I went to the shelter yesterday and came across a 5 year old Miniature Pinscher who is extremely obese. She is being given a diet of a mix of canned and dried food twice a day. Now, I really love her, and the chubbiness makes her cute, but I started wondering about possible complications.

Should I still adopt? And what are the risks of obesity in this dog? :confused:

Mind you that I will try my very best to keep her on her diet.. but I also worry since I have 3 cats.. She'll probably hound after their food.

I would adopt her, esp since you are determined to keep her weight down and you know the importance of doing so. As for keeping her out of the cats food. Yes you should because from what I understand it has higher levels of protein in it than the dog food. I would just keep their food up on a table for them to eat or they would only be feed at certain times of the day, what they did not eat would be securely put away. I am not sure of the complications from her being overweight,I am sure someone will come along that can answer that. If not then I am sure that a vet tech would be glad to give you some free advice on that or the vet that you use for your cats.

RedRaven, I am not sure what kind of complication you are referring to. Do you mean health & medical costs down the road? If she is trimmed down to the appropriate weight through careful diet, that will be of great help in the long run. She is still considered a young enough dog at the age of 5 years. But, without knowing how long she has been overweight, there is no way to guarantee that she won't suffer the consequences of that down the road. So, you need to ask yourself if you are prepared to handle whatever the medical costs will be if problems should occur. Have a talk with your vet and ask him/her what they think of all of this. Maybe the shelter will allow you to have your vet give the dog a health check. You really are the only person who can answer the question of whether you are prepared emotionally & financially, to deal with the possible ramifications of this. It would also be a good idea to discuss the appropriate diet for this dog with your vet.

Regarding your cats, bushg can handle that aspect better than I. I guess the most important question that comes to my mind is, is the dog good with cats? Has the shelter tested her with them? That could very well be the deciding factor for you.

Redraven ruby has brought some good points about her suitability with cats. You want to make sure that she is not prey driven with cats. I have a chihauai/rat terrier mix that is prey driven, with toys and squirrels but with the cat's he is just fine and never bothers them. Even on walks with strange cats he never even gives them a glance. But he will chase a squirrel or toy all day long. My first dog was OK with cats until he turned 2 then he was hell on wheels and even with training he could not be left alone with the cat. So with you having 3 cats you may also want to check this out with the shelter.

I know overweight when young causes lasting damage to large breeds' joints. I don't think the problem is as severe with such small breeds. If you adopt, it will be quite important to get her weight down and keep it down. I am not sure why they are feeding a mix of canned and dry now. Unless your vet says otherwise, I would put her on a dry weight loss formula. When she reaches ideal body condition, switch to the adult maintenance version of it, see LongLiveYourDog.com - Life Span Study - Rate Your Dog

I don't say much about cats reflecting my knowledge of them. Dogs and cats usually get along like cats and dogs. I would try to find a place to feed the cats inaccessible to the dog. I would also make sure they have dog proof places to retreat to. At least with such a small dog, they are less likely to be killed or injured. I would not plan to be able to leave them alone together. Crating the dog might be a good idea.

It is only natural that a dog resists its crate at first. What the dog
Wants more than anything else is to be others, you, anyone else in the
Household, and any other pets. In our modern society, even if we are home,
Other things distract us from the attention an uncrated dog must have. The
Only real solution is to crate the dog when you aren't around. The dog may be
Happier in its den than loose in the house. It relaxes, it feels safe in its
Den. It rests, the body slows down reducing the need for water and relieving
Its self. Dogs that have been crated all along do very well. Many of them
Will rest in their crates even when the door is open. I think the plastic
Ones give the dog more of a safe, enclosed den feeling. Metal ones can be put
In a corner or covered with something the dog can't pull in and chew. Select
A crate just big enough for the full grown dog to stretch out in.

Leave it some toys. Perhaps a Kong filled with peanut butter. Don't leave
Anything in the crate the dog might chew up. It will do fine without even any
Bedding. You will come home to a safe dog and a house you can enjoy.

A dog that has not been crated since it was little, may take some work.
Start just putting its toys and treats in the crate. Praise it for going
in. Feed it in the crate. This is also an easy way to maintain order at
Feeding time for more than one dog.

The "shut the puppy in a safe room" is a fallacy. Very few houses even have a
Safe room. How many of us have a room with a hard surfaced floor and nothing
Else? Most rooms have electrical cords to chew if nothing else. In addition
To destroying anything a bored puppy finds to chew, it may choke or have
Intestinal blockage from the pieces. I had a friend that left her dog in a
"safe" room. It ate a hole in the floor covering. The safe rooms fail to
Give the dog the comfort of the enclosed space their instinct requires. Nor
Do they restrict activity extending the time the dog can go without relieving
Itself.