Comments on: How to Prevent Obesity in Your Pet

By: Dusty Buhler

Dusty Buhler — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:54:23 +0000

We have a neutered puggle who will be 3 years old later this month. after a recent trip to the vet, he said our puggle was over weight and should weigh about 24 lbs. His weight 30.6 lbs. He is fed 1 cup of Purina Dog Chow twice a day and given 2 dental stick treats a day. The only “people food” he gets is sliced apples and ice cubes.
Any suggestions on cutting his weight (calorie count, etc.), He is walked 1 mile,twice a day.

By: Marie

Marie — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 01:30:24 +0000

I completely agree with the comment before mine!!!
People need to stop thinking that food always equals love, and find other ways to show their affection. Like more natural things like exercise and activity games.
Their pet will thank it!!
It really IS a people problem but I am not surprised the pharma industry would try to cash in on the pet obesity.

By: Jessica

Jessica — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:12:57 +0000

I have a puggle – a cross between a pug and a beagle – and these dogs are very popular in my neighborhood. Almost every other puggle we see on our walks is fat to obese. Our vet calls it the “puggle curse.” The owners always ask me, how do you keep your puggle so thin? I can’t quite think of a polite way to say, “I don’t overfeed her.”
Another issue is neighborhood businesses. In particular, a Mailboxes Etc where I get my mail. They love my dog, which is sweet, but they express their love my giving her 8-10 large dog biscuits. Of course my dog goes nuts for this and drags me down the street whenever we get within a half-block radius. I’ve tried talking to them about giving her, say, one treat, but they act like I’m suggesting a form of animal cruelty. The one time my dog did gain too much weight I solved it by not taking her to Mailboxes Etc for three weeks. Of course they gave me a hard time, always asking me why I wasn’t bringing the dog in, and I couldn’t tell them the truth . . .
Why are people so insane about feeding dogs? I feel like I show my dog more love by restricting her diet than by feeding her bacon, even though she outwardly appreciates the bacon more. Even my boyfriend is always trying to slip her extra food . . .

By: osmanlı iksiri

osmanlı iksiri — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 06:34:37 +0000

They do get some human food but never as we are eating it nor off of our plates. I either walk away from the eating area and have them “work” for the food or it goes in their bowls which they have to wait to be given permission to eat out of.

By: Jon D

Jon D — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:32:36 +0000

With the frequency that I’ve have to move around the past 10 years or so, I dont have a pet at the moment – I feel it would be cruel to stick them in quarantine everytime I find myself in a new place.
But before all that we had a Labrador who used to get into the cupboards and eat entire bags of bone meal fertilizer. We quickly learned to stretch rubber bands around the cupboard handles to stop him getting in, but he scratched the hell out of the doors trying!
We also had a Dalmatian who constantly raided the outside bins, so as a school project I designed anti dog dustbin devices to foil her: one design put a hinge on one side of the bin lid and a buckle on the other to secure it, the other design was simply putting one of those stretchy octopus straps with hooks on the ends over the lid to keep it on. both worked a treat!
She also used to bully the Lab and steal his food, so we had to feed him inside and put her outside for her food.

By: KristinMH

KristinMH — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:17:46 +0000

I have 2 Basset Hound/Beagles; they eat the same food and go on the same number of walks, yet one is very fit and muscular, and the other has definite weight issues. The fit one is always running around in the house, getting into stuff, playing. The not-so-fit one, like the beagle that got into the fridge, is food obssessed and naturally lazy. Seriously, if you don’t wake him, he’ll sleep 22 hours a day.
We’ve found that making sure he plays more outside of walks and restricting his food keeps him at a decent weight. We give him less than the other dog even though he’s bigger and supervise them so he doesn’t steal her food.
Just like people – no two dogs are the same. There’s no substitute for responsible, loving care.

By: Doug Alder

Doug Alder — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:55:54 +0000

We have 2 dogs, one a 3yr old Border Collie/Australian Cattle mix and the other a 1yr old Black Lab/Golden Retriever mix (we think) mix and 3 cats ranging in size from small to large (Maine Coon). Four of them are self-feeders but the Border Collie/Australian Cattle mix would eat until she keeled over if we let her – I think this has to do with her first few homes where she was abused before we rescued her. We give her 1/2 cup of food twice a day and a few milk bone treats during the day and that, along with the exercise she gets trying to herd the other dog keeps her fit

By: Marnie

Marnie — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:41:50 +0000

Both my medium sized Border Collie mixes have maintained healthy adult weights of just about 40 lbs. You can feel but not see their ribs, they have a nice tuck up and good energy and great health. We control their weight by sight, adjusting their meals when they look a little thin or thick and it works great. Each time they go to the vet, they are about the same weight.
They do get some human food but never as we are eating it nor off of our plates. I either walk away from the eating area and have them “work” for the food or it goes in their bowls which they have to wait to be given permission to eat out of.
I have no doubt that they’d eat themselves catatonic if they could but they never beg and the worst they do if dinner is late is snuggle a little more. Damn them and their adorableness.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/missmarnie/sets/72157600149555788/

By: speedwell

speedwell — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:21:15 +0000

I have three cats who are very large (one is a Maine Coon; I’m not sure why the other two are so big). They certainly aren’t underfed, but they are not overweight; the Maine Coon is actually on the slender side. I give them the best natural dry cat food I can afford, with 3 to 5 little treats each per day, and it’s rare that they get a little scrap of baked chicken – NEVER from the table.
But they’re all getting older. They never go outside (I live on a busy city street), don’t run around nearly as much as they used to, and their reaction to a feather on a string is, “Oh, what’s this? Hmm. Meh.” I’m really hoping you have some tips for helping them get more active!

By: Michelle

Michelle — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:27:21 +0000

A good article and all good points, except this: “never feed people food.” A lot of people interpret that to mean NOTHING, EVER that is “people food.” But there is nothing wrong with feeding a dog the RIGHT kinds of people food. Lean chicken or other meats mixed in with their meal (obviously accounting for the calories and cutting back accordingly) is healthy, as is using various veggies (if your dog will eat them) like carrots and the like as a snack. People CAN feed “people food” but they have to feed the right foods.