She is now a much healthier 6st.
Owner Gill Jones, a 66-year-old grandmother of six, said: ‘She was a rescue dog and was born with a problem with her genes.
‘Over a progressive period of time, she slowly put weight on.
‘It was only when she went for one of her check ups that we noticed she was overweight.
‘She had always been exercised, we live near the seaside and she was always walked on the beach.
‘She would do about a mile twice a day, but she could never go as far as my other two male Rottweilers.Make Your Own DIY Dog Friendly Carpet Deodorizer. Do you have some dog odors you want to get rid of? If you don’t have any special products on hand don’t worry – you can make your own simple dog friendly carpet deodorizer with items you’ve got around the house.
‘She was always in pain, it was quite uncomfortable to watch her after she had been exercised.
‘We tried everything, we reduced her food, we tried to exercise her more, but nothing was working. We were at our wit’s end.’
Gill and her husband, Robert, 69, took Lulu to the vets, who referred her to the Small Animal Teaching Hospital, where Professor German put her on a specific diet. Lulu’s food was full of fibre and protein, which made her feel full, and low in calories, which saw her weight come down in a healthy manner.‘If you looked at the amount of food we were giving her, you wouldn’t think it would be enough to fill a big dog like her,’ said Gill.
‘But she never went looking for more food, she was always full. Before, she could never get on the couch and wasn’t interested in playing.
‘She jumps on the couch in one leap and will happily sit there watching television.
‘She has a far better quality of life now. She’s happy, she plays, and she’s always chasing the boys round.
‘She has a different temperament and can move more freely and her whole personality has changed, she’s a lot happier in herself.’
Professor German said obesity in dogs, like in humans, can be caused by a range of factors and can lead to other health issues.This is a copycat version of the kind made by Greenies.
He said: ‘Almost invariably we find it’s not just obesity, in Lulu’s case she had problems with her joints and limbs.
‘She had back limb lameness, which restricted how much she could move. And when she put weight on, that put more pressure on her joints.
‘But by the end of the programme, she had her head up, her tail wagging and she was much more mobile and excitable – all signs of happiness.’