It Ain’t Easy Being Full Figured!

Big boned, curvy, voluptuous are just a few words that have been used to describe Gretel, my short but shapely, buxom Basset. As humans we all know those words don’t always have a positive connotation, but who would have thought that dogs would also have to suffer the pressures of aspiring to a body type that is just plain unrealistic?  Three weeks ago my veterinarian, Dr. Moran (whom I happen to love and respect) told me that he thinks Gretel really should loose nine pounds. Yikes! Well, first of all, I was floored. Yes, I realize Gretel is not svelte, nor does she run around for an hour a day with her friends like she did a year ago. However, I barely feed her treats. In fact I almost never do any more. How in the world am I going to get her to loose that kind of weight? I can’t force her to play! I can’t starve the poor girl. She barely eats as it is!

That is when Dr. Moran explained that there was a new drug on the market. Yes, a diet drug for dogs!  The idea is that this drug, Slentrol, was supposed to suppress Gretel’s appetite. I asked if it had been amply tested and was assured it was very safe. So, desperate and feeling like the guilty owner of a grossly overweight dog, I decided to give it a whirl. Three weeks after starting Gretel on this stuff she was due for a “weigh in.” The result? Gretel GAINED a pound! The crazy part is that the drug was visibly working. Gretel’s appetite did indeed diminish. Per instruction, I fed her the exact same amount and low and behold Gretel would leave half her food uneaten every day for three weeks. How in the world that resulted in one pound of weight gain is beyond me!

I can’t get over how pathetic the whole thing seems and  feel torn on the subject. How do I really feel about giving diet medicine to my dog? I care about her more than practically anything in the world and therefore her health is of the utmost importance, but then again so is her happiness. Dogs live for so little- the simple things in life: love and food . To take away 50% of her pleasure for the sake of loosing a few pounds that she may or may not loose seems hard to justify. Is it better to live a bit longer and restrain yourself from some of your greatest pleasures or throw your paws up in reckless abandon and say “What the hell… ya only live once!”