# Obese Basset Hound



## ACampbell (Oct 7, 2007)

It's me again! I'm full of questions, so please bear with me. My male basset hound (3 yr old) is getting morbidly obese! You know how they get when they get fat, tummy starts to drag the ground (he's actually worn off hair because of this) but the problem is that I don't think he's being fed all that much. He gets 2 cups of kibble (in 2 meals) during the day, which really isn't that much. He now weights 65-70 lbs (my scale isn't really accurate but it's within 5 lbs), which is in their general weight limit, but it's obvious that he's fat and not muscular. I was free feeding my dogs to begin with, but he's a piggy and will sit at the bowl until it's all gone, so about 3 months ago I made the switch to 2 meals a day so I could monitor how much my piggy is eating. I'm afraid that his weight will affect those stubby little legs and his back, since they are prone to problems with their legs and back. What can I do to put him on a diet that will help, I can't really restrict the amount he's eating anymore, as I feel that he'll be constantly hungry (and is already "mad" at me because he doesn't get wet food like the other two) and I feel bad that he doesn't get the "good" stuff [meaning canned food] but he's just too fat. I considered mixing some rice in with his food, as it's a filler with little to no nutritional value...
As for exercise...I try to walk him, but he makes it less than a mile from the house and is panting and breathing so heavily that I end up having to turn around. He drags along on the way home and just flops when we get back...I don't want to give him a heart attack. I also tried taking him to a dog park to get some exercise...that was a flop, he found a nice big shady tree and went to sleep. So much for that!

Any suggestions as for a diet we could do for him?


----------



## meeegun (May 8, 2007)

i wouldn't mix in rice, as it does have nutritional value--in the form of calories! you can try mixing in veggies to his food. they have fiber which will help fill him up but are generally low calorie foods. you should keep walking him too. over time, you will be able to extend his walk as he becomes thinner and more tolerant of exercise. you might also want to talk to your vet. if you have cut his calories drastically and are walking him, you should see a reduction in weight. if you aren't, he may have a health problem.


----------



## ACampbell (Oct 7, 2007)

Ahh yes, this has been addressed to the vet...who also suggested adding rice to fill him up so he doesnt' feel hungry but it's just a filler. Whole grain rice ground up has nutrients...minute rice really doesn't. If you read the nutrition facts, no trans fat, saturated fat, and calories from fat are very low. Considering the amount a dog his size gets, it's about 50 calories total. That being their suggestion, I'm going to stick to it.

Maybe a diet dog food would be more appropriate for His Royal Fatness? I already feel bad he can't have the same stuff as the rest and has to be fed seperately, otherwise he'll beat Smokey out of his and gobble it all down...I have never seen a dog eat so much, he used to gobble his down, then everybody elses in a matter of 2-3 minutes. 

Perhaps someone could suggest a good diet dog food for him?


----------



## animalcraker (Nov 9, 2006)

What are you feeding him? You mentioned mixing his food with rice, but what food is it that you are mixing with the rice. 

As far a exercise goes of course he going to get tired quickly and not want to go for mile long walks, especially if he's never been exercised before. Doing all your exercising in one power workout is really hard on an unfit system, try seperating his exercises to a few 5 minute walks and play sessions. You may also want to speak with your vet and find out about hydro therapy and if it an option in your area and price range.


----------



## ACampbell (Oct 7, 2007)

Right now i'm feeding Purina Dog Chow...I'm doing research for a better food that I can afford currently but it's going to be about 2 weeks before I settle and decide on a good kibble that I can get in my area. I know, not the greatest dog food in the world...


----------



## Anela (Sep 8, 2007)

Let me be blunt and make a few points without meaning to sound cruel. 

*You have almost fed your dog to death. 

*Free feeding dogs should never ever be allowed unless vet says it is necessary. Every twelve hours is enough.

*You are feeding the worst possible dog food. It's the junk food of the industry.

I am assuming your vet is involved with this issue, if not, vet needs to be. If vet has expressed concern and you have not heard what is coming out of his/her mouth, shame on you. If vet has not expressed concern, find another vet. 

Fatty needs to be on a strict low calorie diet and exercise program, again, with vet's consultation. 

