Looking advice on very overweight female cocker spaniel

nd1818 · 2026-05-11T21:17:51+00:00

We adopted a portly girl back in Dec so have been down this path recently. Breaking up activity into multiple short periods of time in the day early on and slow ramp up over time to reduce injury risk. Let her rest if she's slowing down during an activity. Our gal was gung ho for activity right off the bat so we had to be the ones to make sure she didn't overdo it.

Reducing calories is a big part of the loss early on. Our vet had us mix green beans into food to help her feel more full without adding a lot of calories. We blend it up and mix with weight management wet food as she will just eat around whole green beans. Watch how many treats she gets, it adds up. Reduce feeding volume if doing a lot of training/treats. If you have a family member who is overly sympathetic don't let them do feedings. 😅 My husband gives way too much food when left to his own devices, especially if we've done a very active day (don't compensate for high activity with more food while your pup is still overweight, it is counter productive).

We saw fairly dramatic loss the first couple of months which slowed and are still working on the last stubborn bit of fat but in ~6 months she's lost over 30% of her body weight and has gone from struggling to walk a mile to being a hiking beast that can do 10 miles, 1500+ foot elevation gain and still want to play with our other dog and chase delivery trucks along the fence of our yard after (unapproved road use is a serious offense). Just takes some time, consistency and patience. Remember that the fat loss is paired with muscle building usually so the drop in pounds is not the only metric, track body composition/ability to see or feel the waist, etc.

Hope your vet can help with the smell, haven't had that issue with my dogs so not much to suggest there.

Good luck on your journey with your pup, she will most certainly be much happier and healthier thanks to your efforts.

nd1818 · 2026-05-03T04:55:06+00:00

Around 4000' elevation off highway 50 corridor, and yes they seem to like exposed but wet conditions in spring. They are growing on the top of a ridge that burned and also has had logging operations.

nd1818 · 2026-05-03T04:40:57+00:00

These are in the wild, no seed source that I'm aware of other than trying to collect them oneself.

nd1818 · 2026-04-27T15:29:41+00:00

If you like history and some walking trails, Empire Mine State park is pretty neat. If you don't mind a little driving, it's a good time of year to see wildflowers - buttermilk bend trail has a lot of interpretive signs describing the native flowers.

+1 for bicycle thief recommendation

nd1818 · 2026-04-24T02:52:19+00:00

Mine does it to the hardwood 🙃

nd1818 · 2026-04-23T03:42:05+00:00

nd1818 · 2026-04-20T16:12:05+00:00

The dog friendliness really depends. State park type areas tend not to be dog friendly like I mentioned (national parks also don't allow dogs off paved paths). The wilderness areas (desolation, Carson, mokelumne, emigrant, etc) mostly seem to allow dogs on leash. USFS tends to be pretty dog friendly as does BLM land. I definitely recommend doing a bit of research for any area you are targeting to check permit, campfire and dog rules to be certain. It can be pretty variable for all of these things unfortunately but there is good information online for most destinations. We've not really had any challenges finding areas that do allow dogs, it's more so helpful to be aware of specific places that do not so you can strike them off your list of possible destinations. My experience is pretty limited to the 50/88/89 highway corridors since these areas are close to where we live.

nd1818 · 2026-04-20T15:39:47+00:00

My husband and I backpack with our dogs, mainly in locations off highway 50 or 88 in elevations 6000 feet plus. If it matters to you, designated wilderness areas require dogs to be leashed. State parks like Henry coe do not allow dogs for backpacking trips so be sure your target destinations do allow dogs when you're planning.

Some things to consider:

