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Less paunch, peppier pooch

With the help of his owners, Samson picks up the pace, sheds 25 pounds and is named a finalist in a weight-loss contest.

By ERIN SULLIVAN
Published October 18, 2006

	[Times photo: Julia Kumari Drapkin]
	Mike Glass pets Samson while son Andrew, 13, eats a roast beef sandwich. Since Samson lost 25 pounds and regained his energy, Andrew can't leave food like that atop the piano. Formerly sluggish Samson can jump for it.

Samson wasn't always overweight. His problem started out much like it does in humans. He didn't increase his food intake, but his activity level dropped. Samson always was a low-key dog. The first people who bought him from the breeder returned him because he wasn't playful.

"This guy is permanently on Prozac," Michael said.

"He's always mellow," Linda said.

But Samson went from slow to sedentary.

And the more weight he gained, the less he felt like doing anything. He's crazy about cat food and his owners kept it on top of the piano keys. Samson could have nabbed it if he'd jumped, but he never felt like it. He would just look at it and then plop down on the floor.

In March, Michael and Linda tried to put Samson on a diet. They cut back on his food. Samson retaliated by digging through the trash can and taking food off the countertops.

Michael, who is 6 foot 4 and a former college football player, tried to take Samson for walks. It was like trying to lug a 134-pound rock.

"He would plod," Michael said. "A stroll was a sense of urgency."

Michael and Linda took Samson to the vet to see if he had a thyroid problem. All the tests came back clear.

The vet suggested that they put Samson on a low-calorie prescription diet food.

Samson lost a few pounds the first week.

And a few more the next.

And the next.

Soon, Samson felt like walking. Michael, who is legally blind, and Linda walked Samson to the bus stop every morning to see their youngest children off to school and then they kept going. The three of them logged 5 miles a day on Linda's pedometer.

In a few months, Samson lost 25 pounds.

Michael lost 25 pounds.

Linda lost 15.

Michael and Linda had to move the cat food up higher on the piano, because Samson jumped to steal some of it.

Samson stopped groaning when he got up.

He stopped walking like an old dog.

He didn't get as many hoots from passers-by on his walks ("Is that a bear or a dog?" "How many pizzas you feed that thing?" "That dog needs to lose weight.")

Neighbors commented on his svelte self.

And then one day during their walk, Samson trotted.

Michael and Linda were shocked. Samson was jogging. Not because someone was dragging him. Not because someone dropped a rotisserie chicken on the sidewalk. But just because he felt like it.

The vet's office submitted Samson's story to the Hill's 2006 National PetFit Challenge. Hill's is a global company that makes pet food. The contest was fashioned after the television show The Biggest Loser. Samson was chosen as one of seven finalists, who are all being flown to New York City today. The national winners, one cat and one dog, will be announced Thursday morning.

Michael and Linda are proud of their pooch. Though Michael, a former Florida State tight end, an Air Force helicopter pilot and entrepreneur, is a bit miffed.

"We do stuff all our lives," Michael said. "And this dog loses 30 pounds and he's famous."

Erin Sullivan can be reached at esullivan@sptimes.com or (813) 909-4609.

Pet obesity

When your pet is 10 to 15 percent above its ideal body weight, it's obese.

- 40 percent of American household pets are obese or overweight.

- Obesity is not limited to dogs and cats. Studies show rabbits and ferrets tipping the scales, too.

- Obesity is dangerous and can lead to heart attacks, diabetes and osteoarthritis. Insurance claims related to heart attacks in pets increased 47 percent in the past two years.

[Last modified October 18, 2006, 07:41:42]