Honey, I shrunk the hound (in half)

Published on Monday 28 December 2009 21:35

A MORBIDLY obese dog, said to be Scotland's fattest, has lost almost half of his body weight after his owners made a New Year resolution to slim him down.

Patch, a beagle cross, was so fat that he could only walk with the help of a harness after piling on the pounds to tip the scales at four-and-a-half stone.

At the height of his excesses, the dog weighed the equivalent of an eight-year-old child and was so huge his legs could not support his weight.

But Patch has followed a strict diet regime imposed by his vet and in a transformation that many overweight humans might envy, has managed to shed his flab in time for the New Year.

As a result of cutting down on his doggy treats, six-year-old Patch lost a remarkable 1.5 stone.

Last night proud owners Lorraine and Robbie MacLean, from Motherwell, Lanarkshire, told how Patch's new slimline figure had changed, along with a rather sedentary lifestyle.

Mrs MacLean, 38, said: "When we took Patch in he was huge and everyday tasks like going for walks and playing with him were just impossible. Even getting him in and out of the car was really difficult.

"He wasn't a lazy dog and wanted to walk places but he simply couldn't.

"It was frustrating as you could see him getting excited by things but he couldn't move."

She added: "The vet decided to place him on a strict diet last January and the difference has been great. He's shed almost half of his weight and is now reaching his target.

"We are also now able to go on long walks and he can jump on you when you come home from work. It's been brilliant but we now have to watch as he jumps up on the couch and can reach places he never used to so we can't leave any food lying about as he'll scoff it.

"He has to keep to his diet."

Patch's strict diet was introduced after he was taken into the Dogs Trust re-homing centre in Glasgow following the death of his previous owner.

Vets ordered staff to put him on a diet before he was re-homed and set him a target weight of 15kg, around two-and-a-half stone.

That was in January last year and now one year on he has made such good progress that he is just 3kg away from reaching his target.

And Lorraine – who has a 12-year-old son, Kyle – said they fell in love with Patch as they felt they could help him battle his weight problems.

She explained: "After the death of our last dog we had to get another pet to fill the void. Patch immediately stuck out for us as he looked so friendly.

"We also felt that we could help him over his weight problems so that really endeared him to us.

"He is such a great dog and everyone loves him. My son thinks he is great and is a real celebrity when we take him up to the Isle of Mull, where my husband is from."

Patch's old weight left him at risk of developing heart failure, diabetes, liver disease, pancreatitis or arthritis.

But his new regime coupled with his new healthier frame could add years to his life. And Mrs MacLean added: "We are absolutely delighted for him. Not many people stick to their new year's resolution, never mind a dog."