Losing that puppy fat! Bulldog whose weight crept up to 5st because she was overfed and didn’t go on walks sheds 2st after being rehomed and put on a diet by her new owners
- Pearl the bulldog, three, was overfed with treats when with her old owners
- The weight gave her a slumped frame which limited movement and caused pain
- Now rehomed with Jessica and Sam McDonnell in the Wirral, she is fit as ever
An adorable pooch who piled on pounds after scoffing hundreds of sausages has managed to shed a third of her body weight after being put on a strict fitness regime and diet.
Three-year-old bulldog Pearl ballooned to nearly 5 stone after tucking into tons of Cumberland sausages on the sofa while with her old owners.
But after she was adopted by Jessica and Sam McDonnell she was put on a diet and shed a third of her weight.
The couple from Prenton in the Wirral, were worried for Pearl’s future health – and helped her to shed the pounds by upping her daily walks and cutting out her habit for sausages of the sofa.
Now weighing just over three stone, she is considered to be at a healthy weight for her breed, and has been given a clean bill of health.
Pearl the bulldog, who is three-and-a-half, from the Wirral, Merseyside, ballooned to nearly five stone after tucking into some Cumberland sausages on the sofa while with her old owners. Pictured left, at her heaviest, and right, after losing nearly a third of her weight
Pearl on a walk with her new owner Jessica McDonnell, the three-year-old dog had soft paws when first rehomed, indicating she wasn’t having many walks
All the weight gained from munching sausages every day left the pup suffering from arthritic problems that caused her a lot of pain.
Jessica, 29, who works in financial services PR, said: ‘We are so proud of Pearl.
‘She really took to her new diet, and she has never got bored of the food, even though it probably isn’t as tempting as all those sausages.
‘When we brought her home her pads were soft, so she obviously wasn’t having many walks.
‘It’s so sad because even now she doesn’t need a long walk, but she does need one and once we coax her out the door she really enjoys herself.
‘We live near the coast and she loves the beach, she’s such an amazing happy dog and she has done so, so well.’
Weighing nearly five stone, Pearl is pictured at her heaviest, when she was slumped over and not able to move much after eating lots of sausages with her old owners
Pictured looking slim after her strict fitness regime, Pearl was on a calorie-controlled diet after being taken in by Wirral Animal Welfare Association, as well as a strict fitness regim
Pearl’s new owners, Jessica and Sam McDonnell, from Prenton, Wirral, took her in after she was in the care of Wirral Animal Welfare Association
Pearl had a calorie-controlled diet and had daily walks to help get her moving.
With the help of Sanderson Vets in Pensby, Merseyside, Pearl is back to normal after a life of sausages on the sofa.
Natural canine nutritionist Anna Webb, who studied at the College of Integrated Veterinary Studies, said: ‘Sausage is very good for dogs, but in the right quantity!
‘Dogs thrive on animal fat and animal protein so it is important that it is part of their diet, but when dogs like Pearl eat more than they burn off they will get fat.
Pictured at her heaviest show her with a slumped frame and not able to move much, Pearl weighed nearly five stone and suffered from arthritic problems causing a lot of pain
Looking slim on the sofa after losing nearly one third of her body weight, Pearl now weighs just over three stone (20kg), considered to be at a healthy weight for her breed, and has been given a clean bill of health
With the help of Sanderson Vets in Pensby, Merseyside, Pearl is back to normal after a life of sausages on the sofa
‘Well done Pearl for winning the battle of the bulge!’
Jessica, and her husband Sam, 37, a marketing manager, wanted to share Pearl’s weight loss in attempt to stop people from giving their pets too many treats.
Jessica added: ‘There are lots of things that people do to their pets out of love that are actually really cruel.
‘Particularly with breeds like bulldogs which have breathing problems, it’s so important that their weight is kept in check.
‘We see Facebook posts where people are glorifying fat animals as cuter, and after seeing how it affected Pearl it makes us want to shout at the people posting. We wanted to tell her story to make people think twice.
‘Pearl is such a loving dog, she is our life, particularly for me working from home during lockdown, she has been my sanity.
‘Pearl has been our first real responsibility as a couple, like a baby really, and that is a responsibility we take very seriously.’
Jessica, and her husband Sam, 37, a marketing manager, wanted to share Pearl’s weight loss in attempt to stop people from giving their pets too many treats
Jessica added: ‘There are lots of things that people do to their pets out of love that are actually really cruel, particularly with breeds like bulldogs which have breathing problems, it’s so important that their weight is kept in check’
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