Weight loss for dogs: Why most dog owners fail — and how you can succeed

Gina's always after me to write better headlines promote my SFGate.com columns here instead of making her do it. So I'm taking advantage of the fact that I'm still up at one in the morning to link you over to it while it's hot off the press -- or whatever the web equivalent of a press is.



Making this extra Pet Connection-y is that for this article I not only interviewed our colleague Dr. Marty Becker (who wrote a terrific book on canine weight loss called "Fitness Unleashed"), but also Gina's brother Joe, whose dog Jo Jo lost 15 pounds on a homemade diet recommended by her veterinarian. (That's Jo Jo in the picture, by the way.)

"No dog is going to catch sight of himself in the mirror and see that hairy derriere and say, 'That's it! No more Scooby Snacks for me!'" says Becker. "There is no canine bikini season, and they don't try to get into last year's jeans and find they don't fit." If they're going to get a reality check, it has to come from us.



Unfortunately, that reality check usually doesn't arrive. According to the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, between 60 and 70 percent of the owners of fat dogs don't think their dogs are fat. It's impossible to treat a problem that you don't know exists. And it's not just a problem of lack of awareness. Many veterinarians tell me that no matter what they say to their clients, the owners insist the pet is not fat.



Compounding this perception problem is the fact that, for many owners, the sharing of treats is an important part of how they show affection for their dogs. "For a lot of people, food equals love," Becker says. "They love to witness the furry tap dance, the excitement at the opening of the treat door, the tail going like a helicopter rotor, the liquid eyes."



But food isn't love, certainly not when it's causing a genuine health problem for the dogs who rely on us for their care. And fortunately, there are lots of ways to replace the nightly cookie-jar dance with rituals that will make you and your dog just as happy, without any downside at all.

The whole article is here. And thanks to the whole Pet Connection extended family for their role in it!

Comments

[Christie Keith]

Actually, if you're feeding commercial food, it sometimes doesn't work to just cut back. Foods that are formulated for "active weight loss" have been manipulated to provide the required nutrients for the dog AND fewer calories, while just cutting back on regular food *can* (although it doesn't always) reduce some nutrients levels of the foods too low.



I get around that by feeding, you know, actual FOOD to my dogs, LOL, but if someone is feeding a processed diet -- raw, cooked, frozen, canned, pouched, or dry -- then it can be an issue.

[LauraS]

Another excellent SF Gate column Christie, thanks very much for your thorough coverage.



I guess I don't understand why it is so hard for dog owners to keep the extra weight off of Fido.



If Fido got obese by being fed 4 level cups a day of Spanky's Premium Dog Kibble, then cut him back to 3 level cups a day of Spanky's Premium Dog Kibble. Assuming whatever he's being fed provides a balanced diet, cut him back to 3/4 as much. The fat will come off.



Like to give Fido treats for training purposes? Then measure out his kibble dinner, and take the treats out of that. He'll get the same number of calories that he needs, just at different times of the day.



I understand why it's difficult for people to keep the extra pounds off themselves. But I just don't get why it's hard for dog owners to keep their dogs from getting overweight, let alone obese.

[Gina Spadafori]

I've read that, too.



But you know what? She looks like modern 10-12, not a modern 8:



http://www.galbreath.net/bill/swimsuit20-60/images/zn-monroe-marilyn22_jpg.jpg



I snorted in laughter during "The Devil Wears Prada" when the intern character is mocked for being a size 4.

[C.L.H.]

Totally agree with you on our unrealistic perceptions of what the perfect person is. I think it's sick when healthy women are publicly ridiculed for their body build.

Incidentally, Marilyn's 1950's size 14 would probably be equivalent to today's off-the-rack size 8. My mother was a size 12 in the 50's. She's a little bigger than she was then and she's a size 6 now. The clothing companies do like to play games.

I was thinking of a recent study on weight perception and health in everyday people. When looking at another person, what was perceived as overweight 20 years ago is not now. Hollywood aside, people in this country are getting bigger and we're getting used to it. Why wouldn't we be looking at our animals that way too?

[Christie Keith]

Yeah, Marilyn Monroe wore a size 14. Today she'd be mocked and ridiculed -- as are many fit, healthy, curvacious actresses.

[perkysmom]

Does anyone make a treadmill just for dogs (especially little dogs)?

