Ellie always managed to be overweight without even trying. The first time my dogs were left in kennels for any length of time (12 days) Ellie was over fred. The others weren't, just Ellie. She put on 16lbs in weight over the 12 days. I wasn't happy, to say the least.

Teh next time she was there I took the food with me but again she had too much and so they ran out of my food but still fed her the same amount of their food for the remainder fo the time.

The third time they were there, I supplied the food and a list of instructions with the food in portions. Ellie actually lost weight on that occasion because she was gettign more exercise than usual at home!

I also getp'd off with people who put too much emphasis on whta text books say. Zane, for example (my oldest and biggest dog) is way oversized for a GSD. He's huge at 104cm ats adn weighing in at 59Kg. He certainly isn't overweight for his size but if I speak with the vet or someone onthe phone and his weight is mentioned, peopel are convinced he's morbidly obese and will drop dead at any moment.
Of course once they see him they realise their mistake but I shouldn't ahve to justify it.

Now with Jenzi she will eat anythign and everything and easily puts on weight but because of her HD I've had to keep her on the skinny side of slim.

When Tashi came to us I got funny looks from people and was shouted at by a couple of old people for starving my dog. I gave up trying to tell people she came form the pound up north where they stop feeding them a few days before they're due to be PTS.

If you know your dog isn't overweight, or if they are and you know you're trying to do somethign abotu it, I woudln't bother listening to other people trying to tell you what to do. You know what's right for your dog. If people want to offer advice, then fine but as already stated, there are nice ways of saying something. It serves no purpose to be unpleasant or abrupt with people. That just gets their backs up. I just wish more people would realise that.

Murphy is slightly podgy

However, he is extremely fit, if a bit porky. We've put him on a diet, and at the moment, it's having no effect. However, this time of year, the boys end up with less exercise, cos they don't want to go out if it's cold, windy or rainy; or any combination of those

My Labrador is a bit overweight at the moment. It is VERY difficult to get weight off a middle aged (he is 8 in March) dog that is naturally lazy and is obsessed with eating everything. Some walks he'll scoff poo, fruit from trees, soil, bits of rubbish people have chucked, etc., and no doubt will have consumed more calories than he burnt off. The less you feed him of his dog food the more he scavenges, so its a vicious cycle.

I think it is difficult to put blanket rules on dogs that are over or underweight because every case is different. In a lot of cases it is a question of simply reducing the food intake and/or upping the exercise, but in others (like with a dog like mine ) it can be far more difficult to manage long term.

Yes I do think a vet is qualified to inform you if your dog is overweight, but then I think its not hard once you know what to look for , to be able to see it yourself.

A little to much covering is not something I worry over, Millie is slightly overweight, but not enough for it to hinder her health, I just cut her food down a little here and there, as and when.

My vet has never commented on it ,and if he did I woudl just smile and say " I know"

But it amazes me how some cant see that their dogs are grossly overweight, and its the owners who are doing it not the dogs.

Its so much easier to keep our dogs weight down than it is our own, because we put the food in their mouths, they dont do it themselves.

Obese dogs will have a shorter life expectancy along with a higher risk of joint problems.

You only have to walk around the streets to see the number of overweight dogs shuffling around.

Have found that with my dog too, she does need to loose a bit of weight. Recently have been giving her a bit of her dry food before we go for morning walk, which seems to be helping stop the scavanging.

When the vet said Mollie was over weight I took a long hard look at her and yes the weight had crept on, we put her on a diet and she lost some but not all but the difference in her is enormous. Her back is better and her hip doesn't give her half as much trouble she must have lost about 5 years of age too as she is acting almost puppyish again It has been so good for her I was happy to have it pointed out to me.

Duncan is also overweight but I find dieting him much harder as he is on steroids all the time (prior to that he wasn't much bothered with food) he is obcessed with food all the time if we don't feed him enough he eats anything he can find including his own poo So we feel like we are being cruel not giving in to him especially as the steroids could be shortening his life anyway

i dont...in my job i see animals that have their lives cut short all because of weight it breaks my heart.... most cruciate injurys are with overweight dogs too

most vets havnt a clue about correct weight and will say a dog is fine when it is obese.

i think my oldies dont look their age or act it because they have always been slim.

most pet dogs are overweight and it really upsets me

i have a canine dustbin in this house...never had a dog that thinks of his tummy so much,even he is not overweight tho!

its always excuses.. you control what goes in,you are responsible...not oh hes big boned,hes always hungry etc.... balderdash

Try saying that to a dog on steroids

very rarely does that happen.
.. my old lurcher was on 25mg a day..... wasnt his liver that got him

.. try giving 3 or 4 smaller meals but try not to let him put the weight on...its cruel to be kind.....i really dont get people that make excuses soz

.... i have 25mg per day!!!! my Tupac acts worse than a dog on steroids (btw i do know been a vn for nearly 19years)