An obese dog who scoffed bucket loads of cheesy Doritos has been put on a diet after her weight soared to 22lbs.
Barrel-shaped Skylar weighed in at almost double what an average Jack Russel should after her doting owners and their neighbours continually gave in to her puppy dog eyes.
The four-year-old hound will munch down anything in sight – including her owner’s other dog’s dinner – but has a special fondness for cheesy nachos and would easily devour an entire bag.
But after developing problems with her breathing, vets ordered the porky pooch to swap crisps for carrots – and owner Mandy Hannigan, 59, will be increasing the distance on their walkies.
Barrel-shaped Skylar weighed in at almost double what an average Jack Russel should after her doting owners and their neighbours continually gave in to her puppy dog eyes
The four-year-old hound will munching down anything in sight but has a special fondness for cheesy Doritos – and would easily devour an entire bag
Mrs Hannigan, from Solihull, West Midlands, said: ‘She was only a puppy when we got her and she was extremely slim.
‘She kept growing and growing – my other dog is a bit fussy about his food so Skylar would end up eating his food as well.
‘Skylar eats absolutely everything, and it’s very difficult to say no when she gives you those puppy-dog eyes.
‘She absolutely loves Doritos- she would eat about 1/3 of a bag every time I’d had some, which would be a few times a week.
‘She also eats mini Cheddars, Hula hoops, pickled onions, sausages, you name it.
Mandy Hannigan, 59, from Solihull, West Midlands, was feeding Skylar a healthy amount of dog food in the morning and evening, but hadn’t realised how much the hungry hound was eating by sharing her snacks during the day
Now, vets have ordered Mrs Hannigan to replace cheesy Doritos with chopped up carrots
Skylar has now entered a slimming competition, Pet Fit Club, organised by PDSA, which is a six month diet and exercise challenge
‘My neighbour calls her twice a day and gives her leftover meat, biscuits, cheese so now she’s been banned to give her anything now.’
‘I want to help her lose weight for the sake of her health and happiness, so I’ve entered Skylar into Pet Fit Club and we are hoping to be selected as one of the lucky competitors.
‘The PDSA reckons she needs to lose half her bodyweight so our goal now is 11lbs.
While Mrs Hannigan was feeding Skylar a healthy amount of dog food in the morning and evening, she hadn’t realised how much the hungry hound was eating by sharing her snacks during the day.
While Mrs Hannigan was feeding Skylar a healthy amount of dog food in the morning and evening, she hadn’t realised how much the hungry hound was eating by sharing her snacks during the day
Now, vets have ordered the dog’s owner to replace cheesy Doritos with chopped up carrots
‘She still sits by the side of me when I eat something, I just have to ignore her,’ Mrs Hannigan said
Now, vets have ordered her to replace cheesy Doritos with chopped up carrots.
Skylar would also have to be more active, ideally go for walks for an hour or two per day, according to PDSA.
Mrs Hannigan added: ‘Skylar just loves to snack.
‘She is very determined when she wants something. Over Christmas she somehow managed to find a box of Ferrero Roches I had hidden with other presents, break into the plastic and eat all of them.
‘We were really concerned but thankfully she was alright.
‘We know we need to be more active but it’s difficult because she doesn’t like long walks.
‘I realised she needed to get on a diet because people commented on her weight all the time, ”oh she is so fat” and she started to get a bit breathless and struggling to jump up the sofa.
‘She still sits by the side of me when I eat something, I just have to ignore her. ‘
Skylar has now entered a slimming competition, Pet Fit Club, organised by PDSA, which is a six month diet and exercise challenge.