I went to see a dog today that was so overweight that it found it difficult to walk. Why do dog owners look at their obese dog and see a fit, healthy one? (this owner actually thought her dog was UNDERWEIGHT!!)
It's body dysmorphia gone mad.
Just because this dog happened to be a Neapolitan Mastiff, known for it’s solid frame and lots of loose skin, the owner thought the dog had to be massive, despite the fact that this one had quite a small frame (a female).
The dog had that all-too-common sickening ‘roll’ from side to side as the the fat underneath her skin slid around as she walked. She was exercise intolerant due to the excess weight she was carrying and one of her hips was weakening, probably due to dysplasia but not helped by the inches of fat covering her hips and back.
I felt utter despair at YET ANOTHER dog owner who had absolutely no idea what a healthy, fit, toned dog should look like, no matter what size ‘frame’ they have. I have the extreme view that this is a kind of cruelty up there with starving or beating a dog. There is no excuse for making your dog fat. WE are the ones in control of their dietary intake; they are trusting US to keep a check on their weight and diet but we can’t even do that right a lot of the time. Ignorance is not an excuse.
Luckily I went to assess this kind, sweet-natured, gentle dog with a view to finding her a new home and will do my utmost to ensure that I find her one with people who know what a healthy dog looks like and will not kill their her with ‘kindness’.
