How can I help my severely overweight beagle to exercise?

Question

Allie, our four-year-old beagle, suffers from very strong seasonal allergies. She is taking a medication that helps dull the itchiness and other symptoms, but the side-effects are cruel. She has not only an increased appetite, but a slowed metabolism as well. On top of this, she is always sleeping! While we have another dog (a perfectly healthy lab), Allie does not get nearly enough exercise during her day. She has always enjoyed lazing around, but it has really caused a big problem now -- she has difficulty getting onto her feet, waddles when she moves, and can't really climb anything without great effort.

Are we too late? We realize that we could have done a lot more, but now we fear that there are very little options for us, and time is running out. While we have restricted her diet (with care), we do not believe that this will be enough.

How can we help motivate our Allie to exercise more?

A few responses:

Treadmill idea is interesting!
Yes, we realize that beagles have a tendency to be overweight and overeat -- I've looked up a few websites on this.
She is indeed on steroids -- are shots considerably more expensive or something?
As for toys, Allie is not a playful dog. She's always happy, but definitely not a playful pup. She doesn't like playing with our dog Jackie because I think she's a little afraid of Jackie's aggressiveness (which is honestly very mild -- Jackie's just the playful sort!). So, no toys.
The horrible part about walking our dear beagle -- she hates it. We tried a lot over the summer to walk her (probably every day for a month), but after a few steps, she just suddenly stops and sits down! It's going to take a lot of effort to get her to take a half-an-hour walk, but maybe we can pull it off. I'll look into the idea.
As for the hambone idea, we tried that with bread, her favorite food (unsuccessful). And no need for a bike! She's too slow!

Her allergies are so severe that her prednisone being decreased would probably not be a good decision at all. She gets incredibly itchy, and often forms scabs on her head from scratching it almost viciously with her claws. No, I wish we could lower the dosage, but I think this would make her suffer even more.

Allie also happens to be a girl, for those who hadn't figured that out already. =P

Answer 1

Take her on daily walks, start short, ten to fifteen minutes (or whatever is right for your dog), and do that for a week. Each week, up the time by five minutes.

Is there any sort of reward (non-food) that you give her that she enjoys? Such as a favorite toy? If so, give her this at the end of the walk.

If Allie enjoys going on car rides, you could drive to a park, and give her her walk there. That way she gets a reward and excercise!

Good luck!

Cheers,

Rosefern

Answer 2

Well I would go to the vet and see if they can lower the prednisone dose (I'm assuming that's what she's on from the symptoms). If not you can put her on weight restricted diet. And take her for walks twice a day at least. She can handle more than you think so don't be too worried about overdoing it with the exercising. But you can normally handle them pretty good with decreasing the pred. That sucks that she is supposed to be on that for life at such a young age. I would look into going to a veterinary dermatologist to see if there is something other than steroids that can be used to control her allergies. That would help ALOT with the side effects from the pred.

Answer 3

Well what I would do is call Jenny Craig and help your hound to realize that his eating is out of control. Most hounds overeat because of stress or anxiety. Maybe his love life is in the toilet?? Maybe Richard Simmons can help? I know how much he loves hounds. I think they have a Nutra System for Pets of course there is always Trimspa, Baby. Sometimes just talking out our problems helps us to not want to cover them up with food. Put pictures of really obese basset hounds on the fridge and tell ol' Fido that he better watch it otherwise he will just be another fur fatty and that sweet lil' poodle won't want a tubby chubby... Good luck

Answer 4

Due to her allergies, it seems it may be difficult to take her for daily walks, my husband's parents have an older Rott-Lab mix with bad hips and allergies, so to help keep her a little active they buy rope or some sort of stuffed animal and toss it around to her in the living room. She doesn't get too aggressive and she's never damaged anything playing in the house, but it does get her out of breath, she likes when we hold on to it and she tugs back, kinda like tug of war. I thinking playing with her and getting a toy she likes might help her along, if her allergy medication allows her, of course getting her outside for walks is the best thing to do for her.

Answer 5

Beagles LOVE food so have a tendancy to be overwieght. Take both of your dogs on at least a thirty minute walk each day. It will be healthy for all of you.

Also, you might consider allergy shots for Allie. It will help her allergies and not make her sleepy. Especially if her medicine she's on is a steroid. That will make her gain weight too.

PS. I have a dog named Allie too! She was so skinny when we found her, we named her Allie McBeal! LOL

Answer 6

You are in control of this pet, and you have 2 things to do.

a) limit her food intake. yeah, her appetite may have increased, but her NEED has not. Limit her intake.
b) put her on a leash and exercise her. You don't have to start with a 5 mile run, start with a walk through the neighborhood. As you do more, she will enjoy it more. Just like people - it takes time to lose weight and get better at exercising. keep it up and eventually she will feel better and be able to go for jogs with you.

You can't motivate her... she isn't going to do this on her own. it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO GET HER MOVING.

Answer 7

the only weight-reduction plan food i've got considered easily artwork, isn't a food i might in many cases advise. although, I even have considered it help my better half's mom's White Westie immensely! technological know-how weight-reduction plan r/d it is not a high quality food, even though it is a intense fiber weight-reduction plan. you are able to feed a prevalent on a daily basis quantity, yet they can't have any milk bones or doggie treats what so ever. they could have 5 toddler carrots or a million/4 of an apple sliced up (no skin and no seed) for treats for the period of the day, yet no longer something!

Answer 8

If you have a treadmill put her on it (slow at first) and she will be forced to walk do it a little each day until she finally can go long periodes of time with a fast walk...If she figures out how to get off of the tread ... put a leash on her and try tying her to the handle bar of the tredmill....

Answer 9

Discuss the problem with your vet to see if maybe he can reduce the medication. OTC Benadryl works well on itching (used for human allergies) It works on dogs also.
Good luck and keep walking her several short walks daily.

Answer 10

I owned a beagle and (this will sound weird) but the only way it would really get running is to go hunting in the woods by our house. If you have a fence let hime loose, he might find something fun. Beagles really want to please you so they love to go on walks with you. Bike with him, roller blade with him, or just walk. It can be fun if you're both into it.