Would you say something?

H

HubbaWubba

Member
Mar 7, 2007
4,838
4
#1
Out on my morning walk with my dog today, I saw a dog that looked like a min pin. So me and my dog (a min pin too) go over to. It was a really fat. Like 3 times the size of my dog that is about 8-9 lbs. The owner even asked if mine was a min pin. I said, ummm yes and is your dog pregnant? He said no, she's just big. This dog didn't have a big chest or small waist like my dog does.It looked more like a meatloaf with legs. The dog was only 4 years old. This dog was waddling. I just felt so bad. I know that if I let my dog have a whole bag of food, he would eat the whole thing in record time. Maybe the dog has a health problem, but you would think the owner would control what the dog ate. BTW, the owner looked like they followed the same diet as the dog. Maybe the owner got the sense that I was shocked to see the condition of the dog?

Anyway, would you say something to the owner next time? I know I will probably run into them again. :sweatdrop:
 
#2
HubbaWubba said:
BTW, the owner looked like they followed the same diet as the dog.
Click to expand...

I was gonna tell you definitely say something until I saw what you wrote above. They might become personally offended, especially since a lot of people nowadays treat their dogs like their children or an extension of themselves. I mean, I would never tell another person I didn't know very well that their kids look heavy.

Maybe you can casually hint at it... something like: your dog looks like he would looove more walks!... something like that.
 
#3
I probably would mention the weight of the dog. I train dogs and I do it all the time, an overweight dog has a shorter lifespan than a healthy dog....it can shave years off their life depending on how much they are overweight.

We all love our dogs and want them to be around as long as possible and taking off a few pounds is an easy way to help them live longer.
 
#4
Could it have been a mix with something else, like a bulldog? :P I'd probably say something, for the sake of his dog. It may be overfeeding, but it could be a health condition. I had a pom that ballooned from 10 lbs to like 16 lbs. Because she was transitioning from puppy/young to adult, I just thought she was gaining weight due to metabolism, since she had been a thinner dog. The groomer mentioned she could have a certain condition (can't remember if she was correct or not). When I took her to the vet to run tests, she was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. She was prescribed meds, and she was back to her old self in no time.

There's a gracious way of bringing up the difference between your min pin and his since it seems pretty drastic. Even now, when I see a dog that looks overweight, I'll mention it or that dog may suffer even more later (and so will the owner) if it goes untreated.
 
#5
dogs get fat because of greasy, fried "people food" so I feel horrible for the poor dog. My baby eats A LOT of dog food, plus vegetables/fruits and she's at an ideal weight. My grandma's dog eats rice, fried chicken, etc and he's about 20lbs overweight. I would tell him to stop letting the dog eat off his greasy plate.:cursing:
 
#6
I may have done it in a way..ummm, kind of "asking" for advice.
Like, say.."My friend has a Min Pin who is about the same size. She want to put him on a diet. What kind of diet do you feed your little guy/girl?" Other than that, I dont think I would blatantly say something about the dogs weight.
 
#7
forever21 said:
I was gonna tell you definitely say something until I saw what you wrote above. They might become personally offended, especially since a lot of people nowadays treat their dogs like their children or an extension of themselves. I mean, I would never tell another person I didn't know very well that their kids look heavy.

Maybe you can casually hint at it... something like: your dog looks like he would looove more walks!... something like that.
Click to expand...

See the thing is, before I lost my other dog a couple of weeks ago, a couple of people would comment that she was really thin. Its' the nature of the breed. IGs are not supposed to be fat. I used to call her my little supermodel. LOL She would even eat more than he does. Although on youtube I have seen videos of heavy IGs which pissed me off. One time someone said, "I can tell who gets all the treats" when I would walk them together. In no way is my min pin heavy. Just walking next to my other dog who was tall and thin, and he is short and sturdy. :biguns:

Another person last week was walking their dog and asked me if my dogs name was Lily. I said no. She said because she was shocked at home much weight Lily lost if that wasz the same dog. So I am not the only person who has noticed this.

Anyway, the guy even said as I mentioned before, No she is just big. Maybe his min pin is big boned. :shrugs: I know I am going to end up saying something like "My what a big girl you have there". :lol:
 
#8
i wouldn't say anything.... i used to be very critical of over weight dogs, i would even go as far at calling it animal abuse/cruelty, or killing the dog w/ food or love. that was until i adopted a obsessive, malnurished cocker spaniel. i love him to death and try to keep him on a strict diet, but he makes my life absolutly miserable if he does not feel that he has eaten enough. we walk him every day, play fetch, and other activities. we try to limit his snacks to carrots, apple, and celery... but if we aren't careful he will get on the counters, garbage, ect and eat whatever horrible fattening he can get his mouth on. yes, he is overweight, but our other 2 dogs, and 2 cats are at their ideal weights. i don't need anyone, other than my vet, to tell me that my dog is fat, i'm not blind. i'm sure the owner knows his dog isn't healthy, and that he isn't for that matter. if it were his human child that were grossly overweight, would you to same something to him.
 
