No matter where you look on the world wide web, there’s a high chance you will always come across an inspirational story of a man or woman who has lost an incredible amount of weight to transform their lives. They show off their before and after photographs and everyone looks on in awe. They seem to have gained new knowledge and wisdom of the world, and they feel refreshed and ready to live their lives to the fullest (er, thinnest?) Yet, have you ever wondered what happens to animals who are weighing in everyday, falling into the obese category?
If you hadn’t before, you’re wondering now! Just like us humans, obese animals are given strict healthy eating and exercise regimes to help them shed off the pounds and live a healthy and happy life. Especially as being overweight can cause serious health problems. This involves cutting down on the number of treats they get, upping the ante in terms of their walks, and being incredibly strict with their health. One dog who knows all too much about this process is Obie the dachshund, who weighed an incredible 77 lbs before his dramatic weight loss transformation… His journey is just as inspiring as most humans’.
[post_page_title]A dramatic journey[/post_page_title]
There’s nothing we love more than reading epic weight loss transformations that showcase the hard work and determination that goes into losing weight and living a healthy lifestyle – but what many people seem to forget is that it’s not only humans that go through this journey. In fact, one of the most inspirational weight-loss stories has come from an adorable dachshund named Obie. After weighing in at a whopping 77 lbs, Obie’s owner made sure that he went on a strict diet and exercise regime that turned him into one of the most famous dogs on the planet. After all, how many dogs do you know with their very own weight loss calendar?
[post_page_title]The beginning[/post_page_title]
To understand the true extent of his weight loss journey, we have to take this story back to the beginning. In this case, Obie’s story starts in 2012, when this adorable dog topped the scales at a huge 77 lbs. During this time, Obie was living his life in an animal shelter and struggling to find new adoptive parents due to his excessive weight. Yet, things took a turn for the better when a former veterinary technician by the name of Nora Vanetta took a trip the shelter in search of a new pet to add to her family. She immediately fell in love with Obie and knew that she had to take him home.
[post_page_title]Severely overweight[/post_page_title]
Although Nora was immediately charmed by his big brown eyes and beautiful coloring, she couldn’t quite hide her shock when she saw just how severely overweight he was. At just five years old, Obie was in line to become ‘The World’s Fattest Sausage Dog,’ and his weight was nowhere near where it should have been in the middle stages of his life. In fact, a normal five-year-old dachshund dog should normally weigh around 32 lbs, but Obie was way over that at 77 lbs! Nora couldn’t believe what she was seeing and asked the shelter workers how he had put on so much weight.
[post_page_title]Previous owners[/post_page_title]
Before Nora agreed to take Obie home with her, she wanted to know even more about his past life and what had happened to him in the run-up to his stint in the shelter. As a former veterinary technician, Nora had the knowledge and experience to look after Obie but wanted to ensure that she was fully prepared to deal with any health concerns or history that she should be aware of. It was then that she discovered that Obie had previously been looked after by an elderly couple who could not leave the house to walk him because of their own health concerns.
