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OVERWEIGHT DOG PROBLEM - 5/6/2008 2:11:10 AM   
nightowl207

 

Posts: 431
Status: offline 		I got a 3 yr old beagle that is unsafely overweight. I had her spayed early and she has gained weight ever since. They say it has no effect on weight gaining but i think in some dogs that have a strong instinct to reproduce, if you take that instinct away they react to the next strongest instinct in line, FOOD. Anyway, just when i thought she couldnt possibly get any fatter, she gained another 10lb. She now weighs 67lb!!!. I am very concerned about her health and am looking for any suggestions. I tried to feed her dieting dog food. She wouldnt eat it and just left it for my lab who needs to gain weight. Then she just goes out and gets into garbage or rummages in the woods. Really she doesnt eat much dog food. I put out a few cups in the morning, my lab and coonhound usually get the most of it and she barely gets any. She just waits and escapes the fence and goes and eats something somewhere else, apparently. I even tried putting her on a treadmill! LOL, she just woddled to the side where the tracs werent moving. The only thing i can think of is to put a harness on her (a collar just falls off because her neck is bigger round than her head) and tie her to a run, then moderate her food. I know thats probaly the only thing that will work but i was wondering if anyone had any other remedies. If i dont do something soon, she will die. She can barely walk, barely breathe, and if she gets diabetes or something i wont be able to afford to treat her. 
Post #: 1
RE: OVERWEIGHT DOG PROBLEM - 5/6/2008 8:18:35 AM   
aranbp

 

Posts: 275
Joined: 2/24/2006
From: The Burgh
Status: offline 		I would limit the food.  My black lab gets one cup in the morning and one cup in the evening.  When I first got her I thought that amount was not going to be enough.  Turns out it was right.  She is in the house during the day and out all evening.  I do not walk her as much as I should and she is at a good weight.  I keep a measuring cuo in the crate of food.  Limit the food and take for plenty of walks.  It could help out you walking her also.  i know it did me.  If this does not work take her to a vet.

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Post #: 2
RE: OVERWEIGHT DOG PROBLEM - 5/6/2008 8:31:16 AM   
SmallieKiller


Posts: 3809
Joined: 5/24/2002
Status: online 		Yeah, that's the best advice.  We have a 5 year old Scottie and he's a big dog for his breed at 30 pounds, but for his frame, he's only slightly overweight.  Our problem is a soon to be 3 year old that feeds him treats left and right.  He get's fed 3/4-1 cup in the morning and in the evening.  He's going to seem like he's hungry all the time, but I think that's just beause they're opportunistic animals and will stalk you when you're eating.

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Post #: 3
RE: OVERWEIGHT DOG PROBLEM - 5/6/2008 11:50:42 AM   
D-nymph

 

Posts: 2125
Joined: 9/19/2001
Status: offline 		Take her for walks.

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Post #: 4
RE: OVERWEIGHT DOG PROBLEM - 5/6/2008 11:59:32 AM   
sstaz69


Posts: 275
Joined: 5/31/2007
From: Erie
Status: offline 		Nghtowl, my Border Collie had a bad weight problem for about 3 years. The vets kept saying I was over feeding her and i wasnt. She's a finicky eater anyway. I finally got a new vet and he did a $40 blood test and found her thyroid quit working. Might want to ask a vet what they think and maybe do the blood test. At first it was just wieght, then she started having skin problems like rashes and such. Easy fix, a $22 bottle of pills every 6 months. Once in the morning and once at night. She went from 74lbs to 43 in about 4 months.

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Post #: 5
RE: OVERWEIGHT DOG PROBLEM - 5/11/2008 6:09:28 PM   
casts_by_fly

 

Posts: 2574
Joined: 10/18/2000
Status: offline 		feed her less, don't let her get scraps, don't let her eat elsewhere. She shouldn't be eating anything that you don't know about. Stick to the diet dog food with low calories. If she doesn't eat it when you put it down, she doesn't eat. She will eat when she is hungry. Put her food down for a few minutes and then take it up. How much you feed depends on the dog, but for comparison's sake my lab is 55lb, pretty active, and in good shape gets 3-4 cups dry fed in two courses (morning and night). If you have a 67 lb beagle I'm thinking closer to 2 cups a day total, maybe 3 if it is diet.

