Man: COMING UP ON
"MY BIG FAT PET MAKEOVER".... THAT'S A BIG CHIHUAHUA. IT'S, LIKE, THE MACK TRUCK
OF CHIHUAHUAS, RIGHT? HE'S SO HEAVY.
I NEED TO PUT HIM DOWN. OKAY.
WOW. HOW MUCH ARE THEY
FEEDING THIS CAT? HER MAIN PROBLEM
IS SHE'S JUST TOO FAT. BUT THIS IS A VERY
SERIOUS SITUATION. ACROSS THE COUNTRY, PET OWNERS
ARE FACING AN EPIDEMIC IN THEIR OWN HOMES. A CRISIS AFFECTING MORE THAN
HALF OUR NATION'S PETS, OBESITY. WOW. I'M TRAVIS BRORSEN... CALL HER TO YOU. PROFESSIONAL DOG TRAINER
AND PET EXPERT. I BELIEVE EVERYTHING HAS TO WORK
TOGETHER TO MAKE A HEALTHY PET. I LOOK AT LIFESTYLE... SHE LAYS DOWN WHILE SHE EATS? BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS... ARE YOU KIDDING ME? AND GENERAL WELL-BEING. BUT GETTING THE OWNERS ON BOARD
ISN'T ALWAYS EASY. ARE YOU GUYS MESSING WITH ME
ON THAT AMOUNT OF FOOD? IT'S MY JOB TO EDUCATE THEM
AND EMPOWER THEIR PETS. I CAN DO THIS. I'M ON A MISSION TO HELP THESE
BIG PETS MAKE BIG CHANGES BECAUSE WE OWE THEM
THE HAPPIEST AND HEALTHIEST LIVES THEY CAN HAVE. THIS IS "MY BIG FAT
PET MAKEOVER." ♪♪ Woman: BEAU NUGGET.
COME ON, CUTIE. I'M RICK JURNIGEN. AND I'M VALERIE JURNIGEN. AND HE HAVE A CAT
NAMED BEAU NUGGET. ♪♪ EVERYONE THAT COMES
INTO OUR HOME, THEY'RE LIKE, "WOW, YOUR CAT IS LARGER
THAN YOUR DOG." AND WE'RE LIKE, "YEAH.
THAT'S RIGHT. THERE'S BEAU NUGGET.
HERE'S LITTLE BOOMER." DO YOU WANT SOME CHICKEN? BEAU NUGGET LOVES TO EAT. HE LOVES FOOD. AND HE'S CONSTANTLY CRYING. AND TELLING ME THAT HE'S HUNGRY,
AND HE WANTS SOME MORE FOOD. SO I GIVE IT TO HIM. I'M AFRAID IF HE GETS
MUCH BIGGER, HE WON'T BE ABLE TO FIT
THROUGH HIS PET DOOR. HE IS CONSTANTLY
AFTER ME FOR FOOD. IF I DON'T FILL HIS BOWL
UP AT NIGHT, HE COMES TO OUR BEDROOM DOOR AND
HE PAWS ON IT ALL NIGHT LONG. AND KEEPS ME AWAKE. BUT I THINK THAT HE KNOWS THAT WHEN HE BUGS YOU,
YOU'LL GO FEED HIM. BUT IF HE BUGS ME,
I WON'T FEED HIM. SO HE DOESN'T BUG ME. MAYBE.
I DON'T KNOW. BEAU NUGGET,
HE'S A VERY HAPPY CAT. WHY WOULDN'T HE BE?
HE'S GOT A GREAT LIFE. ALL HE HAS TO DO
IS EAT AND SLEEP, RIGHT? HE'S HUGE. I DON'T THINK HE WEIGHS
THAT MUCH. BEAU NUGGET IS A PART
OF OUR FAMILY. WE LOVE HIM, AND HE LOVES US. AND HE'S JUST A GREAT ASSET
TO OUR FAMILY. Travis: IT SOUNDS LIKE RICK
AND VALERIE ARE CONFUSED ABOUT WHO'S IN CHARGE. I FEEL LIKE BEAU
IS RUNNING THE SHOW HERE. I NEED TO GET THEM ON TRACK. THIS IS BEAU NUGGET. OH, THAT'S A SUPERSIZED NUGGET. HE IS SUPERSIZED. HE'S SO HEAVY.
