A chubby pug who is almost double her recommended weight has been put on a diet after suffering a number of health problems due to lack of exercise.
Sugar weighs 11.9kg, the same as
an average two-year-old, after years of not being taken for a walk. Steve
Jones, Sugar’s new owner, said her previous owner didn’t exercise her because
that owner has poor vision and is also
deaf, which presents quite a few challenges.
Sugar has lost a kilogram since
being adopted but her size makes medical procedures, such as dental work, much
riskier. Mr. Jones said his other dog Winston, a Bichon Frise, is a healthy
weight and has up to four walks a day. “I take Sugar out as well but we have to
go at her pace. We’re going to try and increase her exercise”.
The pug has now been enrolled in
a fit club competition run by the charity People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals
(PDSA). “Obesity has been a huge problem among UK pets for a number of years,”
said PDSA vet Olivia Anderson-Nathan. “Animals who are overweight have a much
greater risk of developing health problems such as arthritis and diabetes. “Research
has also shown that carrying too much weight can even reduce a dog’s life
expectancy by up to two years and six months.”
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