When a pet develops a weight problem, the first thing vets usually recommend is a diet–reduced food intake. It makes sense, right? A pet needs to consume less calories than he burns during the day in order to lose weight. A restrictive diet can be challenging, though, and we hate to feel like we're depriving our animals. My sister puts it well. She's always wanting to lose a few pounds and says "I sure wish I was a dog so someone would put me on a diet." Exactly. It's hard to do it on our own! Our dogs and cats are lucky in the sense that they can lose weight if we put them on a diet, but they are completely at our mercy. And diets for dogs and cats can be so restrictive. We want them to be happy and feel satisfied.

We've all tried a crash diet, right? We achieved some temporary results, but we felt a bit like the devil was inside us? We were hungry!

Theo was no stranger to table scraps or to cuteness. Photo credit: Alice G. Patterson Photography via Daily Dog Tag

Meet Theo. (Awwwww! Isn't he fabulous?) Theo's family put him on a diet, and he wasn't so happy about it. He had achieved some weight loss success with help from his owner, Beth, but he was feeling very deprived.

Beth and her family adopted Theo, an adorable puggle, last July from The Humane Association of Central New York. He was about four years old. Beth recalls "Theo was overweight when we met him at the rescue. But to be honest, I thought he was adorable just the way he was. Theo was 38 pounds when we brought him home!"

The vet thought Theo's ideal weight would be about 30 pounds.

As soon as they brought Theo home, it became obvious that his previous owners had fed him table scraps. Knowing Theo could stand to lose a few pounds, Beth and her family did not follow suit. They reduced his food intake and increased his activity level. "Theo started losing weight, and I thought we were well on our way to a healthier dog," Beth reflected. By Christmas, Theo had lost a fair amount of weight, but by January, his family started to notice that he seemed hungry all the time and they saw a change in his behavior.

Theo looks ready to hit the hors d'oeuvres. Photo credit: Alice G. Patterson Photography via Daily Dog Tag — Theo looks ready to hit the hors d'oeuvres. Photo credit: Alice G. Patterson Photography via Daily Dog Tag

Theo figured out how to work the foot pedal on the garbage can and started helping himself to anything he could reach. If someone dropped food, Theo was aggressive about claiming it. He tried to steal treats and food from the other dogs. In short, he was miserable and so was I. So I gave up his diet to help get back the pleasant dog I adopted. –Beth

Soon after making this decision, Beth discovered Hill's® Prescription Diet® Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution, a food that activates a pet's metabolism to regulate appetite and burn fat. It does not require depriving or restricting your pet. Beth hoped that this would be the answer to Theo's hunger issue, yet allow him to continue to lose weight because, she said "being so hungry brought out a side of Theo that I wasn't really comfortable with." When Theo began the Hill's® program, he weighed 32.4 pounds. Though he seemed to get around okay and accomplish all he loved to do–best of all playing with the kids–the veterinarian recommended that to be at his best, Theo would need to lose a few more pounds.

After feeding Theo the Hill's® Prescription Diet® Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution for nearly four months, Beth reports that it seems to be working well. Theo has lost a bit more than a pound, and considering that he's so close to ideal weight, now, that's pretty awesome. Beth says that "the most important part of this system to me is Theo seems to be satisfied during the day. He isn't constantly looking for food or whining for food." And it's really easy. Theo gets a cup of food in the morning and 3/4 of a cup at night, plus a few extra pieces of food along with the Hill's® treats to dole out to him here and there (he's so deserving...just look at those adorable eyes–er–hold that thought...that's how we got into trouble in the first place).

Theo now weighs in at 31 pounds. He's only got an itty-bitty way to go. You can do it, Theo! We know Hill's® will help him achieve his ideal weight. Check out how awesome he looks...he's so happy!

What a handsome fellow! Photo credit: Daily Dog Tag

A special thanks to Beth Patterson and her family (and especially to darling Theo) for helping me share their story. Well Minded wishes Theo a lifetime of health and happiness. To learn more about Theo's weight loss journey and cheer him along, please visit him on the Daily Dog Tag blog:

Will Theo Be in the 88% Success Category?

Theo's Weight Loss Journey With #HillsPet

More information about Hill's® Prescription Diet® Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution:

if bear can do it, any pet can: gaining back your friend with #HillsPet

is your pet overweight? let's get real

#HillsPet redefines love by helping our pets achieve healthy weight loss

Hills® Prescription Diet® Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution Web Site

Hill's® Prescription Diet® Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution Product for Dogs

Hill's® Prescription Diet® Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution Product for Cats

If your pet has tried Hill's® Prescription Diet® Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution, Hill's® would love to hear about it and celebrate with you. On their Ratings and Reviews Facebook Page, you can share your stories and celebrate others' success. Join me!

Hill's® Prescription Diet® Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution Ratings and Reviews

This post is sponsored by Hill's® and the Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Hill's® Prescription Diet® Metabolic Food, but Well Minded only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc. is not responsible for the content of this article.

Don't get me wrong. We play in the pool quite a bit in our "off hours," but my kids don't have the typical summer vacation. They go to work with me each and every day, and they help. Like truly help. We don't travel to far-off lands or exotic places, and though I don't think they'd turn down the opportunity to do so, my kids actually think they're lucky to be working all summer.

We don't travel during the summer because our clients do. As a professional pet sitter and work-from-home-mom, when the kids are out of school, they accompany me–aka free child labor–on my visits. They generally know my schedule, and they know all of the creatures in the lineup, so if we're seeing some of their favorites, they'll often be dressed before 5 a.m., ready to make the rounds.

This week is particularly fun because we're looking after one of our favorite animal families. They have a dog, a cat, two horses, and three chickens, and my kids wouldn't let me leave them behind for anything.

Admiring the horses, chatting with the chickens and giving the cat some love.

Sometimes I feel like my kids are deprived because they don't get to do much of what their friends are doing over the summer, but then I review the pictures and see their enthusiasm and realize that putting them to work for the summer doing something they love while spending time together is just as valuable.

It's like our own private petting zoo, all summer long.