I have to admit, I'm reluctant to say something to someone with a fat dog. On the other hand, with my first dog, Duncan, I let him get fat without realising it, so it is possible that a having a word CAN be helpful. When Duncan was about a year old, I took him to a show where his breeder was entered. She hadn't seen him in about 2 months and said, "What have you done to my dog?! He's fat!". I honestly had no clue, I just thought he was filling out (Rotties grow until about 2.5 years old). Now, he wasn't ALL that fat, but he was heavier than he should have been. Food got cut and he got back to what was a leaner shape - though as he was still growing he didn't actually lose weight, just grew into the weight he already had. I felt very badly when his breeder got on my case as I was so trying to do everything right nutritionally (he was fed raw), but I'm glad she said something because I really had no clue that he was growing too much/too fast.
I'm pretty understanding about slightly chunky older dogs but very upset about obese young dogs! At two there really isn't any excuse unless they're on steroids/restricted exercise etc.
Yes sometimes it's helpful to have someone be objective about these things. When we're with them everyday we can't always see things, a fresh pair of eyes can help. This is where the guidance re waistline etc is so helpful. Letting a dog getting so obese it can't walk or breathe is another matter and to my mind is a form of abuse/cruelty call it what you will.
I was able to tell a lab walking friends he needed to perhaps cut down on his pups food. I just told him about stuff he got it too and did it
Telling someone their dog is overweight is probably like telling them they're overweight: taken very personally! When a dog physio who trained her dogs in the same class as us told me Snowie was overweight, I was in denial! I told her he was only 36kg, just 1kg overweight. Meanwhile... later weighed at the vet we discovered he was 39kg!!!!!!! He had recently been put on epilepsy meds and was ravenous, and we were so upset with the diagnosis and meds that we spoiled him as compensation. I'm not sure telling someone their dog is overweight will have the desired effect; there has to be another way where the person actually sees the reality in front of them.
No, I keep quiet. But one day we met a neighbour lady in the bush, me with my svelte Jet and her with her boy so fat there was enough for two dogs. She asked me, "Do you think he's fat?" Honestly, I knew the dog, he was only two years old and he was so fat he could hardly walk. He's the worst one I've ever seen. Worst Lab that is. So I decided to be truthful and said. "Yes." She proceeded to tell me her Vet had said so too but she just couldn't resist his begging. I just bet she questionned the Vet because some people, when she asked them, said, "Oh no, he's fine, more to love." That kind of thing.
I don't know that unsolicited advice is likely to have the desired effect, certainly not to a stranger anyway. If, however, someone asked me my opinion, I would offer it. I did tell a friend once that I thought her dog had gained weight and she was quite defensive but not offended. And now I think about it I feel I was a bit rude! I hope I'd not be defensive if a friend or family member or daycare giver said Plum was overweight, but if it was a stranger I'd be thinking 'mind your own business.'
I think you have lost even before having the conversation with the owner of a fat dog because they don't want to listen or even believe there is a problem. There's that old saying "you can't see the wood for the trees" If they did see there wouldn't be any fat dogs. x
I have a happy story: A woman brought her 10 yo black lab to the park regularly. Bruno. Overweight. She was concerned about his weight, put him onto diet food. To no avail. She wanted to know what I fed Snowie - this was years ago when Snowie was a puppy. A couple of years later I pass a dog walker on the mountain trail with a few dogs incl a black lab, slim, energetic. Bruno! Transformed. Just needed regular exercise (he was getting very little before, just the park mosey around I think). So I'm guessing he must be 14 yo now and appears to be half his age (save the gray facial hairs).
I know someone whose lab is so obese she can barely walk. She will take her to a cafe and order two cheese sandwiches one for her one for her dog. Last week her dog ended up being admitted to the veterinary hospital with severe sickness and diarrhoea, this poor dog nearly lost her life and still the owner cannot see how cruel she is being. It is so unbelievably sad, the owner had said to me that she is always being to told by the vets that her dogs life will be shortened but she still can't see it. She said she gets so much joy from feeding her dog, and became very aggressive when I gently suggested the vets have a point.
I am able to be diplomatic. DH, however, is a totally different story. If we see an over weight lab he says (at the top of his voice) ''Oh look, a fatador!". Yip. No hiding from that one. Our vet is constantly reminding and praising us for monitoring Harley's weight. She is still young and active but he has explained the risks that being overweight can have for her and we are very concious of it. She is a nice shape and size but we often get the 'Oh wow, she is so small for a labrador" comments. Sometimes I take the time to point out that I am 5ft5 so I am small for a human, and I can't lift, and help a huge dog. We wanted a medium size labrador. And, of course, I am a little annoyed and the psychologist in me is saying..."Why is size so important to you... Why do you have to make such a fuss about comparing your dog to mine?" We have met a number of labs at the vet and I think there is a big difference between chubby and chunky and 'whooo-eeee' that is a overweight lab.
I do wonder what vets say to these owners of fat dogs. Do they say anything? Is it falling on deaf ears, or are their vets just not saying it...explaining the health benefits of being slim. Belle had put on a bit of weight (due mainly to doing the pre-wash every night!). On a routine visit to the vet I was told she could do with losing 2-3kg. So she did. But they didn't explain the problems being overweight could cause - not that they need to with me, I know why, but does everyone?
I must confess that now that I've lost about 12-15 kg since Jan, that it's much easier to control Snowie's weight. I picked up a lot of weight in the past few years from enjoying cooking and eating with my husband, and from having no self-control if he offered me something more to eat cos he was eating (he was also overweight). Anyway, we took charge and cut out all sugar and wheat (that basically amounts to all fattening food!) and the weight came off quite easily. But noticeably, Snowie lost weight, too - no more bits of toast and cheese. (We are mostly vegan now.) However, when we were fat ourselves, we still commented how fat other dogs were in comparison to Snowie - when in fact Snowie could've lost a kilo. The self righteousness of it!!!!! I know we have other dogs' wellbeing at heart when we wish to tell other people their dogs are fat. And ideally all animals and all people would be a healthy slim weight - our healthcare systems wouldn't be so burdened - but I guess what I'm saying is we need to clean our own houses first before telling other people to clean theirs! And I'm guessing overweight dogs live in an overweight family - would be interesting to see the stats. So you're better off convincing the owner to go on diet, and hopefully the dog will benefit. Now... anyone up to telling a fat person they're too fat? (My father had no qualms about doing this, I must add!! To absolute strangers! He was a doctor so I guess it went with the trade.)
You make very good points MF. I am also a good couple of kgs overweight and I am working hard at changing my lifestyle so that I can be fitter and healthier. I am in the pre-diebetic range and insulin resistant, so losing the weight is hard because I genuinely don't eat much. I have started on treatment for this and slowly things are changing. I agree with you that most people do realise that animals and people should be of a healthy weight but I fear that for dogs like labs the stereotype is a chubby lab and the narrative becomes - 'oh well, that is what labs are like'. when it really should be 'this is what labs are at risk of, and how can we try to maintain our animals at a healthy weight'. What we are human's tell ourselves enough becomes our reality, especially if it is the social message too. I say this mostly because my father was a big, heavy man and my internal and social narrative has always been 'you have your father's genes, that is just how it when you get older.' and I have had to reprogramme how I think about myself and my eating habits. So absolutely, I think that if the owners have a healthier mindset or ideal then it will spread to the animals too.
There is also a weird connection between love and food or feeding. People who feed other people's dogs seem to feel the dogs love them because the feed them. No they love the food.
