How Does Your Dog Score?

[DrDan]

Being a veterinarian, I just couldn't resist bringing to light the massive amounts of problems we are having with overweight dogs. Take a look at this chart and see where your dog fits on the 1 to 9 scale.

http://www.fitandtrim.com/weight_assessment/wtas3a.htm

If it's 6 or above, the time to cut back on food and treats is now, "before" cardiac, pancreatic, diabetes and bone and joint problems surface.

As with their owners, obesity is probably the number one problem in the dog world.

Dr Dan

 

[Bird]

Yep, DrDan, I know some folks who've killed their dogs with "kindness", overfeeding on "treats". Seems to me that's usually city dogs or those who never get turned loose with room to exercise. Our rat terrier get Purina One dog chow; keep food in the bowl so he can have all he wants, but he scores "Ideal" because he loves to run and play and has room to do it every day.

Bird

 

[Anonymous Poster]

We have 4 English Mastiffs. The 3 males score the ideal 5. The one female scores a 7.5, she was always the ideal 5 until she was fixed. I think the hormone change caused it. She would eat and excersize the same as the others, but was still putting on weight. We switched her to Fit & Trim last year and she lost 10 of her 188 lbs.

Andy

 

[DrDan]

Naw that's "an old wives tale"! Spaying doesn't cause increased growth rate or decreased activity. Some pets just like some people have to watch what they eat to stay the ideal weight. You may need to put her on a prescription reducing diet like Hill's R/D to get the weight down. It's harder losing it than maintaining once it's lost. So once she gets back to normal you can probably maintain ideal with "Fit & Trim". By the way how old is she?

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by DrDan on 05/28/01 00:00 AM (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Harv]

Bird -

One of my dogs used to have a weight problem and I tried all the different "diet" foods out there. Then I heard the theory that you just mentioned -- give 'em all they want, any time they want. The first week was painful to watch. The poor guy ate and ate until he couldn't move, then lay down and guarded the bowl so the other dog couldn't get any.

Over time, he realized the food would always be there. I built them a gravity feeder that held a 50-lb sack of food (the good stuff -- not diet), and both dogs maintained pefect weight until the day they died.

 

[Kerry]

Well it seems things are the same the world over,We have 6 dogs aPapillion,3Australian Kelpies,a6 month old pup,a 5 yr old *****,a16 yr old geriatric,a mini foxy and a Rottweiler ***** 3yr old and my Ma in law is one of the "kill em with kindness" people who just can't resist giving the "poor" dogs a tidbit or 2 daily. Fortunately our dogs score well as they get plenty of exercise on 130 acres. Kerry.

 

[Bird]

Our dog doesn't get a lot of "treats", but there's no way we can have any peanuts or popcorn without him instantly being there waiting to see if we're going to share with him./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Bird

 

[toddler]

My border collie would get a 4, but active as she is, eating as much as she wants, she'll never get to 5. We give her plenty of fat and protein per those huskie studies done at Cornell University's Vet School, and who knows what she finds around the several hundred acres she explores, but fat over the ribs? Not likely. The Vets think she's perfect, so who am I to argue. Given how smart Keegan is, we really have never felt the need to regulate her diet. Of course I've given up putting sticks of butter next to the coal stove in the winter to soften them up for TollHouse cookies. Amazingly, she didn't get sick even after that tasty little snack.
Todd

 

[Anonymous Poster]

She is 5.5 years old. The oldest male is 6. Their son is 3.5 years and their grandson 5.5 months. She had 1 liter with 11 pups, and we had her fixed when she was about 2.5 years old. The oldest male has fathered 3 liters (33 pups) and the son has fathered 2 liters (13 pups).

Maybe it is an old wives tale, but it makes sense to me that if a hormone producing organ is removed, the hormone changes would have some effect on the body. She was always thin until after the operation. She is the most energetic of all the dogs including the pup. She has a terrier energy level in a Mastiff body, so you can imagine what that is like. All the dogs have dry food available all the time and always have. She does not eat more than the others, maybe less.

She lost 10 lbs in the last year and that is the right direction, so we will see if we can keep it up (or down as the case may be).

When I was growing up we had 3 golden retrevers. One of them was fixed after 2 liters of pups. She was about 3 years old and very energetic. She promptly started gaining weight. I have seen it happen numerous times to other dogs as well.

I realize that this is completely unscientific, and does not mean a thing. It is however, just as scientific as those that use synthetic oil in a vehicle or 2 and draw conclusions from that.

Andy

 

[Rowski]

Dr Dan

Our Airedale is a 5. At first when we got her we gave her way to many treats, especially during training. We also found out that she has a problem with her liver. Luckly we can control it (liver problem) with Hill's L/D and limiting protien. We give her Hill's T/D as treats and snacks. She gets tons of exercise. I got a question, The breader and vet told us it's not good to let the dog "graze" on the food but to give then the food , twice a day, and let them eat and after 20 min. pick up the bowl?

BTW, nice web site!

Derek