Obesity?

[labman]

Over the years i've seen more than my share of dogs live a short and painful life due to obesity.I'm sure their owners don't intentionally do this on purpose and they think they are doing the right thing and making their dogs happy by giving them extra treats and chow.
But what is sad to me,especially these more active breeds that spend their whole life in a kennal or house.I've seen these dogs suffer breathing problems,joint problems,pain etc.etc. IMO this seems to me to be almost abuse?
Does anybody else feel this way?

 

[eddieq]

Don't they say that if your dog is fat, you're not getting enough exercise? Seems to me that the problem may go further than just neglecting their dog. They are neglecting themselves as well.

 

[oc_spirit]

YES!!!! To me, obesity is as cruel as emaciation....

 

[Angel Chicken]

Yes, I feel it is as well...

There is no excuse for obesity, unless it is a medical condition causing it.

 

[FoxyWench]

you know whats strange though...on that if your dogs fat your not getting enough excersize...
we work in reverse...I am overweight, yet all my dogs are the perfect weight...i find myself more focused on making sure they get the best foods, proper nutrition and excersize, yet for my own i do not...

 

[Fran27]

And even if the dogs can't have that much exercise, it's not hard to adjust their food, limit snacks etc...

FoxyWench, same for me, lol.

 

[drmom777]

Same here. Even my food obsessed beagle is thin- against her will. I keep telling her that all that running and wrestling she loves so much would be a lot harder if she were fat. She doesn't believe a word of it.

I am getting tired of people asking me if she is a mix because she is the "wrong" shape for a beagle. I think she is the only one around here where you can find ribs and she has a waist!

 

[StevePax]

The other day at the park I saw the fattest beagle I've ever seen. I always picture beagles as being kind of slim dogs, like in your avatar, drmom. But this dog was enormous. The lady said they are trying to give him more exercise, but holy smokes! It would be hard for a beagle to get that fat without anyone noticing (like the owners or the vet), and it was obviously very uncomfortable.

 

[Babyblue5290]

I disagree that obesity is as bad as emaciation. It shouldn't be considered the same level of abuse, IMHO. If it was, a few members should be flogged or at least called the police on them for abuse, right? *jest*

At the very least, they care enough to buy that food and feed their dog! Emaciation on the other hand they don't care enough and let the dog go hungry.

Yeah, Obesity is a problem and a health risk for the animals, but emaciation must be worse then the potential health risk obesity might cause later in life!

 

[Babyblue5290]

The other day at the park I saw the fattest beagle I've ever seen. I always picture beagles as being kind of slim dogs, like in your avatar, drmom. But this dog was enormous. The lady said they are trying to give him more exercise, but holy smokes! It would be hard for a beagle to get that fat without anyone noticing (like the owners or the vet), and it was obviously very uncomfortable.

Well denial's a great thing. Especialy if you see that animal every day, then you don't notice the very few extra pounds it gains each day, so you probably become slightly accustomed to seeing your dog that big and he doesn't look as big as he really is to you. So you think "oh, he's overweight, but he's ok" while others see "OMFG that thing is HUGE!" lol

And vet's aren't generally any help! They (in my experiences) don't generally tell owners when their dogs are a little overweight, unless the dog is seriously obese, and then they can't make the owners do anything.

JMHO.

 

[drmom777]

I especially feel bad for big dogs who are obese-think of their poor joints. Lots of labs around here look like walking coffee tables.

I think my coonhound looks too skinny. In the sun you can see his ribs. But my vet, a hound man who I trust, says coonhounds are supposed to be bony, and with Uncle Fred's early nutritional and skeletal issues I need to keep him on the thin side. I would really catch it from him if I brought him in overweight. Unlike Mini, he doesn't act like he's starving to death.

Someone just this morning asked if Mini was part Whippet because she is so fast and "skinny".

 

[houndlove]

I've been told my dogs are too skinny, though not by our vet. Our vets are always over the moon about their healthy weights (though Marlowe is on notice that he's about to teeter into the realm of less-than-ideal) and last year our vet actually asked us to have Conrad loose a few pounds. He lost 10 and we get positive comments every time we take him in.

Beagles tend to be overweight so much of the time because I think they have that typical scenthound thing of always acting like they've never seen food before. Lord knows when given the opportunity my coonhound has literally eaten until it was coming back out of both ends. They have no "off" switch. Freefeeding is not an option! I think people mistake their lack of moderation with starvation and just keep on feeding until they balloon, thinking they must still be hungry (though at a certain point you'd think maybe it'd click that a dog that size could not possibly still be hungry!). It's a shame, beagles are such athletic, active little doggies, it pains me to see them wheezing and waddling. And bassets? Oh geezie peezie you almost NEVER see a healthy weight basset!

 

[sparks19]

Well denial's a great thing. Especialy if you see that animal every day, then you don't notice the very few extra pounds it gains each day, so you probably become slightly accustomed to seeing your dog that big and he doesn't look as big as he really is to you. So you think "oh, he's overweight, but he's ok" while others see "OMFG that thing is HUGE!" lol

And vet's aren't generally any help! They (in my experiences) don't generally tell owners when their dogs are a little overweight, unless the dog is seriously obese, and then they can't make the owners do anything.

JMHO.

I was going to say the exact same thing.

yes obesity in dogs is terrible.... but when you live with someone and see them everyday and they steadily put on a pound or two a week and someone mentions the weight gain to you.... you don't notice it because you have seen the progression not just the end result. I think it is the same with dogs.

When we got Beezer he was a stray and he was so skinny. the ONLY reason I know he has put on good weight is because I can see less rib and less spine. Before I could count every rib and every vertabrae now I can only see very few. otherwise he looks exactly the same as he always did to me even though people tell me he has really put on some good weight and looks so healthy now. I just don't see it other than the fact that i can't count every rib.