Ernie and Bert - Fat Dogs Slim

Close Up

2009-03-17T18:01:00.000-07:00

Hello all my faithful followers

I hope you have all been watching Close Up because they have been following my story since the beginning & Ernie's too of course. Well I'm so happy to say that my journey has finally had the best ever ending & I now have the most amazing home in the world. I've been adopted & have a new mum & two other dogs to be my new family. I live with a cat called "Lion" & some goats & 2 of them are also called Ernie & Bert, how spooky is that?

I went to my new home on Saturday & settled in straight away, I live on a small farm so there's lots of room to run & play & we go for walks every morning & night. I have a very special bed & I'm so tired at night I sleep like a baby & have doggy dreams until the morning. Life is just the best & with my loss of weight I can run around just like a normal dog & no one makes fun of me like they used to.

The SPCA put me on Close Up last week to try & find me a home because I had been waiting a while & I was getting a bit worried about what would happen to me.

You guys out there are amazing because people rang up & sent in e-mails from all over NZ offering to adopt me. I couldn't believe that so many people could care so much & one of those people is my special new mum. I love my new home & my human & animal family & I can't believe how lucky I am. I keep shaking myself in case it's a dream but guess what? It isn't a dream, it's real & I have all you wonderful people & the SPCA to thank for it. I will never, never forget what you have all done for Ernie & I & I promise I will keep you posted on how things are going.

I called Ernie on the phone last night & said I was going to write to you & he said to let you all know that he will be in touch with you all soon but he has been back in hospital for his second op & is recovering at the SPCA. He said meanie Max won't let him use the computer yet but he's working on it & will give you an update as soon as he can.

I never used to believe in miracles but they are real & Ernie & I have been given a second chance & we have all of you to thank for it.

We love you & thank you.

Catch up soon !

Bert

Breakin' up is hard to do...

2009-03-12T16:48:00.000-07:00

Ernie & Bert both appeared on Close Up last night - as the SPCA has had no luck finding a home for loveable Bert - and the response has been amazing. We knew if we could touch the hearts of those caring people we would receive lots of offers to give Bert a home.

The SPCA is currently processing all the applications and will be in touch with all suitable candidates as soon as possible. Ernie is still recuperating from his second knee operation and is doing extremely well but will not be ready to be adopted for at least four weeks. The applications received will apply to Ernie also, so these will be held until he is ready to go.

The decision has been made that these two boys will not be rehomed together as they are now completely different dogs from when they arrived at the village and their personalities have changed quite a lot. We feel it is in the dogs best interest to go to separate homes, where they can both start a new life with a new family.

If you are wishing to put forward an application to adopt one of these dogs, please send your application through on the link provided. Many thanks to the Close Up team for assisting us and following Bert and Ernie's journey and thank you to all those people who have put their names forward.

We will keep in touch.

Bert's ready for adoption!

2009-02-15T14:45:00.000-08:00

Hi Guys,

Ernie here with a quick check-in as I have to rip up all the paper in my cage & tip my water over so Max will let me out to clean it. It's a cunning plan I came up with to get extra time out & no one has caught on to it yet. I'm still on restricted exercise although I'm allowed to get longer walks but still only on the lead but I can't wait until I'm allowed to run around again.

I went back to the vet clinic last week to see Ruth the best vet ever & to have my stitches out & a quick check. It was great to see all my new friends at the clinic again, I think they have become quite attached to me but who can blame them after all? Everything is going really well with my recovery & the best thing is I don't have to wear that horrible plastic collar anymore, all my stitches are out & I can walk on my fixed leg pretty well. I might be having the operation on my other leg in a couple of weeks but Ruth will take some more pictures of my leg to see if it has mended enough before she decides to go ahead.

I must admit I'm quite enjoying all this attention as Derek my chauffer picks me up in the morning & we take the scenic route to Ruth's place where I get lots of pats & everyone chats away to me telling me how special I am & how well I'm doing. Then Derek picks me up & brings me back to the SPCA, we usually go home a different way to avoid me getting bored with the view. When I arrive back it's usually lunch time & then a quick walk around the estate & time for a nap. Who can complain about that kind of treatment especially at my time of life.