I NEED TO PUT HIM DOWN. OKAY.
WOW. BEAU NUGGET IS HUGE. FOR A CAT THAT IS
A HEALTHY WEIGHT, THE ABDOMEN SHOULD
TUCK IN AT THE WAIST. AND YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO FEEL,
BUT NOT SEE THE RIBS. BEAU IS CLEARLY OVERWEIGHT. HE HAS A LARGE BELLY,
AND NO VISIBLE WAIST. WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO
HELP HIM LOSE WEIGHT. I MEAN, IF WE DON'T FEED HIM
AS MUCH AS HE'S USED TO EATING, HE MAKES LIFE MISERABLE. WHAT ARE SOME OF
THE THINGS THAT HE... HE WOULD KEEP ME UP ALL NIGHT. HE WOULD BE SCRATCHING ON
MY BEDROOM DOOR, WANTING ME. AND HE WOULDN'T STOP
UNTIL I GOT UP AND FED HIM. SO HE HAS YOU TRAINED. I GUESS SO. THAT'S THE WAY
I WOULD SAY IT, YEAH. ARE WE ON THE SAME PAGE? YEAH, I THINK SO. OKAY. I HAD CATS ALL MY LIFE,
AND THEY ALL SELF-MONITORED. YEAH.
AND BEAU DOESN'T? NO. SO IF BEAU DOESN'T SELF-MONITOR,
WHO'S JOB WOULD IT BE TO HELP HIM SELF-MONITOR? THAT COULD BE YOU TOO. YEAH, BUT I'M NOT HERE
ALL THE TIME. AND YOU'RE THE ONE
THAT ALWAYS FEEDS BEAU. I GUESS SO. Travis: I THINK VALERIE KNOWS
THAT IT'S UP TO HER TO REGULATE BEAU'S FOOD. BUT SHE'S SO WORRIED
ABOUT HIM REBELLING. I NEED TO HELP HER CHANGE THIS. WELL...
WELL, HELLO THERE. SPEAKING OF BEAU. SPEAKING OF. I MEAN, MAYBE HE'S HUNGRY. HE MIGHT BE HUNGRY. HE'S PROBABLY HUNGRY
BECAUSE HE'S ALWAYS HUNGRY. THE THING I'VE LEARNED FROM
YEARS OF DOING THIS IS THAT WHEN IT COMES TO OBESITY,
THE PET IS RARELY THE PROBLEM. SO WHEN I'M ASKING
ABOUT THE PET, WHAT I'M REALLY
TRYING TO FIND OUT IS WHAT ARE THESE PEOPLE DOING
THAT IS CAUSING THE PROBLEM? OKAY. SO BEAU NUGGET... YEAH? HE EATS INSIDE THE KAYAKS. THAT'S HIS BUFFET SPACE. THAT'S HIS BUFFET SPACE. SO BEAU CAN GET TO
THE FLOOR FROM HERE. OH, YEAH. HE CAN. BUT I WILL ADMIT
THAT SOME MORNINGS WHEN HE'S BEGGING
FOR HIS FOOD, I ACTUALLY DO PICK HIM UP
AND PUT HIM THE KAYAK. OH. YOU DO? I DIDN'T KNOW THAT. I DO. OKAY. LET'S SEE HOW MUCH
WE PUT IN THERE. OKAY. SO WHAT I DO IS I COME OUT
IN THE MORNING. AND HE'S VERY HUNGRY. OKAY. AND HE GETS
THE BIG GREEN CUPFUL. OKAY. WE COMPLETELY FULL UP
THE BOWL. OKAY. AND THAT IS HOW HE GETS TO EAT. OKAY. SO I LEAVE FOOD IN THE BOWL
ALL THE TIME. OKAY. SO THEN HOW LONG WILL IT
TAKE HIM TO EAT THAT? HE COULD ACTUALLY GO THROUGH IT
IN 12 HOURS, I THINK. OKAY.
