Overweight Shetland Sheepdog - 15kg!!

[riapnash]

Hi

I have a close relative with a spayed sheltie aged 4 who now weighs 15kg, should weigh 8-10kg. She has been to the vets for various tests - thyroid, etc and the vet can find nothing wrong for the weight problem. For the last 3 months she has been on a strict vet recommended diet and has lost no weight. She gets 1.5 hours free exercise off the lead a day, is fed nothing extra - yet sleeps the rest of the day when not going out, she rarely runs when out on a walk though she will keep up and quite happily do 4-5 miles. She just appears to be rather lazy - she was not this size when the relative bought her through a paper ad around 2 years ago - but implores me she is fed nothing else, which I do believe. Is it just that she is a lazy dog? She has no health problems otherwise, or is this something with the breed? I have a 6 year old spayed sheltie who weighs around 8kg; she in the past has gone up and down like a yo-yo and I am strict with food and exercise so am wondering if this is breed related?

[jules77]

she probably cant run as she is overweight. Nothing wrong with her sleeping the rest of the day after a walk. Strict diet, how strict, what did the vet recommend? I found supplementing half the amount of meal with boiled cabbage worked very well with one of my rough collies, that gained some weight when she was just over 12 months old - which is a relative of the shetland sheepdog, and she has remained fit and trim every since. Would also recommend splitting the food into two meals rather than one, as I find they tend to get a little colic and sick up bile if they are too hungry.

[jules77]

didnt think to ask if she was a larger than the breed standard sheltie, as some of the older type tend to look like small rough collies in size?

[Noweia]

How much of the special diet is she getting? If she is fed the amount a 15kg dog should be eating, she won't lose weight. she should be being fed the amount a 7-8kg should eat - maybe worth checking?