Fat dog problem??!!!

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6103claire

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I am looking after a labrador for someone for a couple of weeks. He is 4 years old. I have looked after him before and when he first came (about a year ago) he was slightly overweight but not too bad and could go on long walks no problem. He didnt come for about 6 months and then came for a couple of days. I was shocked when he came, had put on loads of weight. When he walked he dragged his front feet along as is quite stiff - vet nurse friend says he prob has some arthritis cos of weight - andexcess weight making it worse. It makes his nails bleed and he has sores on the tops ofhis feet. Because of this i only took him on grass but this was difficult as he struggles to get in my land rover and as we live on an estate have to walk on roads to get to grass. In car can walk straight on grass and he is much better. When his owner picked him up i told him the problem and advised him to go to the vets and they would advise him on what to do. i also showed him how much to feed him as he was giving him too much. He said he would.

A month later he was back again for the weekend. Hadnt been to vet as ' hadnt had time '. We had same problems again with sore feet and struggling with car etc. When he came to pick dog up told him again that i really couldnt look after him unless he lost weight because of the car problem etc. Really stressed to him the importance of sorting weight out and visiting the vet etc.

He came again yesterday for 2 weeks. Just the same size. I was really mad. The poor dog wants to go for a walk but then his feet bleed. I struggle getting him in and out of land rover.

What can i say to him when he picks him up?? OH says to suggest to him that we keep him for a few months and sort him out. The dog is really nice and i wouldnt mind taking him on at all.

The problem is that the man took over the dog from his daughter (who didnt have time for him!) but doesnt really know about dogs. I dont think he can see the problem!

I am going to wrap his feet up somehow so he can walk. The poor dog cant even cock his leg up!

Sorry very long but i am very mad as i feel so sorry for the dog!!
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I know thats what i thought. He has had plenty of chance to try and sort it out. Its cruelty the poor dogs starts getting bleeding feet after about 5 mins! I forgot to say he said 'he isnt bothered about much walking' - i'm not surprised with sore feet and being so heavy but its no good for the dog!
 
i would offer to take him on and also tell him that he would get prosecuted if reported to rspca. or report him for the sake of the dog an overweight dog is just as cruel as starving a dog.
 
Labradors are generally prone to weight gain (our old labrador was a bit chubby - but we always joked and said she was morbidly obese etc lol)

As everyone else had said, its cruelty. Your OH is probably right, offer to help him sort out the lab, maybe organise a diet/excercise reigime with him and the vet?
 
I detest seeing a fat dog as it stores up so much pain and discomfort for their later years and owners are as cruel to keep them fat as they are to starve them. It is now a prosecutable offence to allow your dog to become morbidly obese so I would point this out to the owner and suggest that if he cares about the dog he should sort it out, and if he doesn't then he should find someone who does to take the poor thing on...like you!
 
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