Overweight beagle - Page 4

Puddlypoo · 01-28-2012, 10:45 PM

Maybe it's just me but Puddles seems an awful lot larger boned beagle than some of the other ones I see on here. He just seems bigger, and I don't necessarily mean just fatter, lol.

Beagler · 01-29-2012, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Puddlypoo

Maybe it's just me but Puddles seems an awful lot larger boned beagle than some of the other ones I see on here. He just seems bigger, and I don't necessarily mean just fatter, lol.

I think he looks a good weight from your pics

Buttons is overweight from the steroids and the cruciate disease - at the moment he can't be walked at all (although should be completely fit again after his surgeries). He's a big dog - comes in at 16 inches and is big boned - all his relatives are on the large side - some beagles are just bred big and muscly.
At the moment he weighs 21kg, but at his best (before the health problems kicked in) he weighed in at 18kg - which is about 39lbs! Muscles are heavier than fat, and he was a lean, muscly boy. I dare say he's lost a lot of that muscle tone due to his lameness and we will probably be aiming for a weight of about 16kgs once he's mobile again.
My vet says to aim to be able to feel the ribs when you run your hands over his sides, but not for the ribs to be very noticeable visually.

Puddlypoo · 01-29-2012, 10:08 AM

Beagler-you bring up a good point about muscle weighing more than fat. My vet said Puddles should be around 35lbs, 2 weeks ago he was 42lb but I need to get him weighed again. Last night when I lifted him up he seemed awful heavy again

I am going to get him weighed tomorrow. He is chunky around his belly and vet also said you can't feel his ribs without pressing down. I don't think it's going to be possible until the spring time, this weather has just been too crazy to get Puddles any kind of decent exercise for too long. I've also stopped feeding him the Wellness Core reduced fat and switched completely to TOTW and am thinking maybe I need to feed even less with just TOTW because it is much higher in fat. Sometimes I get so frustrated with his weight but then again I guess it's better than not caring

Puddlypoo · 02-03-2012, 01:33 PM

I had a thought the other day regarding Puddles and his weight loss,
and was wondering what your opinions are. As of now I had been feeding him
2, sometimes 3 x a day, breaking his food into 3 portions. Do you think it
would make any difference if I fed most of his meal in the morning and then
maybe a tad bit with some veggies in the evening, and in this way would have
the whole day to try and burn the calories. As opposed to feeding him more in
the evening, when he gets less exercise.

Beagler · 02-03-2012, 07:45 PM

I think it's worth a try. Buttons gets two meals a day, and part of managing his weight with his current immobility is to give him the bigger meal for breakfast - advice of my local vet. Not sure if it actually helps though.
He's on vet diet obesity management (to keep his weight from creeping up too high until we can walk him again). He gets a full cup in the morning with a veg puree that I make with warm water (carrot mostly, but occasional other veg chucked in for variety) - making it like a wet food lets me mix through his anti-inflam meds easily and the veg is fat-free, then a 2/3 cup at about 4pm and aside from a sea-biscuit (fish oil treat) that's him right through until the following morning.

Puddlypoo · 02-04-2012, 01:32 PM

So, I requested a copy of the results of Puddles' thyroid test this morning. The receptionist seemed to think I was quite odd asking this request. So anyways, while the vet said he was 'normal', what I read from it is that he is still below average on T4's. I am so unhappy with vets these days, is it actually possible to get someone who sincerely gives a hoot about your animal?
Puddles' may not be seriously suffering from a thyroid issue but he is still low, so I am going to try a supplement a friend suggested and see if it will help him at all. At the least, it couldn't hurt.

On another note, it is such a beautiful day here today, almost could be spring!
Puddles and I went on a nice walk this morning, and are about to head out again soon for another one.

02-03-2012, 07:45 PM	#35 (permalink)
Beagler Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Scotland Posts: 113	I think it's worth a try. Buttons gets two meals a day, and part of managing his weight with his current immobility is to give him the bigger meal for breakfast - advice of my local vet. Not sure if it actually helps though. He's on vet diet obesity management (to keep his weight from creeping up too high until we can walk him again). He gets a full cup in the morning with a veg puree that I make with warm water (carrot mostly, but occasional other veg chucked in for variety) - making it like a wet food lets me mix through his anti-inflam meds easily and the veg is fat-free, then a 2/3 cup at about 4pm and aside from a sea-biscuit (fish oil treat) that's him right through until the following morning. __________________

01-28-2012, 10:45 PM	#31 (permalink)
Puddlypoo Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Ontario Posts: 80	Maybe it's just me but Puddles seems an awful lot larger boned beagle than some of the other ones I see on here. He just seems bigger, and I don't necessarily mean just fatter, lol.

01-29-2012, 10:08 AM	#33 (permalink)
Puddlypoo Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Ontario Posts: 80	Beagler-you bring up a good point about muscle weighing more than fat. My vet said Puddles should be around 35lbs, 2 weeks ago he was 42lb but I need to get him weighed again. Last night when I lifted him up he seemed awful heavy again I am going to get him weighed tomorrow. He is chunky around his belly and vet also said you can't feel his ribs without pressing down. I don't think it's going to be possible until the spring time, this weather has just been too crazy to get Puddles any kind of decent exercise for too long. I've also stopped feeding him the Wellness Core reduced fat and switched completely to TOTW and am thinking maybe I need to feed even less with just TOTW because it is much higher in fat. Sometimes I get so frustrated with his weight but then again I guess it's better than not caring

02-03-2012, 01:33 PM	#34 (permalink)
Puddlypoo Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Ontario Posts: 80	I had a thought the other day regarding Puddles and his weight loss, and was wondering what your opinions are. As of now I had been feeding him 2, sometimes 3 x a day, breaking his food into 3 portions. Do you think it would make any difference if I fed most of his meal in the morning and then maybe a tad bit with some veggies in the evening, and in this way would have the whole day to try and burn the calories. As opposed to feeding him more in the evening, when he gets less exercise.

02-04-2012, 01:32 PM	#36 (permalink)
Puddlypoo Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Ontario Posts: 80	So, I requested a copy of the results of Puddles' thyroid test this morning. The receptionist seemed to think I was quite odd asking this request. So anyways, while the vet said he was 'normal', what I read from it is that he is still below average on T4's. I am so unhappy with vets these days, is it actually possible to get someone who sincerely gives a hoot about your animal? Puddles' may not be seriously suffering from a thyroid issue but he is still low, so I am going to try a supplement a friend suggested and see if it will help him at all. At the least, it couldn't hurt. On another note, it is such a beautiful day here today, almost could be spring! Puddles and I went on a nice walk this morning, and are about to head out again soon for another one.

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