Just how?

How does a dog get this fat and why does no one never feed it again until her stomach doesn't drag?

IMG_0810 by Traveling Koolie, on Flickr

I'm dog watching this mini doxie over the weekend of my neighbors (it was their parents dog but now their parents aren't doing well and they have the dog until one of their brothers takes her) and she's just so sad.

Her name is Brandy and she's a lump. I don't think she gets any attention really. She doesn't know how to walk on a leash, her chest has no hair and a sore from dragging on the ground and she doesn't know how to play.

She loves carrots so I cut them up tiny and had her chasing me around the yard to get them and that actually turned into play. I think she surprised herself. I tried to take her for a walk down the street and she just will not walk on a leash. By the third visit she's managed to get halfway down the street before refusing.

IMG_0853 by Traveling Koolie, on Flickr

IMG_0807 by Traveling Koolie, on Flickr

How does someone let a dog get that fat?

I mean, she just makes me sad. I know that the majority of dogs live in homes that love them but don't really walk them, or play with them or ever take them anywhere and the dogs live happy lives and I'm cool with that. I guess she just makes me sad because she can't even be comfortable moving because of her weight and the way she kinda lit up when she figured out that she was playing was super sad. And when I went to leave the third time she followed me to the door like "Hey fun person, don't leave!"

And I know the living situation has been far from ideal since she's being moved around and there are larger concerns like their parents health.

But she's just SOOOO fat.

That is so sad sadly..it happens. People think fat dogs are cute, thing bad foods are good, think free feeding is a given and joke about the issue. Not even realizing they are KILLING their dog.

Oh and also a RIDICULOUS amount of awful treats. Beggin strips are the number one I see in homes with huge dogs. and they give a WHOLE STRIP every-time the dog even looks at the treat jar.

Poor kiddo.... reminds me of Steve's brother's dog, a Dachshund who they assure me is "isn't fat" - uhhhh, he's a twinkie. He's fat. HOW can they not see it?

I think sometimes with fat dogs, the owners see how little kibble they're supposed to feed and compare it to a human meal. As in, "Oh dear, Fluffy surely needs more than that to survive! Why, if that's all I ate, I'd starve!"

my husband's great-uncle has a dog like that. he's a little pound pup, something like a basset, beagle, maybe jtr cross.

Soooooo terribly sad.

Poor dog

I see dogs like this all the time at work. Sometimes even worse Dogs so fat that just standing up causes them to pant heavily, their tails are permanently stuck to one side because of the rolls of fat on their butts, they can barely stand up for the duration of a bath. We have a Sheltie that weighs 70lbs, Goldens that hit 130. It is really, really sad for the dogs. So many of the people who's dogs look like that think they are spoiling them and showing how much they love them by giving them treats. One of the dogs gets hamburgers from McDonalds in a regular basis...and it isn't even a big dog. Sometimes the owners are in about as bad of shape as the dogs, which makes it rather...awkward to even try to say anything about getting the dog healthier. And yes, most already insist that they don't feed them that much at all...that they barely give them anything. Or that their dog is just big boned. Or thick haired. Had an obese Golden in the other day that the owner gets shaved to "make her look thinner".

poor dog

My childhood dog was FAT FAT FAT. She had her hair shaved off once (sheltie) and she had rolls on her tail. It makes me so sad she got so huge. Why my parents didn't take more charge and get her slim blows my mind. She was obese and had a lot of complications from it.

Food is love, man.

Exactly that-- food is love. And a lot of the really fat dogs we see at work get lousy quality food as well, so allllllll those carbs don't help either.

I understand how dogs get fat. I don't understand how they get morbidly, life-threateningly obese.

Poor pup

There is seriously no way I could stand to look at my dog if she were that fat. There would be a major weight loss plan in place.

That poor dog's back must be taking a beating.

Poor little dog

Maybe since they took it from their parents it will now go on a serious diet/exercise plan?

Poor baby

Urgh, I couldn't give her back.

Holy crap! I saw a 60 or 70 lb cocker spaniel not long ago. Was at the vet when they weighed a pug that was 37 lbs.

I'm so glad my dad finally listened to my advice about Beau's weight.

See that bothers me so much. Sorry but if that was my dog I think I'd stop feeding almost entirely. If a dog isn't exercising, it needs to eat soooooo much less.

My own dog is porky right now because her body isn't being worked at all. I cut back on her daily food intake by half, and she acts starving and my boyfriend and his mom think I'm starving her, but she's still porky and I'm not going to up her food intake because she drools by the dog food bag. I give her rec bones and play toys instead. She's still alive and thriving with less food.

People humanize dogs way, way too much when it comes to food.

Kinda have the same problem with Roman, people think acting hungry=needing food. As we all know this is not the case at alll.

Overfeeding yourself is understandable. Overfeeding your child or dog? I just don't get it. If watching it eat gives you so much joy, give it many smaller meals, use its kibble ration as a treat... otherwise just cut the poor thing's food intake! That poor dog's spine is supporting like 2.5 dachshounds, simply breathing and pumping blood must be torturous on its organs... very sad.

Yeah it's a serious problem when it takes two people to lift a Sheltie into the tub. We have some others that are crazy fat too but the Sheltie always stands out. He's a little oversized height wise but definitely not taller than Savvy. Any discussion with his owner over concern for his health results in her getting upset and saying the only way she knows to show him love is to give him his favorite food.