Tubby Terrier sheds whopping 4.5kg as ‘dog mum’ encourages owners to get pets weighed

A Greater Manchester 'dog mum' whose Chinese Crested Terrier successfully lost almost a third of his whole body weight is now calling on other pet owners to join PDSA's Big Weigh In, in partnership with Royal Canin. 

 The campaign, now in its second year, aims to tackle the pet obesity crisis head on, with owners able to take advantage of free weight checks at participating vet practices throughout the UK. 

Alison Short, (46), from Salford helped her dog, Peanut, lose a whopping 4.5kg after her furry friend mysteriously stopped walking and quickly piled on the pounds. 

"Peanut used to love to go on walks but mysteriously just stopped walking one day and ever since then he's piled the weight on," explained Alison. 

Vets discovered that both of Peanut's back limbs were causing him a lot of pain when walking as they had become disjointed.  

"I was relieved that vets had found the problem, but felt so sad for the pain Peanut had been in, and that I had been trying to encourage him to go on walks and not overfeed with treats. 

"We started him on treatment but then the next challenge was getting him to lose the weight!" 

At this point Peanut was 14.5kg, 28% over his recommended weight for his breed and size.  

Alison had to change Peanut's diet, drop down his portion sizes and increase his daily exercise.  

 "Peanut has always been an active dog. We are an outdoors family and we used to take him out wherever we could; hiking, walking, climbing hills and even one mountain! He especially loves scrambling on rocks and at the beach although he won't go into any water to swim.  

"It can seem really daunting to take a pet on a weight loss challenge, but I promise that you won't look back. It's not a quick fix though and takes patience and perseverance but small changes to food, treats and exercise can make a huge difference. 

"The Royal Canin weight loss programme we went on via the team at the University of Liverpool really works. We hit Peanut's target in just six months and now he is on maintenance for life with regular check ups."  

Thankfully, Alison revealed that Peanut is back to his usual self.  

Alison and Peanut live with another Chinese Crested Terrier, rescue dog, Loki, (3), her partner Phil, (47), and their two sons aged 18 and 15. 

"Peanut smashed his weight loss target and we discovered there was no need for any surgery on his legs, which is what we wanted to avoid, he now has his quality of life back and now enjoys walks two or three times a day once more.

"I'd urge anyone reading this to get their pet weighed. It's not until you look properly that you can see that your four-legged friend is actually overweight as it can be hard to tell and sometimes you need expert advice on how to best manage your pet's nutrition." 

Unfortunately the statistics confirm Alison's concerns - according to the 2023 PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report, vet professionals estimate that almost half of pets are overweight or obese (46% of dogs, and 43% of cats).  

"Whilst many owners may deem a few extra pounds as harmless and sometimes even cute, there are actually many long-term health risks associated with obesity," PDSA Vet Lynne James explains.  

"Worryingly, our PAW Report 2023 also found 42% of pet owners admit to not knowing their pet's current weight and 54% to not knowing their pet's ideal weight.  

"10% of pet owners say they last weighed their pet more than 12 months ago, equating to 520,000 dogs. Of those owners, 51% (270,000 dog owners) told us they didn't feel it was necessary and 17% (86,000 dog owners) said they didn't want to pay to take their dog to the vets to get them weighed. 

"This shows us why our Big Weigh In, in partnership with Royal Canin, is such an essential initiative!"  

The Big Weigh In campaign is now in its second year. For the rest of March 2024, pet owners can book free weight checks and receive free advice at one of 500+ participating vet practices across the country.  

During the free weight check, pets' weight and body condition scores will be recorded and owners will be signposted to further materials to help educate them about their pet's weight and encourage regular monitoring, as well as support with weight loss if needed. There are also plenty of helpful resources on PDSA's website for owners to refer back to.  

To find your nearest participating practice visit: pdsa.org.uk/WeighUp