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Top veterinary school implements plan to fight pet obesity
examiner ^

Posted on 09/09/2012 10:35:24 AM PDT by traumer

Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, located in North Grafton, MA announced September 6, 2012 that they are opening the nations first obesity clinic for pets. The Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine boasts three board certified nutritionists to teach pet nutrition to up and coming veterinarians. Deborah E. Linder, DVM, DACVN, a graduate of the school and resident in clinical nutrition will head the program.

Dr. Linder stated the following about the clinic; “By employing sound, research-proven methods, Tufts' Veterinary Obesity Clinic will help owners achieve safe and effective weight loss for their pets," said Dr. Linder. "While the common perception leans toward overweight pets being happy, research has proven otherwise, and we hope to effect change in the obesity epidemic among companion animals."

It is estimated that between 60 and 70 percent of companion animals are overweight. While many think that their pet is cute when pudgy, it can seriously alter the quality of life for the beloved pet.

(Excerpt) Read more at examiner.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Pets/Animals
KEYWORDS: cat; dog; doggieping; kittyping
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To: traumer
Pfc Joseph E. Day holds a puppy named “Invasion” in a German helmet, Le Dezert, France, 1944
21 posted on 09/09/2012 11:17:11 AM PDT by Berlin_Freeper
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To: SkyDancer

Nah, that’s Washington, DC.


22 posted on 09/09/2012 11:17:26 AM PDT by Slings and Arrows (You can't have IngSoc without an Emmanuel Goldstein.)
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To: traumer

Bullcrap! The extra weight kept my elder from passing on before she would have.

These effein buttholes aren’t happy trying to control OUR weight, now they’re after our pets.

FU!!!


23 posted on 09/09/2012 11:17:49 AM PDT by NoGrayZone (For evil to triumph it is only necessary for good men to do nothing.)
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To: traumer

Here’s the plan: if you don’t get your well-marbled pets in shape, Obama will eat them.


24 posted on 09/09/2012 11:21:11 AM PDT by ari-freedom
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To: traumer

As long as people, for some unimaginable reason, think obese cats and dogs are funny, they will continue to overfeed them so they can post pics of their fat pets online.


25 posted on 09/09/2012 11:45:54 AM PDT by CatherineofAragon (Don't be afraid to see what you see. (Ronald Reagan))
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To: martin_fierro

Seriously? Vegan food for cats——the true carnivores?

Why not just make it quick-—put a gun to their heads and pull the trigger.


26 posted on 09/09/2012 11:47:15 AM PDT by CatherineofAragon (Don't be afraid to see what you see. (Ronald Reagan))
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To: Slings and Arrows

Most of the strays we’ve taken in have gone from starving to fat in the first year, but then they lose the excess weight during the second and third years when they’re assured of a consistent food source.

Miss Hissy Slashy is the exception, and we’re working now to get her to trim down, but with a cat, it must be done slowly, or her liver might be damaged. It’s a delicate process, but we’re pretty sure that she will lose the excess eventually.

I made a “toy” for her. I cut a hole in the side of a small, empty plastic vitamin bottle. Every morning I fill it up with cat kibble, less than a half cup. It took me a few days of gently pushing the bottle with her paws for her to get the hang of it, but now she knows how to get the kibble on her own, and she gets some exercise playing with her “toy.”

Our cat Shadow was also looking pretty tubby, but it turned out that she was just bloated from having some sort of feline IBS. Lysine and feline probiotics added to her diet have cured her (and her stinky business if you know what I mean).


27 posted on 09/09/2012 12:00:59 PM PDT by TheOldLady
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To: Berlin_Freeper

When my brother was in ‘Nam, they adopted a puppy, and named him “Claymore.”


28 posted on 09/09/2012 12:03:49 PM PDT by mass55th (Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyway...John Wayne)
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To: traumer

For dogs it really isn’t all that hard to get the weight down; just start severely restricting the food and switch to a diet heavy in green beans. Dog will lose the weight while staying healthy.

I’m fortunate in having a self-regulating, grazing Beagle, which is a rarity. She fluxuates between 26 and 29 pounds and maintains a good waist with me just filling her bowl when it’s empty. Then again I found a good food that she doesn’t like (Wellness) and only eats when she’s really hungry.

We have neighbors who have a beagle that’s about the same bone size hat tops 55 lbs. Which is really disgusting to look at and qualifies as animal abuse IMHO. Smart a$$ cracks by me about them being Frodo and Samwise the Beagles whenever they’re outside playing (ok, my Beagle playing, their’s just sitting there like a primadona) just get me dirty looks at this point.


