. Maybe I need to get some more time on my hands because I have more things to worry about than to even notice a slight overweight puppy problem.
Jenny says
We put hot water in the dog food to make it swell and it fills the dogs more. We have a beagle who is a glutton and eats everything. This time of the year he just gains weight. We don’t change his food but he still gains. We think he is supplementing his food with all the stuff he catches. We have this theory that he is bulking up for the winter. Last week we were working in the yard and he caught a weasel.
Lindsey says
Boy, until I read all these comments I did not realize how lucky we are—our dogs self-feed. We leave a bucket of food out all the time and they eat as they want. We have done this since they were puppies and, according to our vet, they are the perfect weight for their breed. I would hate having to dole out food twice a day. However, we do limit our treats to fruits or vegetables so that probably helps—they certainly seem to like them more than their kibble. We were cautioned by our vet the first time we brought each puppy in not to let them get overweight because of the problems it will cause as they age. I only wish my husband and I were as good at self-feeding in moderation as our dogs are!
Laura says
We have always done this too. They self-regulate and I don’t have to rush home or wake up at a certain time to feed them. I did have a vet freak out about that, that it would ruin their hips. What?!! But it worked very well for them and us. No problems until one of the dogs developed SARDS and went blind. It was preceded by prodigious eating and drinking, so be aware of that. Any changes in behavior should be discussed with a vet. We were fairly shocked by the diagnosis as it literally came out of nowhere. Apparently Jan to March is the peak time for onset of the disease. Who knew??
Betty Ott says
Lucy is becoming overweight. I really suggest starting her on a high quality weight controling dog food. I also suggest to almost stop the treats and give her bits of cheese instead. Cheese in healthy (in moderation) and is frequently used for training dogs of all ages. I think you do great with the walks you go on, just don’t let Lucy talk the family (including everyone) into more treat than she needs. Kind words and new toys go a long way to make her just as happy.
Our big guy lost 50+ pounds with weight controling dog food and medication for his thyroid condition, good luck,
Betty
Em says
Hi Mavis!
Lots of good ideas here, and I know you’ll be successful.
I’ll add my experiences in case it helps someone. For six months we reduced food and increased exercise (per the vet’s instruction) to help one of the dogs lose weight. This dog did not lose weight, but the second dog in the house lost 12 pounds (and I made sure they did not eat each other’s food). In other words, we were taking it seriously.
After six months of no results for the first dog, the vet tested his thyroid levels and they were very low. Since starting medication, the dog has lost 15 pounds over the course of five months. (He started at 98 pounds!) He is a new dog! Softer fur, and more energy!
Good luck, and thanks again for your blog!
jane johnson says
A vet told me once that you should be able to faintly feel ribs when you run you hand along the dog’s side. I have no idea what she was talking about or what ribs would feel like since I’ve never experienced it with my little tubby cocker. LOL
DZ Dog Mom says
This is so awesome! Yay for you getting Lucy back on track with her weight, maybe you’ll be able to reach some of your readers during this process and inspire them to keep their pups at an ideal weight too! 🙂
Kathy says
I will echo what several have said…green beans! Our dog Goldie loves them. And she begs for apples. Both of those are so much healthier than dog treats. She comes running if she hears anyone getting out the cutting board and knife…she hopes it means apples are coming her way! Just don’t feed her the seeds which have cyanide in them.
We had this same realization about Goldie a couple years ago. Between green beans, apples, and decrease in her amount of food, she looks so much better. Good luck with Lucy’s weight loss plan!
deb k says
Mavis,
When our corgi was overweight, we did two things to fix the problem.
One, we kept her on the same food but we decreased it a small amount and substituted green beans for the small amount of dog food taken out so she was eating the same amount of food and didn’t feel deprived but part of it was a vegetable. ( I picked this tip up from a dog breeder.)
Two, instead of the regular doggie snacks you buy that add weight, we changed her treats to snack size carrots or even half a snack size carrot. She eats the carrot bites just fine and still gets treats plus it turns out to save money (carrots are much cheaper than doggie treats).
She lost the extra weight and now I use carrot pieces for treats for all three of my dogs and they all like them and I now am in the habit of adding a non starchy vegetable to all my dogs food most of the time.
Good luck
deb k says
also, I forget to say, another good thing about using cut up pieces of carrots as treats is that you can still give lots of treats so your dog doesn’t suddenly feel deprived the way she would if the amount of treats she received was decreased. So, doggie is happy getting treats and owner is happy as dog loses weight.
Best of luck!
Judy says
Mavis I love Lucy. I think she’s awesome but I do think she’s a little overweight. I noticed this the other day when you pictured her on the blog. Lucy is part pug and pugs seem to have a big problem being over weight. Actually I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pug that wasn’t overweight.
Sometimes we love our pets with too many Treats. That’s not only bad for their health and weight but its not good at all for their oral hygiene, especially in small breeds of dog like Lucy. It is been recommended by my vet and other vets that owners should not give their dogs those chewy, sugary, corn syrupy treats.
I have a Chihuahua. Not a tea cup one but a regular sized one. Her vet told me no chewy treats, they’re bad for their waist and teeth. He told me to give her rawhide bones,carrots and green beans that are way less calories, no sugar and help tremendously with keep her gums healthy and Tartar off her teeth. She loves them.
I’m just giving you some tips because I know how much you love Lucy and you want to keep her healthy. My Dog is 4 years old and so far she’s ideal weight and her teeth are great. So I guess her doctor knows best.
J S says
I have in progress a book:
Leave it! Take it! — a strategy to guide humans to work with their canine companions, and together, to achieve and maintain a body weight and condition that will promote optimum health for both.
If you, and your canine companion would be willing to beta test the program, I would love to share it with you.
