Max was my wife's sister's dog. He was an amazing canine. A boxer by breed and one of the sweetest dogs I've ever met. He loved stealing forbidden chocolate and trying to smash his head through all sorts of penetrable and impenetrable objects. I won't tell you the vet bills. Yes, Max was a lively fellow, but a more loving and protective pooch you never met.
Unfortunately, Max had to be put to sleep last year after years of hind-quarter paralysis misery. Max and my dog Tilly (who passed a few years ago) were best of friends.
Max was 12 years old when he went to doggy heaven which is a ripe old age for bull breeds. Tilly joined him at 14. I miss them.
But to the point - here's a pic of Max before he lost the use of his hind legs. You can see that he is, shall we say, a bit "beefy." This dog was as active as all get out and would run in the yard and at our farm in upstate NY whenever he visited like there was no tomorrow. Lack of activity was not Max's problem.
A few months after this pic was taken, Max began to lose his ability to use his hind legs and it wasn't long before he could not walk at all. So sad.
I had mentioned to my in-laws that Maxy would be a lot happier in his lameness if he was lighter and so would they since they had to carry him outside to do his business.
So I suggested that they ditch the carb-rich kibble (it's amazing how much carb-crud they stuff into commercial dog food) and instead feed him raw meats, bones, organs, etc. and all of it he could eat in the hopes that along with being lighter, he might regain some function back. So they did.
Here's the result:
'Tis true - he did lose some muscle mass after becoming lame, but prior to the change in diet he remained lame and over fat.
It was a pricey change, but well worth his happiness. He didn't regain any function, but before he went to that giant grassy field in the sky, full of things to chase and tear to shreds, he ate like a dog should eat and (according to my in-laws) was a lot happier.
My question to all of the Jillian Michaels of the world who preach and proclaim that you need exercise to lose weight: How in the name of all that is holy did dear old Maximillian become so much leaner when he couldn't move?
So the next time you hear know-it-alls like Jillian Michaels and others of her ilk say that you need to exercise to lose fat, think of good old Max and don't buy their kibble!
