It’s raining here. Eddie is warm and dry now and lying at my feet, snoring just enough to be endearing.

I have last-minute gifts to wrap. One of them is a stuffed animal for Eddie, but wrapping that toy will have to wait until I can surgically remove that squeaker embedded in the toy’s belly. Eddie’s rough with his toys, and I don’t want to run the risk that he’ll get to that squeaker and swallow it.

This is a good moment. Everything is peaceful and we’re happy. So often it’s easy to miss these great moments and remember the good times after they’ve passed. I love it when you know you’re experiencing one of those moments.

Soon the rain is going to change to snow, and I’m betting that I’ll have to shovel the driveway before I leave for work. By the time I’m finished, I’ll be cold, wet, and tired, but on the other hand, I’ll have had some exercise. And if predictions are correct, we’ll keep that snow and have a white Christmas.

May your days be merry and bright!

Janice

Eddie weighed in yesterday at 33.2 pounds, and he looks great. In fact, Dr. Abood suggested that he might just be at his perfect weight.

So, rather than try to lose the 3.2 pounds that separate him from his original goal weight, we’re going to change our game plan to one of weight maintenance, rather than weight loss.

For me, maintenance is always harder than weight loss. I remember lots of times at Weight Watchers when I’d get to my goal weight and struggle to maintain. My weight would go up and down.

Eddie’s new diet includes a lot of change and challenges.

First, he’s going to be eating an extra half-cup of dog food each day. We want to move his caloric intake to about 500 calories a day, which, Dr. Abood says, should meet his increasing energy needs. He has been getting just under 300 from his one cup of kibble.

Second, we’re going to begin the process of changing the food he’ll be eating. Dr. Abood said that the rule of thumb for protein intake is one gram of dietary protein per pound of body weight per day. So, Eddie needs around 30 grams per day, and he was getting about 20 grams through his food.

She said that it’s not easy to calculate the protein a dog gets just from reading the package, and you might want to contact the dog food company to get more detailed information.

We’re adding some new kibble to Eddie’s maintenance diet. This alternative provides more protein per 100 Kcals. He’ll get three-quarters of a cup of the regular kibble and three-quarters of a cup of the new kind each day for the next two weeks. Then we’ll recheck his weight and go from there.

Eddie’s always been a fun and active dog, but recently, he’s been more active and more fun. He’s great to walk with, and it’s a joy to increase our distance and share more time together outside.

Janice

I work for a man who likes to tell a story about big rocks and little rocks. It goes something like this:

A boss asked an employee to move a big pile of rocks, some sand, and some water into a container. The employee started with the sand because it was the easiest, and then he moved onto the small rocks. By the time he got to the big rocks, there wasn’t enough room in the container to hold any more. So he gave up.

The boss was disappointed, but he decided to work with the employee to get the job done.
They emptied the container, and rather than starting with the sand, they started with the big rocks. In no time, the container looked full, and the employee looked happy that the job was over.

The boss didn’t agree. He started putting the smaller rocks into the container, and they filled in some of the places between the big rocks. When they finished with the small rocks, they moved on to the sand, which filled in more of the empty spaces between the rocks.

When they finished, the container looked completely full, but then the boss poured the water into the container, and it filled the remaining spaces.

The man I work for likes this story because it means that we can always do one more little thing.

I like it because it reminds me of Eddie’s new food arrangement.

When he was eating the big pieces of his usual kibble, only a few fit into the cup. It is designed to clean the teeth as the dog chews on the big, hard piece. There was lots of space around the kibble in the measuring cup. In fact, I had to work to make sure that Eddie got as much of the kibble as he possibly could. Now, I start with three-quarters of a cup of the regular kibble, and pour the three-quarters of a cup of the smaller-sized diet kibble on top. There’s still room, because the little kibble fit into all the spaces around the big kibble. His cup of food is so much more filling.

He’s thrilled. We’ll see how this new plan works in helping maintain his weight on January 11, when he weighs in next.

Janice

You know how when a dog has an allergy he starts that obsessive compulsive foot licking? Eddie does that sometimes, usually when the seasons change from winter to spring and from summer to fall.

Well, late last week, after just a few days on his new diet - a mixture of his old dog food and his new – he started to scratch in that same kind of obsessive-compulsive way. After the second day, he was really into a groove. I, on the other hand, was going crazy watching and hearing him scratch.

I evaluated what had changed in his life. What could have made him so itchy? I hadn’t introduced any new cleaning solutions or new carpets into the house. I hadn’t given him a bath with new soap. The only thing I could think of was his diet, and so I changed his diet back to his old food in the new quantity. Within a day, he’d stopped scratching.

I’ve e-mailed Dr. Abood to let her know and I’m sure we’ll talk about this at Eddie’s next visit on Thursday. If the scratching is a temporary thing – and not too damaging – maybe it makes sense to move ahead with his new food, a food that provides more protein in his diet.

