Your dog’s so fat, he can’t scratch his ears!
One dog in Scotland was so fat that he couldn’t scratch his own ears. After being removed from his owner, he has now shed a third of his own weight.
The four year old Labrador called Bob is believed to have been the fattest dog in Scotland weighing in at an enormous 64 kg.
His owner, Ralph Dryden, was convicted of causing his dog unnecessary suffering thanks to his diet of over-feeding and little exercise.
In January this year, Bob was removed from his owner when a vet declared him to be ‘dangerously obese’.
A family in Paisley adopted the black Labrador back in March and the difference in the dog is now said to be ‘amazing – he has got a spring back in his step’.
Previous owner Dryden was convicted in March at Hamilton Sheriff Court although a sentence was deferred for six months. Dryden claimed that Bob was taken in as a stray and was already fat when he took him in.
Now, Bob weighs a slim 41 kg now he has six mile walks and a new diet. His new owner Paul McShane told the BBC:
“Bob had to be lifted into the car when we first got him, he couldn’t even walk the distance from the car to the front door of the house. He also couldn’t climb onto a bed or be trusted on the stairs. I was told on some occasions Bob was getting fed four big tins of dog food as well as a fish supper a day. We have been very careful with his diet and have managed to get his weight under control.”
Fiona Greig, from the Scottish SPCA, said: “Sometimes through an owner’s ignorance animals can suffer and that’s exactly what happened with Bob. This was a case of extreme over-feeding, to the point that the vet who examined Bob stated that he was dangerously obese and being caused unnecessary suffering as a result. On the positive side, Bob has now been re-homed with a family who are maintaining his diet.”
Picture courtesy of the BBC.
