Obie enjoys a sunbeam. Photo Nora Vanatta / FacebookCue up the "pig in a blanket" jokes – a 70-pound wiener dog, a Dachshund named Obie, is going on a major diet to try to slim down.
The average Dachshund has a maximum weight of 32 pounds; five-year-old Obie (who used to be called AJ; we assume the "Obie" nickname is short for "obese" – aw, poor guy) weighs more than twice that, topping out at 77 pounds when new owner Nora Vanatta met him last month. (That's seven times what a Miniature Dachshund would weigh.)
His previous owners, an older couple, had to give Obie up because of their own declining health, but thanks to what must have been expert begging by the dog, they'd managed to feed him almost to death in the meantime.
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Vanatta first heard about Obie because she follows Oregon Dachshund Rescue on Facebook, but when she read his weight, she assumed they'd gotten confused about the breed. Nope: he's a purebred. He's also really lucky; Vanatta already owns a couple of dogs (a Labrador and another Dachshund), so she's experienced with canine care in general, and Obie's breed in particular. And she has a degree in animal science, and worked for eight years as a veterinary technician, so she's more qualified than most to supervise a wiener weight-loss regime.
Vanatta is trying to keep Obie's diet mission fun and optimistic; she's started a "Biggest Loser Doxie [Dachshund] Edition" on Facebook, so that fans can track Obie's progress (and maybe get help for their own portly pooches). The goal is for Obie to drop 40 pounds. It's tough sledding to start out with, however. Because he's so round, Vanatta can't take him out for walks, so for now she's got him on a special diet (a Purina rep helped formulate a low-fat, high-protein meal plan for Obie) and hydrotherapy to start melting the pounds away. Vanatta might incorporate a treadmill later on, once there's less stress on Obie's joints and bones. (All this stuff isn't cheap, as you pet owners can imagine; if you'd like to help out, Vanatta has a PayPal account to raise money for Obie's care. She's been quite touched by the support they've gotten so far.)
Obie last month, before losing 7 pounds. Photo Nora Vanatta / Facebook.It's a job almost as big as Obie himself – but Vanatta thinks he's worth it. "He is extremely sweet and loving," she told the UK's Daily Mail, calling him "a joy to work with." And while she doesn't judge his previous owners for overfeeding the plump pup – "[they] just couldn't say no to those big brown eyes," she commented – she's hoping that her other dogs will lead Obie by example, and that Obie in turn "can be an inspiration to any person or animal trying to lose weight."
Obie's aiming for a weight between 30 and 40 pounds.
What's the biggest Dachshund you'veever seen? Have you had any doggie-diet success with hydrotherapy or a treadmill? What's your secret to keeping your hounds at a healthy weight? Let's discuss in the comments.Copyright © 2012 Yahoo Inc.
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191 comments
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michi •When i worked for an adoption agency we had a Dachshund almost as fat. It too FORVER to adopt her out. She was cranky because of the weight, didn't like to be handled and had many health problems. People need to realize that nutrition has the greatest impact on a domestic animal. Please do research and feed a good diet.
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TierneyA
Are you kidding? God doesn't hate figs. Figs are delicious, and good for you. They should feed that pupper a diet of figs.
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Conservative Liberal, Lib ... •
Being a responsible parent or pet owner, sometimes means saying "no".
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Aero
next thing, you will soon see fat dogs in skinny jeans too hahaha
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JayeBee •
Poor Obie! I guess his owners meant well, but that is just awful. I, too, had a Daschund (Duke) and keeping his weight under control was a top concern. Guess I must have done something right, because my Duke lived to be 16 yrs. old-arthritic, deaf and partially blind in the end-but he still would great you with tail wagging and just so happy to see you. One day we went into the back yard, and he was gone, laying in his favorite spot under the honeysuckle bush. That is where we buried him.
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Velzora
I love my little Freddy, I would never overfeed him.
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charles d
For the same reasons, some people shouldnt have kids.
