Why do people overfeed their dogs?

[pstokely]

[leftofthedial]

1. have you seen those big adorable little brownish-gold eyes

looking up at you

you say "overfeed"

I say "love"

snooky ooky wookums

yes you *are* a sweet little puppy

[TheBaldyMan]

2. ever heard a dog say "I couldn't possibly eat another thing, I'm stuffed"

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

3. I did it by accident

I followed the instructions on the dog food and it was too many calories for him. He had a check up at the vet and it turns out he needed to lose 13 pounds...so he's on special expensive diet food and has lost 4 pounds over the last 6 weeks.

[yewberry]

8. Oh, crud, sorry to hear that.

Glad to hear that you're taking it seriously--what are you feeding him? I don't think diet foods really have to be expensive, do they? Wouldn't really good dense (as in low-filler) foods do the same job?

(I honestly don't know and am seriously asking.)

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

12. It's Hill Prescription Diet - canine r/d

and it apparently has every nutrient he needs and more fiber, so it keeps him full and he can actually eat MORE food than he was getting. He's a golden retriever so I worry about arthritis and hip dysplasia getting him later on..so far no signs of dysplasia, but he has a heart murmur so I want my boy to have good health..he's really a great dog. As I said below, I don't really give him much in the way of table scraps, maybe a tiny bite of meat when I am done eating so he didn't gain it eating bad stuff. I also got him lo cal liver treats...gotta spoil him too :) My last retriever lived to be 17, so I'd love it if this guy lived that long too.

[ScreamingMeemie]

26. Jessie's on CD/Dry for bladder stones.

Good stuff...a bit boring for the dogs, but good for them. :hi:

[China_cat]

19. We have dogs that are prone to porkiness

(big time). Their diets consist of a 'lite' kibble but not much of that, veggies (which they love)...mixed and green beans are their favorites with broccoli and cauliflower coming in a close second. Twice a week instead of kibble they get plain boiled rice or macaroni with their veggies. In the winter they occasionally get oatmeal (no sugar or milk). Treats tend to be carrots (whole), raw veggies or apple slices. Rosie likes bananas, too.

Dog diets don't have to be expensive.

[yewberry]

4. Unfamiliar with displasia, diabetes, and early death, I guess.

Lousy thing to do to an animal.

[Robeson]

6. Agreed.

[fizzgig]

5. because they have no regard for other living beings

my ex's mom and her husband had this little terrier and about a year ago the vet told them to stop feeding him so much people food (they'd feed him cake, ice cream and all manner of other junk foods) or he would die

he died about six months ago

they bought another terrier and are doing the same thing

sorry, it's a sore spot for me

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

7. People food is terrible for dogs

I can't stand an animal begging when I am eating, so he only gets a tiny bite of whatever the meat is when I am done..but he does like vegetables and apparently some are good for dogs...he loves when I drop a green bean or some cabbage

[fizzgig]

10. it makes me nuts when animals beg

my cats are very well behaved, but they give me that look from time to time

sometimes i'll give them just a bit of what i'm eating, usually crackers or chips, but occasionally, my one girl will get a bit of my double cheese burger or a bit of french fry

but on the whole, they only eat cat food

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

13. my cat likes canned mushrooms

she'll take her paw and cram my hand into her mouth to get one...it's funny

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

14. My one cat likes "people food"

but he generally eats things like vegetables, sushi, or maybe a piece of a vegetarian buffalo wing. He actually eats a super amount of food for a cat, but he's really active. He weighs about 12 lbs and you can see all of his ribs.

I'm not worried about him eating people food. Meanwhile, we have one overweight cat that eats far less and doesn't eat anything but dry food. However, he also doesn't move much.

The other two are pretty thin, relatively active and don't really like to eat people food, unless it's deli turkey or sushi.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

15. My one cat likes "people food"

but he generally eats things like vegetables, sushi, or maybe a piece of a vegetarian buffalo wing. He actually eats a super amount of food for a cat, but he's really active. He weighs about 12 lbs and you can see all of his ribs.

I'm not worried about him eating people food. Meanwhile, we have one overweight cat that eats far less and doesn't eat anything but dry food. However, he also doesn't move much.