[Jess]

There are treadmills that are made specifically for dogs (and they do come in different sizes). You can find them by googling: pet treadmill. I just bought a human treadmill though, so we can both use it.

[Gina Spadafori]

CLH ... well, except that our "perception" of "ideal" in humans is getting smaller and smaller even as we aren't.



Take a look at Marilyn Monroe some time. Today, the tabloids would be all over her "fat" frame.

[C.L.H.]

It makes sense that our culture's weight problems would transfer to our canine companions. If my dog needs more exercise, chances are really good that I do too. Studies are showing that our perceptions of healthy weight in humans have changed in the last 20-30 years. I wonder if we're

looking through our "fat glasses" when viewing our animal companions. That would explain why people don't think their animals are overweight.

[Jess]

I have a hard time keeping the weight of my girls during the winter months when they go out only minimally (basically just potty breaks). So I buckled down and bought us (I could use to drop a few - ok more than a few) a treadmill. One has warmed up to it pretty quickly, the other girl we are going slowly.

[emily]

I couldn't believe the Kruft's winning lab, it looked like it was made out of Jelly with a thin layer of skin on top : /

[Gina Spadafori]

I gotta agree with you, Heather. Check out the 2004 Gundog group winner from Crufts (or indeed ANY of the Labradors who won in the classes that day):



http://www.labrador-retriever.cz/crufts_2004_pictures.htm



Yowser.

[perkysmom]

I adopted a female chihuahua from a rescue group. Unfortunately, one person in the foster home over fed the dog and she came to me - in the words of my vet, "morbidly obese". This dog must have been underfed in her original home because she is relentless in her search for food. Attention foster pet parents - please don't overfeed your foster animals. It makes it really hard for the adoptive family to get the weight off the animal. We still love her even though she looks like a football with 4 legs.

[The OTHER Pat]

I have a 12 year old Papillon who is still (knock on wood!) going strong. I have always kept his weight at a healthy level, and it really DOES make a difference.



A couple of years ago, when he was 10, I had him in to the vet and we had a different vet than the one we normally see - one who was new to us. He came into the room, did the usual "Hello"-handshake and "pet the dog" pleasantries, then bent his head to begin reading the file when all of a sudden his head snapped up in a VERY visible double-take as he exclaimed "HOW old is this dog?!"



It was his weight. There was no way he looked anything like most of the 10-year old dogs this vet was used to seeing.



When I switched him to homecooked this past year, I had to spend some time making adjustments to be sure I was feeding amounts to maintain his healthy weight. This meant LOTS of weighing for a while - both of him, and of his food (and weight measurements are FAR more reliable for this than are volume measurements). And I kept WRITTEN RECORDS as I went - which is regrettably probably more trouble than a lot of people want to go to, but the only truly reliable way to monitor progress, as those of us who work in the sciences know.



Graphing the numbers on a chart is also tremendously helpful. It might seem like overkill to some, but pictures are worth a thousand words, and if you see that line trending up (v.s. remaining nice and steady)then you know you have to make some adjustments.



My guy is 12 years old. And he still goes tearing all over the place when he's excited, throws all his cute "tricks" at me when he wants something, and always has bright eyes and a big smile for me every day when I get home.



I really and truly ascribe the lion's share of that to the fact that I'm keeping him at a nice, healthy weight.

[H. Houlahan]

One reason that pet owners may not believe that their dogs are overweight is that the popular media and in some cases the show ring present fat dogs as "fit."



My husband and I have repeatedly groaned at dog food commercials showing very fat dogs being "athletic." One featured a panting golden retriever whose fat was jiggling and rolling while he ran. I imagine they got that shot in one take. Voiceover going on about the great health benefits of the corn-based dog food.



And I've had clients tell me that an obese rottweiler or Labrador (to name two problem breeds) was "all muscle" and point to the waddling tanks at Westminster as their evidence that the dog was just right.



You want to tell me with a straight face that these dogs are in hard working condition?



http://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/2007/results/breed/rotty.html



http://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/2007/results/breed/labdoret.html



Yet they are presented as models of peak performance on television. (Watch the videos linked on the results page.)



It's kind of the flip side to women being presented with images of female skeletors as literal "models" of female beauty.



Anyway, it's a lot healthier to keep a dog (or a self) lean than it is to take the weight off once it's there.



I just took 13+ pounds off my repo dog, and it was no fun for him. I'm looking forward to feeding the poor guy normal portions now.

