Obese and itchy beagle!

RE: Obese and itchy beagle!

Miriam Lodewyks — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 13:48:44 GMT

My Grandad always used to say: there were NO fat people in the Nazi concentration camps... regardless of their "hormonal status".

Every gram of fat enters the body via the mouth, it's just that some dogs/owners do not have a functioning "STOP" switch. Humans are terrible at estimating their pets' calorific needs.

Also agree this dog's pruritis is probably a separate issue.

RE: Obese and itchy beagle!

Julie Innes — Sun, 26 Mar 2017 15:34:42 GMT

Having had beagles for many years, I know that they are ALWAYS hungry- my mum used to be convinced I was starving my 2! I think lots of people think that if they are hungry they must need feeding...and beagles will always oblige. They used to be very healthy little dogs, but, like every breed that becomes popular, they seem to have developed skin issues- I see a lot now with atopic dermatitis and food allergies. I'd get the dog on a diet trial, if nothing else just to stop the treats. I tell people that a dog that size probably needs about 300 calories a day, which is 4 digestive biscuits, and watch the realisation dawn! If you're lucky, once they stop the treats with dairy and all sorts of additives in, the skin will improve and the dog will be a bit lighter. Or they can wait until it ruptures both cruciates, like one of my obese beagle patients did.

RE: Obese and itchy beagle!

Julie Lavis — Sun, 26 Mar 2017 14:24:13 GMT

Sorry, this is more to do with diet than an endocrine answer; have you asked the owner if the dog is hungry? I have found several owners with fat dogs tell me their dog has a poor appetite. Further questioning reveals that they have to hand feed it or give it treats or it won't eat. At this point I do try and explain that their dog has loads of calories from its present diet and so it is trying to eat what it needs, it will only eat over this is encouraged by hand feeding. What the owner really needs to do is reduce the overal calories so the dog is hungry, eats its proper dog food and all tit bits and hand feeding are stopped. I have been surprised how often I have had this weird conversation where the owner completely over estimates how much food it is normal for their dog to eat, that a dieting dog will be hungry and, of course, how often they can not see a fat dog in front of them?!

RE: Obese and itchy beagle!

Anthony Todd — Sun, 26 Mar 2017 12:49:35 GMT

[quote user="Maggie Sellers"]Should I just assume that O has been telling me a few porkies about diet/exercise[/quote]

I always thought beagles, and some labradors, had the unique ability to turn "thought of food" into calories, so that they would always put on weight if just given metabolic water and nothing else.

My solution, hardly ever successful for obesity, was only to buy the cheapest most unpalatable food; dog biscuits made mainly of concrete and sawdust and even then it was hardly ever successful....

RE: Obese and itchy beagle!

Rob Loxley — Sat, 25 Mar 2017 16:19:43 GMT

[quote user="Maggie Sellers"]Should I just assume that O has been telling me a few porkies about diet/exercise and that the skin issues are likely to be allergic/atopic/diet related rather than endocrinological?[/quote]

I wouldn't just assume that (I might get a urine SG and the owner to measure intake ref ?PUPD), but I too would be wondering if the problem is more primary itchy skin problem (parasite/food/atopy) than hormonal.

I'd think of checking parasite control (including giving something to rule out sarcoptes), a diet trial (maybe something they can just get from you so you can try to control how much they are actually feeding) and maybe Apoquel for a couple of weeks to relieve the itch (alongside the Malaseb) while the parasite and infection control and diet trial run.
If the malassezia is bad or not responding to Malaseb I would consider oral antifungals. Also I recently had an atopic dog that got worse after Malaseb baths so suspect chlorhexidine sensitivity. Human reports in eczema patients say chlorhexidine sensitivity rate may be as high as 5%; do we have any ideas about this in dogs?

RE: Obese and itchy beagle!

Jill Butterworth — Sat, 25 Mar 2017 15:53:13 GMT

Has it ever been given steroids for it's skin (ALP)? Pruritus makes allergic skin disease more likely. Tell owner to aim for ?23kg, and that probably only needs needs about half what it's currently being fed (watch their face fall). For psychological support, make up the volume with boiled assorted veg (Not mashed spuds with gravy and butter!). You'll have to be creative if you want to go down the food trial route.

You could return their white lie and give them a bit of encouragement that a slim dog might have better skin, but at least it should smell better with fewer skin folds!

Otherwise wait for the obesity induced arthritis and injuries ;)