Dog getting too fat?

Cr01502 · May 2013

I'm having a problem with my 5 year old yellow labrador (human years). She's always been a little chubby. This is her at 6 weeks old.

As you can see she is a little chubby but adorable nonetheless. As she grew older her appetite grew as well. I used to feed her whatever I would eat bacon, pancakes, ice cream, oreo cookies, and healthy stuff like chicken and vegetables too. Really the only thing she doesn't eat is celery. She won't touch it. She was also very active as a young dog. This is her attacking a snowman.

Lately though people have been making comments like 'Hey man. Not to be rude but your dog is getting a bit plump' I usually tell them to keep their mouth shut as I don't want her to develop a disorder or anything like that. But then after a day at work I came home to this.

This photo was taken after she somehow managed to open my freezer door. 3 pints of ice cream and half a raw salmon later this was the after math. That was really the only time she's ever done anything like this. She's normally very well behaved but I'm wondering if all the people calling her fat are hurting her feelings and she's eating more to cover it up . . just a theory.

Then today I was lounging in the garden and noticed she had gotten plump. Here's her latest pic.

Notice how tiny her head is?

For fellow dog owners, have you had to deal with anything like this? How did you manage? My dog loves food so much and it makes her so happy . . . I don't want to deny her the food she loves but I also want her to be healthy and happy. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

eep223 · May 2013

Great opportunity to exercise together! Walk, walk, walk and keep her off the people food. I'm sure you know this.

bearkisses · May 2013

omg, first pic is so cute

and just feed the dog dog food if you are unable to identify healthy natural foods that dogs are able to digest.

my parent-in-laws dog was diagnosed with diabetes. it was no accident. the pup was fed strawberry yogurt every morning with its dog food as a treat! among other things, like shepherds pie, etc.

now the dog is on insulin shots daily

saxmaniac · May 2013

I'm thinking a vegan diet might work. Do you have any leftover deflated soya?

MorgueBabe · May 2013

She is a lil plump.

I NEVER NEVER NEVER feed my animals (Two dogs and one cat) table scraps EVER. Table scraps are VERY bad for your pet. Garlic, Onions, and many other things are deadly to animals. CHOCOLATE is deadly to dogs.
They DO NOT free feed.
No treats every day. Treats only for training or special event or accomplishment.
Lots of walks and activity.
She is getting older so her food needs change. WHat are you feeding her? Is it a food meant for her age and activity level?
We feed Wellness and weruva. Is she eating dry or wet food or a combination of the both?

Pets are like kids. Of course they always want to eat and eat junk, it's our responsibility not to give it to them.

Cr01502 · May 2013

Great opportunity to exercise together! Walk, walk, walk and keep her off the people food. I'm sure you know this.

But all my dog eats is people food!!

I want her to be healthy and happy. I've looked at dog food and it lists a bunch of chemicals and things like 'ash' get put into it.

Davina_JH · May 2013

I'm thinking a vegan diet might work. Do you have any leftover deflated soya?

QFT...

I've heard vegan diets are great for cats too.

MorgueBabe · May 2013

Great opportunity to exercise together! Walk, walk, walk and keep her off the people food. I'm sure you know this.

But all my dog eats is people food!!

I want her to be healthy and happy. I've looked at dog food and it lists a bunch of chemicals and things like 'ash' get put into it.

Well there is your problem.

Merrick
Blue
Weruva
Wellness
Call of the Wild

are some high quality pet foods.

bearkisses · May 2013

Great opportunity to exercise together! Walk, walk, walk and keep her off the people food. I'm sure you know this.

But all my dog eats is people food!!

I want her to be healthy and happy. I've looked at dog food and it lists a bunch of chemicals and things like 'ash' get put into it.

there are very high quality natural dog foods out there, go to a pet store and ask them to help you find something good for your pup. stay away from the big brands, they are the ones that have crap in them.

RandiLandCHANGED · May 2013

Your baby gets what your baby wants. I totally get that. She's your girl and her happiness is number one. I completely agree that the harsh comments could trigger low self worth and ultimately even more disordered eating. Her binging is what concerns me. Whatever approach you take, be sure to talk with her extensively about how and why things may be a bit different. I don't think you can just cut her off. She will resent you.

EvanKeel · May 2013

Labs are prone to gaining weight. It's really the same process as with people. Control her feeding and get her moving some more and she'll drop off some weight. Measure out her food and stick to a schedule. Feeding once in the morning and once in the evening works for our dog, and she doesn't get table scraps..apart from the very occasional extra pancake or some apple slices.