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Timothy •
Poor doggy. I hope the new owner can help him get slimmed down to proper wiener size! But seriously, some of the comments... you want to charge a likely senile old couple with animal abuse and throw them in jail for feeding a dog too much? What good would that do ANYONE? Pathetic. They're likely in a home now anyway. While they shouldn't have owned the dog to begin with in their capacity, at least they cared enough to give him up.
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Inthematrix •
I have a dachshund and they known for overeating. Ours will eat as much as you give her until she tosses her cookies if we don't watch her.
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A Yahoo! User •
Holy cow. He is bigger than my Dachshund(8pounds), basset (45 pounds and cat (13 pounds) combined!!!! I have seen some fat wieners in germany that were owned by old ladies, but none were that huge.
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Aaron B
That's what she said...
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KM •
I had a dachshund who got up up to 19 pounds and she was FAT and had to lose a few pounds. I can't even imagine how a little dachshund could weight 70 pounds.
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Conservative Liberal, Lib ... •
Wild dogs will go weeks without eating and gorge themselves on a kill. Sometimes a dog will gorge themselves on however much food you give to them. You aren't hurting them by denying them excessive calories.
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robert
Hey lib shut up u want the kids of America eating dog food? U prob voted for Obama so of course u do u don't care
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Magron •
I'm a big Dachshund fan. It's a great breed if you can appreciate an independent mind.
They're not for everybody. they are stubborn, hard to housetrain and if you can't appreciate their massive great qualities you won't be happy.
As you might guess from their long spine, this breed is one you especially want to keep at their proper weight.-
Tara
LOL... He died. We didn't die yet. ;op
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The average Dachshund has a maximum weight of 32 pounds; five-year-old Obie (who used to be called AJ; we assume the "Obie" nickname is short for "obese" – aw, poor guy) weighs more than twice that, topping out at 77 pounds when new owner Nora Vanatta met him last month. (That's seven times what a Miniature Dachshund would weigh.)
His previous owners, an older couple, had to give Obie up because of their own declining health, but thanks to what must have been expert begging by the dog, they'd managed to feed him almost to death in the meantime.
VIDEO: Halloween comes early as bat annoys Omaha newsroom
Vanatta first heard about Obie because she follows Oregon Dachshund Rescue on Facebook, but when she read his weight, she assumed they'd gotten confused about the breed. Nope: he's a purebred. He's also really lucky; Vanatta already owns a couple of dogs (a Labrador and another Dachshund), so she's experienced with canine care in general, and Obie's breed in particular. And she has a degree in animal science, and worked for eight years as a veterinary technician, so she's more qualified than most to supervise a wiener weight-loss regime.
Vanatta is trying to keep Obie's diet mission fun and optimistic; she's started a "Biggest Loser Doxie [Dachshund] Edition" on Facebook, so that fans can track Obie's progress (and maybe get help for their own portly pooches). The goal is for Obie to drop 40 pounds. It's tough sledding to start out with, however. Because he's so round, Vanatta can't take him out for walks, so for now she's got him on a special diet (a Purina rep helped formulate a low-fat, high-protein meal plan for Obie) and hydrotherapy to start melting the pounds away. Vanatta might incorporate a treadmill later on, once there's less stress on Obie's joints and bones. (All this stuff isn't cheap, as you pet owners can imagine; if you'd like to help out, Vanatta has a PayPal account to raise money for Obie's care. She's been quite touched by the support they've gotten so far.)Obie last month, before losing 7 pounds. Photo Nora Vanatta / Facebook.It's a job almost as big as Obie himself – but Vanatta thinks he's worth it. "He is extremely sweet and loving," she told the UK's Daily Mail, calling him "a joy to work with." And while she doesn't judge his previous owners for overfeeding the plump pup – "[they] just couldn't say no to those big brown eyes," she commented – she's hoping that her other dogs will lead Obie by example, and that Obie in turn "can be an inspiration to any person or animal trying to lose weight."
Obie's aiming for a weight between 30 and 40 pounds.
What's the biggest Dachshund you've ever seen? Have you had any doggie-diet success with hydrotherapy or a treadmill? What's your secret to keeping your hounds at a healthy weight? Let's discuss in the comments.
