# Introducing Blanche...



## dmccaughan (Sep 26, 2009)

Sometimes I think my heart is too big. We rescued a super friendly little chi from being taken to the pound, where they would have just put her down due to her weight. She's 7-8 years old, friendly as can be and a total sweetheart, but as I said, she has a major weight issue. This little girl, according to our vet, SHOULD be 6lbs, instead she is 17lbs. We have had my oldest daughter trying to walk her, and the vet put her on some diet type dog food, but she refuses to eat it so far. She's apparently been fed nothing but people food for a very, very long time. She's taken a particular loving to my husband, and he adores her right back. This morning, we brought her down for her morning meal, and she wouldnt touch it, but instead stood outside my bedroom door barking once every few minutes until we let her back in with hubby. She's got some skin allergies as well the vet is helping to work with me to fix, she got her shots, she came spayed, and she is just a sweetie! She is pad trained as well, so dont have to take her out to potty, which was my major issue with Jake due to my pain. Luckily, my daughter is helping more with this one, and so is hubby, as they never helped, or were able, with Jake (he wouldnt go out with anyone except me, period...he wouldnt even go near hubby even though he never laid a hand on him, he was scared to death of him, and he refused to go off of the porch if the kids took him out). I'm not certain we will keep her, or if we are just going to foster her, but she's here for now till her weight is no longer an issue. She's huge, and her face has fat wrinkles in it, she cant even lift her tail up like it should be because of her weight. It's sad, but not her fault, it's her previous owners fault, and I feel so bad for the poor girl. She's got such a wonderful personality, and as sweet as she is, I couldnt let them take her to the pound, which is what they were going to do. Without further ado...meet Blanche... 

(If anyone has any weight loss tips or tricks, please, let me know!!)


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## chideb (Jan 29, 2008)

Kudos to you for taking in Blanche and trying to help her lose some weight.. It is just so difficult to understand that folks will first let her "balloon up" to such an unhealthy size, and then decide to take her to the pound where she would lose her life due to their ignorance. Please keep us update on her progress. Deb


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## dmccaughan (Sep 26, 2009)

I agree completely Deb, it's why i couldnt let them take her to the pound. It is not HER fault she was given such unhealthy food, or allowed to eat so much she gained soooo much weight. The vet wants to see her back in a month to see how her progress is going.


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## amyalina25 (Jan 10, 2011)

awww she is so pretty!! So good of u to take her in and help! wish i was closer to u as i`d have her as my 3rd addition!


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## Finn (Sep 14, 2010)

Thank you for opening your home and heart to Blanche. I fostered a chubby gal, too, Missy--rescued form the Humane Society because she looked old, fat, and as a result unadoptable. She was age 6 but looked like 10 and she was at least 6 pounds overweight. Fortunately, Missy was able to walk, and she loved walking, so the weight came off rapidly with exercise and diet. The svelte Missy was adopted by a widow who needed a 24/7 companion, and Missy now has a great home and life. Keep up the good work with Blanche!


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## michele (Jan 12, 2009)

She has a lovely face,i'm sure she will get slim soon,poor baby


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## *Princess* (Feb 7, 2009)

well done for taking her in x


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## Deme (Aug 18, 2009)

She looks lovely and it is good that she has found such a caring family as yours to help her.

I guess regards feeding I'd follow my vets advice and let her have as much exercise as she can cope with, loose the weight so that she doen't feel hungry all of the time.

I had Jake on a diet as he was over weight though only by about a 1lb but it was still too much for him. we followed the vets advice and also weighed his food so that we knew what he was eating. he lost the weight and now we are maintaining it.

Hope all goes well and warm (((HUGS))) sent your way

Deme x


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## Shamelle (Jan 20, 2010)

Hi, I'm so happy for Blanche that you took her in, way to go.

My girls eat 'people' food. I cook especially for them so I don't think it would be a problem for Blanche to keep getting people food while you transition her over to the food you want her on.

The kind of 'people' food she was fed is/was probably the problem. My girls only get stuff like boiled potatos, green beans, peas, boiled chicken or hamburger, etc. and their portions are tightly controlled. I weight them often to know if the portions are to much or to little.

Good luck with your new baby


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## Chiwawa Lover (Feb 28, 2011)

Good on you for taking in Blanche!! She is a cutie


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

There was another member on here recently who asked a very similar question. Page 2 has pictures of the dog, its just heartbreaking. There may be some good advice in there for you  http://www.chihuahua-people.com/chihuahua-questions/58781-help-overweight-chihuahua.html

Also my hubby's chi when I met him was HUUUUGE! 21 lbs. She now is 10.5 lbs.

