How have your pets helped you?

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soccerdog693
soccerdog693 Posts: 73 Member
in Motivation and Support
I'm a veterinary student, so animals are always on my mind :P But I want to know, how have your pets helped you in your weight loss? Have they lost anything, too? In the clinic we see obese pets all the time, and it's just as bad for them as it is for us! But It's also great because sometimes you see a client and pet get fit together ^_^

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This is the reason I get active. Her name is Ember, and she is the most active 9-year old border collie you'll meet! Trust me, if I don't get a jog in, I hear about it from this one. She has never had a weight problem, but she's helping me solve mine! Also, since I have switched to healthier foods, she has gladly switched to begging for healthier foods! She now gets just as excited about the little nubby ends of cucumbers as pepperoni from pizza (wish I was that way, lol!). I can't tell you how many times I have given this dog spinach and green beans to have her come back for more :P

So what about you???
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Replies

  • Tillyecl1
    Tillyecl1 Posts: 189 Member
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    My cat is not overweight but she does help me by keeping me company if I'm cycling indoors and also forcing me to go longer when I do planks because she tries to sit under me when I'm doing them. If I am in the middle of a plank and I don't want to squash her I have to keep going til she moves! She's adorable :-)
  • lstnlondry
    lstnlondry Posts: 1,794 Member
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    After losing her partner, my dog B lost about 7 pounds in a year because we just ran & ran while we mourned. I now have 3 dogs which equal 3 times the motivation!! PS: Im sad for obese pets, they dont ask to stay home and lay around, they ask for a minimum of a walk.
  • Libertysfate
    Libertysfate Posts: 452 Member
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    My nugget and I go for walks together, and he *tries* to assist when I'm doing sit-ups. lol
  • michelleneli
    michelleneli Posts: 132 Member
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    I changed my profile pic so you can see my cat Eli. I got him 8 years ago at the local shelter. He's 13 and weighs 13.5lbs. The vet would like him to lose 1.5 lbs. I don't feed him people food, just the prescription Science Diet the vet suggests for him. :smile:
    When I get discouraged he's always there wanting to lay on my chest and lick my face.
  • lila1958
    lila1958 Posts: 37 Member
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    I used to get up early and take my black lab, for walks all the time, she would get so upset when I went to the gym instead. She recently had a spinal stroke, and can't walk without help. (She is 14) it's sad, but the Vet thinks she may get better. I'm hoping!
  • karinajean2388
    karinajean2388 Posts: 162 Member
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    On days I don't feel like being active at all, my little dogs make sure that I at least get a little exercise from walking them. The only problem is that they also try and jump all over me when I am doing any stretching or exercises on the floor (crunches/sit-ups are difficult with a dog on your chest giving you kisses).

    Exercise aside, my rescue dog is the one who kept me going when I was having some dark times. The "who rescued who?" stickers are my favorite :)
  • lila1958
    lila1958 Posts: 37 Member
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    Oh, and she was overweight but managed to lose 8 pounds. It was easier for her than me!
  • soccerdog693
    soccerdog693 Posts: 73 Member
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    On days I don't feel like being active at all, my little dogs make sure that I at least get a little exercise from walking them. The only problem is that they also try and jump all over me when I am doing any stretching or exercises on the floor (crunches/sit-ups are difficult with a dog on your chest giving you kisses).

    Exercise aside, my rescue dog is the one who kept me going when I was having some dark times. The "who rescued who?" stickers are my favorite :)

    So true - sometimes the emotional support is the best!
  • AHack3
    AHack3 Posts: 173 Member
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    I try to get her out to the dog park when the weather is nice and time allows as she plays I walk around. I try to get my dog out for at least a 15-30 minute walk everyday and on occasion depending on my mood we may jog a bit. She loves both and always ready to go whenever I am, she can go from napping to ok let's go in a half a second, wish I could be like that. She had recently been limping on her back hind leg and she's been having to rest it for the past week and a half, we both miss our walks so much! She hasn't been limping the last 3 days at all so I'm hoping we can get out for a little walk soon. She also tries to help me I guess whenever I am doing any type of floor exercises in the livingroom. My dog loves carrots! Every time she hears the veggie drawer open in the fridge she comes in running in hopes she can have one. We were at the vet recently because of her leg and the vet said she needs to lose about 4 pds so we now have a new feeding plan in place for her that the vet recommended so she should be getting those few pounds off in no time. She's a Lab/Chesapeake retriever mix or also known as our 4-legged daughter. :) she's a sweetie and she think she's a lap dog.
  • soccerdog693
    soccerdog693 Posts: 73 Member
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    Good luck to her! Carrots are great treats for dogs - good for their teeth and low cal!
  • RobinLynx
    RobinLynx Posts: 60
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    My jack russell Clairibel is like a mini-Jillian Michaels --go go go go! She wakes me up every morning by dropping a squeaky ball on my face. She will pester our rat terrier Buzzy until he plays with her, wear him out, then is like "next!" and moves on to get my husband to golf squeaky balls for her to retrieve, assists me in working out by sitting on me & dropping squeaky balls some more, loves going for multiple walks--everything is fun for her. Buzzy was a rescue dog & she brought him right out of his shell.

