I’ve always been a fairly laid back, happy go lucky Corgi but I wanted to talk about something that I had to deal with, that a fair number of us have to face: being a “Floor Sausage”.
Mum and Da were always careful about what I ate, but somehow, when no one was looking, I got up to 42 pounds — about 10 pounds over my ideal weight, according to the vet! (As a quick aside, every Corgi is different and my ideal weight is just that, MY ideal weight. Yours could very well be different!)
The Uprights were concerned and knew that changes were needed. They wanted to make sure I stayed happy and healthy as long as possible, and for us Corgis weight is a VERY important factor.
We worked closely with the vet to come up with a personalized action plan to get me from 42 pounds down to 32 pounds. The most important thing for me was NO TREATS except for raw green beans and raw carrots. No cheese, peanut butter, cream cheese, fruit or anything else. We also reduced my kibble and added in canned unsalted green beans. They are low in calories but have a lot of bulk. Finally, we increased my exercise level. My walks were extended and we added a round of INTENSE keep away for 15 to 20 minutes.
It took about 18 months of vigilance and sticking with the plan to get me where I am today. It’s not a quick process, but pick your favorite saying (slow and steady wins the race, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, etc.) and stick with it!
YOU CAN DO IT!
That term "floor sausage" is great! It really describes a fat corgi well! Unfortunately there are far too many floor sausages out in Corgi Nation. I hope this inspires more "uprights" to slim down their dogs.
I also love 'floor sausage'! Our 4-year-old Pembroke was also getting to be a bit of a floor sausage. While he doesn't get many snacks around the house, we use very small treats for reinforcing his training, and didn't want to eliminate those entirely. Since we weigh the food he gets for his daily meals (weighing foods being more common in the UK than measuring by volume), we just reduced his daily meal allowance by about 10g per day (that amounts to only a few bits of kibble per meal). That way we could still use treats for rewards and training, and he lost weight within a few months. However, his weight-loss goal wasn't as dramatic as Jasper's, so this might not work for dogs with more weight to lose. Just wanted to share for those of you who don't want to entirely eliminate treats for training.
We just went through the same process with Bartley. It's amazing how fast they can put on those pounds. Congrats on your hard work the green beens are a life saver!
I adore Jasper but I am concerned that he has lost too much weight. I've had corgis all my life and I've never seen one as thin as Jasper is now. They're naturally stocky but full of muscle and it doesn't look like Jasper has much muscle at all.
Thank you for the tips. He looks great! Treats are our issue, too. I just love Jasper! I really liked the fuzzy needle felted likeness I saw weeks ago.