Cinnamon Weighs In

Well, today I went over to the vet's office to weigh in. I have been on a diet since November 20th. My meals are smaller and I get less treats. It's tough!

I've been doing a lot of this!

I also committed to exercising more. I planned to go on one 5K volksmarch per week plus frequent trips to the dog park and lots of playing with Francesca.

So, today, after being really sedentary during our rainstorms, I weighed in. What did I weigh? Well, I'll tell you in a bit. First of all I want to tell all about how I did or did not stick to my diet plan and give you the reasons.

1. Food: That went well. I didn't like it.
2. Dog Park: I don't think we made it to the dog park very often. Recently my owner got sick with flu symptoms after she had a flu shot and just laid on the couch alot. Then once she was better it rained and rained so we didn't go outside much.
3. Volksmarches: Well, we didn't go on even one volksmarch. I attribute that to my owner's workload and the weather. Goal not met.

So after reviewing my diet and exercise plan, how much do you think I lost? You'll be surprised....

I GAINED A POUND AND A HALF!

I am so upset! After the weighing in, we went to the dog park and I did two laps to work off my frustration. Grrrrrrrr!

Cinnamon's Diet Thanksgiving Meal

Which is Cinnamon's

We had our thanksgiving dinner. We had canned pumpkin, kibble and turkey from our friend Wendy's dinner. Can you tell which dinner is my diet dinner? My tummy can.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Love, Cinnamon

Cinnamon's Weight Loss Program: Thanksgiving Update

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Arooooo!

Well, Thanksgiving is here and everyone is going to be over-eating today except me! I know better. I am hoping for a bit of low calorie turkey this afternoon. No dressing. No pie. No mashed potatoes. Just some low calorie turkey!

It's really cold out so Francesca and I haven't been too keen on spending time outside. That means that my exercise program is not going well. I have been good about limiting treats, however.

Here we are sunbathing on Thanksgiving morning.
We didn't want to go outside until the sun hit the fence!

I talked to Francesca about what we are thankful for. One thing I'm NOT thankful for is my diet! Oh well. I hope to get weighed soon to see if I have lost weight.

Do I look skinny yet?

So what we are most thankful for is a warm home. It never gets cold inside because we have wall heaters. Yay! We are also thankful that we get fed on a regular schedule. Morning and evening... like clockwork.

And we are thankful for Clark DogPaw, the non-profit organization that ensures that we have beautiful fenced dog parks where we can romp with our friends.

Oh yes, Francesca says she is thankful for A Dog's Best Friend Day Care. I don't get to go there but she does. She said it is one huge playfest. And, they have a BIG jar of treats there. (Maybe that is why I don't get to go!)

So have a good Thanksgiving, everyone. And, I'll just sit here and hope for some turkey!

Love, Cinnamon

Cinnamon's Weight Loss Program: Day 3

Good times at the dog park

Well, today was a good one. I actually got exercise! We went to the dog park and I trotted around the circle, considered playing with a big black dog and ran up to the entrance gate to greet new dogs. I think I lost about a pound today, don't you think?

Love, Cinnamon

Cinnamon's Weight Loss Program: Day 2

After a fairly successful start to my weight loss program, it was all ruined yesterday. It was one of those days when my owner takes Francesca to Day Care and then leaves me to fend for myself ALL DAY! She went off to sell at a school bazaar to make money, she said. But I called it a day of NEGLECT!

So when that happens I just spend the day in bed (or, if I get nervy, in the forbidden big green chair!).

So we had to get up extra early for our breakfast. She felt sorry for me and gave me a full helping of kibble for breakfast. Then I went back to bed and she left with Francesca.

While Francesca romped with a five-month old puppy all day at Day Care, the most exercise I got was going out the doggie door to chase a squirrel and to do my business. Aside from that, I just moped around. No one to play with. No one to talk to. No one to bug.

At 4:30 they came home! I got all excited and Francesca and I went outside for about five minutes. Then it was time to eat. Yay! I got some dry food mixed with some canned food. That was pretty good. With my tummy full, my thoughts turned to play and exercise. So what happened? Francesca just turned around and walked to our room and plopped down on her bed to go to sleep. At 5 p.m.? No matter what I did, she just laid there with her eyes half closed. She was really tired.

Here's Francesca lying on her bed
trying to go to sleep while I play in our room.

Here I am with the squeaky ball.
Do I look skinny yet?

