He is not as mobile as he will be. Therefore, Wolfgang had to either go on walks early in the morning or late at night. We try to advocate and educate when we can.. Andre we currently have, and he was 70 pounds before reaching a healthy weight. I made his meals (and he now eats human grade food from JustFoodForDogs), and we added any treats into his calorie count. You would have to be so uncomfortable dragging around this body weight. The vet had us feed him 600 calories per day. He also loves walking around the neighborhood but hedoesntalways understand the walkis for exercise because he sniffs everything! Wolfgang is now 32pounds. Since it is believed Wolfgang is a senior, it will be harder for him to elasticize that skin, so it will probablyalwaysappear that he has some extra weight to lose, but it is really excess skin. I think that Wolfgang has also helped other dogs. Really, just walking is what he likes to do best, and when it cools down, we will go for longer walks. After helping a dog named Snickers shed 58 pounds and one named Andre drop 68 pounds, it felt like Wolfgang was a perfect match. However, his condition was not severe, and so while that may have played a factor in his obesity, he became 90 pounds as a result of over-eating and no activity. Below is Part One of Wolfgangs story, told by Erin. I think having Andre at the time helped Wolfgang want to be more active because he wanted to play with the him. The vet told us his heart and organs had to work extra hard to support his weight, and he could suffer from heatstroke if he was in the sun too much, McManis said. Despite being on a restricted diet, Wolfgang doesnt act like a food hound. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. We are trying to figure out the best form of exercise for him as the walks we were doing seem to bother his paws. He doesnt beg for food between meals, she explained. Jamies obesity caused him to have two torn knees but he recovered after two surgeries. Our mission as a canine wellness provider is to help families get and keep their dog healthy. Blind dog has a seeing-eye cat, who guides him with meows, Shaun King defends buying $40K guard dog, complains he cant get a gun, Shaun Kings PAC paid over $40K for a guard dog which he returned: report, NY guide dog dead after trainer forgot it in hot van for over 5 hours: report. I support this organization, have visited them and their animals in person, and look forward to one more run in the name of Beagle! Still, she feels stunned by how popular he's become. Wolfgang the beagle started with a modest weight loss goal: to fit through the door. In January 2020 we fostered Jameson (Jamie) who was a 100 pound Beagle. Maybe that will help him to cool down in our 106 temps and promote a longer outdoor romp! He was incredibly nice and friendly the first day we took him from the shelter, and that never changed, McManis, a foster with Arizona Beagle Rescue, told The Dodo. He reached a healthy weight of 25 pounds (he has since lost some weight due to health issues and ideally we would like him to put on a few more pounds). Our first obese Beagle we adopted weighed 58 pounds, and she reached a weight of 25 pounds (she has since passed of old age). Skip recommended stories carousel and go to main content. Ill keep you updated on how I do, as this has been over 30 months in the making, it continued. You are off to such a great start in his fitness journey, and Im so happy you read our story about Wolfgang. But Wolfgang uses it more for self-care. Between all the pets he gets, and the smells, it takes us quite a while to actually get any exercise in. McManis put the beagle on a high-protein, low-calorie diet that consisted of ground turkey meat and vegetables. I thought three was definitely our maximum, but we decided there was room for one more.. We also have a soft spot for Beagles. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! I never anticipated that happening. Throwback to my first Christmas with my family in 2019; I was about 60 pounds, and my starting weight was 90 pounds. He would be on his bed, tail wagging as hard as it could, waiting for me to come over and greet him. Wolfgang's Massive Beagle Weight Loss Journey: Part Two, Why Leptospirosis Is The New Doggie Covid. He also loves walking around the neighborhood but hedoesntalways understand the walkis for exercise because he sniffs everything! Please follow Wolfie and fam at @obese_beagle on Instagram, and we guarantee you will fall in love and admire his Mom and Dad, Erin and Chad. This story has been shared 103,446 times. While