Lucy the Chihuahua mix drops half her body weight thanks to treadmill runs and healthier treats
Now, she’s sniffing her way through 5Ks
Now, she’s sniffing her way through 5Ks
Now, she’s sniffing her way through 5Ks
People aren’t the only ones who can experience a transformation thanks to dedication to a healthier lifestyle — our four-legged friends can run their way to a better life, too.
Take Lucy, a Chihuahua mix who used running to help her get back into shape, as first reported in its "Half Their Size" issue. It’s a fitting name, since Lucy dropped nearly half her weight.
Jen Chemel adopted Lucy in 2015 from the Animal Welfare League of Arlington, Virginia. At the time, the pup weighed about 22 pounds, and was considered well overweight, Chemel told Runner’s World.
Taken in by the shelter as a stray, Lucy was nervous around people and other dogs. So the shelter put out a bucket of treats near her kennel for people to give her to make her feel more comfortable.
She was a normal weight coming in, but all those treats led to her fluffing up. Before anyone realized it, the extra pounds were piling on.
Plus, likely because the weight was too much for her little dog legs to bear, she didn’t like to walk much, either, and wouldn’t go much further than the edge of the parking lot. Like in humans, the combination of unhealthy snacks and a lack of exercise led to some significant weight gain. Eventually, she reached a high of 26 pounds.
The shelter began to limit her treats, and even signed her up to be part of a weight-loss program through a local veterinarian TV show. When Chemel adopted Lucy in March of 2015, Lucy was already down to about 22 pounds and part of the agreement was to help her continue to lose weight and gain her confidence back. So she worked with a vet to plan a 300-calorie diet with high-quality pet food to help Lucy lose weight in a healthy way. She also received three vet checkups and a membership to a dog gym.
Lucy started going to the dog gym, which is essentially like an indoor dog park. She started walking on a treadmill until she lost some weight, and increased to jogging about once a week for 15 to 20 minutes.
The pup figured out the treadmill pretty quickly, especially when she realized her reward was a low-calorie treat. She started slow, about 3 to 3.5mph, but eventually her little legs were able to carry her at a 5 mph pace — the equivalent of a 12-minute mile.
“Having the doggie treadmills are kind of silly but are really helpful,” Chemel said. “It was a really great tool (while Lucy was losing weight), but at some point I was able to take her on walks, and she didn’t need to be in controlled environment as much.”
After Lucy started to lose some more weight and feel more comfortable walking, she and Chemel started walking and running in their neighborhood, taking it one block at a time.
In addition to her treadmill training, they also took a few long walks a week, about 2 or 3 miles at a time. They also incorporated hill workouts and runs around the dog park.
“It really came down to, let’s be more active and let’s make sure her portions are controlled,” Chemel said.
By May of 2015, Lucy was down to about 19 pounds and ready for a 5K. The local shelter she was adopted from holds a 5K every year, and Lucy was ready to show her newfound love of running to her old friends.
Since that first 5K in 2015, Lucy, who is now 6, has participated in a few others. Chemel makes sure to choose dog-friendly ones that will make her feel comfortable and has also enrolled her in dog socialization classes to help her confidence even more.
Now, Chemel and Lucy mainly walk and run around their neighborhood, since the pooch doesn’t love the car ride necessary to get to her dog gym. They plan to continue to do more 5Ks together, too.
“You have to conscious of (your pet gaining unhealthy weight) and be honest with yourself,” Chemel said. “Diet and exercise do work.”