Doggy Diet?

So, we took the dog for her yearly checkup and the vet discovered she'd dropped 15 pounds.

Fifteen pounds!

The vet was very excited about it, congratulating us for being such conscientious pet owners.

I hadn't really thought Savannah needed to lose weight last year, but if they were happy, I was happy too. I'm easy that way.

The only thing was, I couldn't figure out how the damn dog had lost all that weight. I've been giving her the same amount of dog food each day, every day, for years. It's not like she's started training for a marathon or anything. At least, not that I know of.

"Well, whatever it is," the vet said enthusiastically, "keep doing it."

Sure, easy for him to say.

But then Daughter #2, brilliant sleuth that she apparently is, experienced an Ah-ha moment.

"It's Daughter #1," she exclaimed. "She went away to college. She's always the one who gave Savannah too much food."

Well, I'll be damned, she was absolutely right. Daughter #1 not only provides Savannah with too much kibble when it's her turn to feed her, but she's the only one of us who regularly slips her forbidden human treats.

It's like how I used to nag all three of my kids about the way they seemed to trash their bathroom. First-Born Son vehemently denied having anything to do with the mess, but as a wise and weathered mom I found that impossible to believe.

Until he went away to college that first year. It then became abundantly clear that his sisters were slobbing up the kids bathroom totally and completely on their own.

First-Born Son was self righteously thrilled to be exonerated, and I really couldn't blame him. It's a good thing I'm so seldom wrong like that.

So. Another mystery solved.

If only moms could drop a little extra weight when their kids went away to college each year. Not only would it soften the blow of missing them, but just think of what a happier place the world might be.

 

Comments

[Sarah]

Oh I totally love this post. How funny, funny, funny the truths you find out about your kids after they are gone. And seriously, how about a little weight loss every time I'm separated from my kids? I mean, I'm going away this weekend, it would be stellar to come back 5 pounds lighter, ya know?

[Mama Badger]

I hate to say it, but my mother in law found just the opposite to be true. The more kids left the house, the more weight she gained. It took her years to figure out how to cook for the dwindling number of people and to get my father in law to stop buying treats for kids that were no longer at home.

[Erica@PinesLakeRedhead]

So in a year when my eldest goes off to college I'll finally find out which boy makes a mess of the bathroom? Yeah! For years there's been tons of finger pointing... He did it! Not me!

[Michele]

I need to go on that doggie diet. Oh, who am I kidding; I just need to get The Boy out of the house for good.

[Sprite's Keeper]

I have to say, one of the good things that will happen with Sprite going off to college will be not having to buy the processed crap she likes.

[The gold digger]

That is funny! Our cats are always convinced they are starving to death, but the vet was adamant that we feed them only half of what the food bag says - he said there is a cat obesity crisis in this country. The cats have maintained their adult weight for the past year - they are just right.

My neighbor's 15-year-old son would feed my cats when I lived in Miami and had to go out of town. I came home one day to find food in the dish (NEVER happened with me) and cats in a blissful coma.

"Rudolph," I asked. "How much did you feed the cats? It looks like there is extra food here. Did you give them just one scoop, evened on the top?"

"Oh but zey were 'ongry!" he said. "Zey were crying! I 'ad to geev zem more!"

I sighed. "They lie. They are liars."

[Ocean Girl]

I think Moms put on weight when their children leave home.

[Jill]

Congrats on the dog's weight loss. I think I have the only obese Whippet on the planet. It's embarrassing!

[Jan]

Scooter immediately lost weight when Darling Daughter moved out two summers ago for the same reason. Come to think of it, I'm willing to bet our late hamster may have been the only rodent outside of a laboratory to suffer from CHD - I routinely caught her giving him things like cheese and macadamia nuts (damn hamster ate better than I did).

[Diane]

15 pounds! My little guy, Tristan needs a lesson in food intake management. His portions are fine, but when I turn my back, he sneaks over to one of the other dogs' food bowls and decides to help them out.

I'm trying to put him on the "please eat only your own food" diet.

[LPC]

Could you put Daughter #2 in charge of my food intake too please?

[Pseudo]

Don't you just love it when you figure something out? I'm going to a conference next week and am afraid the family will forget to feed the dog....

[Gretchen]

If only I could blame my extra 15 pounds on somebody overfeeding me!

[Heather]

I love Gretchen's comment! If only...