    I have spine problems & couldn't get cleared to go back to work (delivering mail)--I was devastated until we got Clairibel (she was 2.2 lbs of cute, & the happiest little being in earth) & then a few months later we got Buzzy from a high kill shelter. He was scared at first but now is a happy, playful boy.

    They brought me back to life!
  • erinxo13
    erinxo13 Posts: 892 Member
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    my dog and i have become a lot closer. that sounds SO weird but after having him for 7 years, i finally started taking him on regular walks. my dad used to be the only one who did that but when i started mfp that was the first thing i did workout wise....and i still love it. he's always been average weight and very active but now he's more active with me haha. great bonding time during and after walks... and he gives me "the look" and we have to go if we can....i can't say no to that face.
  • jennifries227
    jennifries227 Posts: 113 Member
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    My cats help me by offering to eat everything so I don't have to..!
    Really, though, my older two love to play chase with me (they think I'm a big weird cat), which is great exercise! The youngest loves to cuddle with me after I work out. I know it's just because I'm so warm, but it's still sweet and I think of it as a reward for my hard work.
    They used to all sit around and watch with interest and confusion while I worked out. Now they've decided it's boring and just take naps until I'm done.

    Edit: Oh! My profile picture is of me right after a workout with Elsie, our 1 year old 5lb perma-kitten we found living under our house.
  • dakotababy
    dakotababy Posts: 2,406 Member
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    My dog, Cypress, is overweight. He is also a binge/purging dog. I can guess he was not fed well before I adopted him, because he is really defensive around food and just scarfs it down as quick as possible. Well..its been a few years and he has packed on some weight. I, of course, would just say it was his undercoat that caused him to look pudgy. I went to give him a belly rub...and yeah...reality set in.

    :) I am going to be training for a 5k this summer, so Cypress will be my partner in this one! I would love to be able to bike with him but he pulls really bad on the leash (for the first bit...once he gets tired, hes good.)
  • Eli716
    Eli716 Posts: 262 Member
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    I'm a VA student myself.

    Since I have four dogs, three of them (the eldest too old for long walks) go on 2-5 mile walks with my grandmother and I. They get one walk to themselves with us and alternate on days to have "one-on-one" time. Those that don't go on a walk that day, gets to play fetch or frisbee just before dinner. When it's too mucky outside, I'll go to the basement to workout, and they'll stroll down there with me to keep me company.

    Sometimes, my two youngest (both sport labs; charcoal & silver) love to help me choose what fruit to eat in the morning. They love apple cores (seeds removed), strawberries, and bananas. At night, I sneak them a carrot or two. They love it. Gunner, my big boy charcoal lab, lost 15lbs in a little over a month. He's happy, so am I! :smile:
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
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    Well, I've never actually technically been overweight and neither have any of my dogs, but they've still been good for my health. One of the dogs (a huge goldendoodle someone abandoned at the shelter in the middle of the night) INSISTS on exercise. If she doesn't get her walk she's gonna tear stuff up. So I guess that's helpful in that she forces us to get more exercise. We help each other maintain with long hikes. :laugh: I sprained my ankle stepping in a gopher hole the other day so I haven't been able to go hiking. Good thing my husband is keeping her out of trouble with plenty of play time.The cat's getting quite old, and she's slowing down a little, but she's not fat yet. She can still hop up to her catwalk, snuggle into her nest, and look down at the rest of us scornfully. :wink:
  • TehBuggers
    TehBuggers Posts: 12 Member
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    I have guinea pigs, and they're one of the big reasons I started eating healthier! They need plenty of vegetables and some fruits, so I always lots of veggies in my fridge. When they have some, I have some!
    They also squeak when I open the fridge, and I feel bad eating a meal and not sharing with them, so I started adding more vegetables to my meals so I could share with them too.
  • Tinytaru
    Tinytaru Posts: 185 Member
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    I have 2 bunnies and while playing with them I totally forget about food for myself :)
    unless I feed some vegetables and share with them
  • auntyfred
    auntyfred Posts: 63 Member
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    My dogs help by needing to be walked twice a day. They harrass me if I don't take them out.

    My horse as I have to be below a certain weight for her to carry me. I was approaching the max weight I believe she could/should carry so found mfp and the weight is disappearing. Not to mention all the work involved in keeping a horse.
    I am not convinced at mfp claiming how many calories are burned through riding seems far to high or is that just because it's such fun?

    All 3 together
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    My favourite photo ever. My mare and my eldest granddaughter
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