05/08/2026
Hey folks, Dr. Kevin here.
A young gentleman once brought his dog into the hospital, and the first thing I noticed was that the dog was carrying far too much weight.
𝗦𝗼 𝗜 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆:
“Why is your dog so heavy?”
𝗛𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱:
“Well, Doc, I only feed him one cup of food a day.”
Now, I’ve heard many things in veterinary medicine over the years, but something about this made me curious.
𝗜 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱:
“You know what? I’d love to see that cup.”
The young man ran out to his truck and came back carrying what looked like a giant gold trophy cup.
I just started laughing.
That dog was meant to weigh around 25 pounds and was pushing close to 38.
And the fascinating thing was this:
in his mind, he truly believed he was feeding properly.
That was his definition of a cup.
This story has always stayed with me because it reminds me that many health problems in pets do not come from lack of love.
They come from misunderstanding.
From habits.
From not realizing how quickly calories add up.
A few extra treats.
Oversized portions.
Table food.
Snacks between meals.
Over time, those things quietly change a pet’s entire health picture.
Weight affects joints, heart health, breathing, energy levels, and longevity.
The good news is this:
small corrections can make a tremendous difference.
Sometimes prevention begins with simply learning what a real portion looks like.
And yes... I still think about that giant gold cup every time somebody tells me they only feed “one cup.”
Thanks for listening, folks.
