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FAT CHIUAHUA, I NEED HELP!!!

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Member Since 12/23/2011     Barked: Fri Dec 23, '11 1:23pm PST  I TOOK MY CHIP TO AN EMERGENCY CARE VET, SOUTHWEST VETERINARY SURGICAL SERVICES PC., IN GILBERT ARIZONA, FOR A GOOD COMPLETE CHECKOVER BECAUSE HE WAS GIMPING ON HIS REAR LEG. THIS VET,BRADFORD DIXON, CAME IN AND LOOKED AT CHIP AND TOLD ME HE NEEDS TO LOOSE WEIGHT. DA..... THAT IS ONE REASON I BROUGHT HIM IN, AND ANYONE WITH EYES CAN SEE HE IS FAT. WELL BOTTOM LINE IS HE DID NOTHING ELSE BUT TELL ME TO GET SOME HILLS RD DIET FOOD AND LITERALLY STARVE OUT CHIP TILL HE LOOSES HALF HIS WEIGHT. FOR THAT NO BRAIN, DO NOTHING SERVICE I WAS CHARGED 337.00 AND DIDNT EVEN GET KISSED! STUCK TO THE PERSCRIPTION I WAS GIVEN WAS A HILLS RD NOTE TO THE VET THAT THEY WOULD GIVE HIM A KICKBACK ON EVERY PERSCRIPTION HE WROTE THAT WAS FILLED WITH THEIR FOOD. NEEDLESS TO SAY I DIDNT GET THE STUFF, ESPECIALLY AFTER I READ SOME REVIEWS ABOUT HILLS RD FOOD. I NEED HELP ON WHAT FOOD TO GET. CHIP IS 8YRS OLD AND NEUTERED. HE SHOULD BE 4-5 POUNDS AND IS ALMOST TRIPLE HAT. WHAT SHOULD I FEED HIM TO LOOSE THE WEIGHT? NOTHING SEEMS TO WORK. WHEN CHIP WAS A PUP HE WAS ATTACKED BY A BIG DOG AND WAS ALMOST CUT IN HALF. A VET SPENT A SUNDAY AFTERNOON PUTTING MESH IN HIM AND SEWING HIM BACK TOGETHER AGAIN, SO YEP I HAVE SPOILED HIM ALOT. HIS EXCERCISE HAS GOTTEN TO BE GETTING OFF HIS PILLOW OR HIS BED AND WALKING OUT TO PEE, THEN RIGHT BACK TO HIS BED. HE IS SO LAZY HE EVEN TRIES TO GET CARRIED OUTSIDE TO PEE. HE WONT PLAY OR RUN WITH OUR MALTESE, HE JUST LIKES TO SNORE. NOW AND THEN WHEN HE WALKS HIS REAR LEGS SLIP OUT FROM UNDER HIM, MAYBE THE WEIGHT OR MAYBE FROM THE ATTACK BECAUSE THE DAMAGE WAS JUST INFRONT OF THE REAR HIPS. I WANT TO HAVE HIM AROUND A LONG TIME AND THAT MIGHT NOT BE THE CASE UNLESS I GET HIM TO LOOSE WEIGHT. OUTSIDE OF BOARDING HIM SOMEWHERE OR ,, A DOGGIE LAPBAND, I AM OUT OF IDEAS THAT WORK. THANKS my posts [notify]