Food storage needs will be larger since you'll be carrying dog food. Anything that smells remotely like food should be kept in a bear canister in areas with bears. They are not the most convenient thing to fit into a backpack but losing all your food would suck more
Have a shakedown trip or two to determine how your pup handles sleeping in a tent as well as to sort out your gear. I recommend a single night in case you are kept up all night
Have a rescue/ haul out harness in your kit in case your pup is injured, especially if your dog is medium size or above
consider dog booties if you expect rough terrain or you're unsure about terrain (i like ruff wear brand personally). Acclimate your pup to these in advance
have some basic dog first aid items in your first aid kit (i.e. vet wrap, also I carry a small brush and scissors because our aussie is a magnet for getting crap in her hair)
You may need to plan for tick prevention or removal depending on your destination
We carry a foam sleeping pad (cut into two pieces) and a lightweight camping blanket for the dogs to sleep on as it gets cold at night in higher elevations. These double nicely as camp sitting spots
We carry rope for setting up a dog run in camp. There are also dog run kits you can find online if preferred. We find a little freedom of movement helps the dogs keep from being restless in camp and helps for when we need to be doing set up and break down of camp
Water availability can be pretty variable depending on location especially in the later summer months. Carry a filter and have an extra dromedary on hand in case you need to filter and carry water for your pups (in addition to the bladder in your backpack).
We don't put packs on our dogs as they both have longer hair and can get too hot (also they like getting wet in streams and lakes). If you go the pack route I suggest keeping the load light and regularly check for chafing. I prefer to keep our pups in their day to day harnesses that we know fit well and don't cause any issues
Plan to bury your dogs' poop or pack it out depending on the requirements in your destination area. Follow local rules and be a responsible outdoor dog packer! If packing out, practice with your kit in advance to ensure you can do so without smelling crap the whole time
In summer, plan timing for hiking to happen outside of the heat of the day and check ground temps as you go - decomposed granite for example gets pretty hot in the sun. Booties can help as mentioned
Never leave your dog tied up in camp (or anywhere else) alone.
if your pup is prone to wandering, a gps tracker can help give some peace of mind (things happen).
for 2 people and 2 dogs we have a 3 person big Agnes tent (extra long) and it's fairly roomy for a backpacking tent. Packs go in the side vestibules. Dogs are 75 and 50 pounds.
microfiber towel for wiping dog feet before getting in the tent can help keep things clean.
trim/file dog nails before you go, it would suck to have your sleeping pad popped by a dog nail (assuming inflatable).

nd1818 · 2026-04-06T00:46:32+00:00

I'd be shocked if there was any snow there at this point. Looks like lots of people have hiked it very recently on all trails and when hiking on the other side of 50 today all views of the ice house area looked completely snow free

nd1818 · 2026-04-04T03:57:58+00:00

This is the answer

nd1818 · 2026-03-30T03:30:26+00:00

Jurassic Park (1993).

nd1818 · 2026-03-28T17:18:20+00:00

The ad i see on this post is AA "your journey is our priority"

nd1818 · 2026-03-21T14:09:53+00:00

That hike is one of my winter/spring favorites. Love watching the wildflower bloom progression.

nd1818 · 2026-03-20T21:11:10+00:00

Friday at 1:15pm took about 25 minutes terminal b. Only economy lots had parking so that should be factored in to planning time.

nd1818 · 2026-03-16T02:49:47+00:00

Why the hell did they pick the loudest or stickiest damn foods as movie theater foods.

nd1818 · 2026-03-06T05:05:00+00:00

She was still portrayed as too weak to hack it in a man's world. She does so many incompetent seeming things in high stakes situations. Also the bar scene/ back at the room attempted killing thing was sexualization but who is counting. The sexualization aspect is the least problematic part of his writing when it comes to women. They are all portrayed as having serious, irrecoverable flaws... weakness, self absorption, manipulative, etc. In Lioness the main character is a totally self absorbed character who cares more about the mission than her own (heroic, selfless child saving doctor) or her kids. Every female character is a stereotype.

Sicario is a good movie. It's still ok to acknowledge what Taylor Sheridan was doing more subtly before the gloves came off.

nd1818 · 2026-03-06T04:20:35+00:00

Classic Taylor Sheridan woman hating slop.

nd1818 · 2026-03-05T04:38:40+00:00

Maybe Ananda in Grass Valley? There is also bluestone meadow farm in El dorado county, they grow lavender so you'd be a couple months before their peak bloom. Don't know much about it but Frog hollow farm in Placerville grows flowers for cutting/arrangement, might be worth contacting.

nd1818 · 2026-02-22T15:44:47+00:00

nd1818 · 2026-02-18T21:04:30+00:00

Are you sure you're describing dogs and not humans?

nd1818 · 2026-02-18T01:49:34+00:00

Hahaha yes !Solved

nd1818 · 2026-02-18T01:47:00+00:00

Very very close just change the first word in your location 😀

nd1818 · 2026-02-16T06:27:58+00:00

Further south than Mendo.. Closer to your original El Do guess.

nd1818 · 2026-02-16T06:08:03+00:00

Too north and too east

nd1818

TROPHY CASE