She'll need a lot of exercise. If you run, have kids that run or bicycle or know of someone who does, get the dog moving. She'll need a half hour a day of jogging level exercise. If you are just walking, double it. She needs lots of exercise.

Does the dog enjoy retrieving (balls or dummies) or any type of playing? The more the better. If she likes to chase, give her something to chase.

If you don't see an improvement after 2-3 weeks of that, or if you do all of that and she gains weight in the first week, then you definitely need to see a vet. I would also advise the vet of the problem and your intended solution first.

Thanks
Rick

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Post #: 6
RE: OVERWEIGHT DOG PROBLEM - 5/11/2008 7:09:07 PM   
tippy-toe


Posts: 4367
Joined: 11/21/2005
From: under a rock
Status: online 		STOP FEEDING IT !!!!!

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Post #: 7
RE: OVERWEIGHT DOG PROBLEM - 5/11/2008 10:40:02 PM   
nightowl207

 

Posts: 431
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: sstaz69

Nghtowl, my Border Collie had a bad weight problem for about 3 years. The vets kept saying I was over feeding her and i wasnt. She's a finicky eater anyway. I finally got a new vet and he did a $40 blood test and found her thyroid quit working. Might want to ask a vet what they think and maybe do the blood test. At first it was just wieght, then she started having skin problems like rashes and such. Easy fix, a $22 bottle of pills every 6 months. Once in the morning and once at night. She went from 74lbs to 43 in about 4 months.


This sounds like a similar senario. Im gonna take her in for the test just to see if their is a medical treatment she is in need of. I dont want to get to rapped up in vet bills but i would spend $22 every 6 months if that is all it would take. If she has a medical condition. Do you remember what the medication was that they gave your dog? If she doesnt have a medical condition, Ill have to put her on a dogrun and regulate her diet. Shes going elsewhere if she is overeating. So if i can keep her from wandering while still giving her room to run ( i mean waddle) , hopefully she'll start sheding some poundage. Thanks guys.      Maybe if i just tease and make fun of her enough she turn belimic.  

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Post #: 8
RE: OVERWEIGHT DOG PROBLEM - 5/12/2008 1:56:50 AM   
indsguiz


Posts: 2033
Joined: 3/24/2005
Status: offline 		Oh, Yeah!  that's just what you need a bulemic beagle;  the rug, your shoes, the kitchen.   First keep her inside when she isn't on a leash.  If a collar doesn't fit get a harness, like for a Lab.  Stop feeding her' it's a beagle not a poland-china.  Exercise, exercise, exercise; but in moderation, she is gravely overweight, a 67 pound beagle is like a 500 pound person.  And if all else fails try to get her on "The Biggest Looser".   A trip to the vet is definately in order.

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Post #: 9
RE: OVERWEIGHT DOG PROBLEM - 5/12/2008 8:43:10 AM   
sstaz69


Posts: 275
Joined: 5/31/2007
From: Erie
Status: offline 		She is on Soloxin, it's the same medication that humans take for hypothyroidism, but in smaller doses.

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Post #: 10
RE: OVERWEIGHT DOG PROBLEM - 5/12/2008 9:35:06 AM   
D-nymph

 

Posts: 2125
Joined: 9/19/2001
Status: offline 		After thinking about this, I'm betting it's a thyroid issue.  I had fogrotten my parents used to own an English Setter with a Thyroid issue.  We thought at 6 or 7 years old tha tthe dog was near death.  Took her to a vet, they did a Thyroid test, and she lost tons of weight in a matter of a couple months, and was healthy as could be.  Just a little pill in a piece of lunch meat every day.  She lived happily to 16 years old.