The other big news is that Bert is now available for adoption. Bert & I had a big chat about this with Uncle Bob & we decided that it's time for Bert to move on & start a new life. There is no point him sitting around waiting for me to finish my surgery because that will be a few more weeks before I'm ready for adoption so it's not fair to make him wait. The funny thing is we are doing really well on our own so it's time for us to find a home of our own & start the next part of our journey. I will miss him but I just hope someone will adopt him & give him the perfect home where he will be loved & be able to live out the rest of his life belonging to people who care about him.

In a few weeks it will be my turn, but if you think you would like to see Bert & maybe adopt him then come out to the SPCA. Unfortunately he didn't get a home over our special Valentines Day Adopt-a-thon, so I will let you know how he gets on & no doubt he will write to you all when he gets time out from socialising with all the staff & other dogs. I will keep you posted on my next vet appointment & how I'm going.

Cheers,
Ernie

Nearly there...

2009-02-02T20:05:00.000-08:00

From Bert

Well I thought I had better write something for the blog because Ernie seems to be getting all the limelight & I don't want you to forget about me. My weight loss is going well & I'm a smidgeon away from getting my certificate from Hills Pet Nutrition. I can hardly wait & I'm hoping the staff will give me a big steak dinner to celebrate my success but I might be pushing my luck a bit!!

As you know from Ernie he has been away for a few days & I'm not allowed to visit in case he gets overexcited & damages his leg so I'm chilling with the girls in the office. There's people coming & going all day long so it's very sociable & I get to play with other dogs so I'm not in a hurry to go anywhere.

I'm really pleased the SPCA are having the surgery done on Ernie's knees because I've always been a bit worried about how he was going to cope when he got a bit older and now that he is so slim & active he will have a new lease on life. I do miss Ernie but I am enjoying being on my own & I don't think he's too bothered either as he's getting pampered & fussed over so everything's really cool.

I heard them talking the other day about getting me back out to a foster home until Ernie's legs are all sorted in case I start getting bored & misbehaving. It would be nice to get out to a proper home again at least for a while but Taryn who looks after me said I might have to get my teeth cleaned before I go anywhere & I don't know if I'm too keen on that idea but we'll wait & see.

Anyway more people just walked into the office & they are saying how amazing I look & how cute I am so I had better go & take full advantage of all this attention.

Talk soon, take care
Bert

Recuperation...

2009-02-02T20:03:00.000-08:00

Hi Guys

I've been back at the SPCA since Tuesday & I have to stay in a cage most of the day which is a bit challenging because I'm feeling really good & just want to run around & play. Ruth, my extra special surgeon who I love to bits told the staff who look after me that I have to have cage rest for the next few weeks until she checks me over again. I can walk on a lead twice a day for ten minutes and my good mate Max who looks after me lets me have floor time while she cleans my cage & makes my meals. I did try making a quick get a way every time they opened my cage but they've figured that strategy out so that doesn't work any more. I'll have to think of something new but I am getting lots of toys and chew things so I can't really complain about the five star service.

Ruth & the nurses who did my surgery are amazed at how well I did & how quickly I started using my leg. I have to go on a special food called "Hills Joint diet" which is packed full of goodies like fish oil, Glucosamine & Chondroiten which is really good for post op orthopaedic surgery & arthritis. Hills Pet Nutrition are going to donate the food to help with my recovery, they have been so generous helping Bert & I out over the last six months by supplying all of our special diet food and now my Joint diet food, we couldn't have done it without them.

I will be going back to the "Small Animal Surgeon" to see Ruth next Wednesday to get my stitches out & have a quick recheck, then I go back 2 weeks later for a more detailed check. Ruth said if I get good strength in my leg she might be able to operate on my other leg a bit earlier that was originally planned. I haven't seen Bert for over a week but Max tells me he is having time out with Rebecca the foster lady so he is hanging out in her office during the day & really enjoying himself. You know it's funny because Bert & I have been together forever but even though we really love each other we actually don't miss each other as much as I expected we would. In fact sometimes it's better being on our own because we don't have to compete for food or attention. I guess it's a bit like being married, it's always nice to have time apart to make you appreciate what you have.

