Fat or skinny!!! What is worst?

[damp]

To night, I watched an English TV show about not just FAT but double and triple FAT dogs and cats. The program really caught my eyes and attention, because two of the dogs were Rottweilers.

One of Rottweilers weighted… YES… 204lbs. (and the other one was a little bit less flabby)

The owner of the 204 lbs. FAT bitch claimed her baby was healthy but just spoiled ... even the dog was so fat it could hardly get up and walk… I don’t have magic eyes (X- ray eyes)… but first thing coming to my mind seeing the limping bitch was, injured/burst ligaments. However no one need any X- ray to see the bitch's pasterns already had given up to the overweight.

I can't for my life understand this dog can "walk" around in public and is not reported for animal abuse????
Nor can I understand how it is possible to make a TV show about such abused animals and the owners are not reported. (Well could be they are and I do hope, but no where was it mentioned in the show)

The average weight of a Rottweiler bitch (according to the FCI standard) is 92 lbs.
So my starting point is 92 lbs.
First we multiply: 92 lbs. x 2 = Ahhhhhhhh only 184 lbs. and still a bit more pounds to reach 204 lbs. "all weigh" the pros for a good show !!!

Then try divide: 92 lbs /2 = 46 lbs. That's animal abuse and we have to report the owner for mistreating the dog. We can't make a show about this poor starving dog but only good headlines in to morrow news!


I do wonder how much overweight a dog should be (in my country too) before the owner can be charged for animal abuse!

The skinny, neglected and beated dogs have better odds.

[justmike]

I think you're right that the skinny, neglected and beaten dogs have better odds of intervention and relief! I'm no expert (or even knowledgable by most standards), but I would suspect that morbid obesity in one's pets is 'under the radar' so to speak. I think it would become actionable negligence if vetrinary care was obviously required but not sought. Those poor dogs! Shame on those people!

[BostonRott]

VERY interesting thought Damp!!

And you're right, dogs who are X% underweight cause their owners to be charged with animal abuse/cruelty, but if they are that same number (X%) overweight, ah well, no big deal.

[debbiej]

I was just reading an article in Newsweek, on health and aging. a paragraph quoted:

"About 70 years ago, scientist discovered that when animals are forced to live on 30-40% fewer calories than they would normally eat, something unusual happens; they become resistant to most age-related diseases--cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and live 30-50% longer."

I have seen my old shar pei become much more comfortable when he lost weight. A lot of people tell me he is too thin, but he is happy, active and his bad legs give him far less trouble when he is skinny. Hilda cannot become chunky, her hips can't take the weight.

[Canadianrotti]

And I am sure that a dog that is 2X its normal weight did not get there by over eating just dog food. It is like that guy that ate only McDonnalds for a month, garbage in = garbage out!! If you feed that crap to your dog, guess what, it is goning to stink, have bad skin and fur etc. etc.
I just don't understand how people can't see why feeding all that crap to their dogs is a porblem

[graureiter]

Short answer. Fat is worse ! It only adds stress to the animals organs, bones and ligaments.
The problem is that John Q. Public has no idea what constitutes good body condition for a dog , plus it is different depending on the breed.
On my dogs ( Greyhounds and Italian Greyhounds ) I want to be able to see at least some of the ribs, and the points of the hips . ( not jutting out, but still visible ) . " Skinny " , but well muscled.
I suspect the " skinny " part of this would not be correct for a Rottie.

I have found a body condition chart for dogs.
http://www.animalsheltering.org/reso..._condition.pdf
But unlike a similar chart for horses, it has no definitions for the various stages of obesity.

[Bucky's Mom]

Originally Posted by graureiter

Short answer. Fat is worse ! It only adds stress to the animals organs, bones and ligaments.
The problem is that John Q. Public has no idea what constitutes good body condition for a dog , plus it is different depending on the breed.
.

As anyone who had seen a recent picture of Bucky knows - he was a bit short for his weight - but the "general public" saw him and said "WOW he is big" like that was admirable.

I posted that picture HERE a few months ago and was given LOTS of advice on how to help him lose a few pounds.

It comes down to education.

[TJK291]

Well, i just got back from the vet, Caesar at 7.5 months is only 62 lbs. I was worried he is too skinny and is not going to grow right because he is so picky of an eater. She said she wished all dogs that came in to see her looked as good. She said he was perfectly proportioned and didn't need to gain an ounce.

[ielgdpt]

I too, have heard about the studies proving animals fed less that normal amounts outlived the standard by leaps and bounds. It was reproduced with several different breeds.

*Changing the subject*
The thing about over-wt dogs vs. under-wt dogs in reference to abuse is this:

People see a dog that is skin and bones and they know that the dog is STARVING. These dogs are often shaking and movement is awkward. They are pitiful. This looks like the dog is in pain.