The other two are pretty thin, relatively active and don't really like to eat people food, unless it's deli turkey or sushi.

[RebelOne]

33. That's really not true.

Many pet owners do not know the damage they are doing by feeding their pets junk food. Like me, they believe in spoiling their doggies. I'm trying now get the extra weight off my Rottie because of the too many treats that I give her. I know that now that she is 8 years old, she will be susceptible to arthritis and hip problems if I don't get her weight down.

[fizzgig]

35. i understand thinking you are spoiling them

but when the vet tells you the animal will die if you don't change their diet and you continue to feed them whatever you want and the dog dies, that is tatamount to murder in my mind

[hickman1937]

9. I found this,

Labs are often overfed and are allowed to become overweight, due to their blatant enjoyment of treats, hearty appetites, and endearing behavior towards people.

It doesn't just apply to labs though. Sometimes I think people do it just because it's the one thing that is guaranteed to make the child/dog/cat/etc happy.

[patsimae]

11. No exercise is a factor

People too lazy to take their dogs out for a walk.

[RebelOne]

34. That is also not true.

My Rottie is 20 pounds overweight. It is my fault because I give her too many treats. But she gets plenty of exercise. Every night we walk down a hill to a field behind my house and I let her run. Then we walk back up the hill. Believe me, that is plenty of exercise because going back up the hill is a killer.

[JVS]

16. What kind of Asshole puts their dog in a drinking fountain

That's fucking disgusting. :puke:

[Beausoir]

22. I thought the same thing. Yuck. Unless it's a doggie park.

But at least the dog is out at the park.

[JVS]

24. I feel bad for those kids in red t-shirts who are probably going to...

get thirsty during a day of playing at the park. Stepping in dogshit sucks badly enough, having animals play in the area from which you drink is horrible.

[RebelOne]

17. I'm guilty of overfeeding dogs.

When I first inherited my Rottweiler from a friend 5 years ago, she was a lean, mean 75 pounds. She is now 107 pounds as of her last visit to the vet. It isn't that she gets too much food, but I give her too many treats. She demands them. She will jump up and down and bark at me until I give her another treat. Well, she is now on a diet and I have cut back on the treats. She loves pig ear strips and would go through a bag of them in a week. So, no more pig ears until she loses weight.

It's not that she doesn't get exercise. Every night we walk down a hill to a field where I let her run around and then we walk back up the hill. If I didn't walk her, I wouldn't get any exercise either and that hill is a killer.

I worry about arthritis as she gets older, so I want to get any excess weight off her hips. My last Rottie had arthritis so bad that she would cry when getting up in the morning.

[sbj405]

18. Same reason there are incredibly obese toddlers

Dog will love you if you give him tasty treats. Most people don't get enough exercise for themselves, kids, or dogs.

[LynzM]

20. I was going to post to this affect....

Because the dog (or person) wants it, and giving it makes them happy (in the short run :( ) That's likely a terribly over-simplified generalization, of course...

[Orsino]

25. And they don't realize...

...that the dog will love you just as much if you don't constantly stuff him with food/treats.

We overfeed ourselves because we evolved in a hardscrabble environment in which we had to hunt, scavenge or gather constantly. Our bodies tell us to eat as much as possible, drowning out the less immediate signals that tell us we should ease up.

We want our pets to enjoy the same abundance we do.

[Beausoir]

21. I have an obese cat. I love her very much, thank you.

I rescued her from a shelter when she was about 6 monts old.

She was infested with worms. I worked with the vet for MONTHS to rid her of the worms. Medications every day. She would pass huge balls of mostly dead worms and sometimes she would barf them up. This went on for weeks upon weeks.

She was ravenously hungry all the time, yet she was wasting away and coming close to death. The vet told me to free feed her as much as I could get down her.

Finally, I switched vets and we put her on a very powerful medication (Can't remember the name). Over a three week period, the worms were gone and she ballooned. She has been fat for the last 10 years. Seems happy enough. She eats no more than my other cat who is thin. They eat the exact same amount and same kind of food.

Spare me the "People have no regard for animals" crap. I love that cat and have taken beautiful care of her for 11 years.

