Finally - This is what I have been saying - there is NO excuse - reasons yes - excuses NO!
I will always respect someone who works to keep their dog healthy -however, I do not respect people who use it as an excuse - great that you have never done this and you work to keep your dog at a sensible weight, that I respect - but, there are people who use it as an excuse as they read in places that the dogs WILL put on weight, they see it as inevitable and therefore do not bother to adjust or change the dogs food. This is what bugs me - people who use Neutering as an excuse for an overweight dog

Yes - it is very sad when you see an overweight dog and when you start to suggest to people that the dogs health might be at risk all you get back is - Oh well, s/he's neutered you know.
People will not see past that as they have been told - or read - that putting on weight is an inevitable consequence of neutering - when it does not have to be.

I don't have personal experience, it's true, but my parents' staffies ALWAYS gained weight once neutered, but being the sensible people that they are, the food was reduced and the dogs slimmed down. I can only think of the 1 neutered male that I know who has remained trim. I have racked my brains to think of all the males I have known over the years, pre and post neuter, and I can honestly only think of 1 who, thanks to his owners' vigilance, has remained slim.

This is just my experience of friends and family dogs, I have never had a neutered male myself as you rightly point out.

What is known in the horse world as a good doer !!

Tai gets fed once a day, but after his morning walk he has 1 chicken wing and the little man (daughter's Chihuahua) has a bit of turkey neck or half a chicken wing. Then at night they both have their evening meal with bones. OH has stopped getting tripe from Landywoods because he says he cannot stand the smell, silly man. It is so good for them.

Now we are mountain biking again, Tai is getting super fit and super slim once again. I must post up some piccies of him, but I am very pleased with his condition at the moment.

Good point Tassle. I totally agree that there is no EXCUSE to allow a neutered dog or bitch to get fat, but the fact remains that most WILL get fat if input is not decreased and/or output is not increased. This is a physiological fact, but interestingly there are clearly some dogs who are lucky enough not to be affected by neutering, and can continue on the same diet and the same amount of exercise without worry. I don't know of any such dogs, and I know a large amount. Castration of males and spaying of bitches causes a reduction in the metabolic rate, this is a medical fact. However, I totally agree that this should NOT be used as an excuse for allowing your pet to become fat.

Sorry to go completely off topic everyone;

but Labman how come you get to feed your dog more if he is "a little ribby" but you lecture me on the dangers of obesity when I do the same??????

Your hypocrisy never ceases to amaze me.

OK back on topic everyone....

J.

Just poking my head above the parapet. This is a very interesting thread, with many opinions, but has anyone thought to take into account that metabolic rate decreases with age. This is true for humans as well as dogs, and applies whether they (dogs) are neutered/spayed or not. As dogs age, they very often slow down energy-wise as well; body shape also changes with age, They don't actually need as much food as they did when younger, so when you look at a neutered dog who is overweight it is not necessarily because he/she has been neutered. Other factors are very often involved. As someone has already said, some dogs/people seem to exist on next to nothing and can get fat, others can eat almost anything and not become overweight (I know which I would rather be ) It is not necessarily because they have been neutered. Modern dog foods probably also have something to do with weight gain in dogs, as the dried foods are often nutrient dense and a little goes a long way - unfortunately it is often gobbled in seconds and leaves the dog looking for more. At the end of the day, we can control what our dogs eat and it is sensible to take appropriate action if they become too fat or too thin.
Just to finish, it is impossible to know what puppies that are spayed/neutered whilst very young age would have grown into had they been unaltered and allowed to develop into adults. Yes, a female can become pregnant at her first season, a young male can also sire puppies, but in my opinion this is not a valid reason to have them spayed/neutered as babies. My gut feelings, if nothing else, tell me it is wrong and not good for their health.

And maybe thats why you struggle with your weight, it may be better to take in 3 smaller meals a day , you know to get the old metabolism kicking into gear.

The first thing you are are told when you go to weight loss clubs is to eat regularly, as when you starve yourself your metabolism shuts down to accommodate the small intake of food.

Thought that was common knowledge, sorry , gone off topic, but as someone in the same situation... I knwo what its like.



I agree, Millie is spayed, its a nightmare keeping her weight down, yes I reduce the intake, but she is a greedy so and so, and its a constant battle,

Well spotted, its another of those Labmans rules that make no sense!! other than to him that is.

Back on topic !!

I said that ASD's are mongrels - Labradoodles are crossbreeds actually and that is what I have always said. As for the aformentioned other forum, the owners of that forum believe in "innocent until proven guilty" - and never said that RM was not guilt, just gave her the benefit of the doubt... people like yourself would hang than ask questions. Now back to the actual topic of this thread (befoe crestnuthijacked it for her own nasty ends like she did on other pet forums) please remember that there are many breeders of different breeds including KC who are performing ESN and in the case of the KC even endorse interbreeding too!