Wolfgang fit in with everyone right away, Jameson has taken a bit longer to adjust to his new lifestyle. Really, just walking is what he likes to do best, and when it cools down, we will go for longer walks. Because the couple lives in Phoenix, the summers are blistering hot. Is Ariana Grande honoring Mac Miller with her makeup? Their veterinarian diagnosed Wolfgang with a thyroid condition and gave him medication for it, along with a recommendation that the pooch eat only 600 calories a day. Thankfully he likes his dog food and loves vegetables and blueberries! Chad and I feel passionately that morbid obesity is a form of animal neglect, McManis explained. But Wolfgang never lets his dark past get him down. They had no information about his former owners or how Wolfgang gained so much weight, but they had fostered dogs before and even helped some obese dogs lose weight. It is helpful for others to see.. Wolfgangs Weight Loss Journey: Part Two, Coming Soon! Most of what appears to be fat on himis actually excess skin. It was also difficult seeing that Wolfgang obviously wanted to be more active than his body would allow. Wolfgang had to be monitored very carefully when outside (and he was not allowed to be outside in the backyard by himself that summer)because he was verysusceptible to heat stroke and he likely would not be able to make it indoors in time if he started to overheat. When we got him, it was alreadyregularlyinthe100s and soon the temperature outside reached 120 degrees. At 51 pounds, hes able to chase toys, run, swim and play with his brother Andre. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2022 The Fittest Dog. He could probably breathe better without the toy, but he can do what he wants.. Thanks for contacting us. While some might be ashamed that their weight once made leaving the house impossible, Wolfgang doesn't mind. Wolfgang was diagnosed with a thyroid condition, and takes daily medication. McManis and Schatz only wanted to foster Wolfgang, however, he was too sweet and friendly to be let go. Fred wouldregularlyrun (in his younger days) 5 miles at a time so he was very active. Wolfgangs progress seems to have inspired other dogs in your home as well. What steps did you take? It was just a way to update people and bring some attention to Arizona Beagle Rescue, she said. He is letting the world in on his weight loss journey, and has all of us at The Fittest Dog cheering him, AND his Beagle sibs, along. As you know, we love to run dogs, but its not always a good start for the severely obese. We also just bought a water trough for Mochie to hop in. She started social media accounts for Wolfgang so that people who followed him when he was at the shelter could continue hearing news about the pup. Wolfgangs favorite exercise is when he gets to walk on the water treadmill at the Vets office, which we try to do several t. imes a month. However, with weight loss he is doing much better as he has built some muscle on his back legs (he is currently 35pounds) and he loves going on walks more than anything. When Wolfgang entered the shelter as a stray, the obese beagle tipped the scales at 90 pounds three times his healthy body weight. When Jameson reaches a healthy weight, he will begin his search for a forever family. Wolfgang is not the first obese dog that we have rescued. Wolfgang was found as a stray, but you know there has to be a backstory. Andre is now deaf and blind, but Wolfgang is very gentle with him. Wolfgang on the water treadmill with yet another toy in his mouth! Good luck with Mochie!! With three older dogs, we think we are running a retirement home for Beagles. Jamie might have a little bit of Basset Hound in him because at 44 pounds, the Vet said he reached his goal weight. The pair decided to fully adopt him in the long run. Our current dog, Andre (the elderly Beagle on our page) weighed about 70 pounds when he came to live here. Pandemic 'mini pigs' end up here thanks to clueless pet owners. Allowing a dog to get to be 90 lbs. But Wolfgang couldnt do that. Our goal is really to bring awareness and let people know that dogs at shelters need to be rescued.. Between all the pets he gets, and the smells, it takes us quite a while to actually get any exercise in. Wolfgang is doing his best to coach his foster brother through the weight loss process, and once Jameson receives corrective surgery to fix a tear in his knee, he will be able to exercise and play again. Despite his size, hes agile and loves playing with the couples other dogs, Fred, 16, and Andre, 12. All of our dogs (with the exception of