Dennis the Dachshund achieved Internet fame notoriety when photos of him went viral, showing his out-of-control weight gain. He could hardly walk a few steps without running out of breath.
Dennis was being fed pizza and hamburgers by his previous owner until his owner’s niece, Brooke Burton, a 26-year-old nursing student, adopted him and started him down his long path to recovery.
Out comes Dennis, and I couldn’t believe it. I wasn’t even sure what breed of dog he was supposed to be because he was so large.”
Brooke Burton
It took two years, but Dennis has lost the weight he gained from all the White Castle burgers, pizza, and other fast food. Dennis finally made it! He now weighs in at 12 lbs – four and a half times lighter than he was.
Now, he looks like everyone’s favorite house elf, DOBBY!
And he has clothes!
He was put on a diet of dry food, lots of walks and plenty of love and affection. He lost so much weight that he began tripping over his excess skin folds and they began getting infected. After three surgeries at Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center, he’s looking lean.
“In the beginning, you could tell he was very depressed, that he really didn’t feel good at all. He didn’t have much of a personality. After he lost weight, this bossy little demanding man popped out.”
Brooke Burton
According to Dr. Kathleen Ham, the very talented veterinary surgeon who performed the operations, Dennis’s story is a good lesson for pet owners who might feed their animals too much.
“We have an expression: food is not love. Most of what your pet wants from you is affection and attention.”
Dr. Kathleen Ham
1.CTV 2.NationalPost 3.TheTelegraph 4.Independant
