Is Obeseity Abuse?
- Thread starter sillysally
- Start date
The absolute last thing I want is a law telling me that my dog is too fat. That's just wayy too intrusive for my tastes.
Maybe my definitions are just fuzzy, but I wouldn't call it abuse so much as neglect. I associate abuse with beating and that sort of thing... When people have overweight dogs it's more of a loved-to-death type of thing; the owners may be willfully ignorant but they aren't maliciously trying to harm their pets.
If your dog is too fat you need to feed it less and invest your kibble savings on a chuckit. It ain't rocket science.
Maybe my definitions are just fuzzy, but I wouldn't call it abuse so much as neglect. I associate abuse with beating and that sort of thing... When people have overweight dogs it's more of a loved-to-death type of thing; the owners may be willfully ignorant but they aren't maliciously trying to harm their pets.
If your dog is too fat you need to feed it less and invest your kibble savings on a chuckit. It ain't rocket science.
When I was last at the vet's office they had a poster on the wall about obesity and dogs. It said that for evry one pound on a dog over the ideal weight is equal to 15 pounds on a human. So if your dog is 2 pounds over the ideal weight it is like him or her carrying around 30 extra pounds.
Right now Lola is 11 pounds and her ideal weight is 10 pounds so she is on a diet to lose that one pound.
Right now Lola is 11 pounds and her ideal weight is 10 pounds so she is on a diet to lose that one pound.
I do consider it neglect, but I also think owner's think they are doing a good thing by providing their dogs with so much food. Some dogs are easy to overfeed. If feeding Juno was not my responsibility, she WOULD be overweight (maybe not now because she's so active... but it'd catch up to her). That dog devours her food in seconds and everyone in my family makes comments about how I don't feed her enough, she's obviously starving if she eats that fast, etc. etc. If I set a 30lb bag of food in front of her she'd probably eat the whole thing. 
So anyway, I know that if it were left to the rest of my family, she'd have access to food all the time and I know she would overeat. But they wouldn't do it to be neglectful... they would genuinely think she must be hungry if she keeps eating.
It's unfortunate because you know there has to be a point where you would look at your dog and think, "okay, he's really fat." But maybe at that point it's too late, maybe the dog is so large it can barely walk and the owners don't know what to do.
Lucy is overweight. Maybe just a couple pounds overweight, but when you should only weigh 10lbs, a couple pounds is HUGE! She does have luxating patellas and legg-perthes disease so she has always had a harder time with exercise, but her health problems are even more reason why she needs to be at a proper weight. I just can't get my dad to stop giving her Beggin Strips (although I did get him to give her smaller pieces).
So anyway, I know that if it were left to the rest of my family, she'd have access to food all the time and I know she would overeat. But they wouldn't do it to be neglectful... they would genuinely think she must be hungry if she keeps eating. It's unfortunate because you know there has to be a point where you would look at your dog and think, "okay, he's really fat." But maybe at that point it's too late, maybe the dog is so large it can barely walk and the owners don't know what to do.
Lucy is overweight. Maybe just a couple pounds overweight, but when you should only weigh 10lbs, a couple pounds is HUGE! She does have luxating patellas and legg-perthes disease so she has always had a harder time with exercise, but her health problems are even more reason why she needs to be at a proper weight. I just can't get my dad to stop giving her Beggin Strips (although I did get him to give her smaller pieces).
If I see someone with a fat dog I usually ignore it. OR if I am feeling particularly malicious Ill straight up tell them they're killing their dogs. It's harsh, yes, but sometimes thats the only way to get through to someone. And yes, Ive actually had people that get their dogs slimmed down after I laid it out like that. Two seperate familes actually.
Same. I think it's neglect, I'm not sure about abuse though. Hopefully through education (if vets would get on board, it would be nice) people can learn better how to properly manage their dog's weight. I get so many comments about how skinny my girls are by a lot of other toy dog owners especially. It's through a good diet and a lot of exercise. Summer is fluctuating lately over a few ounces. She lost one, and I'd like her to lose maybe one more. Mia and Nard have zero body fat on them whatsoever and I'd actually like them each to gain about half a pound, but I doubt it'll happen soon.
Now, Rose looks fat but it's all hair. She's actually a little skinnier than Summer.
Now, Rose looks fat but it's all hair. She's actually a little skinnier than Summer.
i find that very few owners of very fat (not just chubby) pets want to hear it. they like their pets the way they are. they think they're cute. they like that they're slow and sluggish and require very little of their owners. we have clients with hugely obese dogs who come in all upset because the dog is only picking at meals, so they have to pour on bacon grease or whatever to get the dog to eat. maybe... he's just not hungry??
one of the vets i work for addresses obesity in every fat pet he sees. we send home measuring cups. we send home diet plans for decreasing and better management of feeding. and once in a blue moon somebody will follow through. but mostly they ignore him, mostly their dog gets fatter, sometimes they'll call and request to see the other doctor because she doesn't harp on them about weight.
i know he's too fat but i don't care.
i know he's too fat but it's quality of life, not quantity. (yes, somebody actually said that to me. word for word. amazing.)
it's incredibly sad.
one of the vets i work for addresses obesity in every fat pet he sees. we send home measuring cups. we send home diet plans for decreasing and better management of feeding. and once in a blue moon somebody will follow through. but mostly they ignore him, mostly their dog gets fatter, sometimes they'll call and request to see the other doctor because she doesn't harp on them about weight.
i know he's too fat but i don't care.
i know he's too fat but it's quality of life, not quantity. (yes, somebody actually said that to me. word for word. amazing.)
it's incredibly sad.