And honestly...

For fellow dog owners, have you had to deal with anything like this? How did you manage? My dog loves food so much and it makes her so happy . . . I don't want to deny her the food she loves but I also want her to be healthy and happy. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

This made me think the entire thread was just a joke. But you did put some effort into posting those images. So I'm torn. She'll eat when you say and be happy about it. I treat my dog like a member of the family, but she's not a little person.

bearkisses · May 2013

Great opportunity to exercise together! Walk, walk, walk and keep her off the people food. I'm sure you know this.

But all my dog eats is people food!!

I want her to be healthy and happy. I've looked at dog food and it lists a bunch of chemicals and things like 'ash' get put into it.

Well there is your problem.

Merrick
Blue
Weruva
Wellness
Call of the Wild

are some high quality pet foods.

my dog is on wellness! for small breeds. she loves it. and she is so super healthy.

MrsBioChem · May 2013

My one dog was a slow weight gainer. She started getting into and eating things we would leave in her sight. Turns out she has a thyroid disorder. We put her on medication and had to be very strict with her diet; no more people food, all meals measured.

Cr01502 · May 2013

I'm thinking a vegan diet might work. Do you have any leftover deflated soya?

Well, to be honest she does enjoy things like pancakes and ice cream but she's also a huge bacon fan. Overall I think she wouldn't be a very happy vegan (are there any LOL)?

bearkisses · May 2013

Labs are prone to gaining weight. It's really the same process as with people. Control her feeding and get her moving some more and she'll drop off some weight. Measure out her food and stick to a schedule. Feeding once in the morning and once in the evening works for our dog, and she doesn't get table scraps..apart from the very occasional extra pancake or some apple slices.

And honestly...

For fellow dog owners, have you had to deal with anything like this? How did you manage? My dog loves food so much and it makes her so happy . . . I don't want to deny her the food she loves but I also want her to be healthy and happy. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

This made me think the entire thread was just a joke. But you did put some effort into posting those images. So I'm torn. She'll eat when you say and be happy about it. I treat my dog like a member of the family, but she's not a little person.

i can't believe you give your dog a whole pancake. a treat for my dog is the strawberry left on a husk, a tiny tiny piece of cantaloupe, a spinach leaf here and there. she runs off with it and loves it! i gave her ONE fruit loop the other day just to watch her crunch it adorably. but it was ONE and i feel guilty lol

mjsunshine16 · May 2013

We feed the raw diet and when we need to cute back intake we feed him green beans or broccoli frozen to fill his belly. Its not only healthy but good for their teeth.

MorgueBabe · May 2013

there are very high quality natural dog foods out there, go to a pet store and ask them to help you find something good for your pup. stay away from the big brands, they are the ones that have crap in them.

Agreed, many of the name brands you know like Purena, Iams, Eukanunba suck. They have crap in them.

My German Shepard has IBS and lymphangiectasia.

Bring her to a vet and see what they have to say.

EvanKeel · May 2013

Great opportunity to exercise together! Walk, walk, walk and keep her off the people food. I'm sure you know this.

But all my dog eats is people food!!

I want her to be healthy and happy. I've looked at dog food and it lists a bunch of chemicals and things like 'ash' get put into it.

Unless you've actually put some effort into researching canine nutrition, you might as well start saving up for dealing with your Lab's inevitable case of Pancreatitis.

MorgueBabe · May 2013

I'm thinking a vegan diet might work. Do you have any leftover deflated soya?

Well, to be honest she does enjoy things like pancakes and ice cream but she's also a huge bacon fan. Overall I think she wouldn't be a very happy vegan (are there any LOL)?

I seriously at this point don't know if you really want help.

eep223 · May 2013

I honestly have no clue if this thread is legit or not. If you are seriously asking, buy high quality dog food or make your own with high quality ingredients (something like this: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/homemade-dog-food/ ).

thecakelocker · May 2013

Juice cleanse?

Cr01502 · May 2013

Your baby gets what your baby wants. I totally get that. She's your girl and her happiness is number one. I completely agree that the harsh comments could trigger low self worth and ultimately even more disordered eating. Her binging is what concerns me. Whatever approach you take, be sure to talk with her extensively about how and why things may be a bit different. I don't think you can just cut her off. She will resent you.

