DOG-gone diets!

So, as you may have read, my dogs are on a diet. Sad, isn't it? You can see photos of my babies on my other blog here (by the way, I'd love for you to follow it!) They don't look that bad do they??? Well, according to the vet, they are "overweight." What does the stupid vet know anyway?

We picked Kai (our golden) out of her litter because of her small paws. I'm sure there were other reasons as well, but mainly, it was the paws. See, there's this mean little rumor floating around that you can judge how big a dog will get by the size of its paws as a puppy: big paws = big dog, small paws = smaller dog. It sort of reminds me of another little comparison rumor that floats around college (oh, who are we kidding? - and high school) campuses. Hehehe . . . yes, I am that immature. Moving on. Well, I have first-hand experience that this rumor is FALSE! (Oh, I'm back to the dog's paws one by the way). As Kai continued to grow . . . and grow . . . and grow, we soon realized that she just had baby feet and that the rest of her was not going to follow suit. I belive she topped out at 80ish pounds. Yup, that's right, our female golden retriever. But, you can't just judge a book from it's cover. You've got to do a little more digging. If we go back and take a look at Kai's mom . . . well unfortunately, I don't have a photo of her mom. But if I did, you'd see that she was sort of rotund herself. I think it runs in the family. Genetics, ya know? They are just big-boned!! I swear! Or, quoting from the fun animated movie Ice Age (BTW, do you know how much I love animated movies??? If you don't, I'm sure you'll soon realize based on my posts!):

Manny: I'm not fat. It's all this hair. It makes me look poofy.
Sid: Fine. You have fat hair, but when you're ready to talk, I'm here.

Yes, that is the ongoing joke in our household - Kai has fat hair. I think it's a perfectly logical explanation. Really. I can say that with a straight face. I swear. Well, the vet didn't buy that answer. So basically Kai has been on a diet since she turned 1. Yah, I know, sad.

And then there's Sequoia, our cute little sheltie. She may look like a miniture Lassie, but believe me, you do NOT want this dog saving you from a well. She'd be more likely to jump down there with you just so she's not alone. Severe dependency issues, I tell you. S.E.V.E.R.E. But you got to love her. Even if she slams her head into the door every morning as you leave the house. Yah, I think she may have brain damage. But she's adorable and I love her. And she really does have fat fur. If you've ever seen her in person, you can attest to that. But when she's wet she looks like a little drowned rat. So, she has a weight issue?? Naw, couldn't be. Damn vet. Again, telling us that she also needs to lose a few lbs. Did I mention that this is the same vet that now wants Kai to have a "Senior Wellness Exam" because she is a "senior citizen"? Yah, she's 7 people. Even in dog years (49), that's really not that senior. But, for the sake of argument, assume she IS a senior. Well then she should qualify for some AARP discount right?? Um, NO! They want to charge you MORE once they reach senior-status. Something seems backwards here. Damn vets. But I just got off track.

So now both of my babies are on a diet. We'd already been feeding them the weight management food. What else can we do??? Oh yah, well, I guess we could take them for more walks. You know, like responsible dog-owners. But we don't want to admit that THAT may be the problem because, ya know, that makes US look bad. So we decide to scale back on the amount of dog food they get - and supplement with foods that have more fiber so they feel full. Such as green beans. Yes, we are now feeding our dogs green beans. And pumpkin. And carrots. And rutabagas. Those dogs now hear a can opener and they are salivating at my feet. We've created monsters. But I have to admit, I have seen a noticeable difference. Especially in Sequoia. She has, well, a waistline. Imagine that! We have not had them weighed since the diet-edict came down, but I am hopeful. We shall see.

So needless to say, the entire household is on a diet. At least no one feels left out.