A couple of weeks ago, Kekoa and I were asked to go on the local news station to talk about the Nulo Campaign to Fight Pet Obesity and how owners can help their pets make a New Year's Resolution to take off a few pounds. They had us on the morning after Christmas, so instead of laying in a semi-gingerbread and eggnog coma on a pile of wrapping paper as I am wont to do on December 26th, I packed Koa up and headed down to the local news station at 8 am sharp. We got buzzed in by a ... Read more »
Nulo Challenge
Nulo Challenge: Final Weigh In
Wow, 90 days flies when you're having fun! Kekoa is wrapping up her 90 days on the Nulo challenge, and boy has it been eventful. We survived a long road trip, a cancer diagnosis, envying a younger brother with a better metabolism, and a few too many fingers sneaking treats in when the taskmaster wasn't watching. Despite this, she continued to progress over the course of the challenge, and at her final weigh in Koa is now 73 pounds! That puts her total weight loss at 6 pounds for the 90 days! ... Read more »
Laboceros update
The labocerous is looking so sleek and slim lately we may need to consult with the biologists to revise her taxonomic classification to panther. She can bound up the stairs now, which is a first for her in this house (and probably in any house, at least for some time.) As our time on the Nulo challenge winds to an end, I can say without reservation that I am very happy with the food, the customer service and the results. At 74 pounds, she feels measurably better, and she looks healthier ... Read more »
Even dog-girls get the blues
I weighed Kekoa on Tuesday and I am happy to report that she is back on track at 74.5 pounds- one more pound gone! She really is a trooper. She has this great talent of utilizing her lower center of gravity to butt Brody out of the way when they are jockeying for position at feeding time, so despite her shrinking weight she still had mad leverage skills. We ran into someone who hasn't seen Koa since shortly after she came to live with us in March. He was floored. "She's so shiny!" he said. ... Read more »
Weekly Weigh-In
Koa held steady this week at 75 pounds. I'm just happy she didn't gain weight in her inactive state. This morning, she chased Brody around the yard for a good 5 minutes after their morning ablutions, which is pretty much unheard of for her. In addition to her recovery, I wonder if her sarcoma was causing her some discomfort that is now alleviated. I took her staples out on Sunday, so I no longer have to see her and think Frankenpup, which is good since it made me feel guilty every time. ... Read more »
Building up strength
It's a little paradoxical, but one's caloric needs can actually increase after surgery when you're in that low-activity healing phase. It takes extra energy to rebuild tissue and heal. So because of that, I increased Koa's daily ration since her Wednesday surgery. Her lipoma that turned out to be a nerve sheath tumor involved a pretty yucky surgery- I took out a good deal of tissue over her shoulder, and even with that I'm not sure if my margins were adequate. Her body has some work to do to ... Read more »
I like big mutts and I cannot lie
I am just so happy to get an excuse to use that line. :) Koa is big, compared to, say, a teacup chihuahua, but we are inching ever closer to that ideal body weight that will make her happier and healthier. She has a pretty large lipoma on her left shoulder. I can't tell if it is growing, or if it simply seems more apparent now that she has less fat covering it. Either way, it will be coming off in the near future. I am, for reasons that should be obvious, pretty gun shy about taking ... Read more »
Nulo Challenge: Skinny Jeans
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 ... Read more »
Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels
Well, that's what we tell ourselves anyway. I hope Koa agrees. She has lost one more pound this week, putting her at 77 pounds. She ate some lettuce yesterday, leftover from my lunch salad. It was a piece of arugula with a light balsamic vinaigrette. I was amazed she actually swallowed it- Brody is a champion vegetable spitter outter. I wouldn't say she was exceptionally enthused about it, but beggars can't be choosers. She even got a little treat this weekend- I made some dog biscuits for ... Read more »
The Koa Chronicles: a pain in the rear
We are well into the second month on the Nulo Challenge and Kekoa is happily settled into her routine. I've also brought Brody into the fold for the month to see how he does on Nulo. He gets a bit more than she does, but he also eats a lot faster than she so it pretty much balances out. Koa's always had a shiny coat, but now it's glossy. Luminous, even. I'm going to feature her in my Adopt a Seriously Adoptable Pet Week post next week so I'm glad to report she will be extra-beautiful for her ... Read more »
The Koa Chronicles: calorie counting in the cyber age
Koa lost another half pound this week! This despite a suspect goldfish cracker ingestion (no witnesses, suspects are still at large.) I started her on the Nulo kibble exclusively, but I do feel pretty badly that she is getting that alone while Brody gets chicken parfaits and all sorts of smellier vittles. Fortunately Nulo does have canned food as well, so I'm going to take advantage of their webtools to figure out how much of that she can get a day and work that in to her calorie ration for ... Read more »
The Koa Chronicles: Life on a Diet
We're coming up on almost a month now of Koa's Weight Loss Diaries. Time flies when you're enjoying life! She has lost another half pound on Nulo this week. Not bad for a dog on a 'diet'! If you've ever put a pet on a prescription weight loss food, you are probably familiar with the drill. Yes, they get a decent amount of food, but the ingredient list leaves something to be desired. I was actually unable to put Mulan on any of the prescription diets because of her food allergy ... Read more »
The Koa Chronicles: Week One
Dear Diary: This week I started my diet. I was pretty sad about that because I watched my mom diet the last few months and she was crabby and yelled all the time. I don't want that, really. But the little boy who lives here called me squishy and I don't like that either. Mom used some food-in-a-box for a while and I have to be honest, it smelled kind of gross- and I'm a dog. Brody used to eat the cardboard boxes and leave the food behind. Diets are bad news, I say. I think maybe she ... Read more »
The Biggest Loser- Dog Edition!
When I was in my senior year of vet school, a beagle presented to the orthopedics service for a surgery consultation. The complaint: My dog can't walk. The door opened, and in walked a person, dragging a little red wagon behind her. Splayed out inside was the most obese pet I have seen in my life: a 68 pound beagle. His eyes, nearly buried in layers of fat, peeked out sadly as he huffed and puffed, pleading: help. The surgeons rolled that dog right on out of the room and down the hall to ... Read more »
