Share your suggestions for getting your pet in shape!

Don't forget to check out our segment Is Your Pet Overweight?

IMO this is a stupid topic.

Pets don't feed themselves. The only reason they get fat is their owner's irresponsibility.

Feed them the correct amount and they won't get fat in the first place.

MY MOTHER-IN-LAW HAS A DACHSUND THATS DEF. OUT OF SHAPE. SHES SOOOOO FAT! SHE EATS POTATOE SKINS. MY FATHER-IN-LAW PEELS EM & SHE SITS & WAITS TIL HE GIVES HER SOME. ITS SO FUNNY 2 WATCH BUT THATS ONE REASON WHY SHES SO FAT! THOSE DOGS DO GET FAT EASILY IF THEY DONT GO ON A SPECIAL DIET. AND THEY ALSO NEED ALOT OF EXCERCISE.

Like a big Ball Park Frank?

my grandmother had a dog that was overweight. Here was the vets suggestions.

Put food down three times a day,about 1/2 cup( of course this depends on the type and size of the animal) of dry dog food. Don't leave food out all day for the dog( we found she would eat just because it was there). Take the dog for a walk once a day. Never give her table scraps or human food, and keep plenty of water out for the dog. Also since overweight animals tend to have joint problems swimming is very good for them.

It seemed to help her alot when we started controlling her diet better.

That's cruel.

You need to be very careful with dachshunds, making SURE they are not overweight because with their long backs it's easy for them to become paralyzed.

Why don't you say something? That dog can't help him or her self but you can.

I too have an over weight dog unfortunately my next door neighbor is the one who is sabatoging his weight loss plan by over feeding treats through the fence. I have now asked her to stop feeding him twice. Initially she was resistant stating "he acts so hungry." I assured her he's not.
So far she is currently being compliant with my requests but I'm not at home all the time to make sure she's not over doing it. I have taken measures to cut back his food so that the calories will balance out. As well as stepped up his exercise schedule from a 30 minute walk to 45 minutes. As a dietitian I'm very concerned with the fact that he may not be getting appropriate nutrients due to the neighbor over doing the treats. I am determined to have a lean dog.

IMO this is a stupid topic.

Pets don't feed themselves. The only reason they get fat is their owner's irresponsibility.

Feed them the correct amount and they won't get fat in the first place.
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You are correct that pets don't feed themselves, but I don't agree that it is always the owner's irresponsibility. True, if someone is feeding a dog or cat high fat/greasy table scraps because they think it makes the pet happy, they are to blame. However, I have a cat that is considered overweight, and the only thing he eats is cat food. No treats, no milk, no table scraps--just cat food. Our vet recommended higher protein foods and toys for activity, but unlike dogs, it is hard to make a cat play or go on a walk. A cat will do what they want when they want to and unfortunately our cat chooses to ignore toys most of the time.
So, you can't always assume that the owner is irresponsible just because the cat is overweight. I feel that I am a caring owner who buys good quality natural foods and limits the amount he is eating. Sometimes, it is just an ongoing battle.

Then you are feeding him too much, obviously.

I have a Saint Bernard who is so active I cant get him fattened up. I am scared people think I starve him. I need help...

My "vanilla" Lab has had surgery on his knee and I know that he needs to stay in shape. His treats of choice are sliced zucchini or yellow squash.He's a happy and healthy 11 year old dog!

No, if you would read the entire post, I limit the amount I feed him. Not everything is so cut and dry. I have been battling with this for 5 years with the help of our vet and have either maintained the weight of the cat or brought it down by 1/2 to 1 lb. each time we have a checkup. He eats the recommended amount of food per day to maintain or LOSE weight for a cat 4lbs. less than his weight. So, I am not feeding him too much, obviously.

I have a 3yr old female Jack Russell Terrier and she was overweight at one point(about 1.5 years). Her weight should have been about 17lbs...and she was 28lbs!!! I did not feed her human food, I exercised her daily and I gave her very limited treats. I talked to my vet and he said that I was giving her food portions that were too much!! I never knew that you have to give your dog an EXACT proportion....I was rounding it over, every meal...Today she is 16lbs and still the little Terror she was!
It is amazing to realize the impact that food can have on a dog!

