Here we all are worried about our dogs weight when twice this week alone I have met two over weight Labs. Lab 1:- Inkie - Beautiful 4 year old bitch with elderly owner. Hattie and I met her out on our walk and of course Hattie was eager as always to play but poor Inkie was too over weight to participate and flopped to the ground panting like a 14 year old. Owner asked me how old Hattie was, "nearly 6 years old I replied", "she is perky isn't she?" and then she proceeded to
Re: Over weight Labs OK don't know what happened there but I haven't finished ;D and then she proceeded to make excuses as to why poor Inkie was incredibly round. Lab 2:- Gracie - 2 year old Black bitch with not so elderly owner, again Hattie eager to play, Gracie flopped to the ground panting and unable to play, again very round. It makes me so sad that these dogs are so very young and cannot keep up with Hattie who is slim and has a fantastic figure even if I do say so myself ;D What is going on with these owners? Sorry end of rant. Helen xx P.S. also sorry for computer malfunction x
Re: Over weight Labs jasper is fine at the moment, i worry he may put weight on with minimal exercise,....he is a lovely big boy but not a fat boy
Re: Over weight Labs Lilly has never been "rotund", unlike her owner : We were a bit aghast when the orthovet said to cut her food down by a third! This was when she was around a year old. We were quite shocked at the amount he was suggesting reducing by.....but did she miss it? Certainly didn't follow us around afterwards saying *Oi! where's the rest?* Hasn't come to any harm, and she is a beautiful slim shiny girl (well we think so anyway). This made me think that we are just a bit cautious increasing and decreasing amounts. I think its ok to be a bit more ruthless when it comes to reducing (or increasing food). We are totally in control of food intake, and should shoulder that responsibility. Most labs won't say "no" to another treat, so we must do it for them. I agree its just so sad to see (mainly) labs struggling with their weight, and losing out on quality of life. Think I am much better with Lilly's weight control than my own though
Re: Over weight Labs I think that, with Labs, people let themselves be guided by the dog's appetite. That's a guaranteed road to obesity. Also, people think that Labs are meant to be solid, chunky dogs and in their heads they explain away all the fat as being due to a solid build. At the dog park we regularly see Labs that look like blimps with feet. Fortunately we see many, many fit Labs too. Overall, I would say that I see fewer fat Labs these days compared to 10 years ago. Always sad to see a really fat one though, old before their time
Re: Over weight Labs So Charlie is not too fat to run around. And of course the reason he is a bit podgy is because he has had too much food, which is my fault. I think though, the reason dogs are overweight is probably because owners think food make them happy, and it’s hard for many people who love their dogs to do something that they will perceive makes their dogs unhappy. That, and it’s too easy to get into routines using food (eg thread on bedtime treats!) and for a lot of owners, removing the food from routines will feel like making their dog disappointed. Which is probably harder for inexperienced owners than experienced people think. Plus, I think it’s easier said than done for inexperienced people to say “feed your dog based on what he looks like” – it honestly isn’t that easy, even if it's obvious to experienced owners. And I’ve been totally confused by the food packets! They are not straightforward, as threads on this forum demonstrate – we’ve had people post photos of the tables to figure them out. A tiny, tiny factor might be commercial treats and chews. I watched a couple pile dog treats into their trolley at the supermarket. I wanted to ask whether they were feeding their dogs on them, because given the calorie content, they had just collected enough food for 5 dogs for a couple of months in the treats alone… So the answer is more education for dog owners, and a bit of that responsibility lies with the commercial food manufacturers…(more than printing on the bottom of the confusing feeding tables “consider the condition of your dog when feeding” and then hiding information on their web sites). Oh dear, I had rather a lot to say about this! Hope it doesn’t sound like a defensive list of excuses about Charlie’s need for a diet - I don’t mean it to be!
Re: Over weight Labs You are totally right Julie. My OH thinks I am mean to be only giving Lilly 100 g twice a day of her food instead of the 150 she WAS getting with her previous brand probably why she gets so many gravy bones.!! And he is a intelligent guy :-\ .