Anyway Max just came in & it's time for me to have my 10 minute morning walk so I'm off to sniff trees & check out the outside world. I'll keep you posted on what's happening, so keep checking out our blog.

Love you all

Talk Soon
Ernie

Post op ...

2009-01-26T16:15:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone

I just wanted to let you know that I had my knee operation on Wednesday morning & so far it looks like a great success. I'm sorry I haven't let you know sooner but I was quite sleepy for a while & the nurses & staff were pampering me so much I didn't get a chance to get to a computer.

My operation took about 2 hours but I was sound asleep dreaming of big meaty bones, chew toys and other doggy dreams so time just flew. I would like to thank Ruth Youmans my very special surgeon from the Small Animal Surgeon practice plus Sara Mae & the other fantastic (& very pretty) nurses who looked after me & held my paw the whole way through.

I am staying at the vet clinic until Tuesday just to make sure everything is ok & I have a huge, very impressive bandage on my leg which Bert would be so jealous of because it makes me look special.

I hope to be back at the SPCA on Tuesday morning because I do miss all my friends there & of course I really miss Bert because he's my best mate. I hope he's not missing me too much but I guess if he misses me the stress might help him lose those last couple of kilo's & then he can get his Pet Slimmer certificate & hang it next to mine.

I just can't believe my good luck because all of you have supported Bert & I through our incredible weight loss journey & now the SPCA are having my legs fixed so I'll be more comfortable so life is looking pretty good from where I sit.

I asked the chicks here at the clinic to take some pics so you could see my big bandage. I'll be in touch when I get back to the SPCA, talk soon...

Love

Ernie

Hello again ...

2009-01-15T13:29:00.000-08:00

Hello all of the Ernie & Bert fans out there

We have not updated the blog for these two for a while so we thought it was time to let you know how the boys are doing. As you probably know from the "Close Up" article that aired a while ago Ernie achieved his goal weight and received his pet Slimmer certificate from Hill's Pet Nutrition and Bert is almost there at current weight of 16kgs, aiming for 15kgs.

Bert and Ernie came back to the the SPCA from their long term foster home a couple of weeks before Christmas and have been living here since then. They did take a little while adjusting from a normal home life to being back in a shelter environment but they are both coping fairly well.

Unfortunately Ernie has had some problems with his skin but that is now under control and it may have been related to a little bit of stress due to the change in environment. It is likely that Ernie will suffer periodic skin problems for the remainder of his life but it is manageable on medication. The other news is that Ernie suffers from a condition known as luxating patella's (human's know these as knees) in both hind legs. His right leg is much worse than his left and in fairness to this little dog who has beaten the odds and come so far the SPCA will be having surgery done on Ernie next week to try and correct this condition as much as possible, improve his mobility and his long term prognosis. After the right knee is operated on Ernie will need 4 - 5 weeks controlled recuperation to strengthen the leg and then will have surgery on the left knee and another recuperation period. We estimate the cost will be in the vicinity of $5,000 - $6,000.00 and we are currently exploring funding options for this.

Ernie has probably had this condition for a long time but it has been aggravated by the immense extra weight that he had to carry around on those little legs and although he now looking trim and terrific the damage has already been done. Ernie is quite comfortable and copes extremely well but both his back legs are weaker because of the condition so surgery is the best option for him.

We will keep you all posted on how the surgery goes and we will be looking for an appropriate foster home for the two dogs to go to after surgery so if any of you think you might be interested in offering a foster home or would be interested in possibly adopting these two characters please contact Operations Manager Tracy Dunn on 092567318 or e-mail tracy.dunn@spca.org.nz

Thank you all for your support and ongoing interest in following the journey of these great little dogs...

TV stars...

2008-11-30T19:24:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone

It's so good to be in touch again & I hope you all had a chance to see us on TV the other night on Close Up. It was so much fun filming that as we went to the beach and played with some lovely children. It feels so good to be able to run around again, especially Ernie he is much faster than me. Ernie was awarded his weight loss certificate and he is so proud of it, I can't wait to get mine, then we can put them both on the wall in our kennel.