I have a 70 pound dog, not basset, and she get's 1.5 cups of food twice a day and that is enough. If stubby complains, that's tough. You need to do some tough love to get this under control.

Anela


----------



## the-tenth (Jun 29, 2007)

Anela said:


> I have a 70 pound dog, not basset, and she get's 1.5 cups of food twice a day and that is enough. If stubby complains, that's tough. You need to do some tough love to get this under control.
> 
> Anela


I have a 78 pound Golden that also gets 3 cups, half in the morning and half at night. I tried the low cal stuff and didn't see much difference. We decided to cut out a cup (she was getting 2 cups for breakfast and dinner). That and excercise has got her looking pretty good. She's by far not going to dry up and blow away any time soon. We switched to Chicken soup. It's $30 for a 30 pound bag here (you can get smaller bags, but we have an 78 and a 50 pound dog eating the same thing) so it's not outragiously more expensice than what you're currently feeding. They also have a weight management formula.


----------



## lovemygreys (Jan 20, 2007)

Cut back on his food and keep up the exercise as he'll tolerate it. Our dogs get 1 1/4 cups of food twice a day (greyhounds from 50-70 lbs). A couple of our bitches were getting t-u-b-b-y so they were cut back 1/4 c at one meal and it made a huge difference. Remember that the better quality kibble, the less you have to feed so sometimes cheap vs expensive balances out (pay more, feed less). If $ is a concern, look at Diamond Naturals (there are several varieties of Diamond food...look for the bags that say Naturals down the side). You can find Diamond at most feed stores. If you have a Costco membership, the Kirkland brand food is great food for the $. 

Cut back on the food and he'll be fine. I wouldn't worry about fillers...he'll adjust. I'd start by cutting back a 1/4 cup for a week or two and then cut back a 1/2 cup total for a few weeks and see if that makes a difference. If you soak kibble in water it will expand as it absorbs the water, giving it a bit more bulk in their stomach.

If his thyroid function hasn't been checked, you may want to do that. Bassett Hounds are not a breed that can afford to carry extra weight!


----------



## briteday (Feb 10, 2007)

IMO, there is no need to buy a diet food. When my dogs have put on a couple of extra pounds I just reduce the amount of the regular food that I'm feeding. I agree that if there is a lack of premium kibble within your price range, Kirkland Signature is a good food for the money. 

But first you need to see the vet if they haven't already run blood tests. The dog needs at least a thryroid function test and blood chemistries to rule out anything physical. 

Then if all is normal, you can safely reduce the amount of food you are feeding by 1/3 at each meal, of the food yoiu are feeding now. Get over the guilt when the dog looks at you for more, get over the guilt now. Remember that an obese dog is at major risk for heart problems and diabetes just to name a few. If you must give your dog a few treats try raw carrots or green beans to fill him up. 

Rice doesn't have any fat because it is a carbohydrate, sugar. Sugar still has calories. And although dogs do not assimilate the nutrients from grains as well as they do from proteins (meats) they still metabolize the extra calories. So all you are doing is adding more calories to an already fat dog's diet. 

Also, when you move to a higher quality kibble, your baseline amount to feed is less as well. So if you buy better kibble you could probably reduce the dog's meal amount by 1/2. At first the dog will notice the reduction in the volume of food in his bowl, but don't give in. No treats, no table food, ... only what's in his bowl. And use a measuring cup, no estimating.


----------



## ozzy (Sep 29, 2007)

Growing up we had a sheltie that started to get obese and the vet reccomended puting him on a diet, etc. When that did nothing we found another vet who discovered a thyroid problem. After being put on medication the dog dropped weight and lived a happy long life. You might want to ask the vet about possible health problems or have bloodwork done just to rule anything else out. It does sound like a case of over eating and not enough excercise though.

Oh I just looked up and saw lovemygrey's post mentioning the thyroid. I would def check that out.


----------



## MegaMuttMom (Sep 15, 2007)

Canned, unspiced, pumpkin is a nice filler that might ease your guilt on feeding the others canned food. My cat was sooooo hungry when she had to loose weight and the pupkin helped fill the void. It's tasty and it's wet. I've also read that a lot of people pumpkin to help with intestinal upsets. So, it is not just a filler but a nutritious, healthful one. Rice seems to make no sense to me. Some vets know more than others about nutrition. My vet suggested the pumpkin.


