70-lb. Dachshund put on Biggest Loser-style program *Warning-Picture is hard to look at*

[cynatnite]

[IMG][/IMG]

The average Dachshund has a maximum weight of 32 pounds; five-year-old Obie (who used to be called AJ; we assume the "Obie" nickname is short for "obese" – aw, poor guy) weighs more than twice that, topping out at 77 pounds when new owner Nora Vanatta met him last month. (That's seven times what a Miniature Dachshund would weigh.)

His previous owners, an older couple, had to give Obie up because of their own declining health, but thanks to what must have been expert begging by the dog, they'd managed to feed him almost to death in the meantime.

Vanatta first heard about Obie because she follows Oregon Dachshund Rescue on Facebook, but when she read his weight, she assumed they'd gotten confused about the breed. Nope: he's a purebred. He's also really lucky; Vanatta already owns a couple of dogs (a Labrador and another Dachshund), so she's experienced with canine care in general, and Obie's breed in particular. And she has a degree in animal science, and worked for eight years as a veterinary technician, so she's more qualified than most to supervise a wiener weight-loss regime.

Vanatta is trying to keep Obie's diet mission fun and optimistic; she's started a "Biggest Loser Doxie (Dachshund) Edition" on Facebook, so that fans can track Obie's progress (and maybe get help for their own portly pooches). The goal is for Obie to drop 40 pounds. It's tough sledding to start out with, however. Because he's so round, Vanatta can't take him out for walks, so for now she's got him on a special diet (a Purina rep helped formulate a low-fat, high-protein meal plan for Obie) and hydrotherapy to start melting the pounds away. Vanatta might incorporate a treadmill later on, once there's less stress on Obie's joints and bones. (All this stuff isn't cheap, as you pet owners can imagine; if you'd like to help out, Vanatta has a PayPal account to raise money for Obie's care. She's been quite touched by the support they've gotten so far.)

http://shine.yahoo.com/pets/world-s-fattest-dachshund-put-on-biggest-loser-style-program.html

If you want to follow Obie's care...

http://www.facebook.com/BiggestLoserDoxieEdition

[WooWooWoo]

1. if I was a dog

I think dying of being too fat is preferrable to dying of starvation. I always have this argument with my wife because she says I feed the dog and cats too much. I tell her "look, if I only lived 12 years I'd eat anything I wanted."

[cynatnite]

3. Sometimes it's more dangerous for dogs than humans...

Those little bodies can only take so much and their legs are not capable of holding up that weight. Their internal organs can't handle it either.

This can cause an animal great suffering...probably as much as starvation would. They don't breathe well, their heartbeat can become irregular and they can get diabetes just like people.

This is dangerous.

[Kali]

5. no

my family dog when I was a kid was obese and died after several horrible suffering days of pancreatic failure. I will never let a dog or cat in my care get obese again.

[LeftyMom]

9. Long, low dogs like that are already very prone to skeletal problems.

Even being slightly overweight significantly increases the risk.

[eShirl]

11. Take it from me

You actually feel worse physically when you are overweight, and much better when you are at a reasonable weight and spry.

[TwilightGardener]

2. Poor baby. I have trouble keeping the extra pounds off my wiener dogs, so I know how

easily they can get fat, but this is awful. Poor thing.

[appleannie1]

4. Feeding a dog to where it cannot walk is abuse. Pure and simple. I feel sorry for that

dog. It did not have a life and hopefully finds enjoyment once it can move again and run and play like a normal dog.

[kestrel91316]

6. We have a name for clients that do this to pets: animal abusers.

There is no excuse for letting a pet get this fat in the first place.

[Solly Mack]

7. That poor baby.

[Ellipsis]

8. He looks like a a frickin' Walrus

I grew up with a Dachshund. Wonderful dogs and they live for a long time.


Love will bring you through buddy.


I have faith he'll be just fine.

[roguevalley]

10. I have a dog treadmill for my dachsies. I wish I could tell

you how awful this is. My big dachsies-big ones only weighed 20 pounds at his heaviest. I'm surprised he didn't lose his back on this. What a blobby littiel honey bun. Dachsies are awesome.

[pstokely]

12. If that was a cat, It'd be a 1%er

nt

[Raine]

13. I took in two overweight Doxies when their owner died after a

long illness. I think that because of her health she over fed them instead of walking them. The dogs who were brothers both ended up getting diabetes a few months after I had taken them in. I think due to their overweight condition. I really loved those dogs and gave them insulin everyday. It was struggle because of the expense and the struggle to get them regulated, many trips to the vet and many times they were on the edge of death. Still I loved them and kept them going as long as I could. I had them about 3-4 years one died in January and one later that same year around Christmas. I learned alot from those dogs about the will to live and enjoying what ever time you have. I'll never forget little Andy & Brandy.