Jen Y says
It’s so much harder with a small dog to maintain their weight. One treat is half her meal! I have a little Morkie & I break her treats up into tiny pieces & just give her a nibble as a reward instead of a whole treat. I also hide treats inside of toys that she has to really work hard to get it out…they last so much longer & keep her from getting bored.
I think choosing to never give people food & being strict with the treats will make a big difference for Lucy.
Robin says
I did portion control, watching my pets’ figures closely to determine the correct portions for their body types. One of our two cats was 21 pounds when we adopted him from the shelter; he is now nice and trim and we figured out dry food is bad for him. Our other cat is long and lean like a panther, very athletic, and apparently I hit on the correct portions for her as she’s always the same trim weight. Probably also has a great metabolism.
When I was younger I had a Pom whom my parents babysat frequently. My dad had a habit of tossing potato chips, etc., to the dogs — their dog was overweight by about 15 lbs. To prevent the same thing from happening to my dog, I told Dad she had a sensitive tummy and if he gave her this she would throw up on his carpet, and if he gave her that she would get diarrhea. That stopped him from giving her the wrong foods. 🙂 There was some truth in what I said but I padded it with a little white lie.
Mari says
Oh Mavis…. Stop condemning Lucy from the opinions of what bunch of strangers say from seeing a photo. If you are concerned… ASK YOUR VET!!!! Get PROPER advice from TRAINED PROFESSIONALS about it. They will tell you she is or she isn’t and if so, they will advise you about her diet and exercise. (I must add, after having a dog with diabetes, I did shudder seeing you let her lick out the baking bowl).
I am really concerned about all the shite advice people give on here. Some of it is down right dangerous and so stupid. So if you are at all concerned, ask PROFESSIONALS, not armchair critics.
Kat says
As a hobby photographer I can say that photos can make the subject look heavier than they really are. I would consult your vet and ask whats a healthy weight for Lucy. That being said, an extra 15 – 20 minutes of walking never hurt any dog and it’s good bonding with Lucy and those that walk her.
I have 5 dogs and 3 of them have weight issues so I limit dog treats. All of them like fruits and veggies, everything from apple slices and asparagus to slices of zucchini. That has helped us, along with extra exercise, keep their wight under control and our vet approves.
Linda says
Hi Mavis. I admit I haven’t read all the comments above, so please forgive me if I repeat things.
I am a licensed veterinary technician, and yes I counsel people in doggie weight control all the time. I know it’s hard, but you can do it. Lots of my clients have helped their dogs this way as have I with one of my rescues.
Your approach is a good one. The only thing I would argue with is switching her to a diet food. All they do is add undigestable fiber, and you’re paying for that. Just feed less. If Lucy is convinced she is starving (and she has a perfect, little begging face), give her all the GREEN veggies you want. Try to avoid the starchy veggies like peas and corn. Our favorite to recommend is green beans. I use them frozen, right out of the bags, but my dogs love ice cubes too. They think the beans are treats. 🙂 some people use broccoli, but I find it does the same thing in dogs as humans – stinky! Talk to husband into using veggies as treats. Lucy doesn’t care. Most of the “treatness” is in the delivery.
And yes, she is definitely a body condition score 4 tending to 5. 🙁 i too have been watching her pics wondering if I should say something. Do NOT feel as if you are torturing your dog. She really will feel better. She will have more energy (sorry!), have fewer joint problems, and, from my experience, gain “altitude”.
If you have any questions or just need moral support, you are always welcome to contact me via email. This is my profession, and I love it.
Linda
Renay says
The vet told me our cat was overweight, too. I told her it was thick fur. She said um, no it’s not. LOL!!!
Em says
🙂
christy says
YAY MAVIS!! i was going to send you a comment on lucy’s weight condition myself, but i was hoping others would AND THEY DID! we all want lucy to be healthy and live a long life. it is way too easy to have your fur child’s weight creep up without realizing it.
i found my love-of-my-life dog, mattie, wandering loose on the side of the road and WADDLING along..she looked like a polish sausage with legs. she was so heavy she couldn’t even hop up into my truck so i could help find her owner. i was very concerned her owner was NOT loving her in the right way, given her weight and and that she was covered in solid mats.
after having no luck finding her owner, i decided to adopt her myself. i brushed out all the mats and immediately put her on a diet. she lost 20 lbs and has stayed at her goal weight for 10 years now. i make weekly tests: one should FEEL ribs but not SEE ribs (unless she is a sight hound breed, which she is not).
i would hope you decide to never feed lucy any table scraps…and do NOT let her lick any bowls in the kitchen of human food you are cooking/baking. please make it healthy dog food only…plus healthy vegetables that are added to her regular dog food in her own bowl.
not every dog automatically begs for human food…they are taught this bad habit by naughty owners. how would it look if my service dog begs for food while she’s with me in a restaurant? no, she lies quietly under the table.
please make sure you keep a weight diary for lucy and weigh her by holding her in your arms while you are standing on your bathroom scale. then weigh just yourself and do the math.
we are all so relieved, for lucy’s sake, that you are brave enough to post this. we look forward to seeing her progress! xoxoxox
Katrina says
Measure her food and no treats (unless they are veggies). That has been the only way to control my dog’s weight..
Marianne says
Thanks for the informative post, which has obviously created quite the discussion! We’ve struggled with our dog’s weight and worked to limit treats/human food and diligently measure his dog food. Also get lots of walks in which is good for all of our waistlines! One of our dearly departed dogs was very food motivated and would scarf everything down so quickly. We got him a slow-feed bowl (which is raised in the middle) and puzzle toys that dispensed treats. Getting him to slow down helped him be more satisfied.