you have to remember at least a whole generation of vets has grown up w/ fat dogs. if you can find a vet that works w/ hunting dogs or racers or any kind of high endurance work you'll never hear them refer you to the body comp chart AC posted. look at it, it was made by a dog food company (i'm sure there's no bias there). at the same time if you tried to make the average house dog perform the actions of these atheletes they would probably die from the exertion because 1 they aren't in condition & 2 they're carrying extra weight they don't need.
i love sage, & thyme, cilantro, basil (especially lemon), rosemary and so many other wonderful herbs.
seriously i've just been fortunate to learn a few things from some really knowledgable dogmen (yes a couple were old time dogfighters, i know a very smart guy who actually used to work on maurice carver's yard). fortunately i am also leery of absolutes. I had a pretty sharp guy tel me it was BS when i told him my catXamerican bulldog was roaded 12 miles at 25-30 MPH 3X a week. i then detailed the process of building up to that and where i did the road work. it took months (almost a year) to build up to, but if i had "known" it was impossible it never would have happened.
i think my greates talent is being able to figure out who really does know their stuff & who is full of beans. the first sign that makes me deaf is someone who talks in absolutes.
DC
Walker is a fine looking dog & i wouldn't hesitate to give him a go on a hog or anything else he might feel like. for me that is as good as it gets. if a dog in it's prime can't hunt or won't, i'll still treat it kind but i won't spend a ton of time & effort doing so. i like & appreciate other working dogs but hunting w/ them is my thing. you just don't get anymore pack like than when you're catching dinner together. you take care of the old man & scratch his ears a little extra for me.
seriously i've just been fortunate to learn a few things from some really knowledgable dogmen (yes a couple were old time dogfighters, i know a very smart guy who actually used to work on maurice carver's yard). fortunately i am also leery of absolutes. I had a pretty sharp guy tel me it was BS when i told him my catXamerican bulldog was roaded 12 miles at 25-30 MPH 3X a week. i then detailed the process of building up to that and where i did the road work. it took months (almost a year) to build up to, but if i had "known" it was impossible it never would have happened.
i think my greates talent is being able to figure out who really does know their stuff & who is full of beans. the first sign that makes me deaf is someone who talks in absolutes.
DC
Walker is a fine looking dog & i wouldn't hesitate to give him a go on a hog or anything else he might feel like. for me that is as good as it gets. if a dog in it's prime can't hunt or won't, i'll still treat it kind but i won't spend a ton of time & effort doing so. i like & appreciate other working dogs but hunting w/ them is my thing. you just don't get anymore pack like than when you're catching dinner together. you take care of the old man & scratch his ears a little extra for me.
S
For the people who say... Why did she just sit there and watch her dog waste away for over a week? Please tell me what you are supposed to do when you CANNOT afford a better food? You are stuck!!! I've been in this same positon as breeze. Though I kept his normal food, but drastically reduced the amount he got every day. Yeah, it sucks and its unfortunate that things like this happen, but they do. I've lived before without a dime to my name and its not easy. Maybe some just missed part of the thread, I dunno. I'm glad he's on raw now and I bet he is too!!
Its a pretty sh!tty feeling and I wouldnt wish it on anyone. We even had a hard time feeding the kids and us that week. Squishy I had already done that and added table scraps It got to the point I couldnt ration anyless. Oh yea that boy OMG i havent seen him truely jump in excitement in a while (you know old man syndrome LOL) and he will act like a oung puppy when I go in his drawer LOL
I was told that even 10 pounds of extra weight increases your dog's chance of developing cancer. THat fat displaces organs. I know it is heck on joints. If Mary weighed 10 pounds more she would not be able to walk. I see all these fat pointers at the dog park and shake my head. THe fat labs are huffing before they are half way to the water. Something my old Mary does easily.
oh. my. gosh. One time I met a rescue grey who was pulled as a puppy. She never was an athlete, and it showed. She was so fat, her tuck up was absent. The bottom of her rib cage was even with the bottom of her fat belly all the way to her back legs. Seeing her made me want to cry more than any malnourished dog I have ever seen. The worst part was, her owner was so proud of how much weight he had on her. She looked like a barrel with greyhound legs and a tiny head.
Ive seen variations like that too, That is why I dont go to rescue events anymore. That on top of all the normal rescue people get onto me for keeping him at his race weight because hes a pet and the world needs to see them looking like normal dogs. HELLO THEY ARE NOT NORMAL DOGS. The director loves how much I work for Sciroccos weight to stay race weight.
I just can't believe it was so exspensive to get better food. I mean, I believe it, but that's really sad, because I'm positive there are more pet owners in a similar situiation (unhealthy dog because of crappy food)
I don't understand how NC could be more exspensive than where I lived either. Heck, I lied in SF, pretty exspensive place, because of my hospitalizations we weren't always doing fabulous money wise, but we could still afford good dog food.
I don't understand how NC could be more exspensive than where I lived either. Heck, I lied in SF, pretty exspensive place, because of my hospitalizations we weren't always doing fabulous money wise, but we could still afford good dog food.