#10
I'd maybe slip in something if I could find a way to say it nicely, like how it's so unhealthy for dogs to be overweight even though chubby dogs are so cute. My brother's dog is a little chub. She is on diet food and maybe has lost a little. My mom always says, "She's not fat, she's big boned." I'll be like, "No, she is F-A-T, fat!" It's not like the dog takes offense, just the owner can. But we all do it in a joking manner and know that it's unhealthy.

My Maltese is 7 pounds (healthy weight) and used to weigh about 10. When she got overweight my vet gave me a serious lecture and we put her on a rationed amount of diet food. She's been a healthy weight ever since.
 
#11
I don't have children so my pets take that place of honor in my life. I have three dogs and two cats. I treat everyone (adults, children and pets) with complete respect and good manners. I expect the same. One of my dogs is heavy. It is a sensitive subject. I know she is, the vet knows she is and yet we don't know why. Her blood work is normal, she doesn't over eat, she exercises. I find it offensive when people point this out to me. I would feel the same if they asked me if I was pregnant. It's just not good manners.

I also have a very heavy cat. He has a serious thyroid problem and although he has been through radiation treatment and is on lifetime medication, he is still overweight. It's the way it is. I'm aware of the situation as is my vet. When people comment on his weight I cringe. It's a reflection on their lack of manners.

Of course, these are my opinions, but I am quite intolerant of other people's assumptions and disparaging comments when it comes to my pets' weight.
 
#12
I doubt you would ask a fat person on the street what kind of diet they are on...... I say leave it alone. As Leelee said, you don't know what that person and the vet are doing, and they have no reason to tell you. I say MYOB.
 
#13
I once commented to a friend of mine that his dog was fat -- not being critical, but just in passing. He was shocked and denied it. He then had his wife talk to the vet, learned I was right and started her on a diet.

My older mini doxie was fat and the vet yelled at me. I put him on a diet -- it was so hard and still is to limit his food and treats etc. But he has lost weight and looks much healthier.
 
#14
In my case, I wasn't offended and am grateful the groomer said something to me. She had alot of hair and really didn't notice her weight as being unhealthy yet. Because of my waiting, she had slight liver damage, nothing serious thank god, but if no one had mentioned it to me, there could have been further damage from her hypothroidism. And the funny thing is, I'd taken her to the vet when she was already gaining the weight and he never said anything, but then we found out what it was after I REQUESTED a blood test from what the groomer said. Luckily I got her in and on meds in time. No one has to say the dog has a fat ass, but showing concern can help the dog who's at the mercy of the caregiver. Even if it helps even one dog who's caregiver may be over looking the problem then it's worth it since you really don't know if they're aware of it or even if there is a vet has even looked at him, and sometimes other dog owners notice signs if their own dog had went through it. Some people don't even know they're sick..one was with parvo and they just thought he was tired. My telling them the listless dog (which could be offensive too) could be a serious problem saved his life since she took him in immediately. 1100 later, but the vet said that she was lucky she hadn't waited even a day. I've mentioned it with no qualms. Although weight is different since it's a more "sensitive" situation for humans, I'll still say something if I'm concerned about it if it's at the point it really bothers me. If they're offended then so be it.
 
#15
I work in a vet clinic and we believe that weight is a sensitive issue with many clients. Especially, if the clients themselves are overweight. Most overweight people have heard the same spiel all their lives "You are obese, you need to lose weight, eat less, get more exercise etc" that it just goes in one ear and out the other. If the client is overweight, chances are the pet will be as well - either from lots of treats in the form of kitchen scraps, or just heaps of food in general because their owner doesn't want them to starve, or from lack of exercise.

If you really want someone to make their pet lose weight, you have to sit down with them and work it through. Do up a weight loss monitoring chart. Tell them what dog food to feed it (light or restricted calorie) and calculate out the exact amount for them. Write up a list of YES and NO foods. Write out an exercise regime for the dogs and do weekly weigh-ins. It's basically the same as for people. It's alot of hand-holding and follow-throughs for overweight clients with overweight pets. So if I can't do all that, I don't say anything, because it's just contributing to the number of times that they've heard about themselves/their pet being fat. If I must say something if I suspect health problems, for eg thyroid or adrenal gland disease, then I will recommend a vet check and blood tests to rule those out first.
 
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