----------



## Anela (Sep 8, 2007)

I agree that there COULD be a thyroid issue, but the diet stubby has been on certainly has not helped.   When I say strict diet with vet's consultation, this means NOTHING but dry low calorie dog food, or the poor dog is going to collapse from obesity.

Anela


----------



## ACampbell (Oct 7, 2007)

Anela, you may not "mean" to be rude, but you are. First off, I got this dog 5 months ago, he was obese then, and still is (even though breed standard depicts a male can be up to 65 lbs and he is 60 lbs...it's still not healthy) and he has been to the vet several times for blood work etc...so I don't think I'm completely to blame considering he was fat when I got him (the first picture attached is the day I got him) and the bitch I got was thin - both from the same owner. 
Have you ever heard the saying, if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all? All you did was criticize, not offer helpful information...that is being rude. If you have no information to offer, and nothing nice to say...what is the point of saying anything? At least I'm trying to do right by my dog and feed the recommended amount and do as the vet says...I don't think that's a crime. I was just looking for suggestions that might help him along the way or anything at this point...
Also you obviously didn't read my post, just started flaming...I am looking for a better kibble, where I live is small so there's not a lot of options, most places sell Science Diet, Eukanuba, etc...which from what I've read is no better than Purina anyway, just a higher price tag. 
That's about all I have to say, I don't have time for people who half read things and get upset. Just so you know, I took the time to read your entire post.


----------



## ACampbell (Oct 7, 2007)

MegaMuttMom said:


> Canned, unspiced, pumpkin is a nice filler that might ease your guilt on feeding the others canned food. My cat was sooooo hungry when she had to loose weight and the pupkin helped fill the void. It's tasty and it's wet. I've also read that a lot of people pumpkin to help with intestinal upsets. So, it is not just a filler but a nutritious, healthful one. Rice seems to make no sense to me. Some vets know more than others about nutrition. My vet suggested the pumpkin.



I never thought of that, thank you! I'll give it a shot, he'll eat anything so I imagine it won't be hard to get him to. Thanks for a helpful suggestion


----------



## MegaMuttMom (Sep 15, 2007)

It's my pleasure and I hope you will be able to enjoy long walks soon.


----------



## ACampbell (Oct 7, 2007)

I'm trying, the female basset does good (but she's not grossly overweight either) but I don't walk her too far because of her advanced age, I don't want to over do her. Tubby just resents the walk after a little bit, he'll almost mow me over when he see's his leash, but once we get a couple of blocks from the house he wants to turn around and go home. He is lazy to the T...unless he sees a rabbit! The older basset is playful though, jumps on him and roughhouses trying to get him to play...as he rolls over and goes to sleep...
I hope he shows some improvement soon, my vet keeps giving me a hard time saying that I'm feeding him extra or treats...which I haven't been but he doesn't want to listen to me on that one...he thinks that he should have lost some weight by now. I think Sparky needs to go on weight watchers or to like Jenny Craig hehe.
But your suggestion might keep him from sitting there looking at me and whining because he's not getting the canned food. They are such a pain to feed now, he gets mad because I make him stay outside while the other two come in and are given time to finish theirs while he is given his outside. This has been the last 3 months, he is not thrilled with me. Oh well, hope he loses some weight and I'll definetely try the canned unspiced pumpkin.


----------



## Anela (Sep 8, 2007)

Sorry for the misunderstanding.

 IF you had stated all of the facts noted in your last post, there would have been none. 

OBVIOUSLY, I am not the only one who felt this way. 

Anela


----------



## ACampbell (Oct 7, 2007)

It's all good, no disrespect meant...but I have found that several people are "notorious" as it were to read half a post, fly off the handle...etc. I did mention that was my vets suggestion, he's a military vet, which kind of means that they don't care so much as their office is completely packed everytime I"ve been in there. However, he does treat my dogs good, he's just overbooked. The other vet clinic that is local is kind of rude, I had a dog neutered there because the local shelter sent the dog there before i picked him up...I would not deal with them again. 
If this doesn't resolve before I move, I will have the opportunity to find a new vet in NY anyway, so it won't be much longer...I'm just going to keep cutting his food back until I see improvement. He is definetely not happy with me, when he sees his kibble has no goodies in it, he gives me a rather disgusted look and will ignore his food...I just stick it in the back of his kennel at night if he hasn't touched it and usually it's gone by morning. Amazing how that particularly sad basset hound face can make you feel so guilty and heartless! Lol


