Elsa gains weight easily so I am constantly monitoring.
This morning I want to talk about fat dogs; those who carry an extra few pounds to the morbidly obese. So many dogs suffer from being overweight and it is sad because it can diminish their quality of life drastically. Even a few pounds can make a big difference in how a dog moves and feels. Depending on the size of the dog, a few pounds might be an 1/8th of the dogs full weight. Even on a large dog, a few pounds can be radical.
Society today looks at the athletic body of a dog and thinks "too skinny." Keeping our dogs lean and fit is our job. They are not feeding themselves and they often don't have the opportunity to exercise themselves. So it is solely on us, the weight that they bear is ours.
I see sooooo many dogs that are far too heavy and their owners haven't a clue. When I am out on a training session and working with a heavy dog; I will at some point let the owner know. It is not easy and depending on the person, I must take great care with how I deliver the news. It usually comes as a huge shock to the owner. I'm not quite sure why people don't see that their dogs are too heavy. Perhaps because fit shape is not something that we are programmed to see. We simply see our wonderful dog that we love, extra sponge and all.
Dogs that carry to much weight are prone to joint pain and injury, decreased stamina, heat intolerance, diabetes, kidney failure and many other ailments that are linked to being overweight. We need to educate ourselves to see what is too much and what is too little.
Diet and exercise go hand in hand, just like they do for ourselves. I am currently cutting calories and trying to drop a few pounds, not easy, especially because I have an ankle injury right now and have to wear a stupid boot. It is so much easier for us to drop weight on our dogs than ourselves. They eat what we give them and they exercise when we offer it. Eating too many calories for the amount of movement during a day adds pounds of fat. So what is the answer?
First we need to teach ourselves what fit looks like. Our dogs should have a nice svelte waistline. Each breed and mix is different but every dog should have a waist. From the top looking down they should go in at their waist. You should be able to easily feel ribs, enough to be able to count them. Think in terms of a thin layer of neoprene over the ribs.
Every extra pound that your dog carries, brings with it more work to move. Many dogs get caught in the vicious cycle of carrying too many pounds so they stop moving as much which adds extra pounds. It is much the same as humans but they suffer more because of their size. A few pounds means a lot on a dog.
Like humans, each dog is an individual. Some will be hard to get any weight on, some will gain weight too easily. It is up to us to keep our dogs in peak condition. Diet and exercise, it's what it is all about. Too much garbage food will add weight; too little movement will add weight. Together they can be a deadly combination.
If your dog is carrying around too much weight, time to get to work. It is actually easy for dogs to drop weight. Don't go the route of "low fat" diets. Cut back on quality food and get moving. It is all up to us.