Scratching or not, the one thing that has been consistent about Eddie throughout his life with us is that he’s a beggar. Whenever I gave him a cup of food, he begged. Now that I’ve increased his food, he begs more.

As for me, I feel like I’m paying close attention to what I’m eating. I’ve been making a great effort to drink a lot of water, and like Eddie, I’ve developed a real appreciation for carrots.


Janice

Eddie weighed in at 33.5 pounds, which just slightly more than he weighed the last time. Interestingly enough, though, he looks better.

You know that knobby bone on the back of a dog’s head? When Eddie weighed in two weeks ago, it was very pronounced, and Dr. Abood thought it might indicate that Eddie was losing muscle mass. So we changed dog foods to make sure he got more protein.

We’re changing dog foods again. She recommended that we try a food that offers more protein per 100 Kcalories, and if we want Eddie at 33 pounds, he needs 33 grams of protein per day.

This is the first time I’ve been able to buy dog food in the grocery store. So far, Eddie loves it. In fact, he’s loved these weight-maintenance foods. Now my garage has three kinds of dog food. Luckily, Alex likes Eddie’s diet, too. He loves carrots, too, and he really likes the new food options.

So, Eddie’s doing well. He still loves vegetables. He’s much more active, and, with the exception of the begging, he’s perfect.

As for my weight, I’ve cut down, but I need to do more. We usually play racquetball a couple of times a week. Not enough. I started an exercise class last night that includes step aerobics and weights. My butt hurts. I have a different class on Tuesdays, and, I’m going to try to swim at least once a week. Okay, none of these exercise plans include Eddie, but we’re still walking every day and playing. It’s our special time together. I talk; he sniffs. One of these days, he’ll tell me he’s tired of hearing about work.

So, some things work; some things work better. We’re not giving up yet.

Janice

I’ve already mentioned that Eddie’s begging hasn’t diminished. If anything, he’s become even more focused. Perhaps he needs more treats to fill his physical or psychological need to eat or to feel loved, but his new treats – primarily carrots, broccoli, and string beans – aren’t so high in calories. I feel okay, up to a point, giving him a carrot when he has one of my socks in his mouth and wants to trade for a treat. I know that there’s a bigger issue here, but sometimes it just seems important to save my socks.

If you’re worried about the treats you’re giving your dog, maybe this listing of foods and their calories will help you make some healthier choices.

First, here’s a listing of some of Eddie’s new favorite treats and the calorie count for them: One medium baby carrot – 4 calories; one stalk of celery – 6 calories; ½ cup of raw zucchini – 9 calories; ½ cup of raw broccoli – 12 calories; ½ cup of sweet green peppers – 15 calories; ½ cup of green beans – 20 calories; ½ cup of watermelon – 25 calories; ½ cup of apple – 33 calories.

Next, here’s a list of some of the human food that I had fed Eddie in the past, along with the calorie counts. A piece of cheese here, a French fry there … I was probably feeding Eddie at least twice the calories he needed every day. So, here is a list of some of the foods we have eliminated from his diet:

One slice of American cheese –31 calories; one slice of cooked bacon – 43 calories;  ½ cup of plain skim yogurt – 64 calories; one slice of bologna – 88 calories; ½ cup of vanilla ice cream – 145; one hot dog – 147 calories; small take-out French fries – 245.

And, finally, here’s a list of Eddie’s old favorite dog treats – all the calories listed are for one small-sized treat:

Snausages – 25-33 calories; Chew eez Beefhide chew strips – 60 calories; Pup-peroni – 39 calories; tender T Bonz – 42 calories ; Busy Bone dental – 277 calories; and Eddie’s absolute favorite, Greenies – 67 calories.

Amazing, isn’t it? It’s so easy to give treats and to overlook their caloric impact on a dog’s diet. Even with giving Eddie vegetables, I worry that I could be overdoing.

I hope this list helps you to find some great alternatives for your dog and that your dog learns to love carrots, just as Eddie did.


Janice

If Eddie were in Weight Watchers, he’d be a lifetime member. He’s gone six weeks at – or around – his goal weight. He weighed in Thursday at 32.7 pounds. And we’ve made the big step from weighing in every two weeks to scheduling our next weigh-in for four weeks from now.

We didn’t make any changes to the quantity of food that Eddie gets every day, and we’re still mixing food. Eddie hasn’t been hard to please. He likes everything – nothing quite as much as a greenie, but greenies aren’t in his future.

And, separate from food, he’s been doing great. He has more energy; he’s playing more; and when his feet get a little cold when we walk through the snow, I can carry him home. He doesn’t weigh a ton anymore.

As I mentioned, I haven’t done quite as well. I’ve lost between five and seven pounds, too, depending on the day. It’s a mystery how I can eat the right things, in the right quantity, get exercise, and still gain some days. Maybe I shouldn’t check so often … Maybe every week, then every two weeks, then once a month … like Eddie.

