Update on the Zoester
I know many of you have followed my posts about Miss. Zoey.
I recently shared that she was hurt… Suddenly, she decided she was in pain and refused to come up steps or jump on the love seat (on her puppy pad where she naps). She even refused to sleep on the foot of our bed, due to not wanting to jump.
I called in my concern to the vet and they advised to just keep an eye on her and make sure she continues to eat/drink/etc – that was on a Friday. Saturday, she didn’t move nearly all day. Then, Sunday she was a bit more active… but still not gettin’ off “floor level”. Monday, she seemed OK. I took her in for a checkup, on Monday, anyway. While there, she got her rabies shot and I let them pamper her with a bath and nail trim (we usually don’t pay for bath/trims as we do it at home but we decided to just let them give her a ’spa day’ and save us some time LOL).
Her check up checked out A-OK. We suspect she had a pulled muscle or something (my initial thought). She’s been doing great all week… so I’m glad to report she’s back to herself! It’s always good to get a clean bill of health…
The only down side to the vet trip, she’s became over weight!! UGH
She weighed in at 15+ pounds MORE than she did prior. Yikes. She is now over 40lbs… and if her legs weren’t so long, she’s looks JUST like Ben’s Roscoe! I can’t believe she weighs that much. She doesn’t eat “scraps” and is fed the same amount, daily. The vet said it’s not because she’s over eating but because she’s not gettin’ enough exercise… and that her weight may have contributed to her pain, last week.
She became a house dog two years ago. So, the two years she was outside, she was fit. The two years she’s been inside – she’s become a couch potato! I did read the warnings about that… but…
So… any tips on slimmin’ a hound??
Actually, she looks good, and we were told she’s a “normal overweight” and not an “unhealthy overweight”… meaning she does have shape and isn’t just one big lard butt. We don’t have to fret over it (but don’t want her to keep gaining). I did realize she was larger… but had no idea it was that much. I guess because I see her daily.
She’s also started to age… and she’s only 4. I noticed that within 1 year, her face has turned white and her eyebrows became white, too… I thought she was too young to show age so much… I guess not?!
Look at her face…. (it’s quicker to access my scrap layouts vs. my archived photos, so you’ll have to view my layouts…)
Photos at 1 one year old, May 2005:
Photo taken Dec 2006. Left eye has just a ‘lil smidge of white…
Photo taken Feb 2007 – a much better view:
Several months later, still in 2007 – a little change:
May of this year, 2008 – WOW, look at the white face.
I just took this, tonight…. (while doing this post):
… and her whole body, as she slept thru the flash:
That’s ONE reason I love taking photos… because it enables me to see things I miss or don’t notice (and I’m considered a very observant person). Time changes everything, we all know… Most don’t notice changes (especially when it’s someone or something you see daily). Photography enables that …
OK, well, gotta scram… Hope everyone is well and didn’t mind the Hound overload (pun intended).
Toodles.
September 2nd, 2008 at 11:49 pm
A belated Happy Birthday and what a cutie your dog is. I had to put my cats on a reduced calorie diet. Now they are done and weight what they should. So they are learn, mean (not really) kitty machines…
September 3rd, 2008 at 12:15 am
You asked about the food I used for the weight loss? My sister is a vet and I have always used Hills Science, but you can talk to your vet about what would be best and exactly what to do. Oliver was almost 16 pounds and he is now 12. Elliot was 12 and is now 10. They are where they need to be now. I wish I was…LOL…But being overweight is as much a problem for pets as people.
Oh..I noticed you mentioned on another blog about your kids collecting bird nests after they are used. Just as a caution, there are usually mites associated with nests and that can be a problem in the house. Just a caution..
–Michelle–
September 3rd, 2008 at 12:40 am
The Zoester gave everyone pause for concern last year, we should keep him front and center.
September 3rd, 2008 at 3:50 am
Very beautiful eyes and ears!!!
))
Although I think I can easily be in love with any dog
I hope she will get fit soon.
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:09 am
What a beautiful, loving posting about your dog. And the pics are just delightful!
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:22 am
I really enjoyed seeing your scrapbooked pictures.
And pets on a diet – well, hello! I have THREE cats – how do I put the fat one on a diet? We think she’s just cuddly. That vet who said she was overwight obviously doesn’t have three.
September 3rd, 2008 at 9:08 am
What a cutie!
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:38 am
I’m glad she’s feeling better. If the doctor’s not worried about how MUCH she’s eating, I’d start with increasing her exercise just a touch. It’s amazing how much difference that makes…
Good luck!
September 3rd, 2008 at 2:21 pm
How I got my dog to lose weight was to cut down the amount I fed him (it gives a variance between 3/4 cup – 1&1/2 cups; I cut it down to 3/4) and I take him on a 30 minute walk twice a day. Worked wonders!
September 3rd, 2008 at 7:13 pm
Awww! Happy Birthday Zoey – a little late! Poor Zoey has had a rough year this year! I hope you got her a treadmill for her birthday!!!
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:23 pm
Hey now, she looks good with a few extra pounds TNC; not to mention there’s more Hound to love as a perk. That Hound of yours definitely has the eyes, very photogenic.
BTW, the same thing happened to Roscoe the Hound a while back (due to his chubbyness) ending up with him on drugs.
http://www.tgifhounds.com/2007/09/tgif-on-drugs-style.asp
Good to hear Zoey’s back on track.
Cheers
September 4th, 2008 at 2:27 am
what a cutie!! i love how u’ve done the ‘frames’ – what program did u use?
September 4th, 2008 at 10:48 am
We took my Staffie, Rex to the vets about a month ago and was told he weighed 25kg, whereas he should be around the 18kg mark. I dread to think how much he weighed before he came to live with me, as I thought he’d lost lots of weight over the 4 months I’ve had him!
September 5th, 2008 at 9:39 am
Happy Belated Birthday! I have two daschunds and our female who is 7 y/o is very white faced too. Katie has not only got a white face, all four of her paws look like we had her dipped. She tends to weigh too much as well, but only a pound or so as she should only weigh between 10.5 and 11.5 pounds! Right now, I think she’s tipping in at 12 pounds. We had to start her on special dog food as she developed digestion problems and wasn’t keeping any of her food down. She’s better now, but she eats better than we do, ha ha!
September 5th, 2008 at 10:57 am
She’s gorgeous! I like that description: normal overweight! That’s what I am too. I have a shape; it’s just covering my thin shape.
Hope you had a great birthday!
September 5th, 2008 at 7:22 pm
Z is beautiful. i hope she will get perfectly well soon. and btw, ur lay-outs are also nice and excellent.
September 6th, 2008 at 2:22 am
Maybe she’s prematurely gray! She’s very beautiful girl anyway. My mini-schnauzer has gone from 18 to 22 lbs., and my Katie has gone from 14 – 20! We had a very big back yard and now they’re confined to a smaller one. Lazy-butt here should get off of my lazy arse and walk them every day! Be good for me, too.
Cesar Milan (Dog Whisperer) actually uses a treadmill for over-active or inactive dogs. It’s fun to watch…
~~~Blessings~~~
September 6th, 2008 at 11:10 am
Glad Zoey is OK!
From watching The Dog Whisperer, an inside pup needs to be walked an hour a day. I didn’t do that with mine, and she got sorta stiff and didn’t act like she felt good. Wish I had walked her.
Zoey is beautiful. Have loved her since you posted about her missing. Also, have told many people about findtoto.com!
September 7th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
I’m glad Zoey is feeling better!
Vader’s on low calorie food and he’s still gaining weight too. We need to improve our ability to take him on walks. He’s happy, but a tubby happy!