Doggie Diet Pills

My sweet boyfriend forwarded an interesting article to me about the government approving diet pills for overweight dogs and I started writing about this when I found a great post on Doggie musing and animalosities about the same thing that Carina found at BBC News. Good post, Carina, thanks for letting me use it.

And from Give Us A Home:

"An overweight dog is nearly always the fault of the owner, except in certain circumstances, when the dog has a medical condition. One such condition is called hypothyroidism, which is caused by an under active thyroid and is usually more common in an older dog. Some of the symptom to look for are:
- Poor coat and skin conditions
- Increase in appetite
- Thirst
- Muscle pain
- Stiff joints and limbs
- Becoming slightly lame
If you notice any of these symptoms take him to the vet as this problem can be easily treated

· Arthritis, heart problems and respiratory problems are a major concern in overweight dogs, they sleep more and are less resistant to infection and their life expectancy will be shorter

· To check that your dog is not overweight:
- Check that his ribs are not visually noticeable but are easily felt
- Feel the dog's hips, more than a light fleshiness indicates that your dog is overweight
- Check that your dog has a trim abdomen"

We have a two year old Papillon. A few months ago she was eating so little that she was losing weight. Being so small, a few ounces made a difference. There had been no changes in her diet, just the amount she would eat. My sweet boyfriend crunched the dry food and mixed with a little wet food and the dog immediately ate it, so that is the way we feed her twice a day. We have reached the place now to cut back a little on the amount and keep her at the desired weight.