----------



## 007Dogs (Aug 22, 2007)

Ok, I am not trying to be rude here either, but the first thing I tell people when they say there dog is over weight is, "STOP FEEDING THE DOG". Ok now that said, dogs do not metabolize like humans. The dogs in the wild will not usually eat everyday. Dog foods were developed with fillers in a way to keep fido close to home looking for his next free meal. I would fast the dog for about 3 days, then start him on a very reduced amount of high quality kibble(measure or count every piece you feed) or a raw diet consisting of one chicken wing in the a.m. and one chicken wing in the p.m. And he would get the occasional carrot, broccoli, or green bean for a treat. Do not worry that you are under feeding the dog. There is no such thing with a grossly obese dog. Exercise is also important. If he can only walk a little ways, then do this short walk 3 times a day. As his weight decreases, try to increase his distance and pace. 
I would also call the vet and see if that bloodwork you had done did include thyroid function. If not, you might want to take him back in. Some dogs, like humans can just look at food and gain weight.


----------



## DobManiac (Aug 12, 2007)

007Dogs said:


> I would fast the dog for about 3 days, then start him on a very reduced amount of high quality kibble(measure or count every piece you feed) or a raw diet consisting of one chicken wing in the a.m. and one chicken wing in the p.m. And he would get the occasional carrot, broccoli, or green bean for a treat. Do not worry that you are under feeding the dog. There is no such thing with a grossly obese dog.


There is such a thing as underfeeding an obese dog. If a person weighs four hundred pounds, they need more than a chicken wing twice a day in order to drop the wieght well. Your goal is for the dog to replace the fat with muscle weight. This is why the excersice is so important. Keep in mind that if the weight is starved off the dog he will lose fat without gaining muscle. That is why so many people gain there weight back right after a diet. By lossing the fat and not gaining muscle, they have in fact lowered their metabolism instead of increased it. Muscle burns more calories through the day than fat.

*I would keep walking the dog.* Thy shorter walks, but the excersice is actually more important than the actual food intake. I would also switch to food with less fillers and reduce the amount you food. The pumpkin is agreat idea. Some people will add green beans. But green beans have alot of fiber and will give many dogs diarhia. Pumpkin doesn't have this problem.


----------



## Tankstar (Dec 30, 2006)

I would cut back on the food. And try walking him more, go as far as he can 2 or 3 times a day. So in the long run it is more excersise. Does he like to play a ball? Have a game out int he back yard, or in a field near by, maybe even have it up hill. Patience is key. i was hoorified when I found out my dog was 71lbs (he has so much hair it hides it very well) he is down those extra 10 pounds now. I wouldnt go with what bree standard says either. Breed standard says he should be 14-15 inchs and 14-17lbs. Well he is 21inch at the sholder and 61lbs. breed standard is just a rough estimate for a breed. They are normally in that weight/height range but not all will be. So I wouldnt follow that at all


----------



## ACampbell (Oct 7, 2007)

Yeah I"m trying to walk him more frequently, unfortunately there's only so far I can go, I have had knee surgery and I'm a permanent gimp (thanks to my barrel racing horse that fell on me). I'm trying though, in the summer I try to take him swimming, since he likes the water, but even in AZ it's too cold for playing in the "lake" we have. Chasing ducks is a favorite!
I'm trying to get him to play more, he watches me throw a ball, the old female basset will chase it, and the other two look at me like "you have got to be kidding, I don't want that"...or the pit/mix will go and retrieve the ball and shred it in seconds...lol. I guess it's because before i got him his primary worry was to make it from the couch to the door if he needed outside, he lived a pretty sedentiary life...
I've cut fatty back on his food to 2 cups a day total, he is not happy at all and always acts like I haven't fed him at all, and chases me around the house begging for treats. He can't be that hungry though, I give him a bowl with a cup of food in it and he looks at me like "F--- you where's the good stuff!"...so I guess he's not starving.