We can't all be perfect, ya know?

[philosophie_en_rose]

23. Hey, some dogs are more prone than others to be fat.

I agree that some people overfeed their dogs, especially people food. They love to feel the gratitude from their greedy little piggies. (I have three, so I can say that without malice). :) However, if a dog is exercised regularly, occasional treats aren't that big of a deal. Luckily, my piggy terriers are also avid runners.

I realize that some people feed their dogs too much or poorly. However, some dogs are genetically predisposed to be fat. For instance, dachshunds often have back problems and become less active when they're older. They often get fat for no other reason than they can't run around. It's gradual, so it's sometimes surprising to realize that you're dog has gone from sausage-shape to watermelon.

And have you ever tried to put a dachshund on a diet? My family adopted an already fat dachshund (30 pounds!!!). He only gradually lost weight even with lo-cal kibble, because he would find things in the yard (berries, apples, worms, bugs, etc) to eat. Ten years later, he was only down to 23 or so. Slow walking helped a bit, although we did give the Penguin small treats at the beginning and end of a walk. (otherwise, he'd just sit down).

In sum, some people overfeed, because they can't say no to the cuteness. However, many other dogs are prone to fatness and have a hard time slimming down. It's the people's responsibility to care for pets, but there are a lot of factors in a dog's weight.

[xchrom]

27. hey there's more fat dogs than just dachsies ya know.

i had to speak up on their chubby little behalf.

those dogs though -- need new owners -- they are being abused.

[Mutley]

28. Along with the other things listed in this thread...

The cheaper commercial pet foods (Purina, Pedigree, DeliCat, etc) are full of fat, calories, and filler. Feeding that stuff to a dog or cat everyday is like a human eating at McDonalds or Burger King every day. No matter how active they are they're likely to become overweight. Higher quality foods are available, some for a fairly reasonable price. You have to be willing to pay good money to keep your babies healthy.

[ScreamingMeemie]

30. I always joke around that we have to take out loans for Jessie's food.

Ever since the bladder stones she's on Hill's C/D dry. Man that stuff is not cheap. But, it will make it easier to pay for Eukanuba for the cat. :hi:

[Mutley]

31. No, that stuff isn't cheap!

Phew!

I feed my dogs Merrick. It's currently 10.00 for a five pound bag, but I think the Hills is much more expensive. Those mutts eat better than I do. Eukanuba is a good food that is a fair price.

[ScreamingMeemie]

29. It takes a Sheltie 8 hours to get pudgy, I swear.

Jessie has usually been pretty lean, but a lot of times with furry dogs it's hard to tell if they are eating enough. So people overfeed them. Also, a lot of people think the "sheltie waddle" is cute...and it is pronounced in an overweight Sheltie. Jessie has always kept it between 16 and 23 pounds...but those pounds can be added in quickly. I'm not going to get up on a soapbox and shout at people who accidentally let there dogs get fat. It's usually out of love not hatred. And I'd rather see a fat lab...then a starving one chained to a fence. :hi:

[Akoto]

32. Not to defend the quality of dog food, but another reason is ...

Some people who are new to dogs don't grasp just how much they'll eat. There are some breeds (like my beloved labrador retriever) that will literally eat themselves sick if provided with enough food. What's deceptive is that, when presented with said food, they'll act as though they're starving. The owner may honestly not know any better and assume that their dog is still hungry, when the pup really has no sense of being 'full'.

Table scraps are also a cause of doggie obesity. We tend to eat food that's very rich to them, and giving them more than a little bit can be harmful.

[skygazer]

36. A guy at work has a morbidly obese dog

He is morbidly obese himself. As a matter of fact, he just went out on disability because his back went out on him (again). He's 48 (I think) and has so many health problems, it would fill this page. He does nothing to try to alleviate them (I know many obese people who are trying and have a great deal of trouble and I salute their efforts but this guy makes NO effort). He's diabetic and eats and drinks all kinds of stuff he shouldn't. He gets no exercise. He eats tons of junk food. And he feeds his dog the same way. The dog is, no doubt, as unhealthy as his owner.

It's sad - and if he had a child, no doubt the child would be subjected to the same.