Fat dogs and townie vets

[Rainmaker 7]

Alright lads,

 

I was in the vets a bit back for a checkup with the pup, and ended up sitting next to some young bird with a large overweight (almost obese) Rottie bitch. The dog spent the whole time gasping for breath and had only waddled into the waiting room on a cool day

 

On a body condition score this dog was a 4 out of 5. Rolls of fat, no visible waist line, sagging stomach, certainly no definition at all.

 

Out comes the vet (some young graduate looking woman) who with an air of self importance pulled the reluctant fatty onto the scales. After consulting one of those "Body weights for different breeds" type posters printed by the pet food companies (!!!), she turned to the owner, and vet in all seriousness said "This dog is still dangerously underweight, you should be ashamed of yourself!"

 

WTF?! :realmad: The poor lass got all upset, and highly embarrassed. She started stuttering about how Fluffy got three meals a day, plenty of treats and what more could she do.

 

I'd had enough by this point, I ended up opening me big fat trap (really should stop that lol). I told the vet from across the (now full) waiting room that if that dog got any bigger it'd fall over sideways and wouldn't be getting back up. I asked her if she slept through her veterinary degree, and asked how she could justify belittling a pet owner in public of all places for not feeding her dog enough, when it was already obese, and asked if it was her advice that led to the poor bugger being in that state in the first place. I mentioned something about relying on pet food manufacturer's propaganda instead of her own two eyes.

 

She went purple with embarrassment more than anything, her boss had put his head round the door by this point :whistle: I told the girl the dog needed nowt more than less crap, more exercise, and a new vet. I told her all about obesity contributing to diabetes, heart trouble and so on - just like it does in people. Cheered her up a bit anyway, I think she already knew she wasn't in the wrong but when some "professional" is telling you they know better...

 

Turns out the vet had been telling her for ages the dog was underweight and "made" her feed it up :sick: I couldn't help but make reference to the fact the vet was using a pet food manufacturer's weight guidelines, and then selling the lass their own food on massive commission. I then wondered out loud how many other customers they did that to.

 

The boss tried to shush things up, and the junior had disappeared by this point. Needless to say I found a new vet but bloody hell, no wonder I got strange looks when I turned up with my lot, muscles rippling with rib showing

 

Anyroad I'm waffling. Just pi$$ed off at the obesity epidemic, and then us who keep our dogs fit as the proverbial butcher's dog are getting told we're neglectful cos they aren't three stone overweight and living on the couch :ph34r:

[Lea 3]

Hey it's everywhere you go!!! I have been told on many occasions by the same person that my lurcher is too skinny and under weight and to b honest he was verging on carrying a little more than I would like. You certainly couldn't count his ribs easily. Prob is this person has umpteen dogs and the majority of them are obese but they just get fed pretty much ad-lib. and the person thinks all animals should be unhealthily fat. Not that she thinks its unhealthy.

 

And good on ya for mouthing off..lol