Cheshire vet saves 10st spaniel dubbed UK’s fattest dog

A springer spaniel dubbed Britain’s fattest dog is now half the dog he used to be after shedding more than 35kg.

The nine-year-old spaniel called Philip was presented to Cheshire Pet in Holmes Chapel in April after he was found to weigh a whopping 65.9kg (10st 3lbs).

Close to death

Staff at the IVC Evidensia-owned practice have now been able to bring nine-year-old Philip’s weight down to 30kg, shedding more than half of his original weight in less than a year.

Clinical director at the practice Edward Davies took charge of Philip’s case, but when he arrived noticed that he had stopped eating and feared he may be close to death.

‘Impossible to palpate’

Mr Davies said: “I’ve been a vet for 30 years and I’ve never seen a dog as overweight as Philip.

“It was hard to get a perspective as he was so difficult to examine. It was impossible to palpate the abdomen, for example.

“I doubt I would have been able to feel even a mass the size of a football and his heart was very muffled through all the layers. To some extent we could evaluate his ability to walk, but that was limited to just a few feet before he had to sit down.

“When we ran the blood sample, though, it actually came back surprisingly good, given his poor quality of life and physical appearance. There was no indication of cause of concern, so it was unfortunate to say the least to be considering putting him to sleep.

“We would offer any owner who can’t look after a dog like this that we feel we can treat the possibility of rehoming, so that’s what we did.”

Human food

Already the owner of two springer spaniels, Mr Davies personally went through the formal process of adopting Philip so as to better supervise his care.

The vet detailed how Philip initially had issues eating dog food as he had been used to a rich diet of human food, including cakes.

Controlled weight loss

Mr Davies added: “I added a probiotic with a powerful flavouring on to a prescription obesity management food and he started eating that after a few days. He lost between 1kg and 1.5kg each week, so it came off in a very steady, controlled fashion.

“I couldn’t even take him out with my own dogs at first as he had to sit down every few seconds. We built him up doing circuits of the garden and one day when one of my other spaniels dropped a ball, he picked it up and brought it back.

“It was as if he was learning to play again, or maybe even for the first time. Now he’ll chase balls and run with enthusiasm and vigour.

“Philip’s weight loss is helping with the management of his arthritis and it’s just lovely to see him happier and healthier.”