Reba's Recovery Page - Concequences of Obesity

Consequences of Obesity

Due to Reba's size she has many additional health obstacles that need to be overcome. We want to emphasize that she isn't just a cute fat dog. Her obesity has caused some serious health issues which have made her very uncomfortable.

Excessive Panting - Reba pants constantly due to her size, often very heavily. Due to this, her chin and chest are almost constantly wet with her drool. This smells and could lead to skin problems.

Ears - Reba has so much fat around her neck that her ear canals are closed off. This lack of ventilation leaves Reba's ears black with ear wax, and underneath the black they look like raw meat they are so tender. We are cleaning her ears regularly to avoid infection.

Potty Issues - Reba cannot get into a proper tucked position to defecate. This causes her feces to run down her hind end, making a big mess. We've cut the fur short on her hind end to limit the mess, however the problem remains, although a bit more controllable. Also, her anus and vulva are both surrounded by fat, which causes a mess as the feces and urine must pass by these areas while being eliminated.

Chafing - The fur on Reba's "underarms" is literally burgundy colored. When she walks the friction generated irritates her skin. The skin gets so raw that it starts to seep, staining her fur. For anyone who has ever had a raw, irritated pantyline, we can tell you it HURTS. We are treating this with Gold Bond Powder (an over the counter product for humans). This cleared it up fairly quickly, but must be re-applied daily or the problem returns. Note that ingestion isn't an issue with Reba, as there's no way she can reach these areas. If you are considering using this product on your dogs, please consult your vet.

Feet - The large pads on Reba's hind paws take so much abuse due to her weight that they look "fuzzy". We don't know if they hurt her or not. We have just started treating them with Bag Balm.

Incontinence - Reba has had a problem with incontinence. We do not know at this time if that is due simply to her obesity or rather due to the Cystitis. It is so bad that she has urinated on her bedding while sleeping.

8/27/98 - The Gold Bond Powder has cleared up Reba's underarms, and a course of Amoxy cleared up the cystitis. She continues to have accidents, but they are considerably less frequent. It's a training issue rather than a health issue. The excitement of last week, she can now itch her sides with her back paws! Imagine a dog who is so fat they can't scratch. She still can't reach around and itch her sides with her mouth. She tries very hard, but she just can't reach. Her panting is significantly reduced. She's always wet around her mouth, but it only covers her whole chin when she exerts herself too much outside. She never drools all the way down her chest anymore.