Amazing the effect a tiny little gland like a thyroid has on animals and people.

< Message edited by D-nymph -- 5/12/2008 9:36:02 AM >

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Post #: 11
RE: OVERWEIGHT DOG PROBLEM - 5/12/2008 3:23:16 PM   
plnoldrick

 

Posts: 387
Joined: 9/3/2006
Status: offline 		Aside from taking her to the vets to see if there is a medical issue i would do what all of the above mentioned. Cut down the portions of food, change to a diet dog food its going to eat, regular exercise.

my mut was overweight pretty bad and i did all of the above and slowly but surely he's dropped a good bit of weight. Finding a diet food that he would eat that wasnt absolute garbage was the hardest part of it all. I dont know how much your willing to spend on dogfood but there are a few top end brands out there that should be more appealing then most. I gave mine Innova evo ( http://www.evopet.com/products/default.asp?id=1492 ) after trying a couple different kinds and he really loved the stuff. its not for the faint of wallet though. i think a 30lb bag was like 50$. Canidae also makes another high end diet food (platinum) that he really liked.

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Post #: 12
RE: OVERWEIGHT DOG PROBLEM - 5/12/2008 5:10:55 PM   
CATMAN610

 

Posts: 278
Status: offline 		There is a very simple answer,,,feed less and use a higher quality of food, and take her to the vet. If your that concerned a vet bill shouldn't hold you back from at least finding out if it is a condition or just bad eating habits.
I own 3 bassett hounds(all fixed) and they are they laziest dogs I ever met but all three are perfect wieght, they only get fed once a day and never eat anything besides dog food,,,except grass! You can use the feeding chart on the side of the bag, they are right on the money.

One more thing use the low-cal food, make sure SHE can only get to it and don't let her get to any other food source,, she absolutly will not starve herself she will eventually eat.

good luck

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Post #: 13
RE: OVERWEIGHT DOG PROBLEM - 5/12/2008 8:57:54 PM   
2dog

 

Posts: 826
Status: offline 		Take her to a vet for the test.

I don't understand this about feeding your dog once or twice a day. Right now I have a mutt and a half bred shettie and beagle mix. Before them a pure bred beagle. All three were fixed and males. None of them overweight and they have food all day. Put the 4 cup food dish down in the morning at 5 am and put it up at 6 pm. The two rarely eat all of the food during the day. Started them out like this since they were puppies.

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Post #: 14
RE: OVERWEIGHT DOG PROBLEM - 5/12/2008 9:06:05 PM   
jonnyfishon

 

Posts: 1263
Joined: 2/7/2008
Status: offline 		Its funny,my buddys having the same problem with his girlfriend and i gave him some of the same advice. He checked her stool yesterday and she has a problem with corn other wise she is just plain fat.

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Post #: 15
RE: OVERWEIGHT DOG PROBLEM - 5/12/2008 9:08:32 PM   
CATMAN610

 

Posts: 278
Status: offline 		The idea of only once a day is only giving the required amount once a day, whether it sits in the bowl all day or just gets eaten all at once doesn't matter just so they don't get more than that.

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Post #: 16
RE: OVERWEIGHT DOG PROBLEM - 5/12/2008 9:55:06 PM   
jonnyfishon

 

Posts: 1263
Joined: 2/7/2008
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: jonnyfishon

Its funny,my buddys having the same problem with his girlfriend and i gave him some of the same advice. He checked her stool yesterday and she has a problem with corn other wise she is just plain fat.

He just called ,no more corn problem .