After bugging her and squeaking the ball in her ears, I went out to find my owner to play with. I had so much energy I ran, played tug o war and had her throw the ball for me. After about an hour and a half, I wore her out and had no alternative but to go to bed EARLY!

Here I am playing tug-o-war with my owner,
I must have worked off a few calories!

So, I doubt I lost any weight yesterday!

Love, Cinnamon

Cinnamon's Weight Loss Program: Day 1

I'm so hungry I could eat this rug!

Like I said yesterday I, somehow, ended up fat! So I am on a weight loss plan. Now, I don't like it, but maybe it will help me regain my girlish figure.

So today began with less food in my bowl than I would have liked. And Francesca got a BIG BOWL OF FOOD!

Since it was sunny out, the exercise part of the plan was easy. Now I didn't go on a volksmarch but I did go to the dog park. It was still a little foggy out but I took off running as soon as I got there. Then Wes and Nikki showed up. I was so happy to see them. Wes said he was proud of me for all the running I did! Nikki went sniffing with me.

We stayed until Francesca saw the cat in the neighbor's yard. That means our time is up because she won't do anything except fantasize catching that cat!

As far as treats, I got my two treats when we got into the car and two treats when we left the dog park. Of course, Francesca got more. But that's life when you are FAT!

How do I feel? I feel HUNGRY! Now I get as excited as Francesca does about meals. I jump around and act stupid and run out the door to where my bowl is going to be placed. I was really hungry by dinner time today. So hungry, our owner fed us just a little earlier than usual.

I survived Day 1!

Cinnamon is Fat

Here I am in the dog park this summer.

Hi everyone. It's me, Cinnamon. I have to report that fall and winter don't do much for my girlish figure. I went to the veterinarian's office yesterday for a pedicure. On the way into the doggie spa (a.k.a. procedure room), I stepped onto the scales. 49.6 pounds! I weighed 3.6 more pounds than I did in August. I waddled in to have my nails clipped. I was devastated!

I've written articles on dogs with weight problems and special foods for dogs on a diet. A strong message in these articles was sent to dog owners. Owners were killing their dogs with love! They were the ones that were overfeeding them. So was it my owner that was making me fat?

I also learned that exercise is important for us hounds. When Francesca came to live with us I lost several pounds because we started going to the dog park almost every day. And we romped and played at home. In the evenings we played ball in the yard.

But now it's fall and it's raining. They days are short. We head for bed before 6 p.m. Francesca gets up around 7 a.m. but I sleep in until after 8 a.m. I only get up because I hear breakfast being served!

This is what I do most of the time when it's raining.
Please forgive the ragged blanket.
My good one is in the laundry.

And I don't like going outside in the rain. I stay inside as much as possible. Francesca, on the other hand, goes out rain or shine and wants to stay out in the rain squirrel hunting. (Well, the squirrels are not out but she thinks she might see one).

So what to do. What to do? My owner has decided to CUT BACK ON MY FOOD AND TREATS! I am not happy with that. Here's the plan:

I usually get 1 cup of food in the morning and one cup of food in the evening. Now I'm going to be served only a half cup of food in the evening.

Here's Francesca watching for squirrels
in the pouring rain!

I usually get several treats at once when they are doled out. Now, I'm going to be given two treats only while Francesca scarfs up as many as she wants.

Now on to exercise. That's a tough one. It's fine on nice days. We go to the dog park. But when it's raining and my owner goes somewhere, Francesca goes to Day Care and bounces around all day playing. I, on the other hand, mostly sleep when she's gone.

I don't want to go to Day Care because I don't have patience for pushy dogs and ill-mannered dogs. So that is not the answer. So I am not sure what to do about exercise. Maybe I can convince my owner to take me on a volksmarch once a week. The rain has to let up at least once a week, right?

So that's the plan. I'll report back when I get weighed again. If you don't hear from me, it means I have starved to death! :(

Love, Cinnamon

Did the Vet Say Your Pet Needs to Lose Weight? Check out #HillsPet Metabolic Diet ($70 Giveaway Too!)

Here I am playing hard to keep slim and trim

Now, I Cinnamon, don't want to lose weight. It might mean giving up TREATS, right? Well, maybe not. I've been researching a fairly new dog weight loss product that will be sure to perk up the ears of my pleasantly plump friends. (And if I don't quit sleeping so much I might need to lose weight too!)