Thank you. This makes so much sense! She's always loved food but lately it's like it's become and obsession. Whenever I stand up she thinks I'm headed to the refrigerator. Whenever I make myself a sandwich she just sits there and drools at me. I'm genuinely worried that maybe she overheard comments from some of my friends and is now taking it out on her health and appearence.

matt2442 · May 2013

What a cute puppy...I know that my grandparents have an over weight border collie and she eats a lot of people food.

I have a 4 year old border collie who is at good weight and eats very little people food.

I think the people food might be the problem

brower47 · May 2013

My GSP loves food too, I have to put rocks in his bowl to force him to eat around them or he'd inhale his food (had a scare with bloat because of it one time). He KNOWS when it's dinner time, gently placing his head in my lap if I'm sitting down or tapping me with his foot if I'm standing. That being said, I have to limit his intake or he would suffer the same fate as your pooch, even with the 10 to 20 miles he runs everyday.

If you love your dog, do not condemn her to poor health just because you want to baby her love of food. You'll get less time with her (shorter lifespan) if you let her continue to have that weight. Do the right thing and put her on a diet and stop feeding her table scraps.

Note: this post is not meant to be rude, please don't take it as such

1ConcreteGirl · May 2013

Wow, I feel your pain. I'm going through the same thing with my cat, Princess.

Princess was adorable as a kitten and was used to getting her way, which was a really bad idea on my part. She always managed to get into my poptarts and ice cream, and I would wake up in the morning to find empty wrappers scattered around the kitchen.

Lately, her addiction to sugar is crazy. It's really getting out of control. I would love to help my Princess control Sugar, but I don't think the usual human methods will work. I've talked to my sister about swiping some diabetes medicine from my mom, so I might try that.

To accurately compare to your dog's progress, I suggest multiplying my cat's weight by about 25.

Here she is as a kitten, five pounds:

Here she is getting a little fatter, at 11 lbs

And more recently, as she's been getting addicted to Sugar (17 lbs)

calibriintx · May 2013

You're welcome! http://www.peta.org/living/companion-animals/vegetarian-cats-and-dogs.aspx

MorgueBabe · May 2013

http://v-dog.com/

bearkisses · May 2013

your cat is adorable. you guys are such jokers!

animal health shouldn't be a joke

did you know cats don't have tastebuds that are receptive to sugar....

MorgueBabe · May 2013

They're also lactose intolerant.

ldrosophila · May 2013

At first I thought this post was supposed to be funny, but then I scrolled and I'm a bit scared. How does the dog have access to the fridge? My lab could eat and eat all day, but I limit her access to food and she is lean and healthy and very active. Please dont feed her people food regularly obesity in animals is just as much a killer as obesity in humans. You are talking about severe arthritis, hemmoroids, bloating which can kill a dog, and heart disease. Dogs are omnivores and need to be fed a diet that supplies all the essential proteins. Dog's are not herbivores and to put one on a vegan diet would be cruel. You can make your own dog food, but look at what you need to do to supply her the complete nutrition because if you are missing anything it could spell death for your dog. There are some great dog food's out there that are more wholesome (they are pricey), but you wont have to worry about not feeding your baby all the nutrition that she needs. Animals should not be fed people food on a regular basis there are many ingredients in there like onions which can make your dog very sick. I dont have a problem eating a little bit of scraps every once in awhile as a treat, but to feed her so much she is fat may not be in your puppy's best interest.

Cr01502 · May 2013

Wow, I feel your pain. I'm going through the same thing with my cat, Princess.

Princess was adorable as a kitten and was used to getting her way, which was a really bad idea on my part. She always managed to get into my poptarts and ice cream, and I would wake up in the morning to find empty wrappers scattered around the kitchen.

Lately, her addiction to sugar is crazy. It's really getting out of control. I would love to help my Princess control Sugar, but I don't think the usual human methods will work. I've talked to my sister about swiping some diabetes medicine from my mom, so I might try that.

To accurately compare to your dog's progress, I suggest multiplying my cat's weight by about 25.

Here she is as a kitten, five pounds:

Here she is getting a little fatter, at 11 lbs

And more recently, as she's been getting addicted to Sugar (17 lbs)

Wow! Thank you! It's so nice to hear from someone who has battled with something like this before. I'm so sorry to see the state of your cat. I'm wondering if my dog has also become addicted to Sugar??

Dog getting too fat?

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