I have always had an open bowl policy and have recently had to change that. You would think this would result in weight loss for the dogs, but as of yet it hasn't yeilded any results.

I bet your dog is thrilled to be rid of those extra 15lbs.

[Linda at Bar Mitzvahzilla]

I love that you have to sleuth this out and find the culprit in your family, Maureen! And I'm also glad your dog HAD 15 pounds to lose. It seems like my sisters all have dogs that only weigh about 5 pounds each so any weight loss would be a major problem!

[Peg]

Now you need to figure out HOW moms can lose that weight! K? I'm first in line for the solution....

[Kate]

What a great, funny story. I was very worried when I was reading it at first because you just lost your cat (if I remember correctly). I am glad the mystery was solved. Finn loves to share his food with our dogs and Tanner likes to share Finn's food even when Finn doesn't want to. Weighing in at over a very healthy 100 pounds, he could definitely stand to lose a few!

[Kimberly]

Very cute!

[Vincent]

It could be that now your youngest is on her own the dog is getting the attention that was spent on her sibling.

[SuziCate]

I love this post! I'm thinking if we moms dependedon our children to feed us, we'd starve...so here's the new weight loss plan!

[TheKitchenWitch]

Awwww, Daughter #1 obviously has a soft spot for her doggie. Glad she's in good health, though!

[only a movie]

Cute. I echo Gretchen's comment... :-)
Maureen - my Google reader has been messed up. I apologize for missing your posts! xo

[subWOW]

I wish somebody had been giving me too much food. Because as soon as I disappeared that somebody, I'd be able to lose weight! *damn*

[BigLittleWolf]

This made me smile, Maureen. Moms may not drop the pounds when kids head to college, but the grocery bill drops nonetheless!

(Love the dog picture.)

[Corinne]

That is too funny! Glad the mystery was easily solved ;)

[Krista]

LOL I <3 this post! :O)

"Slobbing Up the bathroom" is my new favourite phrase, thank you very much!!! hahaha!!!

Hope you have a great weekend. Oh and congrats to Savannah for dumping the weight! Bad new: I found her 15 lbs for her! Turns out I've been carrying it around for her. No wonder my feet are so tired! LOL

[Libby]

Can I blame my weight battles on your daughter? It would be easier...

[Lisa @ Boondock Ramblings]

That is too funny! I'm the one who slips my dog too much people food too. We've...OK..I've backed off a bit and his weight is good right now. He was getting a bit fat for such a little chihuahua/jack russell mix. I'd love it if I could lose weight when my son goes to school in a few years. Hubby will say "Ah-ha! He was the one slipping her all that extra chocolate! I knew it!"

[TC]

I think I need daughter #2 in charge of my food too, my husband always said it was kids messing up the house..they are gone...it's not so... LOL

[Tracie]

Hmmm. I don't know how to explain the 15 lbs I've gained since January. *sigh*

[Gropius]

I wish I could drop human food to lose 15. I'm hating myself now since our beach week is now in two weeks and I haven't lost a single pound of the 10 I planned on. Oh for Pete's sake... what I can learn from a dog!

[Smart Mouth Broad]

LOL! Now you've got me wondering who needs to leave so I can lose weight too.

[Pearl]

I, too, am rarely wrong. :-)

Now who keep slipping me the fattening food?!

[Wendi]

Maybe that's my problem---too much kibble. I'm going to have to talk to someone about that.

[Jane]

Does that mean when my daughter leaves next year my hopes to lose 10-15 are for naught? Drats!

[starrlife]

Yep- I'm wondering who's been feeding me? Perhaps they are stuffing me at night as I sleep? What a phase of life you are in eh? I am not looking forward to it but, who knows, with a challenged child she may be with me forever? :)

[Twenty Four At Heart]

My retrievers have lost weight in the last year too. Maybe it is also because there are fewer of us living here now and therefore fewer people to beg treats off of? I hadn't even thought of that .....

[kathryn]

Great post, sweetie. I definitely eat less when the boys aren't around for the weekend. I just do other things and love the freedom of not having to "COOK".

I could easily see being a hermit if they weren't around...I'd be skinny...but a hermit nonetheless...

[HCG Diet]

I am reading your blog for the first time and I must say your approach is different. What sets bloggers apart is how they connect to their readers; you really connected with me. Great post!