Is My Dog Too Fat? Nah…
It’s a big, bold world out there, and we are more health-conscious than ever. All around, you hear about the obesity epidemic and overweight children and gastric bypass. The image trend has spilled over into the pet world and we are now just as concerned about the health of our pets as we are our own.
With all of this in mind, when I set out to find a puppy, it was very important for me to provide him with great nutrition. Growing up, I was surrounded by Lay’s and Ho Hos, and I never really understood the concept of good health. Our family dog Blondie was a big girl. Endless treats and table scraps were common growing up. I vowed to never repeat that mistake with future pets.
Is My Dog Too Fat?
Fast-forward 10 years and enter Tito. He is my beautiful fawn-colored boy, with a chocolate nose and hazel eyes. Tito was supposed to be no more than 6 pounds, which is what the AKC breed standard notes. In fact, Tito’s mother was 4 pounds, and his father weighed 5. But how much does Tito weigh? Thirteen pounds. Nope, that’s not a typo.
So I bet you’re wondering what happened. For starters, Tito is tall, long and lean. He has defined muscle from plenty of romps in the dog park and the dog vitamin supplements I gave him. When Tito is placed next to his 5-pound buddy Chachi, he is literally double the size.
But is my dog too fat? Nah… Not at all.
The vet once suggested that Tito lose a few pounds. A few pounds? I guess 10 pounds sounds better than 13 pounds, but how much less can I feed him? Tito eats less than half a cup of Innova EVO, twice a day. So my hubby and I have decided we’re doing a great job. Tito looks good for his size. He may be the product of some genetic quirk, but he’s still our healthy pup. He eats carrots and lettuce and loves to play with the cat. He has a good life.
So where does this leave us? We won’t conform to society’s demands. It’s one thing to be concerned about your pet’s health, but it’s far another to be completely weight-obsessed.
I won’t have an anorexic chihuahua. I won’t look up to Tinkerbell or Paris as picture-perfect examples of health. I won’t endlessly explain why Tito is a big boy. And when someone casually asks me if he is a purebred chihuahua due to his big size, I will respond, “Yes he is, and he’s perfect.”
Sell out my dog? Fat chance.
