Shortly after the New Year, I adopted a 1-1/2 year old Blue Heeler. My family and I just adopted a hound mix shortly after Christmas, but a friend of mine messaged me about an urgent dog that needed to be rescued. He was an owner surrender at a local shelter and needed to be adopted ASAP. Owner surrenders do not get much time at shelters—they are the first to get euthanized when the shelter is full because no one is looking for them. Needless to say, I went down to the shelter and adopted him. A couple of weeks later, I discovered he was heartworm positive.
Crash’s diagnosis did not discourage me. Heartworm is a treatable disease, but it is expensive. It takes three months to complete and is very hard on the dog. He came through it perfectly and it now heartworm-free. Unfortunately, during his treatment he put on five extra pounds. That might not seem like a lot, but for a 33-pound dog, those five extra pounds are about a 15% mass increase. During the treatment, a dog must have limited activity. Any increase in blood pressure can cause a blood clot as the heartworms are expelled through the bloodstream. Crash was put on crate rest and sedated for three months to limit activity. All that rest time, even though it helped him get rid of the heartworms, made him chubby and out of shape.
Now that he is finished with the treatment, I am working on getting him back into shape. I’ve steadily increased his activity, but my charming little heeler is extremely food motivated. He particularly loves to steal food from his fur-brother and my kids. To get him back into shape, I needed to cut his calories in addition to exercise. While searching for a “diet” dog food, all the ones I came across were full of fillers. I wanted a quality dog food that was made with quality ingredients. Just like with people food, the more junk food you ingest, you are not doing any favors for your body. Crash had come a long way and I wanted him to get back into shape without having to sacrifice taste, nutrition or quality.
Many of the pet fosters I work with through an animal rescue I volunteer with recommended Natural Balance® Pet Foods, specifically, Fat Dogs® Low Calorie Dry Dog Formula. It’s designed to keep your pet nutritionally balanced with fewer calories. The dry dog food has a special protein and fiber blend that can help your dog feel full as they lose weight. Perfect. Since Crash is ALWAYS hungry, more is better.
Looking at the ingredients I was happy to see that they were recognizable and pronounceable. I didn’t see any “fillers” or grains. The ingredients include: chicken, salmon, garbanzo beans, dried peas, pearled barley, and oatmeal. And, with all the pet food recalls I’ve seen lately with other big brand dog food, it was comforting to see that Natural Balance is committed to pet safety. They perform safety tests on every batch of food. You can feel confident that your pet is getting the best nutrition without any chance of them ingesting anything harmful. With their Buy With Confidence® promise I feel extremely good about feeding this food to my dogs. I value quality nutrition in my life and see no reason why I shouldn’t value it in my dogs as well. Natural Balance stands out in an industry full of food recalls and issues. Normally, paying more for a product means that it is higher quality but that isn’t a guarantee in today’s world. That is why Natural Balance goes the extra mile to test all of their products for safety. They care about your pet’s health and happiness above anything else!
As far as taste? It seems that Fat Dogs® Low Calorie Dry Dog Formula passes the Crash test. He gobbles it down like it’s his final meal before he’s off to war. In addition to the dry food, I also use the Dog Food Rolls as treats when we are training. The Dog Food Rolls are made with premium ingredients such as beef, lamb, chicken, duck, pea flour and brown rice flour. They slice up easily into small bites and are perfect for training treats.
Crash is down three pounds and has two more to go. His stamina is increasing everyday and his coat is looking great. I’m glad I was able to save him from a deadly disease and he’s been a wonderful addition to my family. As time goes on, I hope he has a wonderful, long and healthy life with us—just a few pounds lighter.
If you have any questions about heartworm or how to get your dog back into shape, ask me in the comments for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card. This is a great way to win extra cash towards the purchase of Natural Balance Pet Foods. Your fur-babies will love you for it!
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Tweeted-https://twitter.com/birdiebee52/status/829759544406450179
I have a hard time getting my dog back into shape during the winter months because we have so much snow that we cannot do our daily walks.
