Thomas doodle is too FAT

[Debbie and Thomas]

We went to the vet today for the annual checkup.  I can't remember when but the last time we were there he weighed in at 96.7 pounds.  The vet at that time did not have any problem with his weight.  He is a huge boy and she did not seem concerned with his weight at all.  Not so at all today.  He weighed in at 100.4 pounds!!  I was surprised at that when the tech weighed him but then the new male doctor came in and told us he was getting too heavy.  This doodle runs with a dog group 5 days a week for 2 hours in a wooded setting with a dogwalker.  He is walked every evening when we get home for 30 minutes and on the weekends he goes to our community schoolyard where dozens of people meet with their dogs early in the morning. SO...excercise is NOT the problem.  So I thought to myself...what could be causing him to gain weight?  Could it be the dozens of milk bones he has every day?  Or could it be the egg McMuffins we buy him when we go thru the drivethru at McDonalds?  Or could it be the parmesan cheese and bits of leftovers we add to his dog kibble?  YES is the answer to my questions.  He is only 2 years old and the vet said we have to keep him slim to prevent the wear and tear on his joints.  Tonight....just kibble and a boring treat we bought at the vet!!  He is barking at the pantry cupboard in my kitchen as I type this!!!!!

[Debbie and Thomas]

Seriously though.....we do not eat any of McDonalds food like hamburgers...french fries or anything like that. My husband and i are fairly lean  fit people.  I researched the nutritiional value of an egg Mcmuffin and it is low in fat and is sooo delicious.  BUT  that is for humans!  We go there to get these maybe twice a month and order one for the dog too!!  I asked the vet about giving supplements of  glucosamine/chondroiten supplements for our doodle and he said to cut the dosage in half (of human capsules) for the weight of this doodle.  So... I guess if we are having an egg McMuffin...he should only have half.  However he will not be having any more.  Poor Thomas...they are my favourite!  I guess I will not be having anymore either.  It is very easy to think of these dogs as humans as you all know.  The vet pointed out to us very clearly that they are doggies and they do not understand about the extra things that we give them... that they will just eat it and not know that it could make them gain weight or make them sick when they take something out of the garbage.  It is up to us to make sure this does not happen.  I did not sleep last night thinking about this.  We give Thomas something extra to eat because it makes him happy.  I am determined now to get his weight down  and BTW he is still crying as I type this at the pantry cupboard for one of those chicken jerky treats that are in there. 

 

[Melissa & Porter]

I am a firm believer in moderation.  I think treats are a part of life.   

Um, so Porter is a about 5 pounds overweight, according to the Vet, but he is not slowed down as far as I can tell.  I judge this on the fact that he is more bouncy and energetic than most the dogs he walks with who are around the same age--2.  He gets his kibble, his treats/table food, and his exercise. 

I suspect he goes to bed every night a bit hungry, but in the course of a typical day he has had some Fromm, licks of yogurt from a bowl, a couple pieces of chicken from a leftover stir fry, some cheese while I cook, some more Fromm, a granola bar he stole, a hundred or so licks of stuff in the dishwasher and some more Fromm. 

I did grain-free for a while.  But I am back to Fromm Pork and Applesauce or Duck and Sweet Potato.  He lost weight since the switch and may be on track now, I am not sure.  He also works much harder playing in the snow.

My advice is do not eliminate the special stuff; reduce it. 

I mostly shop at Whole Foods (and have mastered the art of not overspending there) BUT I love McDonald's once or twice a month.  Nothing like an 800 calorie burger to get me back on track :-)  And Porter always gets 2-3 chicken nuggets. 

My hunch is that if you focus on protein and veggie, and skip the bread, Thomas will be in great shape. 

Also make him wait longer for the reward.  You'll feel bad at first, but he'll be just as grateful after 20 minutes as he was after 10 minutes.

[Linda and Murphy]

Hi Thomas, 

Just checking to see how you are doing. Tell your mom to try those cheerios. I had to do tricks and stuff for just1 cheerio but it was better than nothing. Mom said its like her diet...its better after 2 or 3 days. I don't remember it getting better but I guess it did.

Mom has been looking at me kinda funny. Said maybe I should do another weigh in. I don't like the sound of that.

Your pal,

Murphy

 

PS.  Since you live way up north in Canada, I would think you would need a few extra pounds just to keep warm in all that cold and snow. (that logic doesn't help me much since I live in New Orleans..darn)

[Debbie and Thomas]

Murphy...We tried the cheerios.  My mom had some multigrain cheerios in a cupboard.  I heard her tell my dad that I was allowed to have them as a treat.  It was so awesome...mom left the room and dad took the box out of the cupboard and filled up my bowl!!!  No milk though.  Mom came back into the room and saw what he gave me and asked my dad if he was nuts or something like that!!  I heard her say"just one cheerio at a time is what I meant as a treat!!"  Dad just walked away.  I really hope he does this again tomorrow while mom is out!  I doubt it though cause my mom rules around here!!  She told me she would buy me a new ball tomorrow.  You would like Canada Murphy...especially where I live...moderate winters and hot summers....I get the best of both worlds!!  I LOVE my American friends,

Have a treat for me will ya!!! your friend Thomas the tomcat

[Lorraine Bromley]

Neely is the opposite. I think he and Thomas are very similiar but Neely is getting thinner. He was up to 76+ now he is down to 71 and I think he is too thin. He has food in his dish at all times and can eat when ever he wants. He gets treats but not on a regular basis. He eats orejan so its a great food. But I don't want to start buying egg mc muffins! He does love Tim Hortons timbits though!

[Stella]

Poor Thomas!!  Poor you guys for having to steel yourselves into putting him on a diet.  My two LDs would eat constantly if I let them.  It is the Lab in them, makes them permanently hungry!  If we go off leash hiking through the bush I have my pockets full of treats to reward them for coming back and checking up on me.  But, then I reduce the size of their evening meal to account for the extra treats they had that day. 

By the way, both of mine hate carrots too!!  We give apple, frozen chucks of canned pumpkin, and sweet potato as healthy treats, and then they get kibble or other dog treats that are as pure and healthy as we can find.  I'd second the person who recommended not giving him whatever the vet sold you - probably full of chemicals and by-products.

 

Our vet told us he'd rather see a dog on the lean side than one overweight.  It is so much healthier for them.  When he is looking at you and pleading with those beautiful eyes, you just have to think about how much healthier he is going to be when he gets a few pounds off.

 

Good luck guys!!