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Post #: 17
RE: OVERWEIGHT DOG PROBLEM - 5/13/2008 12:31:20 AM   
nightowl207

 

Posts: 431
Status: offline 		The more i think about it, and from what some of you have said, and from a lil research, I believe more and more that it its a thyroid issue. She doesnt eat much from what i see. I see her get about the last cup in the bowl after my lab eats and thats it for dog food. I dont feed her table scraps at all. But like i said she gets out of the fence quite a bit and gets in the garbage (only if i forget to put it up), and she takes her lil walks into the woods. When she gets into the garbage, there really isnt a whole lot of anything in there that she can eat, so i dont think shes consuming much there. When she runs off into the woods i cant really say what she gets into. Which all tells me, that it would probably be best to take her to the vet for the test. I was reading up on canine thyroid issues a little bit and read that spayed females are at high risk for thyroid problems. I wonder if i can get an at home test online for this. Ive been told you can get them for people. Ill probably just have to take a day off and get her into the vet. Ive already procrastinated enough which has let it go to this level of obesity.

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Post #: 18
RE: OVERWEIGHT DOG PROBLEM - 5/15/2008 10:22:10 PM   
2dog

 

Posts: 826
Status: offline 		How's your dog doing? Get her to the vet yet?

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Post #: 19
RE: OVERWEIGHT DOG PROBLEM - 5/16/2008 11:22:50 PM   
nightowl207

 

Posts: 431
Status: offline 		Im made an appointment earlier this week. She has to go in wednesday next week. Ill let yuns know what the verdict is.

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Post #: 20
RE: OVERWEIGHT DOG PROBLEM - 5/16/2008 11:46:52 PM   
sstaz69


Posts: 275
Joined: 5/31/2007
From: Erie
Status: offline 		Thanx Nightowl, be interested in knowing. Good luck with her

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Post #: 21
RE: OVERWEIGHT DOG PROBLEM - 5/22/2008 11:49:29 PM   
nightowl207

 

Posts: 431
Status: offline 		I got shafted by the f-in vets again. They are always saying that most people wont give the proper care for their pets, NO WONDER. I called ,what i thought was one of the better vets in my area, and asked what my visit will cost, I told her i wanted all that was necessary for the thyroid test. The receptionist told me "the test is $44 and the office call is $30, so your total visit will cost $74.00". So I told her to make me the appointment. Well i got there yesterday, and they weigh her and what not. She starts looking at my dog and says "her ears a little red, I'll give you some ointment to take home for it". She takes my dog in another room and takes blood for the test and brings her back out to me. She told me my results for the test will be back in after the holidays. I go back out to the receptionist to pay the bill. The receptionist says "your total is $136.00" . I told her all i brought with me was a $100 and asked if i could give her the hundred and mail her the check for the rest. She gets all snippy with and says " I told you when you made your appointment, that the payment is due at time of service". I said "you also told me it was $74.00"  Then she says she will wait while i run down to the atm to get the remainder. I go get the a-holes the money and pick up my dog. Im looking at the bill when i get home and this is what it reads:
Diagnosis --- $38
General Health Profile---$45
Thyroid test---$38
"FREE" Ear Ointment---$15
__________________$136 total
Nowhere in this statement do i see $44, $44 Thyroid test, $30, office call, or $30 office call.   "Diagnosis fee!!!" I would like to know exactly what she was diagnosing since all i was there for was that I asked for a thyroid test. So basically she charged me $38 for me to diagose my dog. "General Health Profile fee" Is this because she weighed her? Because i already knew what she weighed. Ohter than that i wouldnt even know what the hell this fee is. Then the Ointment she GAVE me for FREE for $15. I wouldnt even minded paying for the ointment if she wouldnt have scammed me on everything else. In my opinion she didnt need it, but hey, im not a vet.
This is exactly why people cant afford to properly car for their animals and dislike taking their animals in to the vet for care.
Anyhow the test will be in after the holidays.

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Post #: 22
RE: OVERWEIGHT DOG PROBLEM - 5/23/2008 8:15:11 AM   
ms_bananastix

 

Posts: 8
Status: offline 		Sounds like a vet I USED to take my pet to.
Changed from them real quick after I started discussing the issue with some co-workers.  I heard similar stories of this place and how poorly they treat their patients. 