Tweet – https://twitter.com/willitara/status/829543332493873155
I’m pretty much a couch potato myself so I’m looking for inspiration for both myself and my pets. Thanks for the information on heartworm. I never knew what caused it.
https://twitter.com/myfolly/status/816175022616248320
My furbaby has put on weight and has a problem jumping up on the chair/couch. The vet said to cut back on her food, but she is still having problems. Do you have a suggestion? She runs in the yard and plays with her fence buddy, but, I don’t think she’s losing any weight.
https://mobile.twitter.com/faithjacklynswe/status/815882313154383873
can you. buy heartworm medicine over the counter? That’s something I would really love to know because I can never seem to find any and if so where do you find it at
I publicly Tweeted this giveaway: https://twitter.com/versatileer/status/815340612987875329
What is the best way to get your dog back into shape after they are already a little out of shape?
#SweepstakesEntry- tweet:
https://twitter.com/thrincor/status/815274815649185792
so scary! I don’t have a dog, just five cats but I pet sit a lot for my friend’s dog. I will have to talk to him about this
Twitter Entry https://twitter.com/zanderbear/status/815187848974503937
Heartworm is really scary. I wonder how the tablets compared to the shot work?
tweeted
https://twitter.com/thomasmurphy40/status/815039727158120449
My dog needs to lose 5 pounds, what should I do?
I tweeted
https://twitter.com/my4boysand1/status/814924763596554240
I have an 11 year old chihuahua who is overweight and has been for years despite me trying to watch her diet! She gets out everyday and walks but still never looses weight! I need help!
I tweeted here: https://twitter.com/MsTofuFairy/status/814845031496503297
I do not actually have a dog and have never had to deal with heart worm. I have cats. That said, my stepdad was the veterinarian for the state of WV and also owned his own practice for many years. I practically grew up in that clinic and still remember the plastic anatomy model he had in his dog examination room that showed a cross section of a heart filled with white worms. Horrible!
So glad you’re dog is doing good.
Tweet
https://twitter.com/clc408/status/813415910690144256
I have a cat and not a dog. I’m happy I don’t have to worry about heartworm.
i posted a tweet here: https://twitter.com/purplepanda1966/status/813052958761959424
my daughter keeps her 2 corgis in good shape. she takes them regularly to the vet
Thanks for a great and informative post. We have two dogs that we walk often. Both of them are relatively fit as my husband actually feeds them Natural Balance. Plus, he runs and he takes them with him often.
https://twitter.com/leighanne000/status/812844070850666496
I tweeted: https://twitter.com/FireRunner2379/status/812703526187044864.
As a runner my dog gets plenty of exercise and many times helps drag me out the door!
My 2 dogs get a yearly checkup at the vets who they both love. I want to be on top of everything.
I posted on twitter https://twitter.com/nancy_loring/status/812444366727954432
https://twitter.com/sweetums82/status/812339154524786692
I learned something new about heartworm via your blog post
https://twitter.com/lindilala/status/812149053521858560
thank you for this post! My dog and I love going hiking together to stay in shape
tweet – https://twitter.com/LAMusing/status/811832959619592192
I keep my dog in shape by not over feeding!
Tweeted
https://twitter.com/eswright18/status/811419994965901312
We give our dogs a heartworm pill every month. I think I’ve heard of one you only give once or twice a year. But I haven’t checked into it.
https://mobile.twitter.com/Michael64263870/status/811025566593875968
Our dog doesn’t get as much exercise in the winter since it is so cold, but my kids like to run him around in the summer. He is a baby and doesn’t like the cold.
Tweet: https://twitter.com/PrettyHotPink6/status/810896617956118529
What is a good way to motivate an out of shape dog that isn’t used to getting much exercise?
I would like to find natural ways to freshen my pet’s breath.
https://twitter.com/eliza_elliott/status/809806456031760384
How do you what is enough exercise for your dog. Is it an amount of time per day?