Conversely, an over-wt dog does not appear to be in pain. They appear to be jovial, cute, or "fat and happy." The dog may be in pain but we don’t see it that way.

It’s all in the way we perceive things.

[RottieGirl86]

Originally Posted by damp

To night, I watched an English TV show about not just FAT but double and triple FAT dogs and cats. The program really caught my eyes and attention, because two of the dogs were Rottweilers.

One of Rottweilers weighted… YES… 204lbs. (and the other one was a little bit less flabby)

The owner of the 204 lbs. FAT bitch claimed her baby was healthy but just spoiled ... even the dog was so fat it could hardly get up and walk… I don’t have magic eyes (X- ray eyes)… but first thing coming to my mind seeing the limping bitch was, injured/burst ligaments. However no one need any X- ray to see the bitch's pasterns already had given up to the overweight.

In my in-expert opinion, that's someone with a mental disorder. They think it's 'love.' If she wants a baby, adopt one after getting help. It's not a child, it's a dog.

I put that behavior in line with pet horders who cannot control their impulse to keep 100 - 200+ dogs and/ or cats. They make bad choices and keep doing so, eventually loosing touch with norm and reality. the result is abuse, but the cause is mental illness. I hope the owner gets help.

[hcelsa]

Originally Posted by ielgdpt

Conversely, an over-wt dog does not appear to be in pain. They appear to be jovial, cute, or "fat and happy." The dog may be in pain but we don’t see it that way.

I've seen a heck of a lot of overweight dogs that most definitely are in pain (not to mention having their LIVES shortened). Excess weight exacerbates already existing conditions such as hip/elbow dysplasia, knee injuries, back injuries/spondylosis, arthritis etc. I've yet to see a grossly obese dog that moves smoothly...there is always something not quite right which means the dog is uncomfortable somewhere. And then there is the energy level...most fat dogs are pretty darn listless.

I truly believe that there are folks out there that allow/encourage their dogs to become overweight because it makes their lives easier. They don't have to take the dog for long walks, to training, or even throw a ball or stick for the obese dog that lays around all the time because it no longer has the energy to do anything (and it's painful to get up and move around anyway so the dog prefers to lay around and watch). The dog no longer has the energy to "bug" them when they get home from work and merely becomes a yard or couch ornament that is low maintenance. People that treat their dogs this way in my opinion shouldn't HAVE dogs in the first place!

And Damp...I agree...it is ABUSE...but in the USA where 12 year old kids get lyposuction, and many are morbidly obese before high school I don't see people ever being held accountable.

[poohbearsmom]

Working in boarding facilities, I see it ALL the time.

There are the "cinder blocks" = 2 miniature schauzers..

The "ball park franks" (they plump when you cook 'em) = 2 dachsunds who haven't had a waistline since they were 8 weeks old...

There is a JRT who weighs in (a 'lean' guess) around 40lbs...his name is "Bubba", we call him "Blubba"

The 35lb pom who sounds like she's in congestive heart failure...

The 4 labs who's combined weight would cause an elevator alarm to go off...

etc... It's repulsive.. and the dogs are so fat they can hardly breath and forget waddling up a hill!

You should see the copious amounts of food that are dropped off with these dogs - enough for a month and the dogs are only with us for 3 or 4 days...

I think our Western Society has gone to the fry vat, and that extends to our animals. I'm no Kate Moss (LOL) by any means, but just look at the numbers - more people today are morbidly obese than ever before. Our kids are stuck in front of the xbox, and so are our dogs, in every sense of the word.

It's much easier to 'spoil' a dog with food than to 'spoil' a dog by giving it 20 minutes of vigorous exercise.... and many people don't want to hear it.... Business has been lost by suggesting smaller portions and more exercise for a dog.

I agree with damp, this is neglect and abuse of an animal. When was the last time you saw a FAT WILD DOG? errrrrr... never!

[laurlitt]

Good points... I think it would be hard to actually get someone on animal abuse for a fat dog (how about child abuse for fat kids)...

My husband is an animal control officer and he was telling me that our dog Maddie could get us in trouble for being too 'skinny' and I asked if he was joking... He wasn't really joking and many people will think a fit/lean dog like her is too skinny, but they don't think twice about a dog her size being 30-40lbs overweight... Doesn't make sense to me...

He said you could file charges against someone for having a fat dog, but it would be a really hard case to present to the judge or district attorney..

[Zephir]

Excellent topic!!

I think fat is much worse than thin (not starving or emaciated). I have heard the saying, "if the dog is too fat then the owner is not getting enough excercise!" I have noticed, typically, if the dog is fat so is the owner - which is not healthy for either one of them.

The average person has no idea of proper nutrition or excecise requirements for their dogs. It's just sad.