I had a Great Dane who had the same problem. Large dogs often have an over-eating or under-eating issue. I never got her fattened up. She ate limited food and was very active. I ended up feeding her specialized homemade food for her...all natural. She lived a wonderful life and had little problems (just the usual).
What's most important is that your dog is getting the proper nutrition from the food. There are MANY brands and most are bad, especially for purebreds who are more sensitive. Feed your dog a ROYAL CANINE brand or a Dick Van’s NATURAL BALANCE. These are unbelievably well made and are specialized specifically for certain dogs. Picky dogs often will eat these foods. They are, however, a little pricey…but that’s your decision. Remember, you get what you pay for!

I have 2 cats. One is about 3 years old and a normal weight, actually last time i took them to the vet, he had lost a pound but my other cat, she is a FATTY!! We got her when she was about 6 weeks old, starting out about 1 pound, a year later she weights oh i'd say about 14 to 15 pounds now. i have tried to cut back their food, but she will eat everything i put in their bowls. My male cat will only eat a little and go nap and by the time get gets hungry, she has eaten everything. I feed them both ( well i guess mainly her) 1/4 of cat food 3 times a day ( in the morning,late afternoon and at night)

I have 2 cats. One is about 3 years old and a normal weight, actually last time i took them to the vet, he had lost a pound but my other cat, she is a FATTY!! We got her when she was about 6 weeks old, starting out about 1 pound, a year later she weights oh i'd say about 14 to 15 pounds now. i have tried to cut back their food, but she will eat everything i put in their bowls. My male cat will only eat a little and go nap and by the time get gets hungry, she has eaten everything. I feed them both ( well i guess mainly her) 1/4 of cat food 3 times a day ( in the morning,late afternoon and at night)

Does anyone have any suggestions from their Vet on what food is the best for weight loss for a cat? My cat used to be on the IVD green peas/venison that the vet had said he needed but it was pretty expensive and so i had to change to something i can afford. Since then, my cat has gained too much weight and now weighs 25 lbs and i only feed him 3/4 cup of food a day of the IAMS weight control. Any suggestions???

Hi, After today's show I thought I would give a little feedback. We had a wonderful Chocolate Lab named Harley,whom gained weight over the course of few years. He was feed Pedigree dog food, but wasn't as active as maybe he should have been. We also made the mistake of giving him table scraps once in a while. One day Harley had a full blown seizure and we had to rush him to the vet, where he stayed for 3 days to be treated for Diabetes. Yep, we had a diabetic dog. After lots of lab work and a hefty vet bill we were able to bring him home, but he had to be on a diet of low-fat, high protein, expensive dog food and we now had to give Harley shots of Humulin N insulin twice a day. He was like our first child, so we did everything we could for him. This really hindered us however if we wanted to go out for dinner or camping etc, as he needed his shot within 20 minutes after eating and he needed to eat at the same time everyday. He was 7 when he was diagnosed and he weighed about 120lbs or so. He was a big ole boy from the day we got him at age 10 weeks.( He was a big breed lab with the blocky head, etc. and his dad was huge not fat but big). He did trim done once on the diet though and we were able to decrease his insulin levels, but he was never able to be taken off the insulin altogether. He eventually became blind in both eyes, which was so hard for us to watch, but it's amazing how well animals still get around, the hearing really kicks in. We looked into surgery for his eyes, but found it over $2800.00 and so much after care (6 mo. in a collar thing, no tug of war, etc) that we just let him live the rest of his life as happy as possible. He made it to two weeks short of his 12 birthday when we lost him to various health problems...age included. He really was a trooper and we miss him sooooooooo very much. My eyes are filling with tears as I write this.
So please be a responsible pet owner, and don't feed table scraps and pay attention to weight gain or other health related signs, because I would hate for anyone or their pet to go through what we went through if it can be helped. Alot of people aren't even aware that your pets can become diabetics too.

