Is Sampson the labrador Australia's most obese pet? And is this abuse?

[sinkingfeeling]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/is-sampson-the-labrador-australias-most-obese-pet/story-e6frf7jo-1226079537660

[CC]

1. Don't know if he is the largest

but unless he has a known medical reason for being that size I consider it abuse.

[mopinko]

2. disgusting.

yes, it is abuse. one of my pet peeves. whenever i see someone walking a fat dog i think- the one on the other end of the leash has an emotional problem. there is just no excuse for an obese dog except that they learned to operate a can opener.

[get the red out]

3. That poor dog!

He looks so miserable. How can someone allow their dog to get that way?

[badgerpup]

6. azckly what I was thinking...

Dog looks like he's in pain, even lying down.
I can't* imagine how his joints must feel when he tries to walk...poor guy.








* Well, maybe I can, a little...arthritis and all that...:shrug:

[SalviaBlue]

4. The sad thing is, its pretty easy to put a dog on a diet.

I had always let my dogs self feed until my Lab, Jackson came along. He started putting on weight at about 2 or 3 years old and we simply took away the perpetual feeding bowl and gave him the amount of food indicated for his size. He went down to a healthier size pretty quickly and lived to be 16.

Poor Sampson. He must be miserable.

[ceile]

5. Yes, it's abuse.

Judging from the article he has been removed from his owners and is now on a strict diet.
Poor thing...

[TorchTheWitch]

7. of course it's abuse

They feed their dog to a point it can hardly function normally, have all sorts of health problems and die far too soon. How is that NOT abuse?

[TorchTheWitch]

8. my next door neighbor's dog is nearly this fat

It makes me so angry. I know they do it because he was an abused rescue dog so are trying to compensate for his previous bad life where he didn't get enough to eat by stuffing him. The poor thing is so damn fat he can barely handle the three steps that go from the back door to the yard, and one of these days one of his spindly legs is just going to snap under him. They never exercise him, and since he's always been a total couch potato he doesn't ever exercise himself. I've told them so many times that he HAS to be put on a diet, and when he loses enough weight he HAS to be exercised. Their idea of putting him on a diet was just switching to "fat dog" dog food, but he still gets all the table scraps he wants and too damn much food... and still not the least bit of exercise. Since it's gotten hot out, he only comes outside long enough to go to the bathroom, so I don't see him very often this time of year. I hadn't seen him for about a week, and I swear in just that one week he got twice as fat.

He also doesn't get regular vet check-ups, and they only call the vet if he gets sick (but usually don't take him in to be checked out and do the "wait and see if he gets better" thing), and only get him the mandatory rabies shots... he gets no other routine shots or other health care like heartworm prevention tablets or supposed optional vaccines like for Lyme which is epidemic here or flea/tick control, etc.

Now they're thinking of getting a puppy because "Bubba is just so fat and boring". Ugh. :mad:

[get the red out]

10. That is so sad

I'm sure in their minds they've done well by the dog since they haven't starved him and he has shelter and company, but his health!

My husband loves to feed our dog bites of what he's eating (not anything like the volumn you described though) and I nag him about it. She's not at all over-weight and we keep her very active (which is one of his excuses for it being ok). Last week was a lesson to him though that fast food fried chicken produces something that he doesn't want to clean up outside. It worried him though that it might have made her feel bad. That's what I don't get about folks that perpetually stuff their pets with table scraps, surely the pet gives signs of stomach distress sometimes (gross ones), that should make them think something isn't right.

[badgerpup]

9. I saw one episode of "It's me or the dog"...

...where one of the dogs needing help was an obese beagle mix (I think...memory plays tricks on one :blush:).

Anyway, the poor dog had arthritis in her poor overstressed joints, so walkies was out of the question for exercise.
Answer? Water therapy!

There was a person available who used a pool to exercise dogs with mobility issues. The water supports their weight and takes the stress off the joints so they can MOVE and get a workout...but without the pain. One gets a better workout in water due to the resistance of the water, but doesn't notice it, because the gravity thang has been nullified.

Beagle Mix LOVED it, lost weight and was even able to start going for real walkies!