I don’t really know what the dog equivalent is of fitting in a pair of skinny jeans. They aren’t vain that way. They lack the human tendencies to feel shame, thus have no issues with muffin top fear or the like.
Either way, Koa has lost enough weight that people are starting to notice- which although she doesn’t know it is a big milestone.
Pets reap the benefits as much as anyone else of a healthy weight. Yesterday, I was watching Koa and Brody standing together and noticed how she is finally looking proportional when she stands next to him. Some of it is frame- Brody is tall and skinny, while she is shorter and majorly barrel chested- but now she has a waist.
Her body condition score is working its way down to that coveted “5”. (Who ever knew being a 5 out of 10 was a good thing?)
Her exercise habits are improving. I tend to go on walks longer than she can tolerate right now, so I have to go back home and then go back out with Brody. I can also vouch from firsthand experience that in sunlight, these black dogs do get hotter faster. Lesson learned.
Brody and Koa have both been scarfing Nulo for a couple weeks now, with much gusto. My father-in-law commented to me that he has noticed Koa has a discernibly brighter spring to her step these days- convincing me it’s not just my own biased observation. And why wouldn’t she? At 75.5, she’s down just a few ounces under 10 pounds, a 12% weight loss since coming to live with us!
Brody is a lean 65 pounds, which will probably increase a bit over his second year. He is skinny. Having seen the consequences of overweight dogs again and again, my goal for him is to keep him that way. I’m even thinking of looking into a Couch to 5K for Thanksgiving (how’s that for non-committal response?)
Yay for Koa!
Congrats! That is a good bit of weight gone.
I agree on keeping dogs thin, having a large breed it is important for their joints.
that’s great! Go Koa!
I am so happy for Koa! 🙂 She’s such a pretty girl! And having gone through weight loss with a lab before, I know that losing 10 pounds is a big deal!
So here’s a question Dr. V. My 1.5yr old blue nose pit is having TPLO surgery Monday. Since he’s gonna be immobile for 8 weeks while he heals, should I be decreasing his food intake? He currently gets 1 cup of dry food 3x daily. He’s about 90 pounds, and is very tall and long for his breed, so he’s pretty proportionate.
Yay for Koa, and yay for you, Dr. V & your family, for keeping her on the straight and narrow (I’m sure your kids found it hard not to sneak her treats). Here’s to the coming rainy season, which will make walks more enjoyable (for Koa, anyway). My lab-mix has such a good time in the rain that even I cheer up a little.
Yay, Koa! Your success is stupendous!
Mommy has been looking into Couch to 5K, too… Way to go, Koa!