Tweeted 🙂 – https://twitter.com/Enter_Now/status/809306090621968384
Are pills the only way to prevent heartworm or are there other options? 🙂
Tweeted:
https://twitter.com/allisonrswain/status/809148406610399233
We have never had to deal with this luckily! I have been wondering how it is caught though. Your dog looks so happy and healthy! . Thank you for the chance to win!
allisonrsdswain(AT)gmail(DOT)com
Thanks for wonderful tips,I don’t have a dog now, planning to get one soon.
https://twitter.com/mitadav/status/808856526295330816
https://twitter.com/susan1215/status/806588860813733888
We give our dog heartworm medicine and thankfully she hasn’t gotten heartworm.
https://twitter.com/mommysweetiepie/status/805194623043805184
Is there a way we can naturally prevent heartworm?
How do dogs catch heartworm? I remember my mom always giving our dogs preventive pills for it.
Heartworm is contract by a mosquito bite. The preventative pills kill the larvae before they can develop into heartworm.
https://twitter.com/linjumimom/status/803336668765945856
thank you so much for sharing this post
tweeted
https://twitter.com/rubylorikeet/status/801272411186302976
That goodness we have not had to deal with heartworm….it’s always a threat…..glad Crash is okay!
*thank* goodness 🙂
https://twitter.com/myway070/status/800832035958898688
How do dogs catch heartworm? Is it hereditary? So sad I know prevention is the key.
https://twitter.com/mkjmc/status/800298696277688320
Nasy disease we have never had to deal with
Heartworm is so scary. I used to work at a vet and saw some sad things. 🙁
chambanachik(at)gmail(dot)com
tweeted:
https://twitter.com/uTry_it/status/799076101137907712
amy [at] uTry [dot] it
Thanks for your great tips and sharing your story. I don’t have a dog now… but love to have one some day.
amy [at] uTry [dot] it
tweet-https://twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/798708938447405056
I would love some tips for keeping my dog in shape.
tcarolinep at gmail dot com
Tweet link: https://twitter.com/shala_darkstone/status/798704004591194112
I have cats so my question would be how to get them in shape. It seems much more difficult than with a dog.
We have cats so my question would be how to get them in shape! It’s difficult because if they’re feeling lazy then they aren’t going to play, no matter what we do!
Thank you for all the great info and I’m glad your little guy is getting healthier and back on track.
https://twitter.com/Natashalamoreu1/status/798650727094591489
https://twitter.com/showstopper474/status/798213842329305088
I’m glad your pup is okay. That’s definitely tough to deal with 🙁
tweet https://twitter.com/yarbr012/status/797926705268670464
How soon after heartworm treatment can my dog start to go on runs with me?
I’d give it a few weeks and slowly work up your dog’s activity. After being sedentary for 3 months, they will need a slow intro back to activity. Crash is 6 months post heartworm treatment and he’s 100% back to normal activity.
I honestly don’t know much about Heartworms ..the only products I have seen is on TV ads. Your dog looks healthy. Thanks.
It’s a crazy disease. Most dogs can carry the infection for YEARS until they show symptoms. That’s why it so important to keep them on preventatives and get a yearly heartworm test.
glad your doggie is okay! My dog is very active so he gets plenty of exercise to stay fit. He also eats a grain free diet to keep his coat shiny and reduces his itching.
tweet
https://twitter.com/Kellydpa/status/797821668651651072
I would like tips for getting a dog in shape, Our pets tend to get overweight.
tweet-https://twitter.com/LuLu_Brown24/status/797793256071254020
Your dog looks happy and healthy, thanks for the chance
https://twitter.com/ElenaIstomina/status/797542958329253889
I would like to get my dog in shape.
tweet-https://twitter.com/JewelWood/status/797443500568547332
I am glad your dog is okay, and heartworm can be deadly. During the colder months, I do not get out that much with my dog and she and I get heavier because we are not exercising enough. But when it gets warmer out, we take a lot of walks and it helps with our weight. My dog is so good in helping me get healthy.