The Women's Weekly also ran an article which was really good but the best news ever is that we will be ready to be adopted after Christmas. I just need to lose another couple of kilos and we're away. We love being in our foster home and our foster parents are just the best but they have a furry family of their own and we would like to find someone who will make us part of their family forever.

We are both really well behaved dogs and we have learnt a lot in our foster home but the most important thing is that we have to be adopted together. We have been together since we were little and neither of us could bare to be separated from each other. We are looking for some specific criteria in our quest for the perfect home

Both of us must be adopted together We need to get regular exercise and be kept on our strict feeding program so we don't get overweight again We need someone who will be patient, understanding & love us no matter what We need a soft bed, warm arms & lots of toys We need to be allowed to socialise with other people & other dogs We will still be in the media & at SPCA social events from time to time so our new owners must be willing to be involved We are on the senior side of life so we might need to visit the vet a bit more often than younger dogs so you need to budget for that Well that it really, not much at all when you think about it!!

If you think you might be interested in putting your name down as an adoption applicant please e-mail tracy.dunn@spca.org.nz or you can download the application form, complete it and fax to 092567314 or post to Tracy Dunn, SPCA Auckland, PO Box 43221, Mangere, Manukau 2153. Please write "Ernie & Bert" at the top of the form so they know who it's for.

We'll be in touch over Christmas and New Year, Ernie and I are quite excited about Christmas this year and I'm sure there are some Christmas presents out there with our names on them but the best Christmas present ever would be to find our new family.

Lots of Love

Ernie & Bert ( the two slim foxies)

Trim, taut and terrific...

2008-10-21T22:58:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone

Brace yourselves for a shock - check our me and Bert in our all new glamour shots that were taken when we called into the SPCA to say g'day to all our dear friends! And it's all down to our willpower and determination to stay on our Hills diets (thanks guys!). Plus, no-one would give us junk food snacks, so I guess that helped a bit...

That's me - Ernie

and this is my mate, Bert

Pretty impressive weight loss, hey?

I'm so handsome, I impress myself!

So good.

Here's Bert again.

Bert's smiling because he's feeling so much better!

And one last shot of Bert...

Ok, that's enough for now. Catcha laters...
Ernie
(and Bert)

Hot Dogs, Cool Cars

2008-10-01T14:57:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone

We had a wonderful day out at the Auckland SPCA Renegade Rod and Custom Open Day last Sunday. Lots of cool cars to look at and plenty of neat people coming over to say hello.

Now that we’ve lost heaps of weight we have a lot more energy. In fact, Ernie spent most of the day barking at all the other dogs that were visiting the village.

A few months ago we would have struggled to breath let alone bark! The diet is really making a different to our quality of life.

Jackie from Hill’s Pet Nutrition was looking after us on the day and we got to meet Cookie, a Golden Labrador, who is also on the Hill’s slimmer’s diet and looking a lot healthier, I might add.

Check out our photos from the day.

Catch you soon,

Regards

Bert & Ernie

Trim, taut and terrific... well, almost

2008-09-22T22:27:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone

This is just a flying e-mail to let you know that we are loving our foster home and our foster parents & we are having so much fun. We went out for a drive today with our foster dad and he stopped off at our lovely local vet clinic to do our weight check. Ernie weighs 11kg & I (Bert) weigh 22kg; how's that for impressive??

I hope you are all coming to the big Renegade Rod and Custom Hot Rod Show being held at the SPCA Village on Sunday 28th because we are putting in a VIP guest appearance. We will be hanging out at the Hills Pet Nutrition tent showing off our new waistlines from 12.00 - 2.00pm, so please come over and say hello.

Anyway I have to dash because I can hear the food bowls rattling & if I don't watch him Ernie will get there first and try to eat mine. See you all on Sunday...

Ernie & Bert

The healthy option is best...

2008-09-17T22:33:00.000-07:00

Did you know that a healthy weight dog can outlive an overweight dog by two years? Did you know that your dog eating a slice of buttered toast is the equivalent of a human eating a whole hamburger, or a 50g chocolate bar?

We sure didn't, and that's why we're sticking to our diet and getting those excess kilograms off !

Our friends from Hills™ have put together a presentation that you can download in Microsoft PowerPoint format here, or Adobe Reader format here. Just click on the links.

And remember - just say NO to toast ! !