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I think both the vets I work for always mention if the dog needs to lose weight. If it is just a couple lbs, they don't bother, but when it is bad and effecting the dog's mobility and health, they put it out there - no doubt about it - that they NEED to put their dog on a diet, and even ask to see the dogs (or cats - we once had a 30? lb cat) again in a month to check the weight. They follow up on it - if the owners will bring them in. 99% of obese dogs I see do not have a health problem making them that way.
I think it's an issue of confusing love with food. I have family members who, even with reminders, have pets that are unhealthily heavy. I find it very saddening.
I am a tiny bit obsessive about my dogs weight. I want them to have long healthy lives. Kya is a bit of an air fern, and really should lose a few more ounces.
I am a tiny bit obsessive about my dogs weight. I want them to have long healthy lives. Kya is a bit of an air fern, and really should lose a few more ounces.
I saw a OVER-weighted Basenji, it couldn't even walk for 1 minute. It took a
break every few seconds. That is the saddest thing, I have seen. It's also
difficult to have people with good weight dogs, when we have so many
over-weighted humans.
Education is the best solution. To let the government make laws on this, it's
only going to create more problems than solutions.
There are some many things wrong with that statement.
100% agree with you.
break every few seconds. That is the saddest thing, I have seen. It's also
difficult to have people with good weight dogs, when we have so many
over-weighted humans.
Education is the best solution. To let the government make laws on this, it's
only going to create more problems than solutions.
There are some many things wrong with that statement.
100% agree with you.
For those of you who said it's neglect but not necessarily abuse..........Neglect IS abuse, it's just a more passive form of it. If someone were STARVING their dog to death, I would most definitely call that abuse, it's just ABUSE by neglect IMO. Look up terms we use for child abuse........theres mental, physical, neglect, etc etc.
Anyway, yes I think it's abuse. It's abuse born of ignorance as many have pretty much said. Many do it out of "guilt" and misplaced "affection".......(same way they get their kids up to morbidly obese IMO)......the dog spends time alone, give him an extra yum yum to make up for it, the dog doesn't get to go for walks or have fun? Well here's something tasty to show I wuv my wittle pumpy umpkin, LOL
No I don't think there should be MORE laws made on the subject because if they followed the laws they have NOW, obesity would fall into the abuse category already established
PS, I wish I had a chaz owner to control my food intake and exercise! :rofl1:
Anyway, yes I think it's abuse. It's abuse born of ignorance as many have pretty much said. Many do it out of "guilt" and misplaced "affection".......(same way they get their kids up to morbidly obese IMO)......the dog spends time alone, give him an extra yum yum to make up for it, the dog doesn't get to go for walks or have fun? Well here's something tasty to show I wuv my wittle pumpy umpkin, LOL
No I don't think there should be MORE laws made on the subject because if they followed the laws they have NOW, obesity would fall into the abuse category already established
PS, I wish I had a chaz owner to control my food intake and exercise! :rofl1:
I think it's just a symptom of our era. Look at all the obese and morbidly obese people walking around. I mean, there are kids younger then 10 coming through the checkout lines at my store that are huffing and puffing like they have ran a mile !:yikes: People have stopped walking, so their dogs have stopped getting walked. Chevy is overweight because of her age and that she is a spayed Lab, and Zane,Abby and Deputy are at the right weight. All four of them go on 2+ mile hikes when the weather is good and there are no hunters out. I think it is more people thinking fat dogs are cute than intentional abuse.
With the breed i'm in, obesity is the commonly seen thing in the media and overweight is VERY often seen in the show ring. People getting Pugs see this and think "Oh gee mine is too skinny!" and feed and feed and feed and feed. When people see mine they think i'm starving them when in reality mine are within the correct weight for the breed and are at the correct weights for their size, they're just not fat; infact i take pride in the fact that i have fit pugs. Often people with fat Pugs just shrug it off and say "Well it's a pug thing, they just get fat".
I also work in canine nutrition and many many client dogs are hugely obese, the owners don't see it at all. They just think their dogs are cute or sweet or that they love their food and their treats. They don't want to learn because they can't see that their dog is fat to begin with!
I also work in canine nutrition and many many client dogs are hugely obese, the owners don't see it at all. They just think their dogs are cute or sweet or that they love their food and their treats. They don't want to learn because they can't see that their dog is fat to begin with!
