70-lb. Dachshund put on Biggest Loser-style program

Calliegirl

Calliegirl

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What is it with elderly people overfeeding their pets? I hear a lot of people say how cute overweight animals look, but I don't see anything cute about it, just a very miserable animal.

Cue up the "pig in a blanket" jokes – a 70-pound wiener dog, a Dachshund named Obie, is going on a major diet to try to slim down.

The average Dachshund has a maximum weight of 32 pounds; five-year-old Obie (who used to be called AJ; we assume the "Obie" nickname is short for "obese" – aw, poor guy) weighs more than twice that, topping out at 77 pounds when new owner Nora Vanatta met him last month. (That's seven times what a Miniature Dachshund would weigh.)

His previous owners, an older couple, had to give Obie up because of their own declining health, but thanks to what must have been expert begging by the dog, they'd managed to feed him almost to death in the meantime...
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http://shine.yahoo.com/pets/world-s-fattest-dachshund-put-on-biggest-loser-style-program.html

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That's abuse just as it would be with a starving animal. Just like with a small child, it's their guardian's responsibility to see that their nutritional and health needs are met. This kind of weight is especially bad on a dachshund because they are so prone to spinal issues. I am surprised the poor guy hasn't slipped a disc and become paralyzed.
 
The poor thing. All that weight must be incredibly hard on his body.:( I hope he can get at a healthy weight and feel more comfortable.
 
My roommates adopted cat had the same problem. The only difference is that the people at the animal shelter did it to her. They just kept feeding her until she got huge. According to the roomie, they had a helluva time getting her weight down to normal. The cat still has a ton of loose skin that drags the ground from her fat days. I nicknamed her Mudflap because of it
 
One of my rabbits was severely overweight when I adopted him. He was so big he couldn't clean himself. He's a healthy weight now.

I know someone from the rabbit forum I used to be on who was warned by her vet that one of her rabbits was on the verge of developing diabetes due to his weight. She still continued over feeding him treats. She thought denying treats was "mean" and it made her feel better about herself when she gave treats on demand. She also refused to even switch to healthier treats. She said he liked the sugar-sweetened cranberries, and again thought it would be "mean" to switch to, say, dried greens instead. She would rather her companion animal be sick that feel "mean" for limiting unhealthy treats. :(
 
His poor little legs carrying all that excess weight.:(

Two of my cats are a bit overweight, although they are all fed the same amount of food. I think the other four cats are just more active.
 
About half the animals here are overweight to different degrees. I've tried talking to the owner about the junk food she feeds them, but she says they like it and she isn't going to deprive them of their treats. When I mentioned carrots for the dogs instead of bread and pastries, she burst out laughing and said I'm crazy to even suggest that.

At least I'm in charge of feeding some of the animals. When she gives me junk food for them (like bags of potato chips for the pig), I just throw it away once she leaves.
 
Calliegirl said:
About half the animals here are overweight to different degrees. I've tried talking to the owner about the junk food she feeds them, but she says they like it and she isn't going to deprive them of their treats. When I mentioned carrots for the dogs instead of bread and pastries, she burst out laughing and said I'm crazy to even suggest that.

At least I'm in charge of feeding some of the animals. When she gives me junk food for them (like bags of potato chips for the pig), I just throw it away once she leaves.
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Many dogs love blueberries, and they've been shown to help cognitive function improve in some older dogs. http://raisinghealthydogs.com/can-dogs-eat-berries
 
My dog loves all veggies and most fruits (watermelon is her favorite). She goes nuts for them. When someone tries to sneak by me and give her breads, chips, or random junk foods , she'll end up just burying them in the couch or in my bed.:rolleyes:
 
One of my bassets loved strawberries but she was very fussy about how they were fed to her. I would have to bite one in half, give her the half that had been in my mouth and then eat the other half myself.
 
All I like to squish blueberries before I give them to Pepper or she swallows them whole. She loves all berries, salad greens, orange sections, apples, green beans and legumes, peaches and pears, all fruit, really. I sometimes give her a bit of my smoothie and she loves it. She loves bananas more than any other food, but she gets an upset stomach from eating them, especially the PEELS that she attempts to sneak from the compost and eat whole. :rolleyes:
 
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