Overweight rescue dog halves her weight by losing 37lbs—This is her now
A rescue dog has achieved a remarkable transformation after shedding over half her body weight, and now she's finally enjoying the life she deserves.
Patches, a beagle terrier mix, was a farm dog until her previous owners could no longer take care of her. Thankfully, she was rescued by Heather Snead, 23, in 2021, who vowed to turn the dog's health around.
When Snead, of Bossier City, Louisiana, initially saw 8-year-old Patches, she told Newsweek that she "looked like a pot belly pig" rather than a farm dog. There was no doubt that Patches needed help to improve her quality of life, as she weighed just over 69 pounds when rescued.
"We got her started on a diet, and she ended up having hypothyroidism too, so she started medication for that," Snead said. "Our house has steps in the front and the back, so she had to take some stairs multiple times every day.
"One of the keys to her weight loss was consistency, one of which being mealtimes. If you ever need to know when it's 8 a.m. or p.m., Patches is your girl."
Unfortunately, Patches also tested positive for heartworm and needed to begin preventative treatment. Snead explained that her activity needed to be limited while she was on medication, so they were restricted to going up and down the stairs and short walks.
While they couldn't do too much exercise during the first few months, Snead did her best to help Patches shed as much weight as possible.
"Within a couple of months, she was already taking the stairs much easier, trying to jump up on the couch, and she wasn't struggling to walk small distances as much. Five months in, she was finally able to reach and scratch her ear, and by seven months she was running around the yard playing with our other dog," Snead continued.
Since then, Patches has lost around 37lbs, bringing her weight down to 32lbs now. This is an ideal weight, and Snead says she likely won't need to shed any more.
She also showed early signs of arthritis in her hips, likely from the strain of being overweight. Snead has been giving her supplements to try and ease that pain.
Having a healthy diet and regular exercise has transformed Patches into "a different dog," according to her owner.
Snead told Newsweek: "She's so much happier and healthier now. She can jump up on the couch, run around the yard, join us for walks with no issues, scratch and clean herself without any issues."
After seeing how far Patches has come in recent years, she couldn't resist sharing a video on TikTok (@sneadheather) to share it with others. The video starts by showing Patches struggling to keep up on a walk as she was carrying so much excess weight. In contrast, she is then pictured looking a much healthier weight.
The clip has gone viral with over 252,900 views and more than 36,900 likes on TikTok at the time of writing. Snead has been blown away by the online response, and she loves seeing Patches get the adoration she deserves.
"Through it all, we've seen her personality grow as her mobility and health improved. The small things that were impossibilities became possible. From small walks, short jogs, and one step at a time, all the way to running with her sister. She surprises us each day with her progress," Snead said.
Social media users can't get enough of Patches' weight loss, leading to more than 180 comments on the TikTok post so far.
One comment reads: "I find this so inspiring for my overweight Pomeranian. Doggy weight loss is no joke!"
Another TikTok user wrote: "I know that ear scratch she was able to do was heaven!"
While another person replied: "Thank you for saving her and loving her."
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