The FastDay Forum

Very funny video, @CandiceMarie, thank you, but why do pet owners allow their animals to be so overweight? The cat in the video should have been half the size and it really bothers me when I see animals overfed - isn't it a form of cruelty?

I met one of our neighbors and his 14 yr old male dog the other week. Fiona get 13 next moth so we started to talk about what made our dogs so old. We'll he said, I think it's all about the food - Molle hasn't had much dog food. Ouuuu I went, no he get more human food and every Saturday he get two squares of chocolate. Even more Ouuuu from me...And once a month we have a glass of O'Boy (chocolate milk), but only once. Here my poor dog owning brain started to spin and all I could think was "is the man insane?". Well it's not as bad as one other neighbor who fed their dog wine gum..... My dogs get dog food, an occasional meat treat, a Dentastic and the end bit of a sandwich. And that's it.

Blimey Charlie! Thats crazy! Don't people know that chocolate is deadly for dogs?! Unbelievable.
If I give my dogs anything OTHER than their Lily's Kitchen food I'll end up spending a day cleaning up after them. Their tummies are SO sensitive. Those Dentasticks are really good for teeth aren't they...but I'm not sure I should give them one. Poor souls, all they have is venison and wild rabbit terrine, day in, day out. Unless they're not eating of course...

Wow, @Wolfie, how could your neighbour be so thoughtless! Was his dog overweight or maybe just nutritionally deprived? I wonder who would miss the chocolate 'treats' more him, or his dog! Your dog's diet sounds perfect!

@nursebean, your dogs may well be missing your parents but they will eat when they are ready. Just carry on putting down their food as usual and don't try and tempt them with other delicious morsels! If they stop drinking then that could be a problem but I wouldn't worry yet - and all dogs throw up sometimes - well black labs do because they will eat any old rubbish that they might come across!

The dog is chubby but not fat. And the guy told me that if the dog didn't get his 2 squares of chocolate, he would nick them - but only 2 squares. I had to refrain from howling in frustration.
I don't understand how people can let their pets get chubby or fat. if my dogs put on weight and Diego did in a flash, I cut their foods down until they are back on target. Well, little Diego have gone beyond target and is very slim, so he get a few more kebbles now

Our puppy spent a night at the vet's after stealing chocolate!

Yes @merlin i know of a naughty dog too..overnight on a drip at the vets after pinching chocolate...cost a few hundred pound to put right..vet said he was twenty mins from death :0( not sure if that was an exaggeration or not...xx

It wasn't cheap.

It must be milk chocolate he get since he's still alive and kicking.
The few times my dogs have nicked a chocolate I have been on the phone with the vets pronto, happily so far they have only eaten minor amounts

Thanks for your advice @StowgateResident and I hope yesterday went ok xx

Poor Minnie was poorly yesterday. She didn't eat all day and she was sick last night. I gave her an anti-sickness (which luckily I keep for Poppy and her Crohns). I never know how long things last but when I take them on the golf course they tend to grab the newly cut grass and run around eating it (showing off to me because they know its naughty. If only they knew WHY its naughty!). Would it be that still causing a problem I wonder. It must be 2 days since we last went on the golf course.

I think I might tempt her with some white fish today. Can dogs suddenly get an upset with their usual food? Surely that would have happened when you first feed them it wouldn't it?

Bean

@nursebean i thought dogs ate grass when they werent feeling well? Or is it just cats?
Fretting a bit for nan & grandad could have caused Min to have an upset tum x
Some plain white fish might settle her tummy.

Morning (or should that be Moomin?! ) Candy @Candicemarie! Yes, dogs DO eat grass when they have upset tummies...BUT...mine seem hell-bent on eating freshly cut grass that moulds into clumps! Oh yes, they enjoy eating that...until later! I think I'll have to avoid the golf course for a while, which is a real shame because they absolutely love it there

My little baby seems a lot better today. She managed to eat her breakfast. This, after a night where she was sick and had to have an anti-emetic. I hope she's over the worst of it now though.

Aw so glad she is ok!

Mine does munch on grass like cows even though their are healthy as ones...I cought Fiona in the act just an hour ago and then we know who is going to vomit in the wee hours. Oh, I would tell what Diego does then..iuck! I know cats does it to get rid of fur balls and such, but dogs? Maybe they just like the green freshness?

And yes, Fiona have (like the kids over the years) got bored with her food and refused to eat. But now they all eat Canavan (sp?) Wild Game and enjoy it very much.

Whenever Susie needed a light diet, the vet suggested poached chicken and boiled rice. Apparently they are both easily digested. Personally, I wouldn't involve the vet unless the sickness went on for several days. Susie was so good that she never stole any food. We could leave a plate of our food on the low coffee table and she wouldn't touch it even if we weren't in the room. She never ate cut grass,although she did eat grass when she was not feeling too well, plus other, more disgusting, things when she was her usual self! That's Labradors for you!

Afraid to say I am guilty of having an overweight pet @Stowgateresident - one of our cats has been fat for some time and I just couldn't see that there was much we could do about it as we have food down all the time so that they can eat when they want and avoid any fisticuffs! None of the others are overweight and said cat didn't really seem to eat much and wasn't having any treats so I thought it was just how she was. Anyway - we had her checked at the vet recently and he recommended a diet - special food, weighed out each day - we are doing our best to keep her to this and she has lost some weight - slowly! We will persevere - hope she doesn't have too much loose fur when we get there though!