Another thing you might not be thinking of Muffin is how unpopulated a lot of NC can be. My dad would have to drive an hour or more to get to a place that even carries good dog food. So you have to add the gas price to the price of the food which may also be more expensive because it's rare in the area.
dc walker looks absolutly fabuous...
and in truth, sis doesnt look that bad...an Emaciated dog looses muscle not just weight...you can celarly ess that sis is heavily muscled, you can see the definition in his legs, hes simply a little underweight!
and for those who are all for the "why didnt you get him a better food?"
times are tough for everyone...
if i didnt have my parents id be living out of my car eating raw ramen!
put yourself in THAT position...
its ok to say "put some money away" but when your only bread winner is brinign home $120 this week and youve got 2 adults and 2 children to feed...plus rent and bills, HEAT ect...then what? how much money do you REALY think is left over...
the usa doesnt even have the social that the uk does, even those living on state assistance often have trouble making ends meet, theres little rent assistance, and energey assistance i a joke...where as in the uk, for the most part, if you loose your job or fall on hard times you can get a house, you can get money for your kids, you can get help heating your house and putting food on your table...here that help is limited IF you qualify...and most that need it dont even qualify!
take a look around folks, the world itself isnt exactly booming...everyones cut back, taken losses ect...but how many of you have seen themselves in a serious situation where you can barely afford to feed yourself.
DC's situation is her own, shes doing what she has to to support her family, she got through the 2 week period and now the dogs are on a better food, sis is putting weight on, but whats more important is both those dogs are living AT home, with the people they LOVE, they havent been stuck on craigslist, they havent been sent off to an overcrowded shelter to be PTS (and yes, even none kill now are putting dogs to sleep and refusing to accept dogs because there so full!)
i feel both happy and sad for the folks who can sit there and say "why didnt you put him on a better food?"
happy because obviously your doing ok, you have enough money to get yourself through, you have the money to continue feeding your dogs a food that works, ect...
but sad because theres no insight for those that do fall on truly hard times!
id hate to see anyone fall on hard times...but at the same time, when put in that situation you do what you have to to survive...mabe if everyone got a quick veiw of how hard it can be out there (and its only getting worse) wed ALL have a little more sympathy when it comes to "well we had a tough 2 weeks and all the family had to eat cheap food"
what about all those folks out there that have lost their homes, their entire lives through no fault of their own? all because of layoffs, lack of work ect...
you goign to tell them "next time you should put some money aside in a jar just in case"
or "save more" not all these situatins are brought on because of irresponsibility...
*sigh*
what im trying to say is...
walk a mile in the other persons shoes!
and in truth, sis doesnt look that bad...an Emaciated dog looses muscle not just weight...you can celarly ess that sis is heavily muscled, you can see the definition in his legs, hes simply a little underweight!
and for those who are all for the "why didnt you get him a better food?"
times are tough for everyone...
if i didnt have my parents id be living out of my car eating raw ramen!
put yourself in THAT position...
its ok to say "put some money away" but when your only bread winner is brinign home $120 this week and youve got 2 adults and 2 children to feed...plus rent and bills, HEAT ect...then what? how much money do you REALY think is left over...
the usa doesnt even have the social that the uk does, even those living on state assistance often have trouble making ends meet, theres little rent assistance, and energey assistance i a joke...where as in the uk, for the most part, if you loose your job or fall on hard times you can get a house, you can get money for your kids, you can get help heating your house and putting food on your table...here that help is limited IF you qualify...and most that need it dont even qualify!
take a look around folks, the world itself isnt exactly booming...everyones cut back, taken losses ect...but how many of you have seen themselves in a serious situation where you can barely afford to feed yourself.
DC's situation is her own, shes doing what she has to to support her family, she got through the 2 week period and now the dogs are on a better food, sis is putting weight on, but whats more important is both those dogs are living AT home, with the people they LOVE, they havent been stuck on craigslist, they havent been sent off to an overcrowded shelter to be PTS (and yes, even none kill now are putting dogs to sleep and refusing to accept dogs because there so full!)
i feel both happy and sad for the folks who can sit there and say "why didnt you put him on a better food?"
happy because obviously your doing ok, you have enough money to get yourself through, you have the money to continue feeding your dogs a food that works, ect...
but sad because theres no insight for those that do fall on truly hard times!
id hate to see anyone fall on hard times...but at the same time, when put in that situation you do what you have to to survive...mabe if everyone got a quick veiw of how hard it can be out there (and its only getting worse) wed ALL have a little more sympathy when it comes to "well we had a tough 2 weeks and all the family had to eat cheap food"
what about all those folks out there that have lost their homes, their entire lives through no fault of their own? all because of layoffs, lack of work ect...
you goign to tell them "next time you should put some money aside in a jar just in case"
or "save more" not all these situatins are brought on because of irresponsibility...
*sigh*
what im trying to say is...
walk a mile in the other persons shoes!