Caters NewsA dog has had to go on a diet after putting on loads of weight because, according to her owner, she can’t stop eating cheesy Doritos.
Skylar, a four-year-old Jack Russell whose weight soared to 22lbs after eating so many of the cheesy snacks, continued to pile on the pounds because her owners ‘couldn’t resist’ her puppy dog eyes.
Weighing almost double what an average Jack Russell should, Skylar apparently eats pretty much everything in sight – including her owner’s other dog’s dinner – but has a special fondness for Doritos and can easily devour an entire bag.
Caters NewsSkylar’s owner, 59-year-old Mandy Hannigan from Solihull, West Midlands, said the pup was ‘extremely slim’ when she first got her, but kept ‘growing and growing’ because she ‘eats absolutely everything’.
Saying it’s ‘very difficult’ to say no to Skylar when she looks at her with ‘those puppy dog eyes’, Mandy said Skylar even ends up eating her other dog’s food because he’s ‘a bit fussy’.
While her favourite food is Doritos, with Skylar eating around a third of a bag every time Mandy had some – which is a few times a week – the pup also eats Mini Cheddars, Hula Hoops, pickled onions, sausages, ‘you name it’.
Caters NewsMandy’s neighbour also calls twice a day to give her leftover meat, biscuits and cheese, but has now been ‘banned’ from giving the Jack Russell anything because Skylar has developed problems with her breathing.
Because of this, vets have ordered her owners to swap crisps for carrots, and Mandy will need to increase the distance on their walks in order to help speed up the weight loss process.
It needs to be noted that while chunky dogs might look adorable, especially when they’re surrounded by their favourite snack, canine obesity is actually extremely dangerous and can cause a whole host of health problems.
Including, but not exclusive to: type 2 diabetes; osteoarthritis, especially in the hip; high blood pressure; orthopedic problems; cranial cruciate ligament injuries; skin disease; heart and respiratory disease; and decreased life expectancy by up to two-and-a-half years.
Caters NewsWhile Mandy had been feeding Skylar a healthy amount of dog food in the morning and evening, she said she hadn’t realised how many calories the dog was consuming by sharing her snacks every day.
The owner explained:
Skylar just loves to snack. She is very determined when she wants something. Over Christmas she somehow managed to find a box of Ferrero Roches I had hidden with other presents, break into the plastic and eat all of them. We were really concerned but thankfully she was alright.
I realised she needed to get on a diet because people commented on her weight all the time, “oh she is so fat,” and she started to get a bit breathless and struggling to jump up the sofa. She still sits by the side of me when I eat something, I just have to ignore her.
I want to help her lose weight for the sake of her health and happiness, so I’ve entered Skylar into Pet Fit Club and we are hoping to be selected as one of the lucky competitors. The People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) reckons she needs to lose half her bodyweight so our goal now is 11lbs.
Caters NewsIn order to achieve her goal weight, Skylar also needs to be more active, ideally going for walks for an hour or two per day, according to the PDSA. ‘We know we need to be more active but it’s difficult because she doesn’t like long walks,’ Mandy said.
The Jack Russell has now entered a slimming competition, Pet Fit Club, organised by PDSA, which is a six month diet and exercise challenge.
Hopefully Skylar will be able to lose the weight with the help of her owners, and will soon be able to jump on the sofa as normal.
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A Broadcast Journalism Masters graduate who went on to achieve an NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism, Lucy has done stints at ITV, BBC Inside Out and Key 103. While working as a journalist for UNILAD, Lucy has reported on breaking news stories while also writing features about mental health, cervical screening awareness, and Little Mix (who she is unapologetically obsessed with).