one) have either been fostered or adopted through Arizona Beagle Rescue, although they have not all been obese (however, we have helped a total of 5 obese beagles). Her husband started taking him for walks to their mailbox and started to slowly increase the walking distances over a period of six months. Wolfgang is an inspirational social media superstar, and hes so much more than just a dog with cute pictures. However, only for relaxing on the raft or on the steps! "We hope Wolfgang can be an example that shelter dogs can make great pets, and I think Wolfgang is a good example of what can happen when you don't give up on somebody,'' McManis said on TODAY. He is definitely playful.. At the start of Wolfgangs journey we had another Beagle named Fred, whounfortunatelydied of old age (17) this Spring, but having Fred also encouraged Wolfgang. The two shared on Wolgangs Instagram a side-by-side transformation pic of his weight loss. As mentioned above, we had 2 obese dogs beforeWolfgang, just not as extreme (and two obese dogs after him). The vet is really pleased, owner Erin McManis, 37, an attorney in Phoenix, told TODAY in September. We believe that consistent, small steps can lead to big results. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Although we have a pool, and have tried many times to get Wolfgang to exercise by swimming, he doesnt like the pool. The early struggles were trying to logistically help a dog that was so morbidly obese. His personalityis always shining through something Erin McManis noticed right away. Tell us about his condition when you first adopted him? The couple hopes he'll be able to walk for a mile straight by November as part of a fundraiser for Four-Legged Running and eventually fit through a regular doggy door. This story has been shared 128,856 times. Wolfgang has gone from 90 pounds to 32 pounds. My husband and I started fostering Wolfgang in May 2019, andultimatelyadopted him in July 2019. However, only for relaxing on the raft or on the steps! "He was only able to walk to the mailbox next door (at first), but he had the desire to keep going,'' McManis said in an update on Wolfgang's progress on TODAY Wednesday. Below is Part One of Wolfgangs story, told by Erin. Heregularlygoes on a one mile walk several times a week, and he is training for a 5k this Fall. Wolfgang is trying to encourage people to keep their dogs trim, she said. When we first took him home in May, Wolfgang weighed 90 pounds and could only walk a few feet. He was just a super-friendly, happy-go-lucky dog, McManis, 39, said about the first time she met Wolfgang at a shelter. We had never had four dogs in our house before, so at first I wasnt sure, McManis said. Family transforms 1973 train caboose into runaway Airbnb h Wynonna and Ashley Judd left out of mom Naomi's will, Sharks spotted in shallows near kids playing: 'Get out of the water! We were not sure how to get him safely in and out of our car! In January 2021 we started fostering Paddy who was a 58 pound Beagle. While he also has a lot of loose and extra skin that stemmed from his weight loss, his parents have decided not to remove it. When did you adopt Wolfgang? He also loves neighborhood walks because he loves barking at dogs and looking for cats (when he sees a cat, he has been known to run). We started Wolfgangs journey by getting a calorie count from the Vet and we stuck to that. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. The first time he went, he noticed a toy floating in the water and snatched it with his mouth. Also, if you would like to support my NYC Marathon fundraising for Beagle Freedom, visit my page. Wolfie is now able to fit into doors and be as active as he can. Wolfgang did reach one goal: He found his forever home when McManis and Schatz adopted him in August. He loves it, McManis said. The only dog that we have not fostered/adopted from Arizona Beagle Rescue was still a Beagle mix, and we got her when her former owners were no longer willing to care for her. She enjoys cooking, yoga, reading, music and walking her two rescue dogs. Wanting to see his weight loss through, we decided to adopt him.. He still wanted to acknowledge us, and as he started to lose weight, he eventually could come to the door.. Representing Beagle Freedom Project for a third NYC Marathon in a row, I want to highlight one of my absolute favorite Beagles. This rescue beagle is on his way to losing 65 pounds, Inside Lu-Seal the Chihuahuas inspiring weight loss journey. We also started taking him on almost daily walks. Heregularlygoes on a one mile walk several times a