Lilith dog-sitter in- charge.     Barked: Fri Dec 23, '11 1:47pm PST  put him on a leash, and walk him everyday. don't just 'let' lay around all day. slowly because of his weight, and build up. or take him swimming. cut down on food portions.. you don't need to switch to special food but common sense dictates if you have a deficit in incoming calories, you will lose weight. we fostered a pair of obese chi-X's, they were about 25lbs each when we got them from the shelter.. they both should have been probably 10lbs. over the course of 3 weeks, we had them down to about 17-18lbs. it's not that hard, just put some effort into it. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Uno I'm huntin'- wabbits     Barked: Fri Dec 23, '11 1:56pm PST  Put him on a qood quality high protein, low carb food and use a proper measuring cup when feeding. I had pretty good results with wellness core reduced fat, but I would not recommend feeding it long term since low fat levels can cause lethargy. I also like natures variety instinct due to kibble size, its perfect for small dogs, but I would again be careful about the amount since its higher calorie/protein and dogs do not require as much of it as with grain inclusive or lower quality foods. Also transition slowly from old food. As far as treats go, I would use either carrots/green beans or dehydrated liver(although dont go overboard with this since its rich). Exercise is obviously imperative to dogs health, whether its a 130 lb great dane or a 5 lb chihuahua. If you dog doesent like walking, take him to a dog park or play fetch in the yard. If he likes swimming and you have access to it (or even a bathtub), its a great low impact exercise for dogs with joint problems. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Princesse- Lily CGN I am RoyalChi!     Barked: Fri Dec 23, '11 2:05pm PST  Excess weight can cause a lot of problems for dogs and people. The only way to lose it is to eat less and exercise. One of my dogs gained 8 pounds while I was visiting a sick relative. He had been fed twice as much and not given any walks by my hubby. Once I got back I starting walking him again and giving him half the food. One mistake I made, which I would suggest you avoid, was making him walk too much the first day. It is better to ease into the exercise gradually. So to sum up, less food, more exercise but gradual increase in the walking. As an aside, please take your caps lock off. In computer speak it is like yelling , not to mention it is hard on the eyes Edited to change posting dog Edited by author Fri Dec 23, '11 2:07pm PST my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Kloppers Are you talking- to me?     Barked: Fri Dec 23, '11 4:38pm PST  As others suggested...i would start by decreasing the amount of food you are feeding and slowly increasing the excerise. Your chi might not want to walk around now because being that overweight hurts the joints. I have a 5lb Chi that eats 1/4 c per day, and walks about a mile a day...she was a bit heavy about a year ago, as well as my Min pin x...i wasnt able to get the last lb off until i started feeding them grain free, we enjoy Taste of the Wild kibble here. We have maintained a healthy weight for over a year now with measuring all meals and continuing excerise! Good Luck on your weight loss adventure. [notify]

Maxwell I'm triple- superior MAD- now!     Barked: Fri Dec 23, '11 4:41pm PST  It isn't easy feeding the teensy amount of food an overweight dog needs. Max gained 11 pounds when I started feeding him homemade cooked food. He needed only 12 ounces, 1.5 cups a day, and it looked like nothing. Certainly not enough food for my best buddy! Sounds like you need to eventually cut the amount of food in half but do it in small steps, right now cut back by 25%. I always suggest using a food puzzle so meals last longer, dog [and two leggers] have fun and the dog is on his or her feet longer. A kong is super simple and might be good for your spoiled little prince, once he gets the hang of dumping/licking it out you can move to something that takes longer to empty. I know a yorkie who should have weighed 4 pounds and was practically force fed 2 trays of Cesar a day so weighed 8 pounds. A tray is only 80 calories. Scary how little tiny dogs can eat and maintain a good body condition. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Zoey,- Shellie &- Griffin Natural & Loving- it!     Barked: Fri Dec 23, '11 11:12pm PST  Has he had his Thyroid levels checked? Hypothyroidism can cause weight gain and laziness. My 4# chihuahua only ate 1 Tablespoon of kibble when she was on kibble, that is PER day. You have to really encourage them to exercise. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Toto, CD,- RN, CGC We don't do- doodles!!!     Barked: Sat Dec 24, '11 4:59am PST  Another good idea is to MEASURE the treats he gets for a couple of days! Every single time you give him something, even a piece of your breakfast, put the exact same amount in a measuring cup. Most likely you will be shocked at how much food he is getting aside from his regular meals. Those treats carry just as many calories as his regular food, if not MORE!! Remember...unlike an overweight human, your dog cannot just open the refrigerator and get something to eat...he can only eat what YOU give him!! my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Sanka The ground is my- newspaper.     Barked: Sat Dec 24, '11 12:42pm PST  All dogs are going to get "lazy" when their lives never change. You NEED to get the dog out of the house and physically walk them yourselves. They deserve more than just the same ole house and yard everyday. Otherwise, the world is all the same. It's groundhog's day for the dog. Why bother running around when nothing changes. However! You said the dog was still recovering from a bad dog attack. So, depending on how severe, you probably don't want to walk the dog much right now so to let the injuries heal. You need to cut back on the food being fed. And if the dog is supposed to be resting to heal the wounds, you need to cut back even more on the food given the lack of output. Calories in, calories out. That's how weight gain works. You don't need special food for it. And I agree, caps lock is very hard to read. It'd be nice if you could take that off. My eyes strain to read that. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Lilith dog-sitter in- charge.     Barked: Sat Dec 24, '11 12:56pm PST  The dog attack was years ago, when op's pup was just a puppy.. I think, at this point, whether his mobility problems are a result of permanent injuries or not, being triple his ideal weight certainly makes it only worse. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

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