----------



## pat1950 (Sep 4, 2007)

Sparky looks so sweet. My basset has the opposite problem, I am having trouble getting him to gain weight. i feed my dogs premium edge and the basset gets two cups per day. I do give him pumpkin with it and he loves it. If I feed him anymore he gets mushy stools. my min pin who was very chunky has lost weight on this food(senior- its higher protein).my basset will eat his food, the others food, grab what he can off the counters and even eat paper and envelopes. he is also a stool eater. good luck.


----------



## ACampbell (Oct 7, 2007)

Well update on Sparky, decided not to cut back his food but give him more exercise (as my knee will allow) and he's toned up a lot, but still weighs the same...he's within weight standard so my vet says not to worry too much about him feeling like "jelly"...but I want him to be a bit more toned and "cut" looking.


----------



## xbluex (Nov 4, 2007)

I have had three basset hounds in my lifetime so far, I love them!!! The first one I'm not sure how she was fed, my parents had her before I was born, and she died when I was around 6, so I didn't really pay attention to what she ate and when and how much, but I know she was overweight. My second basset was a pretty thin dog, and she started to loose weight right before I had to give her up(moved out of state and then my mom sold her). She was underweight and I was trying to get her to gain some. My last basset was definatly overweight. Like yours, mine was overweight when I got her, and no matter what I did she wouldn't loose the weight. I tried everything already stated in these posts and none of it worked, except swimming, she hated the water after a midnight fall in the pool. Finally all the exercise ended up putting too much strain on her from what the vet said, and advised to slow it down to once a day. Well, she never really ended up loosing any of the weight, but she lived to be 11 years old, and she didn't have any leg or back problems. So hopefully this gives you a little hope that even if he cant loose the weight for some reason, he will still be a happy hound. To this day though none of the vets know why she couldn't loose it. I really hope you have better luck though, and sorry this turned out to be so long! lol


----------



## Priss and Pedro's Mama (Nov 4, 2007)

Hi  My Priss was pudgy most of her life and lived for food. She usually carried an extra 5lbs, which doesn't sound like much but on a dog that should weigh right around 30lbs, 35lbs is fat. Between her trash picking ways and that weight, she developed diabetes. I know how tough it is to have a dog wanting yummies and giving you that pitiful look, but you have to get it under control. When I first started really rationing Priss's food, she was pathetic. She'd lick her empty bowl over and over, bring it to me and bang it around, etc. I wish I hadn't been such a softie  I would suggest finding a quality weight management/diet type food and feed about 2/3 of what the bag recommends for his current weight. Of course, as with any food change, you will want to transition him to the new food over the course of a week or two. I also wouldn't leave the food in his crate at night, put it down at feeding time (am and pm) for 15 or 20 minutes and he can choose to eat it or not. Does your vet have a scale in the lobby or would they let you pop in once a week or so to weigh him? Having that feedback will allow you to see if he is progressing and at what rate. You don't want him losing too fast either. 

For exercise, does he like to "track" things? Priss likes to play hide and seek with a tiny treat. I show her the treat (well let her sniff it now that she is blind) and make her sit/stay. Then I kind of drag it across the floor through a few rooms and tell her "ok find it!" She gets a bit of exercise tracking it and a tiny treat when she finds it. You can do this with a toy if he has a favorite one, saving this toy only for the game so it is super fun. You can also do this outside if you have a fenced yard. Anything to get him up and moving will help.


----------



## 007Dogs (Aug 22, 2007)

Dobmaniac, as I will state again, dogs do not metabolize like humans. You can not compare weigh loss of a dog to that of a human. They do not eat like we do nor do they metabolize like we do. 

To get the weight off the dog successfully, you need to cut the food and increase the exercise. But it does the dog no harm to fast for several days. I normally fast my dogs one day a week and have been doing this for years. I do not fast my dogs for weight issues, I do it just to give my dogs system a break. 

I understand about the knee issue. I have had 2 total reconstruction surgeries and will find out tomorrow, if I am have surgery again. I am currently on crutches. Will shall prove interesting as the dog show next weekend. Guess my parents should have had an OFA test on there knees prior to producing children.


----------



## Annamarie (Oct 14, 2007)

i would cut the food, even if the dog is hungry. as i said to someone else.. better your dog be hungry than to die early of obesity problems.


----------