Here is her thread: http://www.chihuahua-people.com/chihuahua-pictures/53035-laurel-before-after.html

First off, she got so fat because she was sneaking food on a daily basis from a rather blase standard poodle...plus her own food...plus climbing on the table and eating scraps (boys would just leave 'em there), and was on a high cal dog food, too. She also had run of about 40 acres, and went out and knawed on dead deer and goodness knows what else, and also found a few garbage cans often enough to get into. Plus the poodle she lived with would tip over garbage cans, and they'd have a hay day.

It was hard, and we felt mean, but via our vet's advice, we cut her down to literally 12 lowfat kibbles (Innova Low Fat Adult) per meal twice a day, along with 1/3 cup frozen french cut green beans, thawed and warmed, and 1/3 cup warm water. This made her feel "full". At first she turned her nose up at the green beans but got over it. This was the whole first 3 months. Then she got upped to 15 kibble, same amount of green beans, only a bit less water. The second 3 months, I bought canned food to mix in with the green beans rather than kibble, because it gave it more "flavor" that could be mixed around. It was about 2 spoonfuls per meal. I don't remember how I figured the calorie amounts, but she could get "more" food this way, and more flavor to make the beans more palatable.

She got NO TREATS, NO TABLE SCRAPS, NADA. If someone asked if they could give her a treat, the answer was NO, sorry. Does she look like she needs it? It was winter and streets were covered in ice, so we didn't really exercise her.

She *HAD* to lose weight, she has a leg that was run over as a young pup and if the weight didn't get off of it, she was going to get arthritis in it really bad and have to have it amputated...so we just did what we had to do.

Its hard and you feel like you're starving them, but you get somewhere.

The last 2 months of the diet, she was getting 1/8 cup of Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul Low Fat dog food...dry...I think she honestly missed the green beans LOL.

We weigh her weekly to make sure the weight isn't sneaking back on.

You will feel mean, but you CAN do it, and you WILL be glad you did.

*I would also amend this diet to add in a squirt of salmon oil AM and PM as well as 1/2 a TUM. They need calcium and fats, but when a dog is this drastically overweight the key is to get the weight off as fast as possible.*

Dogs always always act like they are starving. I would have a heard of heffers if I let the way my dogs react to food indicate what I should feed them.

You also can feed 3x a day if you want just means less food at each meal.


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

Also not to beat a dead horse lol, but, a healthy animal won't starve itself. Blanche will eventually get hungry enough and eat it. So, don't give in to her.


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## bayoumah (Nov 30, 2010)

hi poor little blance i was giveing my buster little bites of people food but after reading all your advice im done doing that i wish her all the good hope the weight comes off


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## dmccaughan (Sep 26, 2009)

Thank you flippedstars for all the info and advice! I do feel like I am starving her, but I know she will eat when she gets hungry. I appreciate the green beans and salmon oil and tums advice though, and will certainly use that!!

She's doing well here so far. She definately adores my husband, and he adores her right back. She's getting walked twice a day, usually by my oldest, but me as well on good pain days when I can actually walk.


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## rms3402 (Dec 2, 2010)

WOW! You are doing an AMAZING thing. I am so happy. This pup is going to have SUCH a great life. 

Kristi, that's amazing what you did for Laurel too. I am SO happy that you were able to get all that weight off of her! That's awesome. She looks so great! I never would have known she was actually fat if I didn't see that thread!

But, let that be some motivation and PROOF that it does work, and can absolutely work for Blanche! Keep us updated! Good luck!


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## rubia (Jul 3, 2008)

My advice was going to say ..ask Kristi !! Laurel is the poster girl for chi healthy makeovers. 

I thinik the green beans are the way to go. another recommendation is to use a bit of low sodium chicken broth to flavour them.

For the kibble...I put it in a ball. It gives good exercise trying to get the kibble out and slows down the eating.

I also have a couple of puppy games where you put the piece of kibble in and he dog tried to figure out where it is and how to get it out...a little phyical activity and mental challenge. You could even put kibble inside or under small paper or plastic cups around a room and play a hide and eat game.

Rico has not had a weight problem. The winter here is bad...and he doesn't get his usual exercise (yesterday walked over an hour including hills, etc) so I try to watch it because he'd eat anything and all of it if he were allowed to.
I also think that some of the blends of food for senir pups have less fat that the "regular" blends and ingredients for joint health. If she isn't taking to the other food you could ask the vet or try that.

All the best to you and your new baby...


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## Rose of Love (Dec 1, 2010)

i think that thats great what you are doing! Just exercise and eat healthily. You said that she is not soo keen on walking.... i heard of a swimming class for dogs for them to help loose weight.


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