week, and he is training for a 5k this Fall. Please follow Wolfie and fam at. Woman Devotes Her Life To The Stray Dogs Of Bali, To help Jameson find a home and get the surgery he needs, you can. Andre still likes to go on walks (he actually likes walks a lot since his sense of smell still works) and Andre will go on walks with Wolfgang. A once-obese beagle named Wolfgang got an early start on his New Years Eve resolution by getting healthy, making the necessary lifestyle changes and losing over 60 pounds. We also have a soft spot for Beagles. He also manages to sneak socks from the laundry. Now he weighs 29 pounds. IE 11 is not supported. It also provides time for him to get familiar with the 3 goats, chickens, and turkeys (he and the turkeys are definitely challenging eachother). For our dog family, eating healthy human grade food is what works the best. They also have a pool, which he loves. Now, after a year of diet and exercise, Wolfgang has dropped nearly half his body weight. Duringthesummer months, we try to take Wolfgang to dog friendly hardware stores so he can get exercise while being in the AC. The first walk was tothemailbox and we worked up fromthere. Did you adopt him with the intent of putting him on a weight-loss program? At first, Wolfgang could only walk very short distances, and his weight stopped him from doing many of the things he wanted like greeting his mom at the door. At 90 pounds, Wolfgangs life mostly consisted of living on the floor, but he always wanted to go further on his walks (we had to hold him back) and he had such a good attitude. Since May, Wolfgang has lost 28 pounds and now weighs 62 pounds. Utah sure could benefit from The Fittest Dog!! is a form of abuse. Thank you for such an uplifting, positive story! We've received your submission. Im a little nervous for the 5k, but Dad said that if I dont try, there is a 100% chance I wont be successful. Until then, he is in very good hands with his big brother Wolfgang, who is happy to give him all the support he needs. 2022 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Seeing the success McManis was having with Wolfgang, Arizona Beagle Rescue contacted her about a 100-pound beaglewho had just entered the local humane society. They fused together improperly, which means he puts a disproportionate amount of weight on his front paws. It is helpful and hopeful to hear lives of pup families that have already experienced what we are just starting on! The couple also encourages Wolfgang to exercise as much as he can. Also, sometimes just trying is succeeding. Wolfies first car ride home in 2019, and last month with Paddy! We know you will be inspired and moved, like I was and am daily. He also loves neighborhood walks because he loves barking at dogs and looking for cats (when he sees a cat, he has been known to run). The mighty Mom and Dad, with (l-r) Andre, Wolfgang and Paddy. Yes, we brought him home with the intent of getting him healthy. Paddy is likely close to his goal weight as most of what appears to be fat is excess skin, but he probably still has a few pounds to lose. He loves the other dogs, but sometimes he isnt used to sharing or being part of a pack.. McManis likes that Wolfgang inspires so many people. McManis recently spoke to People about Wolfgangs health journey, explaining that she and her husband started fostering animals in 2009. We decided to adopt Paddy this June, and we are very happy. With Arizona summer temperatures, they cant walk Wolfgang too much during the day, so they walk him morning and night. Meghan Holohan is a contributing writer who covers health and parenting for TODAY.com. Wolfgangs favorite exercise is when he gets to walk on the water treadmill at the Vets office, which we try to do several times a month. McManis has been making his meals, a blend of lean turkey and fresh vegetables. "We had a real special connection with Wolfgang and really wanted to see him reach his weight loss," McManis said. Duringthesummer months, we try to take Wolfgang to dog friendly hardware stores so he can get exercise while being in the AC. We went out very early or very late at night due to Phoenixs summer heat. Wolfgang is eating fewer calories and exercising to lose 65 pounds. We know exercise, and nutrition is key to achieving the whole dog. Feeding Mochie is going good for the most part. It would just tire him out too much, McManis said. Start your day with heartwarming and hilarious animal stories that will make you fall in love. They are helping him stay active, and he is maybe keeping them younger, so to speak. Wolfgang is an