A formerly obese dachshund has a new spring in his step after being given a tummy tuck to remove nearly three pounds of excess skin after a successful weight loss journey.
Obie the seven-year old wiener dog is recovering faster than expected after surgery Tuesday.
At his heaviest the dog weighed 77 pounds. Obie reportedly became so heavy after his elderly owners practically killed him with kindness, letting him eat his way to more than double what's considered a good weight for a dachshund.
Obie was so heavy his stomach dragged on the ground and he could not lick his paws. He was essentially a waddling tube of sausage, rather than a normal wiener dog.
Nora Vanatta, a veterinary technician in Portland, Ore., adopted Obie from his former owners after a relative stepped in and asked for help. Vanatta put Obie on an exercise regimen and weight-loss diet. In the year and a half before his surgery Obie had lost 40 pounds.
"We haven't weighed him since the surgery, but he lost 2-1/2 pounds of skin," Nora said, according to Portland news station KGW. "So he should be around 35 pounds now. I figure his healthy weight is between 28 and 30 pounds."
Obie's weight loss story has gained somewhat of a national following. There is a website with details and pictures of Obie and his weight loss journey, as well as a Facebook page for Obie called "Biggest Loser Doxie Edition."