Is she just fat or could it be her thyroid?

[Amy6978]

So, I have been trying to get weight off of my Darlabear for about a year now. We had switched her to raw in January of '08 and put them back on kibble in Dec.08 due to financial reasons. During that entire time we had been trying to get Darla to lose at LEAST 5 pounds. Zuko lost 5 pounds in the blink of an eye, but Darla... we had her on 1.5 lbs. of raw food a day!!!! She was 95lb. I split that into 2 meals. still no weight loss. Now she is on kibble. Orijen grain free 6 fish.. about 3 cups a day. Split into 2 meals... we increased our exercise. I just went to the vet... SHE GAINED 6 pounds... She is now 101!!!!!

I have been walking her now about 1-2 miles almost 5 days a week. This past Saturday was so nice outside my husband and I decided to take an extra long walk. We did 4 miles... well Darla didn't .. around 3 her tail was down and she found a snow pile that hadn't melted and plopped on it and quit! Zuko and I finished the 4 miles and when we got home darla was panting for about 30minutes.

She got snow during the whole walk so it wasn't like we didn't hydrate them. It was about 55 degrees, so it wasn't too warm out.... She just got pooped...
Shouldn't a 2 year old dog be able to take a 4 mile walk???
We weren't walking fast. Only one big hill that we took only 4 times...it was in the middle of the walk, but mostly flat ground.

I mean, she is petite.. she is definitely overwieght but when you look at her you would never say "damn that dog is fat"... She is just a little overweight because you have to feel for her ribs... But I feel like we worked so hard to lose weight and Zuko dropped it like a typical MALE (human or not) And Darla just wont drop the weight.

So I ask...(I am getting a thyroid test done anyway) Do you think she is just fat? Or do you think something could be wrong with her thyroid?

I just like to know what other people think. These are my first two dogs neither of which I got as a puppy. So I have lots to learn.

 

[Charlie'sMom]

Charlie is closer to 150 lbs and getting about 3 cups of Orijen 6 fish a day, maybe you need to cut her back a bit more ...

 

[wrknnwf]

It's always smart to rule out medical problems first. You may be feeding her too much at her petite size, but wait until you get the test back. If she needs thyroid meds, you may or may not have to adjust her rations.

My dogs both weigh around 100-120 lbs and they only get 1 cup per meal. Of course, there's lots of treats in between, so you have to count those too! Make sure no one is slipping extra stuff in that you're not aware of.

 

[Lori]

Sydney is hypothryoid and we are having a heck of a time getting weight off of her. I've tried all kinds of different foods etc. The only thing that is working now is that crummy prescription food, which I fought not to put her on. But I realized now, after trying everything that it is just better to do it for 2 - 3 months and get the weight off. It's doing more damage to her joints, than the food will do for the short time she'll be on it. I make sure she gets her vitamins and supplements too.

 

[Amy6978]

Thanks everyone.. She is now getting one cup at each meal and NO TREATS...if she gets treats they are either kibble from her meal OR teeny tiny pieces of all natural chicken treats. I am thinking of cutting one of her meals even more since I am doing more training with her. But I have been trying to have her lose weight before she was back on kibble. So this has happened before she was getting 3 cups of Orijen. She wasn't losing.. But now she is gaining. SO, we will keep the exercise going and then get the test.

Thanks for all the input! I appreciate it!

 

[ozzysma]

yes amy i would say 3 cups is to much for weight loss or for her size. my ozzy at 145 eats only 3 cups of the orijen 6 fish.

 

[charlieinnj]

When I first switched Oliver over to Orijen, we did have a weight gain the first two months. Then, without changing anything, his weight dropped back down. I'd definitely recommend keeping her at 1 cup, twice a day and supplement with some veggies for bulk.

 

[Amy6978]

Yeah, we have cut them both down to 1 cup with frozen green beans. Darla used to not TOUCH veggies, but she is now beginning to like them. She gobbles it down!

We have been taking lots of long walks as well. I just get worried because she tires so quickly... She couldn't finish a fairly moderate 4 mile walk. It took us a little over an hour. Zuko did fine, she had her tail down and found a snow pile and just plopped in it. I mean, shouldn't a 2 year old dog be able to do that????

 

[Charlie'sMom]

If she doesn't do it on a regular basis, there is no reason to expect that she could just up and do a 4 mile walk ... it the same as people, you don't just up and run a 10K if you normally walk around the block, you have to train up for it.

 

[ladybugnessa]

sounds a lot like my bagel. he didn't want to walk. or do much and no matter how little i fed him he was fat.

he had a thyroid condition. took pills and it really helped but he still was overweight.

we gave green beans and canned pumpkin to the dogs.

 

[Amy6978]

we actually started with one mile, then two then bumped it up to 4. We don't do 4 on a regular basis, but we didn't just up and do 4. I guess, my other dog can do it no problem- he is a bit overweight but not as bad as Darlabear. I am not having her do that much anymore. I split it up. But today while I was walking her Zuko escaped from the yard to find us and may have broken the chain link fence gate!:banghead:

 

[BoundlessNewfs]

Hmmmmm....have you ruled out physical problems, like hip dysplasia, spondylosis, arthritis, etc? She may be dragging, because she's in pain. The extra weight can make joint issues even worse. Just because she doesn't limp, doesn't mean she doesn't hurt. I'd have the vet check her over thoroughly. If that's ruled out, get some bloodwork done to see if everything else looks normal.

It could also be that she needs to do shorter walks until she builds up some stamina, too. In any case, I'd be visiting the vet, first.

 

[BluwaterNewfs]

At this point without having her thyroid tested, you can't know if if that is what the problem. If she is hyperthyroid, it is very easy to control with thyroid medication. Diet & exercise still has to be managed.

 

[Ginny]

Has her heart been tested by a cardiologist?

 

[Pipelineozzy]

Exercise intolerance can be a sign of hypothyroidism (hyperthyroidism is the opposite..and they get thin). It's a pretty simple test, so well worth doing. I had a hypothyroid Newf years ago...I also noticed that her coat was not "normal"...very sparse and she had a tendency to flaky, dry skin. Once on meds, she improved a great deal.

 

[lilly06]

HI-
Noche was the same way. A bit over weight. We have slimmed her down about 10 lbs and still have a few to go. We cut her food back to 1 cup 2x per day. We put green beans in to help fill her up because she is a food hound. It has been a long slow process. Noche would also get pooped after a mile walk. We had her thyroid checked and our vet was very impressed with her levels. She said probably the best she has seen on a Newf. Noche is a rescue/rehome and kenneled a lot before we got her. Our vet said that it could be lack of exercise and conditioning is the reason that she gets so pooped. We have noticed lately that she can go for longer walks and really has a spring in her step.
You may want to get some blood work done.