The new vet is a little further away, but well worth it - everyone in the practice is great!

(in reply to nightowl207)
Post #: 23
RE: OVERWEIGHT DOG PROBLEM - 5/23/2008 8:26:26 AM   
rapala11

 

Posts: 2693
Joined: 3/5/2006
Status: online 		aw, nightowl, i would have taken them to task.  man, what a rip.

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Post #: 24
RE: OVERWEIGHT DOG PROBLEM - 5/23/2008 9:02:56 AM   
fishin coyote


Posts: 1034
Joined: 5/4/2002
Status: offline 		Nightowl,
Sounds like one of the vets we have in Crawford county.
A happy customer will tell 10 people but a unhappy one will tell everyone. So who was it?
Mike

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Post #: 25
RE: OVERWEIGHT DOG PROBLEM - 5/29/2008 11:48:32 PM   
nightowl207

 

Posts: 431
Status: offline 		I got the test back today. They said her kidney and liver seem good but she does have low thyroid. They said theyll prescribe her thyroxine 5mg to take twice a day. They cost $15 for 150 tablets. Im suppose to take her in to check her levels in a month to see if they need to make adjustments to the meds. But i think ill take her to the Franklin Animal Clinic to get that done. They have a bit higher rates but theres no "hidden" costs. She weighed 63lbs on the vets scales so we'll see what the results are after a few months. Now that i know that she has an underactive thyroid, do i have to give her these meds the rest of her life? Or does it correct the thyroid to maintain a healthy thyroid level over time? I suppose i should have asked the vet that. Thanks for all the help guys, Ill let you know how it goes in a few monthes.

(in reply to fishin coyote)
Post #: 26
RE: OVERWEIGHT DOG PROBLEM - 5/30/2008 12:26:41 AM   
pghmarty


Posts: 4406
Joined: 12/5/2004
From: Bradford Pa then Pittsburgh
Status: offline
Hypothyroidism is treatable but not curable. It is treated with oral administration of a thyroid replacement hormone. This drug must be given for the rest of the dog’s life.
There is a standard dose that is used initially; it is based on the dog’s weight. However, after about one month of treatment, further testing is done to verify that the thyroid hormone levels are normal. In some dogs, the dose will need to be further adjusted every 6-12 months.
If too much medication is given, signs of hyperthyroidism can be caused. These include hyperactivity, lack of sleep, weight loss, and an increase in water consumption. If any of these occur, notify us so that a proper adjustment can be made.
ANTIOXIDANTS. In hypothyroidism, the thyroid gland is being attacked by the immune system, therefore, antioxidants may give it some protection. The three most effective antioxidants are Vitamin E, Vitamin C and Selenium.



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Post #: 27
RE: OVERWEIGHT DOG PROBLEM - 5/30/2008 12:50:05 AM   
sstaz69


Posts: 275
Joined: 5/31/2007
From: Erie
Status: offline 		Sounds like you found her problem Nightowl, my girl was started off at 5mg twice a day also and was brought down to 3mg. She is doing good with just being a little over weight (probably because I fish more than I walk her and she hates the boat) Ever try to drive a boat with a dog trying to climb on your lap because she's scared? Trust me, it's not fun. She will be a lifer pill dog, the thyroid just doesnt start working again from what I hear. Good luck and let us know how she does

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Post #: 28
RE: OVERWEIGHT DOG PROBLEM - 5/30/2008 10:42:42 AM   
Pishyfishpish


Posts: 215
Joined: 5/25/2006
Status: offline 		Shoot her next time your hunting. The problem will go away! Nothing worse than a fat dog....

 Pish

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Post #: 29
RE: OVERWEIGHT DOG PROBLEM - 5/30/2008 12:24:12 PM   
pghmarty


Posts: 4406
Joined: 12/5/2004
From: Bradford Pa then Pittsburgh
Status: offline

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Post #: 30
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