Are they over weight?

Lynnel said:
I know this sounds stupid, but what is the proper way of measuring ? Max is so overweight from all the cortisone he was on, that I am constantly battling with him because he does cry to eat a lot! I'm hoping he is bigger than I think. :) my vet isn't concerned but I am because my wily had hip issues and he wasn't overweight. btw we,used to free feed him because that was all we knew. Now I wouldn't be able to do it, Max bowl would always be empty :(
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Go back to post #32 in this thread. Dr. Shelli gives a great description on how to do it.
 
Lynnel said:
I know this sounds stupid, but what is the proper way of measuring ? Max is so overweight from all the cortisone he was on, that I am constantly battling with him because he does cry to eat a lot! I'm hoping he is bigger than I think. :) my vet isn't concerned but I am because my wily had hip issues and he wasn't overweight. btw we,used to free feed him because that was all we knew. Now I wouldn't be able to do it, Max bowl would always be empty :(
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There would be no way,I would be swayed to feed my dogs if they whined & cried..I am not fooled by the silliness.
You will find out (or have already) these dogs can & will eat all the time if they are givin the oppourtunity.

I think having a dog that is on cortisone would be reason enough to monitor weight,as we all know the side effects,even on humans. They can be little piggies if they are given the chance.
 
mbfrench said:
Tried it,after a few days (week maybe) Jasper would not eat. And he is a foodie from the get go. He hesitated even when it was put in front of him for the first time,but did eat. Then he got so he would not finish.

Mia even hesitated,and when she hesitates,then there is a problem. To me the food had an offensive odor. They ended up being nursed thru the bag just to finish it. Was offering the new food,as I had the samples.

I think we have found a winner. I hate messing with food,hate it with the passion. Since the issues with Diamond,it has been a nightmare.
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I guess I should be thankful that all three of mine like and do well on the Wellness Whitefish and Sweet Potato. I hope they never stop making it!
 
Great! I think Jasper had the least to loose and Trapp the most from when I saw them. Mia is so hard to gauge just looking at her as she always looks regal and who would call the queen fat :eek2:
 
SheepOfBlue said:
Great! I think Jasper had the least to loose and Trapp the most from when I saw them. Mia is so hard to gauge just looking at her as she always looks regal and who would call the queen fat :eek2:
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Jasper even felt light on July 17th..when I weighed them and realized just how much they weighed. And he still feels light compared to Trapp. But differant body structure is clearly evident.

We noticed Mia specifically,and Trapp as being the heavy weights here. Mia gets toted alot by both of us going in and out of the house etc. Lifting her,we knew she was getting tubby.
But Mia sends thank you for thinking she is regal looking.!:wink2:
 
Drum roll....

Trapp has lost another pound! So in total 4.5lbs since my first post. I'm happy,now we just need to keep it going,and keep excersising both boys. Jasper has lost another pound as well,and Mia is doing equally as well. She only needs to loose about 6 pounds,and I will be happy.

Lots of green veggies,reduced amounts of food,and loads of extra excersise especially for Trapp.
 
I've been away from the site for a long while myself...lots going on (or not going on, however one views it LOL)...anyways, I have beat myself up for a long time now and have tired everything suggested but NO WAY have I been able to get Emma's weight under control. The vet even gave me a liquid called slentrol for weight control.....did not help. She doesn't appear to eat very much.

I now feel that I am not a very good Mom for Emma. She gets all the love, attention, gentleness and care that she so deserves but I am not feeling like I am good for her due to her weight and I am at a complete loss and financially can not afford much. I have even considered re-homing her to a loving, caring "Sheltie experience" home that could handle this issue and love her as much as I do. I have never had a pet with this problem, ever! I cry a lot over this, trying to decide what is best for Emma, not me! She weighs 54 pounds!! Height from neck to floor is 18" (from top of head to floor is 20"). I can see it is taking a toll on her health (so far no health issues)....

I have had her tested for thyroid issues...it came back fine as all tests the vet does. Completely lost here!
 
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Emma said:
I've been away from the site for a long while myself...lots going on (or not going on, however one views it LOL)...anyways, I have beat myself up for a long time now and have tired everything suggested but NO WAY have I been able to get Emma's weight under control. The vet even gave me a liquid called slentrol for weight control.....did not help. She doesn't appear to eat very much.

I now feel that I am not a very good Mom for Emma. She gets all the love, attention, gentleness and care that she so deserves but I am not feeling like I am good for her due to her weight and I am at a complete loss and financially can not afford much. I have even considered re-homing her to a loving, caring "Sheltie experience" home that could handle this issue and love her as much as I do. I have never had a pet with this problem, ever! I cry a lot over this, trying to decide what is best for Emma, not me! She weighs 54 pounds!! Height from neck to floor is 18" (from top of head to floor is 20"). I can see it is taking a toll on her health (so far no health issues)....

I have had her tested for thyroid issues...it came back fine as all tests the vet does. Completely lost here![/Q

I am going to PM you ok.
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Emma said:
I've been away from the site for a long while myself...lots going on (or not going on, however one views it LOL)...anyways, I have beat myself up for a long time now and have tired everything suggested but NO WAY have I been able to get Emma's weight under control. The vet even gave me a liquid called slentrol for weight control.....did not help. She doesn't appear to eat very much.

I now feel that I am not a very good Mom for Emma. She gets all the love, attention, gentleness and care that she so deserves but I am not feeling like I am good for her due to her weight and I am at a complete loss and financially can not afford much. I have even considered re-homing her to a loving, caring "Sheltie experience" home that could handle this issue and love her as much as I do. I have never had a pet with this problem, ever! I cry a lot over this, trying to decide what is best for Emma, not me! She weighs 54 pounds!! Height from neck to floor is 18" (from top of head to floor is 20"). I can see it is taking a toll on her health (so far no health issues)....

I have had her tested for thyroid issues...it came back fine as all tests the vet does. Completely lost here!
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A couple big questions...

How much are you feeding her?
What kind of food are you feeding her?
How many treats/bones/table scraps does she get?
What kind of exercise does she get?

People always seem surprised by how little you usually need to feed your dog (varies by dog, of course). Both of my two are around 16" and get about 1/2 to 2/3 C per day. And they are VERY active. This doesn't include treats, but it's something to think about.

One of our members, ClantyreSheltie, I believe, said it best when she says weight loss is a simple equation of calories in v. calories out. You can decrease calories in (food) or increase calories out (exercise) or a combination of both.

Oh, and I would also be curious what her thyroid levels look like. A "normal" range for shelties is different than other dogs, and your vet may not be aware of that.
 
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