29 posted on 09/09/2012 12:12:19 PM PDT by tanknetter
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To: traumer

It’s easy to keep a pet lean.. Feed the correct proportions and long walks.. No beer even if they beg.


30 posted on 09/09/2012 12:13:55 PM PDT by TASMANIANRED (Viva Christo Rey)
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To: traumer

I adopted a dog. My vet told me the dog was over weight. My vet was astonished on our next visit when the dog had lost weight. My vet indicated it was darn near a miracle I took his advice and my dog actually lost weight. His reaction was priceless.

When I lived in Tonga, where dogs are eaten, I was warned to be very careful because the “Palangi” dogs tended to go missing since they were well fed and fat.

I’m a big meanie though. I mostly only use treats while puppy training, and on a rare occasion feed some table scraps. A vet once told me any table scraps were fine except bread products. Puppy dog eyes don’t work on me when I eating. My dog knows the 5 second rule- if food drops and I don’t say something in 5 seconds, it’s his. LOL. Alternatively, theres watching mom cook and waiting to be called to clean up the floor.


31 posted on 09/09/2012 12:19:32 PM PDT by pops88 (Standing with Breitbart for truth.)
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To: left that other site

“I iz not fat. I iz big boned and fluffy!”


32 posted on 09/09/2012 12:20:39 PM PDT by momtothree
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To: tanknetter

“For dogs it really isn’t all that hard to get the weight down; just start severely restricting the food and switch to a diet heavy in green beans.”

LOL Many of my friends have tried the green bean thing with their dogs. Green beans is the only thing my beagle mix will not touch—canned, fresh, cooked or raw. She’ll be bettr now that fall is coming and we’ll be out walking more.


33 posted on 09/09/2012 12:23:08 PM PDT by freeangel ( (free speech is only good until someone else doesn't like it)
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To: TheOldLady

My Deimos is something of a big boy, but the vet doesn’t have a problem with it. If he didn’t like to sleep on my chest I wouldn’t worry.


34 posted on 09/09/2012 12:24:14 PM PDT by Slings and Arrows (You can't have IngSoc without an Emmanuel Goldstein.)
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To: momtothree

When I adopted Linda, she was 35 pounds.
Two months later she was 62 pounds.

Now with our three mile daily walks she has trimmed down to a nice 55 pounds, and she has a lovely shape.

And now she only eats once a day.

When I first got her she ate all the time as if it were her last meal.

wish I could slim down!


35 posted on 09/09/2012 12:36:34 PM PDT by left that other site (Dear Father In Heaven,<br> How Hallowed is Your Most WWorry is the Darkroom that Develops Negatives.)
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To: left that other site

My vet (who is also my SIL) told me that pets lose weight very easily compared to us. They can’t open the fridge! They can’t wait till everyone goes to bed and indulge in a big piece of cake either. Sigh.... I wish it was easy for us, too.


36 posted on 09/09/2012 12:58:03 PM PDT by momtothree
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To: momtothree

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.....CAKE!!!!!!!!


37 posted on 09/09/2012 1:21:37 PM PDT by left that other site (Dear Father In Heaven,<br> How Hallowed is Your Most WWorry is the Darkroom that Develops Negatives.)
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To: momtothree
My vet (who is also my SIL) told me that pets lose weight very easily compared to us. They can’t open the fridge! They can’t wait till everyone goes to bed and indulge in a big piece of cake either. Sigh.... I wish it was easy for us, too.

So true! My vet, who is also my sister, tells so many people to have their dogs and cats lose weight. It's really simple. Measure what you are feeding now. Reduce it by, say 3%. By measure or by weight. Weigh in 2 weeks. If no change, reduce it by another little percentage. Etc. People always tell her "I don't feed him much." Well, however much it is, it's too much. Start by reducing it by 3%.

At her clinic, there is an extra charge for surgery on obese dogs, because it is so much harder. They can't find the organs in all the fat.

38 posted on 09/09/2012 2:24:46 PM PDT by Old_Grouch (65 and AARP-free. Monthly FR contributor.)
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To: left that other site

“MMMM.... cake!”

We are HORRIBLE!! LOL!!


39 posted on 09/09/2012 2:59:33 PM PDT by momtothree
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To: Old_Grouch

“They can’t find the organs in all that fat”.

My organs disappeared completely a long time ago. LOL!!


40 posted on 09/09/2012 3:00:50 PM PDT by momtothree
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