Bruce’s Weight Loss Journey….
At Marshall and Pringle our head nurse Sarah provides free weight loss programs* using her excellent knowledge and compassion to provide support for both pet and owner. Here is one of her success stories from the POV of the patient :-)
July 2023
“Hi, my names Bruce, I’m just over 4years old & I’m a part bred Lab (posh word for Labrador crossbreed).
I like my food – it’s not my fault, I have a lot of Labrador in me & I was a skinny potbellied pup when my mum brought me home. Once I got rid of my worms I had to make up for lost time so I just kept eating & my belly just kept growing. I managed to make mum feel guilty with my soft brown eyes so she gave me treats. I must admit I did have a bit of a thing for my feline friend’s food – “snooze you lose” is my motto!
My food obsession became apparent when Hannah, the wonderful vet from Marshall & Pringle had to visit me at home as Mum couldn’t get me in her truck due to my size and my sore leg. I was disappointed to hear Hannah tell mum I was so overweight she couldn’t examine me properly – how rude! I barely moved, except for the panting which I did continuously thinking my finely tuned body just needed more oxygen. Do you know long it’s taken to get a body like this? Here I was thinking it was muscle, how disappointing to discover it was fat! Hannah said I had a ‘dodgy’ kneecap which needed x-rays and potential surgery to fix my knee. Unfortunately, she said I was about 20kgs overweight, and it would be too risky to put me under sedation let alone an anaesthetic ☹. I was given pain killers and anti-inflammatories, and mum was told to put me on a diet.
At first mum cut back on my normal food which meant I was sooooo hungry (possibly hangry at times – if you know what I mean?) Not only was I not getting the same amount of food & treats but I wasn’t getting enough nutrient’s either – my life had taken a turn for the worst!
Little did I know Marshall & Pringle were scheming with Kat the Rep from Proplan Premium Petfood & after hearing what a challenge I faced they offered to use me as a Guinea Pig for their, how do I put this…… Obesity diet!
Proplan are now supporting me on the condition that I lose weight and they can follow my progress. I have regular weigh-ins at the clinic & the nurses take my measurements – I’m starting to feel like a film star with all the attention I’m getting… I wonder if I’ll be the canine version of the Kardashians?”