A weighty issue
A few months ago I rehomed my retired working bitch to a neighbour. She has since ballooned to a frightful weight. How can I tell her new owner this is unhealthy?
Neil says: It’s a frequent problem. A significant reduction in exercise, compounded by additional calorie intake (usually in the form of treats) always results in weight gain. Part of the problem is people derive pleasure from feeding dogs. New owners are also often incredulous at how little food some dogs require. I am afraid you would need to instigate a regime of measured meals, which involves weighing each portion and allowing for designated titbits. Would it be possible for you to include her in some exercise? It may help for you to explain that obesity is proven to be related to cancer, heart disease, osteoarthritis, diabetes and liver and kidney disease. Remind the new owner that a lifetime study of labradors showed that individuals who had their food restricted by 25% lived 18 months longer than their littermates (Kealy at al 2002). I would also show her a picture of her at her prime, so that it is obvious there has been a drastic change.