Importance of weight maintinance & brushing
Our rescue Rottie weighed 118# when we adopted her about 7 mo. ago. She showed hip problems. One of my concerns was rapid breathing which I questioned here. After $1400. worth of tests and a consultin...
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Glad you're getting her to slim down; she definitely needs it! It will definitely make a difference. As raindove mentioned, panting can also be an indicator of pain, stress, and/or heart issues.
Many years ago, we adopted a yellow lab from my niece who weighed 102 pounds when we got him. The vet said he should be 75-80 pounds. Between diet and exercise, w got him down to 80 pounds, but it was always a struggle.
A few years ago, I fostered my MIL's cockapoo, Rosie. She's was morbidly obese and panted just standing there. The vet weighed her at 28.2 lb. to start with, and she said Rosie should have weighed 14-15 pounds. Amazingly, she had no other health issues - sure didn't pay $1400 for the diagnosis of FAT!! It took 6-7 months of a restricted diet (I fed Wellness Core Reduced Fat - feed the amount for what the dog SHOULD weigh, not what she currently weighs, and even then, I fed less than what the directions said) and increasing exercise, but Rosie reached her goal, and I found her a very loving home.
Make sure you exercise your dog (leashed walks to start with; add games of fetch as she's able) at increasing levels and distances as she loses weight (Rosie started out barely able to walk around the block, but eventually worked up to walking 3 miles daily; she also learned to enjoy vigorous games of fetch). Cut out ALL high carb treats (dog biscuits/treats) and instead, substitute baby carrots and no-salt green beans - ignore pitiful looks. If your dog refuses these healthy treats, keep trying. It's amazing what hunger will do...
Many years ago, we adopted a yellow lab from my niece who weighed 102 pounds when we got him. The vet said he should be 75-80 pounds. Between diet and exercise, w got him down to 80 pounds, but it was always a struggle.
A few years ago, I fostered my MIL's cockapoo, Rosie. She's was morbidly obese and panted just standing there. The vet weighed her at 28.2 lb. to start with, and she said Rosie should have weighed 14-15 pounds. Amazingly, she had no other health issues - sure didn't pay $1400 for the diagnosis of FAT!! It took 6-7 months of a restricted diet (I fed Wellness Core Reduced Fat - feed the amount for what the dog SHOULD weigh, not what she currently weighs, and even then, I fed less than what the directions said) and increasing exercise, but Rosie reached her goal, and I found her a very loving home.
Make sure you exercise your dog (leashed walks to start with; add games of fetch as she's able) at increasing levels and distances as she loses weight (Rosie started out barely able to walk around the block, but eventually worked up to walking 3 miles daily; she also learned to enjoy vigorous games of fetch). Cut out ALL high carb treats (dog biscuits/treats) and instead, substitute baby carrots and no-salt green beans - ignore pitiful looks. If your dog refuses these healthy treats, keep trying. It's amazing what hunger will do...