Hi, After today's show I thought I would give a little feedback. We had a wonderful Chocolate Lab named Harley,whom gained weight over the course of few years. He was feed Pedigree dog food, but wasn't as active as maybe he should have been. We also made the mistake of giving him table scraps once in a while. One day Harley had a full blown seizure and we had to rush him to the vet, where he stayed for 3 days to be treated for Diabetes. Yep, we had a diabetic dog. After lots of lab work and a hefty vet bill we were able to bring him home, but he had to be on a diet of low-fat, high protein, expensive dog food and we now had to give Harley shots of Humulin N insulin twice a day. He was like our first child, so we did everything we could for him. This really hindered us however if we wanted to go out for dinner or camping etc, as he needed his shot within 20 minutes after eating and he needed to eat at the same time everyday. He was 7 when he was diagnosed and he weighed about 120lbs or so. He was a big ole boy from the day we got him at age 10 weeks.( He was a big breed lab with the blocky head, etc. and his dad was huge not fat but big). He did trim done once on the diet though and we were able to decrease his insulin levels, but he was never able to be taken off the insulin altogether. He eventually became blind in both eyes, which was so hard for us to watch, but it's amazing how well animals still get around, the hearing really kicks in. We looked into surgery for his eyes, but found it over $2800.00 and so much after care (6 mo. in a collar thing, no tug of war, etc) that we just let him live the rest of his life as happy as possible. He made it to two weeks short of his 12 birthday when we lost him to various health problems...age included. He really was a trooper and we miss him sooooooooo very much. My eyes are filling with tears as I write this.
So please be a responsible pet owner, and don't feed table scraps and pay attention to weight gain or other health related signs, because I would hate for anyone or their pet to go through what we went through if it can be helped. Alot of people aren't even aware that your pets can become diabetics too.

I had a dog that was so fat, I sold him to the Department of Street Cleaning in NYC where they cleaned the Lincoln Tunnel by pushing him through it.

[ Hi, After today's show I thought I would give a little feedback. We had a wonderful Chocolate Lab named Harley,whom gained weight over the course of few years. He was feed Pedigree dog food, but wasn't as active as maybe he should have been. We also made the mistake of giving him table scraps once in a while. One day Harley had a full blown seizure and we had to rush him to the vet, where he stayed for 3 days to be treated for Diabetes. Yep, we had a diabetic dog. After lots of lab work and a hefty vet bill we were able to bring him home, but he had to be on a diet of low-fat, high protein, expensive dog food and we now had to give Harley shots of Humulin N insulin twice a day. He was like our first child, so we did everything we could for him. This really hindered us however if we wanted to go out for dinner or camping etc, as he needed his shot within 20 minutes after eating and he needed to eat at the same time everyday. He was 7 when he was diagnosed and he weighed about 120lbs or so. He was a big ole boy from the day we got him at age 10 weeks.( He was a big breed lab with the blocky head, etc. and his dad was huge not fat but big). He did trim done once on the diet though and we were able to decrease his insulin levels, but he was never able to be taken off the insulin altogether. He eventually became blind in both eyes, which was so hard for us to watch, but it's amazing how well animals still get around, the hearing really kicks in. We looked into surgery for his eyes, but found it over $2800.00 and so much after care (6 mo. in a collar thing, no tug of war, etc) that we just let him live the rest of his life as happy as possible. He made it to two weeks short of his 12 birthday when we lost him to various health problems...age included. He really was a trooper and we miss him sooooooooo very much. My eyes are filling with tears as I write this.
So please be a responsible pet owner, and don't feed table scraps and pay attention to weight gain or other health related signs, because I would hate for anyone or their pet to go through what we went through if it can be helped. Alot of people aren't even aware that your pets can become diabetics too.]

[sorry my message posted three times, the first two said there were errors..oops]

[Maybe you should try a being less rude, some pet owners are more responsible than others that is true, but there are alot of variables to consider, not only the amount of food..]

[Maybe you should try a being less rude,it makes you sound undereducated. Some pet owners are more responsible than others that is true, but there are alot of variables to consider, not only the amount of food..]

[Maybe you should try a being less rude,it makes you sound undereducated. Some pet owners are more responsible than others that is true, but there are alot of variables to consider, not only the amount or kind of food..]