inspirational social media superstar, and hes so much more than just a dog with cute pictures. He is letting the world in on his weight loss journey, and has all of us at The Fittest Dog cheering him, AND his Beagle sibs, along. His goal weight is about 25 pounds, but the vet wants to reevaluate the plan when he reaches 50 pounds. Any amount is helpful and appreciated! He has such a good attitude. You are too! The vegetables are helping him stay fuller.. He is elderly as well so it will be harder for his skin to bounce back. The vet warned us that his heart was working extra hard to survive, so we had to be very careful with Wolfgang being outside in theArizona heat. How does a 90-pound dog that can barely walk wander the streets?. Wolfgang could not fit through the dog door (we have a large) but we were able to find a really large one to put in the sliding glass door that he could fit through. He seems to like floating in the pool more than exercising, McManis said. Although we have a pool, and have tried many times to get Wolfgang to exercise by swimming, he doesnt like the pool. Right now, hes using a special door. Also, if you would like to support my NYC Marathon fundraising for Beagle Freedom, visit my page HERE. Tell us a bit about Wolfgangs favorite exercises. Read With Jenna:Jenna Bush Hager says her August pick 'astounds' her. He keeps them going, McManis says. Jamie loved to exercise as soon as his knees healed and he did a couple 5ks. The doggo weighed 90 pounds in 2019 when he was first fostered by lawyer Erin McManis and her husband Chad Schatz. He now uses a water treadmill at a local veterinarians office weekly and walks for about 20 minutes straight. when he should be 25 or 30 lbs. Can you tell us a bit about your other Beagles? We do have a large backyard with softer areas for Mochie to wander and this seems to be a good start for him. | Privacy Policy | Liability Waiver, Our mission as a canine wellness provider is to help families get and keep their dog healthy. The 6-year-old beagle just wants to play outside with his friends, and his short weight loss journey has been pretty successful hes down nearly 30 pounds since May. Can't wait to hear about all our updates!. Jameson is only 3 years old, but he was an only dog, McManis said. Now, Wolfgang brings his own toy to carry during his aqua exercises. We fostered Jamie for a year, butultimatelydecided that fostering him was what was best for us and for Jamie. McManis and her husband, Chad Schatz, started fostering Wolfgang in May from the Arizona Beagle Rescue. We recently adopted a Lab that is approximately 30 pounds overweight. Follow her on Twitter to see her recent stories. He was surprisingly mobile for his size, she said, while also adding that he got tired after walking 20 feet. And when hes an extra-special good boy, McManis and Schatz allow him to have a couple of licks of a Starbucks Puppuccino. McManis didnt think beagles could get bigger than Wolfgang but then she met Jameson. However, in addition to his obesity,Paddy had serious mobility issues because in his former life he suffered two torn knees and did not receive medical attention. We know you will be inspired and moved, like I was and am daily. What were some early struggles for Wolfie and how much weight has he lost? Jameson came to live with McManis and her family in late January and has already dropped 25 pounds. We know exerciseand nutrition is key to achieving the whole dog. 2022 Group Nine Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. He's still happy and playful. Representing Beagle Freedom Project for a third NYC Marathon in a row, I want to highlight one of my absolute favorite Beagles. ', Dunkin' worker takes customers' 'pay it forward' money and keeps it as a tip, Bachelorette contestant apologizes for calling Gabby and Rachel bitches, The best Kate Middleton-inspired polka-dot dresses to buy now. The shelter got in touch with his owner, who surrendered him over the phone. However, he wasextremelyhappy and always wagging his tail, even though most of his tail was engulfed in fat. Congratulations to you, your human and animal family and of course Mochie!! What an inspirational dog/family! Isnt he such an inspiration?? He couldnt fit through our existing dog door, so we had to get a special, extra-large dog door for him.. What a difference in two years! This year, Im 29 pounds and Im getting ready to complete my 5k on Christmas Eve., the caption read. When I come home from work, my dogs would typically come to the door and greet me.

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