From 56 to 12 Pounds–Look at this Obese Miniature Dachshund’s Journey to Weight Loss!

Who would’ve thought that even dogs can suffer from obesity?

Dennis, a miniature dachshund weighed approximately 56 pounds. That is the equivalent of at least four or five normal dogs of the same breed. Like human beings who have the same condition, this pooch from Columbus, Ohio experienced shortness of breath when walking. Being obese made him very lethargic.

His obesity was attributed to his usual diet of human food, pizza, and White Castle burgers…

…that was almost two years ago.

26-year-old Brooke Burton, a nursing student, adopted Dennis from her great uncle. She remembers how emotional she felt when she first saw him in June 2013.

“Out comes Dennis, and I couldn’t believe it. I wasn’t sure what breed of dog he was supposed to be because he was so large”, Burton said.

So she persuaded her relative to let her adopt Dennis.

Burton began playing with the dachshund and started feeding him with the right food.

And it worked pretty well for the pooch!

Soon, Dennis started to lose weight.

But according to Burton, “The more weight he lost, the more of a problem the excess skin became. He was afraid to run and walk because he kept tripping over himself.”

Dennis had to undergo three surgical procedures to have the excess skin removed.

After he lost weight, this bossy, little, demanding man popped out. He’s into everything. He wants to play with everybody”, she says.

Both their hard work and determination paid off!

Dennis lost approximately 75% of his weight.

He now weighs a healthy 12 pounds. What an inspiration!

Here he is: before and after.

Watch the video:

H/T: Pulptastic, Daily Mail