Dieting Columbus dachshund goes from obese to svelte /Our Dog Dieting Recommendation

We've volunteered with Dachshund and Weimaraner rescues now for about 7-8 years and it really gets to us when we see animals abused. We see all kinds of abuse- from overweight to totally starved dogs. In fact, recently a Weimaraner rescue  took in a male dog that was 27 pounds (they're supposed to be 75-100) who was chained outside most of his life. Sadly, it was too late for him and he passed shortly after coming to the rescue as his organs shut down.
  We are grateful for people who take in dogs like this formerly obese little guy and save their lives. 

***OUR SUGGESTION - We feed our dogs Rachel Ray DRY FOOD, the Grain free version. For Dachshunds who need to be around/under 20 lbs. We give them 1/3rd cup of dry kibble, 1 tablespoon of green beans (from a can) and a teaspoon of either wet Beneful food or wet Rachel ray food. - Our Dachshunds have lost several pounds and are both 18 lbs. (good weight for standards).  Of course, they should be walked at least 2 times daily, and for at least 20-25 minutes at a time. Exercise is very important!!


Rob and Tom

Dieting Columbus dachshund goes from obese to svelte

SOURCE: http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/2015/03/11/columbus-ohio-dieting-columbus-dachshund-goes-from-obese-to-svelte.html  

Dennis at 56 pounds

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Once a wanton wiener dog, Dennis went on a diet and is now a happy shadow of his former self after losing more than 75 percent of his body weight.
Less than two years ago, Dennis weighed in at a whopping 56 pounds — about the size of four or five miniature dachshunds, which is what he is. A series of "before" photos show Dennis resting on rolls of fat, his head seemingly too little for his blob of a body. He couldn't take more than a few steps without being out of breath.
Then Brooke Burton adopted him from a relative who had fed him White Castle burgers, pizza and other human food, and didn't pay much attention to the dog's burgeoning belly.
Burton, a 26-year-old nursing student, recalls how emotional she became when she first saw Dennis in June 2013, and then persuaded her relative to give him up.
"Out comes Dennis, and I couldn't believe it," Burton says. "I wasn't even sure what breed of dog he was supposed to be because he was so large."

A much happier Dennis at 12 pounds

Burton put him on diet of dry dog food, plus lots of walks and affection. Now the 6-year-old wiener dog is a svelte 12 pounds and happily chasing squirrels in the backyard, playing fetch and bossing around the other three rescue dogs that live with him.
"In the beginning, you could tell he was very depressed, that he really didn't feel good at all," Burton says. "He didn't have much of a personality. After he lost weight, this bossy little demanding man popped out. He's into everything, he wants to play with everybody."
Dennis lost so much weight that he started tripping over the folds of excess skin that were left over and getting infections. He has had three surgeries at the Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center to get rid of it.
Dr. Kathleen Ham, the veterinary surgeon who performed the operations, says Dennis' story is a good lesson for pet owners who might feed their animals too much.
"We have an expression: food is not love," Ham says. "Most of what your pet wants from you is affection and attention."