[pigsatlesrues]

We have five dogs, two of which are labs. Our 3 year old Chocolate lab - Leroy - is incredibly overweight. I had him checked at the vet; bought the Royal Cannon complete food for obesity, but nothing is changing. He is castrated and has been since he was 6 months old.

It started when we took in an abondoned old black Lab Henry. He was 16 when we rehomed him and the ripe old age of 19 has just recently passed away. Leroy loved Henry but became an old man himself. We have since rehomed a young yellow Lab cross of a year old now - Deefor. We think there is some Great Dane in there somewhere but he is so Lab like. He has had the desired effect and has become best buddies with Leroy and they play all day long. The weight isn't changing though. I have run out of the special food at the moment, just too expensive at the moment with other things to pay for, so giving him normal food again but just wondering how much I can cut him down to quantity wise.
I give the dogs biscuit with either tinned dog meat or I cook up heart and lungs for them.

leroy is a thief and lives for food and would eat everyones food if he could. He will empty bins and raid dustbins so everything needs to be lifted if we go out or tied down normally. He will steal loaves of bread as I am unloading the car after shopping if I am not paying attention. It is a constant battle to keep him from any food source.

I am really worried about him so any advice would be good at this stage. I am also worried about castrating Deefor in case he puts on weight too. He is a good boy I have to say and loves his own food and will minesweep odd bit left on the floor but doesn't steal food from the others. He is very hormonal now though and finds Leroy very appealing to put it politely and displays his you know what to me all the time, so it is time to take the trip to the vet I think.

The other dogs are all ideal weight and proportionally to their breed they all get the same ratio of food. We have a Jack Russell bitch, spayed, Petite Basset Griffon Vendeen dog, castrated, and a little mongral from the farm nearby who moved in to be with his pals. He too needs to be castrated since he is out searching for bitches all the time at the moment.

Thanks

Kate

[Hilarysmum]

Kate one idea might be to make him think he is full up.  You probably already do give him dog chews, etc. Are there any that are long lasting (I know mine either bury them or they are eaten with minutes) I thought perhaps a long lasting dog chew might just keep him interested. 

At the end of the day if he is happy does it matter too much if he is over weight.  If he can run around without puffing too much, - quality of life. 

[Rosemary]

Sorry, can't agree with it being OK for him to be overweight. His quality of life will be affected in the short and the long term, so it is important to get the weight off him. He's a young dog and the problem isn't going to get better. We rehomed an old cat (14 years old) who was overweight - our vet's advice was not to diet her because of the age / quality of life argument - it would have taken years of food control to get her weight down and she could have been dead by then. But had she been three, he would certainly have been on our case to do something about it.

One of our collies tends to put weight on - it kind of creeps on - so we weight her regularly and reduce her food if her weight is rising. She's ruptured the cruciate ligament in her leg and is waiting for surgery, so she's on no exercise and her food has been reduced accordingly. We took about 2kg off her last summer form 19kg to 17kg and she was a different dog - more energy, more active. So I know how hard it is, especially when the other dogs are tucking in!

I'd speak to your vet again for advice - the advice we've had is green vegetables, bran and pasta to fill them up.

Good luck, Kate and soon-to-be skinny Leroy!

[pigsatlesrues]

Thanks for feedback both of you!

I never give snacks anymore - he would eat it in a flash and has. They all get fed once a day in the morning and that is it. The others go without because it wouldn't be fair to give to the others a treat and not to him. I bought one of those big rubber things that you smear something good in middle because I was told that it would keep him interested and take his mind off scavaging but he couldn't be bothered with that.

He breaks my heart quite frankly. When I was feeding him the royal cannon food, he broke into the cupboard when I was out and ate through nearly 3kilos of cat buscuit. He is a nightmare. The only treat he gets with the vets ok is beef knuckle bone, they all get one, but that is all I dare give him.

Thinking out loud I suppose a consideration could be thyroid and we could have a blood test done, but my gut feeling is that he is just a greedy dog.

I will plod on, make another appointment with the vet and hopefully find a solution. Clamping his jaw could be an option!!

The veg and pasta could be an option which I can discuss with the vet.

I have to find the answer soon - he is so lovely and I love him to death, but the way he is going he is going to eat himself to death!!

Thanks again

Kate

[Rosemary]

I knowo this sounds cruel - but would a lightweight muzzle help? At least it would stop the incursions into cat biscuits. I've used a grazing muzzle for my horse in the past - maybe you could get something for Leroy that wouldn't stop him drinking and panting but would stop him filling his face.

I hope you do find a solution - I know how frustrating it can be. Especially when they're looking at you with the big Labrador eyes...

[pigsatlesrues]

That is not a bad idea Rosemary - I hadn't thought of that.