Re: Over weight Labs I tend to think that a lot of the problem is that often, owners make the excuse for their overweight Lab by saying " Well, it is a Lab you know " . In other words, they expect it to be hefty and so feed accordingly . Being a tourist region where people bring their dogs , we meet loads every day, often fat waddling Labs who look aged but on enquiry, turn out to be 4 or 6, its such a shame as they miss out so much as well as the strain on joints and heart . I agree re the treats Julie , people seem to spend a fortune on them, ones that often contain high levels of salt/sugar/fat to say nothing of the artificial colourings : It is hard , its the eyes, that half starved look which they perfect
Re: Over weight Labs I think though, the reason dogs are overweight is probably because owners think food make them happy, and it’s hard for many people who love their dogs to do something that they will perceive makes their dogs unhappy. That, and it’s too easy to get into routines using food (eg thread on bedtime treats!) and for a lot of owners, removing the food from routines will feel like making their dog disappointed. Which is probably harder for inexperienced owners than experienced people think. Julie you are writing about me there in the above!I will never let Dexter get fat though no matter how much he tries to convince me he is always hungry!i dont think any of us will have chubby dogs,and Charlie certainly wont be!I feel your pain with getting this right with him.i hate giving Dexter his dinner late....nevernind reducing the quantity.I have been saved in a large part by the fact that Dexter has an easily upset tummy......treats and experimenting with different foods just weren't and still mainly aren't an option.Chris is giving me anxiety attacks because he says Dex looks tubby when he is lying down......and he does but that's gravity not diet!his body is changing,he is going more muscular around the chest and tops of his legs and that all feels and looks 'meatier' and more mature than his lanky legged puppy days.so i do question if im blind to some podge!On occasions I have reduced his kibble for a couple of days when I think he seems plumper,I go on if I can feel his backbone,his ribs have a covering but I can feel them and Rachael mentioned yesterday about seeing their last 2 ribs when he turns and I can ...so I'm happy with that.....but I'll always keep checking.it is so sad to see those young labs wheezing along....that dog wouldn't fit in our life either,we are out and abouters....it's only the weather these last months that has kept us in ( and me able to be on here ???) so much! Keep doing what you are doing,it will have an effect and he will level out....how can he not?you have put so much time into understanding all his requirements and what he is taking in ,he'll be the healthiest dog of them all x
Re: Over weight Labs [quote author=kateincornwall link=topic=2291.msg21523#msg21523 date=1376811012] It is hard , its the eyes, that half starved look which they perfect [/quote] Thats it in a nutshell, isn't it : And we have this ingrained belief that food=happiness
Re: Over weight Labs I think jac sums this up perfectly. ;D It is ok to be ruthless, it is ok to give your dog a third less or even (gasp) half rations, for a few days, provided he is well grown (five months or so) he won't come to any harm at all if you do this. And if you over-do it by mistake and he is looking a bit skinny on day four, by all means give him an extra meal for a day or two. In almost cases, if the dog is a bit on the plump side and you let some weight fall off him, you will know when it is time to stop. He won't starve. And like people, dogs are designed to cope with periods of want, and periods of plenty. They don't need to have exactly the same number of grams of food every day. It is what happens over the course of a week or more that matters. And like people, dogs are healthiest if they are on the slim side. Even if (like people again) we think they look prettier when they are on the cuddly side. Appetite is completely and absolutely irrelevant when it comes to Labradors and many other breeds of dog. You could feed three times their daily needs and most dogs would still try and pull the 'big hungry eyes' trick. This is particularly true for kibble fed dogs as they are higher in carbs. Pippa
Re: Over weight Labs Julie, I know exactly what you mean when I was first told to feed Charlie by the way he looks, I was terrified I would over or under feed him, but I feel a little more confident now as I can see the results. The packets of dog food are a nightmare, I agree. No you are not being defensive at all, we all just want to do the very best for our dogs which is better than not being bothered like the people with the shall we say "carrying a few extra pounds" labs. Charlie is a smashing boy and you should be proud of how you are training him. Helen x
Re: Over weight Labs I don't think Charlie is in much danger of becoming totally round! But back to the original question - notwithstanding Pippa's fantastic advice, which certainly helps me - I don't really believe most loving lab owners are thinking "I know it's ok to cut his food in half, and that would make him healthier, happier and more fun, but I'm just not going to do it". There is something else going on here... I met a woman on the beach, who had a beautiful girl Husky - this dog was slim, healthy, full of life and had excellent manners. A credit to anyone. The woman told me this dog was a rescue, and had been extremely obese (she pointed out some flabby skin under her tummy that she said would never firm up again - I wouldn't have noticed). She also told me, in all seriousness, that once the dog had "made up her mind she was going to lose weight, she just did it". I looked at her in total amazement that she thought the dog had anything to do with it (nuts! :)... but whatever, the dog looked great. The point of this is that people have really, really funny ideas....
Re: Over weight Labs A dog deciding she wanted to lose weight, I doubt it :-\. Maybe if you are still worried about Charlie's food, a raw diet might suit you and Charlie better then you know exactly what you are feeding him. What do you mean there is something else going on here ...? You mentioned commercial treats, could you perhaps try little bits of ham etc. instead, just a thought? Helen x
Re: Over weight Labs [quote author=charlie link=topic=2291.msg21612#msg21612 date=1376855181] What do you mean there is something else going on here ...? [/quote] I just mean it is a serious matter, obesity in dogs (ok, probably not up there with global warming or anything ;D) - and it's not as simple as saying the owners don't care - they probably care very much. So it's about education, and that involves considering why people do what they do, and so what might change things.
Re: Over weight Labs I take your point Julie, but I have sat in the vets and heard owners being told about overweight dogs and them just shrugging their shoulders and rolling their eyes. I saw a lady being told 2 weeks ago that her 16 week old Cocker Spaniel was overweight. My neighbours 9 month old Cocker Spaniel is overweight. I know this doesn't apply to the vast majority of owners but if a vet has told them surely that's education. Maybe it's down to a combination of over feeding and not enough exercise? Whatever it is, it's a shame. Helen x
Re: Over weight Labs [quote author=JulieT link=topic=2291.msg21609#msg21609 date=1376854790] The point of this is that people have really, really funny ideas.... [/quote] You are not wrong there Julie!!! :-\ If my experience of health beliefs and understanding in humans is anything to go by.....
Re: Over weight Labs julie try not to worry,.....i can feel your upset, if charlie is a little over weight you will soon get it under control,.....having no experience myself it is all trial and error
Re: Over weight Labs [quote author=charlie link=topic=2291.msg21620#msg21620 date=1376856016] ... heard owners being told about overweight dogs and them just shrugging their shoulders and rolling their eyes. [/quote] Isn't the interesting thing why they do that though? Do you think they don't believe the vet that there are serious consequences? Perhaps they don't care... I find it hard to believe most owners don't care. I think it's more likely that they find it difficult to restrict the dog's food. I think that's interesting.
Re: Over weight Labs Maybe they don't believe there are serious health consequences until it happens and it could be too late Maybe they don't want to change their ways, old habits die hard. H x