[georg]

I have one dog who is dying from bladder cancer, who we are going overboard with the canned food and treats in order to do *anything* to keep her interest in eating. Unfortunately, the other dog objects rather strenuously to her being slipped treats and he isn't getting anything. So when she finally dies, we are definitely putting the basset on a diet. He's going to hate not getting breakfast any more. Or no more dog dinner- one or the other. He's not grossly overweight yet, but... He came to us over a year ago seriously underweight. So we'd like to keep him slim, but not too slim. Before, you could see his ribs. Now, we can't feel them. There's a happy medium where you can feel them, but not see them, and that's his ideal weight.

[Gina Spadafori]

Yay for my brother! And yay for NorCal Box Rescue, who took JoJo in when her owners decided she couldn't make enough money any more as a breeding machine.



She's a great dog, and her health turnaround is remarkable since the new feeding regimen and subsequent weight loss. Kudos to my brother!



On the other hand, I have a dear, dear friend whose dogs are ALWAYS sadly, cruelly obese and she just can't see it. I'm sure her darling golden died early because she weighed 100 pounds instead of 60. Even more remarkable, my friend is a retired nurse. She loves her dogs ... to death.



It's most frustrating, and I just can't get through to her.

[emily]

Most dog owners *with fat dogs* that is. ;) I imagine most dog owners per se have some idea that a dog is meant to have a waist?

[Lynn]

Regarding pet tread mills: maybe Gina or Christie can do a study on tread mills for dogs? I'd be interested in knowing if any of the manufacturers did any controlled studies and what the results were [e.g., Fido lost 10% body weight over x weeks by exercising half an hour a day at X pace]. And I would want to know the pros and cons for large and small dogs.



And I would stress in every case that the owner needs to be right there watching in case there's a problem [malfunction or exhaustion].

[The OTHER Pat]

Comment by Lynn — January 8, 2008 @ 10:03 pm



"The best thing any guardian of one of these dogs can do is KEEP THE WEIGHT OFF."



That's also the best thing the *owner* of one of these dogs can do.

[glock]

There is a guy who maintains that one should feed your dogs according to the foods they were traditionally fed in their place of origin. To some degree this makes sense, but I’m not real keen on feeding kelp to my Shiba! To find his recommendations for a breed specific diet on the internet, type in “What to feed a_____ (name of breed)”-- and then take the recommendations with a grain of salt.





Since we are looking at film clips, etc., here are two:

Dalmatian Best in Show - Crufts

http://www.dvojica.co.uk/7.html

Shiba at Westminster

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwufUpyMD0M

[Lynn]

I've always had a passion for shih tzus with their sweet chrysanthemum, pushed in faces. Problem with those little faces is that often the breed is predispositioned to something called hypoplastic trachea, aka trachea collapse.



As these dogs mature often you hear them "chortle" when they breathe. Sounds cute - like they're snoring. But the reality is that it's a defect in the respiratory passageway, which ultimately takes a huge toll on the heart, and often leads to a much earlier death.



The best thing any guardian of one of these dogs can do is KEEP THE WEIGHT OFF. That by itself will often add years to the pet's life.



And for those who just must give their animals a treat: a tiny, tiny piece is just as welcome as a big chunk.

[C.L.H.]

When we look at people's health, we look at all the numbers, not necessarily just the weight. Cholesterol levels, blood pressure, BMI, blood sugar levels. Is there such a thing in the canine world? Or is that just making it too complicated?



We took in a friend's two German Shepherd dogs for two months while she was moving. One was geriatric and suffering from her excessive weight. Her owner would put down two bowls of food and leave them all day. The younger dog was a little neurotic and didn't eat right away. The older dog would then eat both bowls.

It happened more often than not. I simply fed them in separate rooms and put the food up in a 1/2 hour if they weren't finished. The older dog lost 12 pounds in two months. She moved better and wanted to play again. I think it helped her arthritis, too. She didn't act deprived. She seemed to be getting what she needed. The younger dog actually put on a couple of pounds but I don't think it hurt her any. It didn't take any extra time. Just a little modification in feeding.

[Kim]

My stepmother is constantly feeding her toy poodle whatever she's eating: cookies, candy, ice cream, steak. I pointed out that he was starting to look a little pudgy and she snapped "Your poor little dogs are probably skin and bones." No response when I told her my dogs' vets had just been raving about what perfect body condition they were in.