Posted on 09/12/2012 8:29:59 AM PDT by JoeProBono
PORTLAND, Ore., - An Oregon woman has started a Facebook page to support her quest to help the 77-pound dachshund she adopted lose 40 pounds.
Nora Vanetta, a Portland veterinary technician, said she adopted 5-year-old Obie the dachshund from his elderly owners when they were no longer able to care for him due to their deteriorating health and she discovered he weighed more than twice as much as he should, the New York Daily News reported Tuesday.
Vanetta started the "Biggest Loser, Doxie Edition" page on Facebook to support her attempt to get Obie to lose 40 pounds and to track the canine's progress.
"He is extremely sweet and loving," Vanetta wrote on the page. "He was obviously loved and is a joy to work with. The ageing owners just couldn't say no to those big brown eyes."
Vanetta said Obie's current regimen involves dieting and hydrotherapy, as he is currently too large to exercise.
"I plan to do swim therapy with him and treadmill work once he starts to lose a little," Vanetta wrote. She said Obie "may eventually need to have excess skin surgically removed."
The page includes a link to a PayPal account for Obie's fans to donate funds to his healthcare and weight loss effort.
"I feel tremendously blessed to be involved in his rehabilitation and I am amazed at the outpouring of love and support that I have received," Vanetta wrote. "My hope is that he can be an inspiration to any person or animal trying to lose weight."
“... is that a carryin’ strap?”
Of course not, silly. Don’t you know Dachshund purses are all the rage!
Ha, at 70lbs I think there is enough for a steamer trunk there.
Back in the day when I had dogs, I would fast them at least once a month, just like I did myself. It didn’t hurt them a bit, and they still loved me in the morning.
;o]
I cannot believe you found an actual picture of one! LOL!!
It’s especially dangerous because dachshunds, because of their unusual length, sometimes have back problems and spinal disorders as they get older. Extra weight worsens the odds.
My dog just called you a bad word. ;)
I’m figuring that poor boy isn’t a happy camper in deep snow. LOL!
I can find no humor at all.
That is horrible.
I love my dogs enough to ‘say no’ to them.
What they “want” is not always what they should have and God gave me the thumbs and bigger brain to ensure their best interests are being served.
*And* his spine.
only weighs 20 pounds less than *this* dog
I can't even wrap my mind around that...:(
Oh God Love it! That’s terrible!
It is very, very easy (esp for women, with our ‘if you love it, feed it something delicious’ mentality) to overfeed. Treats do not equal love, though. Good care & quality time equals love.
I bet my Doxie friends are freakin out. 37 pounds seems like an awful lot for a Doxie. 37 pounds is dangerous for an Eskie & they’re quite a bit bigger (taller & more muscular).
I hope the poor abused animal can survive.
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