Meet Scooter Brown! This wonderful boy is nine-and-a-half years old but you wouldn’t know it by looking at him today.
Scooter Brown came to us in March as part of Harmony Veterinary Center’s new Fluffy to Fit program. His dedicated family wanted to find a way to help him lose weight and gain muscle mass so that he could continue to thrive for many more years. For most of his life, Scooter Brown weighed in around 55 pounds, but his family started noticing that he was slowing down, didn’t want to play with the younger dogs, often needed pain medications after going on walks and would sleep a lot of the day. They were surprised to learn that he was up to 62 pounds!
As we all know, life gets in the way sometimes and the last couple of years have been no exception.
A Lifestyle Journey
His journey in the Fluffy To Fit program began with an assessment of his daily calorie intake and discussion about foods. His family decided to start him on a new food with higher fiber to help him feel full, but it also had a bonus effect: it helped his anal glands which he is happy about! Scooter Brown loves his new food and the calories were calculated so that he was on track to start shedding those pesky pounds.
Once the diet portion was addressed, it was time to start exercising. Scooter Brown started coming to Harmony for underwater treadmill sessions twice a week. The underwater treadmill helps by offering a low impact workout while still burning calories; one minute on the underwater treadmill is similar to three-to-four minutes of dry land walking, but is much easier on joints that are already stressed from extra weight.
Scooter Brown was not too sure of the underwater treadmill at first, but once he figured it all out, he would arrive at Harmony and pull his family down the hall and into the room, excited to jump right in and get started!
This combination of diet and exercise showed results quickly, with pounds melting away. After just a few weeks, he met his goal weight of 55 pounds and started onto the maintenance program. Scooter Brown’s family is so happy with how well he is doing, reporting that he is a “spring chicken” now! He gets up early in the morning, excited for the day and his breakfast which he loves, he plays with the younger dogs, goes on walks and hikes and rarely needs any pain medications afterward.
Way To Go, Scooter Brown! If you are interested in having your pet join the Fluffy To Fit Program, please contact us at (303) 432-8551.
Scooter Brown before (above) and after (below).