Five to seven pounds isn’t bad. It’s about what Eddie lost, but I’m so much bigger. To be honest, I didn’t have someone measuring my food, and I wasn’t always good. I have to keep in mind that I didn’t gain this weight overnight, and it probably won’t disappear in the night, either.

So, Eddie is on maintenance, and I’m still in the weight-loss phase.

This process has been a challenge. Early on, it was very hard for Eddie to cut back. He expected treats, because I’d always given them to him. In fact, it was hard for me to stop giving him treats. When I did stop, he was surprised, hurt, shocked, and hungry. I wanted him to succeed, and so I followed Dr. Abood’s suggestions. She was a great ally. She encouraged and praised him and worked with us to find the best food in the right quantity. We couldn’t have done this without her.

We’ve pretty much changed the way we eat entirely.

My dog, Alex, who is just naturally thin and has always been uninterested in food, is now eating, and the beauty of Alex is he’s not gaining any weight. He’s clearly not from my side of the family. Both he and Eddie are craving carrots, and so am I.

So, Eddie and Alex have a new diet that’s working, and I’m still working on my diet. After seeing Eddie’s success, I know it can be done.

Here's a recent photo of the new and improved Eddie:


Janice

It’s been an odd winter. Okay, it’s what we typically call a “Michigan winter.” It isn’t predictable and it just doesn’t make sense.

We started with an early snow in late October and moved into a long period of “unseasonably warm” weather, which was great for me and Eddie. We walked every day, and Eddie got the exercise he needed to jump-start his weight-loss program.

Eddie’s weight-loss program was an overwhelming success, due in no small part to the encouragement of Dr. Sarah Abood, nutritionist at Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. She evaluated his weight-loss needs and food requirements, found the best food for him in the right quantity, answered my questions, and encouraged and praised us.

When Eddie first met with Dr. Abood on November 15, 2006, he weighed 38.2 pounds. My goal was for Eddie to weigh about 30 pounds, the amount he weighed when he came into our lives. For the next two weeks, Eddie received considerably less food than he had come to expect. This was a difficult transition for him, but when he weighed in on December 11, he was 35.5 pounds. By December 28, he weighed 33 pounds and he looked great. You could feel his ribs and appreciate his new energy.

We decided to call this his goal weight, and Eddie began his weight-maintenance phase. We changed his food to increase protein and increased his intake, and on January 11, he weighed-in at 33.5 pounds. Still good. Two weeks later, on January 25, he weighed 32.7 pounds, and we decided to lengthen the time between weigh-ins to five weeks to see how we did without the pressure of regular monitoring. Eddie did great. When he weighed in on March 1, he was 32 pounds.

What makes this more amazing is that during this time, I didn’t do a good job of Eddie got exercise.

Almost immediately after our weigh-in on January 25, the weather changed. It went from “unseasonably warm” to painfully cold. The temperature was consistently below zero and the wind chill made it feel like 15 to 20 degrees below. When I would send Eddie and Alex outside, they would take a few steps and then transfer their weight to three paws, alternating the paws that were on the ground. In no time, they’d run out of paws to put on the grown and they’d sit down, confused about how to travel with such cold feet. I’d rush out to carry them back into the house.

This week we had an unusual weather event – snow, sleet, freezing rain, hail, thunder, and lightning all at once. The roads were scary to drive on and much too slick to walk on.

I pretty much stopped walking Eddie because of the weather, and because I managed to get sick as a dog during this time. Sick as a dog is a funny comparison, because no dog I’ve ever had has exhibited my symptoms. On the bright side, getting sick really jump-started my weight-loss program.

I think of this as an explanation, rather than an excuse. It’s a temporary blip on our plans to keep Eddie at an ideal weight. The weather is pretty nice today, and we’re going for a walk.

When I started this process, I was concerned about my ability to take good care of a heavy dog. My first dog, Annie, was a Golden Retriever, a beautiful dog who loved food just as much as Eddie does. As she got fat, I was unable to make the commitment to helping her lose weight. I wanted her to be happy, and I couldn’t bring myself to be consistent about cutting out her treats and cutting back on her food.

When she became ill, I couldn’t lift her into the car to take her to the vet when I needed to. I had to rely on help. Asking for help wasn’t the problem, knowing that I couldn’t handle her needs independently and immediately made me fearful.

I didn’t want that to be the case with Eddie. I didn’t want his weight to shorten his life or lessen his ability to function. Having seen the alternative, I knew that I had to be firm for his good.

We were also lucky because of this blog. Having to report on Eddie’s progress made me that much more dedicated to his success. And the truth is, he can’t overeat if I don’t overfeed.

I’m very grateful for all the support we had in the process of changing my behavior and Eddie’s life.

So, Eddie is a lean, mean, fighting machine, and he loves attention and activity. So, what’s next for us? Well, I’m looking into agility training for Eddie. We have a local group that offers agility classes,