I see them at the dog park. I see them on Facebook. These are the dogs and cats that have some extra weight. Owners think they are happy. But the pets tell me, secretly, that they aren't. They want to run and play with ease. They want to feel better. So how can that be done without sacrificing FOOD and TREATS?

Here's a cute video that features a pleasantly plump cat (the type that would not be able to out-run me, Cinnamon).

I heard that in the U.S., 53% of dogs and 55% of cats are now overweight. How did this happen? I'll bet it's the people that caused this because we animals love to be lean. (But we also like to beg for extra food and treats) You might be in denial. You might say "I'm not overweight... I just love those treats!" Well, here's how your owner can help you figure it out.

I got this trick from the people at Hill’s® Prescription Diet® Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution.

To determine  if your pet is the correct weight is right at your fingertips–literally.

Make a fist and feel your knuckles.

If your pet’s ribs feel like the knuckles of your clenched fist, then your pet is underweight.

Now relax your hand. Now with your hand open, feel the knuckles on the back of your open hand.

This is what your pet’s ribs should feel like if he’s the correct weight.

Flip over your hand and feel those same knuckles but on your palm. This is what your pet’s ribs will feel like if he’s overweight.

Oh Oh! What to do?

So did you find out you need to lose weight? Well, you're not alone. So what to do?

Hill’s® Prescription Diet® Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution may be your answer. I was amazed to find out that in a study 88 percent of pets on this diet lost weight in two months at home as well as 28 percent body fat loss in dogs in two months and 29 percent body fat loss in cats in two months.

Now these results are really good to hear because they were done in tests AT HOME... not in A LAB. That means that everything else was just as it usually is for these pets. You know, sometimes your owner sneaks you a bit of sandwich or a French fry from the Drive-Through (Yum!).  Things during the test were normal and all that changed was the food and treats these pets received. AND THEY LOST WEIGHT! Here's what pet owners have said about the program.

YES! You get TREATS!

Now you'll have to visit the Vet to get authorization. The vet will check for other illnesses and confirm the diet is right for you. 

With the diet you get the special Hill’s® Prescription Diet® Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution AND TREATS! Hear that? You don't have to give up treats! (In fact I know where the treat jar is at my Vet's office!)

Because this food affects your metabolism, rather than just making you cut back on your food, you'll feel better for sure. And, when I see you at the dog park, you'll probably outrun ME! 

And when you get to your goal weight, you can continue on the food as maintenance. The program and your Vet will tell you how.

Win a $70 Trial Kit for a Dog or Cat
Would you like to sample Hill’s® Prescription Diet® Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution? I’ve got 10 starter kits to give away to my readers; you can select a Canine or Feline Metabolic Starter Kit.

It’s a $70 value! 

Winners can select a Canine or Feline kit. Here’s what they include:

Canine Metabolic Starter Kit

•             1 Weight Loss Success Tote Bag

•             1 Weight Loss Success Guide

•             1 6lb bag of Metabolic dry dog food

•             2 (13oz) Metabolic cans

•             1 (16oz) Metabolic treats

•             (2) $25 coupons  

Here's what the dogs get.

Feline Metabolic Starter Kit

•             1 Weight Loss Success Tote Bag

•             1 Weight Loss Success Guide

•             1 4lb bag of Metabolic dry cat food

•             2 (5.5oz) Metabolic cans

•             1 (2.5oz) Metabolic treats

Here's what the kitties get.

To enter, there are two steps. First talk to your veterinarian and make sure that this will be right for your pet. Then leave a comment on my blog here that tells me a little about your pet and why you'd like to win the starter kit. Be sure to include all of the required information below:

1.  What is your pet: dog or cat

2.  Pet’s age

3.  Pet’s current weight or close guess

4.  Your name

5.  Your email address

This giveaway is limited to one winner per household and is for U.S. residents only.

I'll be drawing names on April 2nd (that's just a week away) so sign up now.

Remember, just like with humans, before starting your pet on a weight loss program a doctor should be consulted. Your veterinarian’s authorization is required before starting Hill’s® Prescription Diet® Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution food. (And Hill's won't send it to you without this authorization)

Good luck!

This post is sponsored by Hill’s. I, Cinnamon, am being compensated for helping spread the word about Hill's® Prescription Diet® Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution, but Coon Hound Tales only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc. is not responsible for the content of this article.