There are no big boned dogs.

I'll preface this article by saying this up front.  I've never met a pizza I didn't like.  I love pizza.  Regardless of the fact that I've lost 100+ pounds with some left to go, I freely admit that I love sausage pizza, cheese pizza, veggie pizza.  Deep dish, thin crust, square, oval, round.  I love it all (well ok - I actually don't like white pizza and can't figure out why anyone would but I digress).  As a pet owner I almost always saved a snippet of the crust for my dogs because I thought - what good is pizza if you can't share it?

I'll tell you this now in all sincerity.  Pizza may be delicious but if you eat it every day you're not going to be the picture of health. Chances are, you'll be battling the bulge, just as I am.

As one of the Directors of Beagle Rescue League, I am often asked questions about pet health issues. The one thing I do NOT get asked about is weight.  Maybe because of embarrassment or fear of ridicule on a pet owners part.  I'm not quite sure but let me tell you all something.  When it comes to a fat dog everyone sees the elephant in the room and sometimes, no, most times that "elephant" transformed itself from a canine because YOU created a problem that is out of control.

If you are feeding your dog human food (chips/pizza/steak/chicken/cake, etc) please STOP!!! I know you love your dogs but hear this - you are literally killing them with kindness.

I can't blame everyone and I'm not even mad but it makes me very sad when I meet a dog and people don't understand that the reason their dog snores, snorts, can't play like they used to, chokes on a collar, waddles, is heat intolerant, etc is not because their dog is "big boned".  It's because that dog may have a serious weight issue.

THUD!! Thats me jumping off my soap box.

I don't think anyone sets out to make their dogs unhealthy but like us, a good thing can turn into something not so good if we don't curtail bad habits.

I firmly believe many people don't even realize how overweight their dogs are.  MANY times I meet people who comment that my dogs are too thin and they aren't - but people seem to believe a little padding is needed if you can feel ribs.  Not so.  You should be able to feel your dogs ribs (not see them) if they are at their proper weight.  Take a look at this chart and see if it helps - which one represents your own dog? Anything above the number three is call for action.

Some things I bet you did not know:

• Standard Beagles weigh 22-26 lbs.  So four extra pounds is an extra 20% of body weight.  8 lbs extra and your dog is 40% over what they should be carrying on their frames.   In comparison, a human whose ideal weight is 150 would (using the same ratio) actually weigh 210.  I know very few people who given a choice would opt for the higher of those numbers popping up on their scale in the morning.  
• Did you know that giving your dog a large Milk Bone style treat is equal to us eating a Snickers Bar?
• If your dogs neck is wider than their head, you have a chubster in the makings.

What to do now if your pet IS overweight? 

Glad you asked....I recently found a web site that I just loved - it provides info on the dangers of pet obesity, the chart above, tips to help your dogs lose weight and even suggestions for you to follow to get your pets back into great shape.  Want me to share? OK - here it is:

http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/cat-and-dog-weight-loss.aspx

I don't love the bag (again - it smacks of embarrassment at the check out line) but I do like Natural Balance food and my own eat either NB Ultra supreme OR NB Ultra Lite.  Yes, this is a shameless plug for this dog food but it suffers few recalls, is not all grain and if you are looking for an easily accessable brand, consider this one.

My personal disclaimer - I am not a vet so please don't tell me I told you to follow these suggestions.  They are only that...suggestions.  If you want to follow advice on how much to feed your dog, please talk to your veterinarians.  Don't switch your dogs food without transitioning slowly to another either - it causes nasty stomach upset sometimes.  

I personally never feed my dogs the amount suggested on the bag of commercial dog food - it seems to me to be excessive and certainly, four cups of dog food a day for a beagle is not something I would follow because right now my guys get 1/4 of that amount and it's adjusted if they lose weight and/or gain weight by increments.

I pass on this information because like you, I love beagles and I want mine to live long, healthy, happy lives. I know thats your goal too and since they are 100% reliant on us, it's our job to do the very best we can for them in all facets.

This website may offer you some new ideas on how to do just that.


The End

Every Super Dog Needs a Hero

Every super dog needs a hero!

Beagle Rescue League, Inc, based in Northwest NJ and Bucks County, PA is actively searching for foster homes for some truly super dogs.

Beagles in our program come to us with a variety of backgrounds: some arrive from high kill shelters in the southern U.S while others are released to us via collaborative efforts with biomedical research facilities where dogs are retiring from their “jobs” in the medical community.  The amount of care needed by each dog can vary dramatically.  Most shelter dogs have lived in a home and may be partially housetrained.  They often know basic commands and have lived in a family environment while laboratory research dogs can require more in-depth care as many have not had the luxury of experiencing simpler things in life that we take for granted such as car rides or leash walking.

The length of time dogs remain in foster families also varies. We do everything we can to spread the word that our rescue beagles are available. Some are in foster care for a few weeks, and some for a few months. Some are even adopted by their foster families! Whatever the case may be as a BRL foster family you will work with an assigned Foster Coordinator. Foster coordinators are available to answer questions, arrange for any medical care necessary, assist in training or behavioral issues, and more. Best of all, they have foster dogs themselves, so they have a first-hand knowledge of the process.

Beagle Rescue League temperament tests every dog in our program and we provide everything you will need on your journey as a new foster home.  From crate, veterinary care, food, toys and more we are with you every step of the way.

The role of a foster home is the most important of all because you have the capacity of shaping a dogs future.  By providing a caring environment, a warm place to sleep and patient socialization, you have the ability to change the future for a dog.  With the help of a loving foster family, we have seen dogs blossom and become treasured, forever companions to their new families.

Volunteer foster homes must live in one of the following counties in NJ (Morris/Warren/Union/Middlesex) or PA (Bucks).  We require that you attend at least one adoption event per month to showcase the foster dog in your care (currently we are partnered with Petco/Petsmart/PetValu).  We also screen foster homes carefully and make every effort to match a dog to you unique, personal requirements.

Want to become a hero?  Simply visit www.beaglerescueleague.org/foster for additional information. Our application is there too if you would like to begin your journey with us.

If you have additional questions we’re here to help.  Simply drop an email to foster@beaglerescueleague.org and we’ll respond promptly.

Fostering is rewarding, fun and it literally can save the life of a dog!  Please say you’ll help us to help them!