On holiday...

2008-08-27T21:54:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone

We just wanted to catch up & send you a photo of us looking very cool. We have gone on holiday to our new temporary foster home where we are allowed to stay for a while to get used to living in a normal home & keep on with our weight loss program.

We are both members of the Hills Pet Slimmer club & we are trying really hard to get our waist lines back and make everybody proud of us. Our foster parents are really lovely & are keeping us on a pretty strict diet even though we both do that "big brown eyes" look every now and again but it doesn't seem to work very often.

Isn't it lovely now its stopped raining and we have some sun, we are really enjoying getting outside and getting a bit of a tan before the beach weather really arrives. we are coming back to the SPCA next Tuesday for a visit and a weigh-in, so we will get to see all our human friends and say hello to everyone.

We are feeling so much better now & we will let you know how our weight check goes next week.

See you soon!

Ernie and Bert

Going for a stroll

2008-08-20T16:02:00.000-07:00

Hi guysThought we'd better check in and let you know that we're sticking to our new diet.

We won't say that it's all good - we're used to getting lots and lots of little tasty treats all hours of the day and night!

That's all stopped now and we're just getting our regular meals each day.

A bit boring, but the upside is that we're getting lots more energy to play and walk around.

I won't say 'run around', because we can't quite make it into a run just yet... lol. But give us time and we'll get there, for sure.

See ya

Bert and Ernie

Charts

2008-07-17T18:04:00.000-07:00

Here's the 'Pet Slimmer of the Year Competition' charts for Bert and Ernie, who are now on their strictly controlled Hill's r/d Prescription Diet.

Ernie and Bert’s journey – Fat dogs slim ...

2008-07-01T10:44:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday 17th June 2008, two perky 8 year old Fox Terriers were surrendered to the Auckland SPCA as their owners could no longer look afer them. Ernie and Bert (as we have renamed them) are morbidly obese due to a poor diet and overfeeding.

Ernie weighed in at 20kg which is 67% overweight and Burt was a whopping 117% overweight (32.5kg). In fact, the team at the SPCA were speechless at the condition of these animals. Tracy Dunn, SPCA Operations Manager, mentioned that they often see malnourished and underweight dogs and cats but overweight animals to this degree is an unusual occurrence.

Animal obesity is becoming a major problem in New Zealand. We have a nation of over weight people that are in turn overfeeding and supersizing their beloved pets. Despite their weight problems, Ernie and Burt were happy dogs with wagging tails and bundles of spirit.

The team at Hill’s Pet Nutrition (the exclusive sponsors of SPCA feeding program) were called in to help. Hill’s have recommended that both Ernie and Bert are placed on a special weight reduction diet called Hill’s Prescription Diet r/d. The team at Hill’s were so taken by the brave characters of these special dogs that they have happily donated the food for the duration of their weight loss program. Prescription Diet r/d is low in calories, high in dietary fibre and has appropriate levels of protein. This combination will ensure optimal fat loss while maintaining lean muscle mass. From a welfare point of view, the combination of fibre and protein will mean Ernie and Bert feel full while losing weight.

Both Ernie and Bert are now signed up members of the Hills Pet Slimmer program and their weight will be monitored every week until they reach their ideal goal weight which is 12kg for Ernie and 15kg for Bert.

Hill’s looked at the dogs current weight and their ideal weight then devised a weight loss program to get the dogs health back on track. Sensible weight loss is loosing no more than 1-2% per week. Ernie’s weight loss plan is predicted to take 27 weeks and Bert’s is going to take 36 weeks. This is the safe period of time to reach their ideal weight, without putting undo stress on the dogs.

Ernie (above) and Bert (below) get their first weigh-in...

After just 2 weeks on their new diet, we’ve already noticed some positive changes in Ernie and Bert. They are finding it easier to move around and their weight is slowly but surely dropping. Ernie and Bert will eventually be going to a foster home, where help will be provided until their weight drops to a manageable and healthy level. Once they reach their goal weight, the SPCA will look for a new family for the lovable Ernie and Bert. With regular weight checks, it will take time, but these large little dogs will get a second chance at life.

The SPCA hopes they can be rehomed together as they are the best of friends.