We bought a nylon one with velcro (spelt wrong I think!), for Harvey, the Petite Basset,  because although a gentle dog he hates being groomed and gets really upset. Having said that he ripped it the first time we used it on him, but there must be something else around suitable for Leroy. At least it would give me peace of mind when I wasn't around to supervise him.

I know I have already given examples of his greedyness, but honestly it amazes me just how persistant he is and so inteligent the way he reasons out solutions to get at food. He had my handbag down from the peg because it smelt of peppermints, he has opened the oven door, he gets into the cupboard, he has actually pulled the furnishings from the hob, dragged the whole lot down crashing to the floor because there was a single cat buscuit left on the top after I had fed the cats.

Anyway, I will have a look around and see what I can find for him.

Thank you

Kate

[Rosemary]

You might be able to get a light mesh one like the ones used by greyhounds. Even if it doesn't work, it will be highly amusing watching him work out how to either get it off or circumvent it - and it will keep his mind off food for a bit!

[pigsatlesrues]

I am off to UK on Wednesday so can get around the specialist pet stores and hopefully get a good selection to choose from.

Watch this space!!

Kate

[Hilarysmum]

Kate of absolutely no use, but my sister's dog was an absolute horror for stealing.  She came to stay with us for a few weeks.  After we had learned to remove the wastebin from the room, shut and lock the larder, keep anything edible in the eye level cupboards, she taught my ever so thick springer to open the fridge door, we saw it happen, he stood back whilst she dashed in and ate the contents in seconds.  Eventually we had to resort to a strap all around the fridge door.  After she returned home the thick springer used to open the fridge for the other dog to help herself. Eventually OH fooled him by the simple trick of changing the hinges on the door to the opposite side.  He never worked that one out.

[Rosemary]

Neither is this but Dan's parents used to have two Border Collies called Tim and Sam. Tim was a terrible rake for food - I saw him eat a coffee filter once, complete with coffee grounds. But him worst meal was a big bowl of lard. Actually it wasn't his worst meal, but I can't tell you what that was because it is too awful. But the lard made him awfully sick.

[Fluffywelshsheep]

typing about what stupid dog eat, My dog (who is now with my parent) He is a rescued dog , apparently when they get really bad dog they feed them on marg, well chumly has a taste for it and will eat a half tub (the big ones)of it if he can with no sickness at all, I even tried to get him to stop eating it by filling it with every spice ever herb every taste that was in the cupboard, Which included marmite, cloves, five spices, curry powder (loads of it) pepper, Picking spices everything and anything i could imagine that i found in the cupboard but he still ate it and was okay no sickness, no diarrhoea or anything , as i watching him like a hawk, at the point we just had to remember to put the marg up out it way lol
I didn't really do him any harm as that was about 9 years ago lol and he is still going (a bit more slowly now as he is an old man).

Linz

[Rosemary]

Kate, how's Leroy's diet going?

[pigsatlesrues]

Total nightmare I am afraid! I bought the special food, weigh it out religiously - hide food - watch him like a hawk. He still steals when the opportunity is in front of him. Now knows how to dimolish the dustbins, he has gone behind me when I am emptying the car of the shopping and theived newly bought groceries. Christmas has been a mare as well with visitors for the whole holiday and open house more or less for the best part of a week. He opened the larder and ate three boxes of mince pies that my friend brought with her. I made sure everyone kept their leftovers and didn't feed any of the dogs and actually they were very good about it. The dogs behaved themselves, but I am ashamed to say that the weight is still there. The others are losing weight, not that they need to, but he is still a whale!  I am going back to the vet, will still keep persevering, and somehow I have to do better with him.

Kate

[Rosemary]

Poor Leroy and poor you. It must be a nightmare, right enough. Do you think he might have a medical problem like thyroid or something? Did you try a muzzle? I bought a grazing muzzle for my Highland pony, who also tends to being porky - lasted about a day before he'd removed it and lost it in the field!

At least the others will be lovely and trim!

Rosemary

[pigsatlesrues]

Yes did try the muzzle - nylon velcro one so not to be harsh - used once when we went out - shredded when we returned. Actually not by Leroy but by Deefor. All of our 5 dogs play because they are all young -ages from 16 months (Deefor, Lab cross) to Harvey the Petite Basset coming into 4 years old in April. You have to be here to see it for yourself - the chairs and settee move accross the room as they rough and tumble and they do love to hang on by their collars, hence they never keep an identiy disc on for more than a day before it is gone forever! I buy four collars a year because they get worn out so quickly. The muzzell had to be a real treat for all of them - something new to attach themselves to and once removed no doubt passed around until Deefor got it all to himself! They are all so lovely but so boystrous - even Daisy our little Jack joins in even though she is so small in comparison to the boys.

So tried and rejected this time I am afraid. There is always the option of welding his jaw together I suppose! No seriously, yes I am going to refer to the vet again and if appropropriate get some bloods taken.

Thanks for asking anyway.

Kate