Mackenzie is the kind of Pug that takes time to smell the roses, someone who appreciates the early signs of spring, a ray of sun or the dewy grass. You can’t rush Mackenzie and you’ll often find him staring off into the sunset wondering how life made him the man he is today.
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Living in Canada and dealing mainly with Canadian and U.S. dog owners I forget about all the great stuff the United Kingdom does for dogs. The PDSA is the UK’s leading veterinary charity, caring for more than 350,000 pet patients belonging to people in need. Recently they ran a program helping overweight pets to lose weight and in fact made a contest out of it. Participating in the contest, which consisted of a 100 day diet and fitness program devised by vets, was 5 obese dogs and one cat. Many of which were in their senior years.
The winner of this contest was a Labrador Retriever by the name of Keano (great name by the way) who began the contest at more than 100 pounds, which means that he was approximately 55% overweight. Losing 22 pounds earned him the skinny crown that he deserves.
Second place went to a 7-year-old German Shepherd by the name of Alfie who joined the program at over 125 pounds, approximately 55% overweight. Alfie missed the top spot by only a couple of pounds as he lost 20 pounds (19% of his body weight) and 6 inches off his waist by participating.
Tinks, the lone cat in the contest, fared exceptionally well, even at he young age of 13-years-old. Tinks was a shocking 96% overweight at 23 pounds, but left the program with a waistline that was 2 inches shorter and a body that was 2 pounds lighter.
It is hopeful that all the participants will continue to see the benefits that exercise and a healthy diet can bring, and if these results are possible within just 100 days, then think about what can happen over the next 6 months.
The bottom line is that no matter what age your pet is you can make a significant difference in their happiness and well-being by keeping them active and making sure they have a healthy diet. The benefits that controlling their weight can bring are absolutely endless, from preventing diabetes and heart problems, to keeping their spirits up and stimulating their minds.
Mackenzie (my pug) could be a poster child for weight-loss. By around 8 years-old he started gaining weight. He was getting older and has an enlarged heart. This meant that he would hyperventilate quite easy…it became a vicious cycle where I was too worried to walk him for fear that he was straining his heart, but by not walking him he was gaining weight which in and of itself put strain on his heart. Thanks to a wise vet we found the magic solution. We put him on a special diet food and I took him for walks early in the morning and at night when it was much cooler. The walks started very slowly, shorts walks that gradually grew in distance as Mackenzie became fitter and lighter.
Long story short – he went from being 31 pounds to 20 pounds and became a whole new dog. His energy shot up, his health dramatically improved and he has kept the weight off to this day, 5 years later.
I am a big believer in keeping your dog active and controlling their weight is one of the major benefits.
Do you have a dog with a great weight-loss story? If so we’d love to hear it.
Ann-Marie Fleming is the Founder of www.DogQuality.com, a site focused on products that help older dogs enjoy life.
I was at my vet’s last night picking up some refills for the various medications Mackenzie my 12 year old pug is currently taking. While I was there an emergency case came in. It was an 8 year old Golden Retriever. I don’t know exactly what was wrong with him, but one look at the faces of his family told the whole story. There were three family members, a father, mother and daughter all with tears in their eyes.
In speaking with the Practice Manager I learned that they were forced to put the dog down and while I was waiting (for good reason) I witnessed the whole ordeal, from the father explaining this to the rest of his family, to seeing them standing beside the dog at the back of the clinic, to observing them sitting with their dog after he had passed away. I have to tell you I almost broke down crying. My heart went out to them and I wished I could take away the pain I know they were feeling.
I was so close to tears and I immediately starting having flashbacks to losing my precious Churchie, my French Bulldog, my protector and a huge part of my life for over 12 years until this past summer when I lost him due to complications from a heart tumor. I still cry all the time and wonder if I will ever not feel like a piece of my heart has been lost forever. When I saw this happening to another family it hit me hard as I relived the shock, trauma and ache of losing someone I loved. Our dogs really are a major part of our family and bring us so much love and happiness how can we not be broken after they leave us?
The reason I wanted to write this post today was not to depress you or to relive a very sad part of my life, but instead to commend the efforts of my vet. Dr. Maks at Huff’s Animal Hospital in Tsawwassen, British Columbia and the girls that keep the clinic running, pour their own hearts into each and every pet they treat. I have never had such a positive relationship before with any other caretakers, human or dog, like I have had with Dr. Maks and her team. When I was going through the roller coaster ride of care for Churchill and as I continue to have Mackenzie and our newest addition Paige (a brindle Frenchie) looked after, they have had our best interests at the top of their list.
Seeing them last night trying to save this dog and take care of the family showed just how much they care as they were so emotionally impacted by what was happening, it was as if they were treating their own dog.
Witnessing this type of care and while extremely sad, seeing the family’s love for their dog just shows again the powerful impact our dogs have on our lives. While losing one of our loved ones is like losing a piece of ourselves, I wouldn’t trade the time I spent with any of my pets for anything in the entire world. Each one has left me with the most amazing memories and they will be forever in my heart.
I miss you Churchie.
If anyone has the strength to share stories of their amazing pets that have touched their lives either past or present, please leave a comment.
Thanks for listening.
Ann-Marie Fleming is the Founder of www.DogQuality.com, a site focused on products that help older dogs enjoy life.
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