ALL RIGHT. SO THIS WOULD BE
HIS MORNING FEEDING. THAT'S HIS MORNING FEEDING. AND THEN YOU DO ONE MORE? I DO ONE MORE IN THE EVENING
BECAUSE I DON'T WANT HIM AWAKING ME IN THE MIDDLE
OF THE NIGHT FOR FOOD. ALL RIGHT. SO IN ONE DAY WE'RE LOOKING AT
SOMETHING LIKE THAT FOR MR. BEAU NUGGET. PROBABLY. THAT'S A LOT. PROBABLY BE EQUIVALENT TO
ABOUT 2 BIRDS, DON'T YOU THINK? [ BOTH LAUGH ] ARE WE TALKING ABOUT
PHEASANT OR TURKEY? TWO DUCKS, MAYBE, YEAH. OR ARE WE TALKING... YOU KNOW. WHAT IF I WAS TO TELL YOU THAT THIS WAS THE PROPER AMOUNT FOR A CAT THAT SHOULD BE
AT HIS AVERAGE WEIGHT PER DAY? WOW. I THINK HE WOULD STARVE
WITH THAT MUCH. Travis:
BEAU NUGGET SHOULD BE EATING NO MORE THAN ONE CUP PER DAY. VALERIE HAS BEEN FEEDING HIM
AT LEAST FOUR TIMES THAT AMOUNT. THAT'S NOT EVEN THE SIZE
OF ONE BIRD. WELL, I JUST KNOW THAT IF HE
WERE LIVING OUT IN THE WILD, HE WOULD HAVE TO HUNT
FOR HIS FOOD. SO HOW HARD DOES BEAU
HUNT FOR HIS FOOD? HE REALLY... THAT MUCH. LET'S GO BACK IN THE HOUSE. OKAY. THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT BEAU NUGGET IS EXTREMELY
OVERWEIGHT. BUT BEFORE I CAN SET HEALTHY
GOALS FOR THIS FAMILY, WE NEED TO FIND OUT
EXACTLY WHAT HE WEIGHS. OKAY.
SO HIS HEAD IS DOWN HERE, RICK. BUDDY, HEY! OH, LOOKY THERE. YAY. HE'S NOT GOING TO FIT. I DON'T THINK HE'S GOING TO.
WE CAN'T ZIP IT. IS THIS FOR CATS? YEAH. WELL, NORMAL-SIZED CATS. THIS IS REALLY FOR CATS? Travis: A HEALTHY MAXIMUM WEIGHT
FOR BEAU NUGGET WOULD BE 14 POUNDS. GOOD BOY. SHOULD WE TRY TO ZIP HIM IN IT? NO. I THINK IF HE DOESN'T WANT
IN, HE'LL GET OUT. OKAY. HELLO.
HEY, BUDDY. ALL RIGHT, LET'S SEE WHAT
BEAU NUGGET WEIGHTS. WAIT, WHOA. OH. WOW. WOW. WOW. A HEALTHY MAXIMUM WEIGHT FOR
BEAU NUGGET WOULD BE 14 POUNDS. OH. OH. WOW. 23.5 POUNDS. WOW. WOW. SO HE COULD BE
MORE THAN DOUBLE. AWW. I THINK HE'S EMBARRASSED
AND HE WANTS TO GO HIDE. AWW. OKAY, BUDDY. YOU KNEW HE WAS OVERWEIGHT. WAS IT MAYBE JUST EASIER
TO NOT THINK ABOUT HIM? JUST LIKE WITH PEOPLE, IF BEAU
NUGGET DOESN'T LOSE THE WEIGHT, THE HEALTH RAMIFICATIONS
ARE SERIOUS. YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING
FROM URINARY TRACT INFECTS, TO DIABETES TO OSTEOARTHRITIS. I MEAN, THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. Valerie:
I WANT HIM TO BE HEALTHY. I WANT TO HAVE HIM IN OUR FAMILY
FOR A MUCH LONGER TIME. I HAVE ONE MORE THING. I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE
AN EYE OPENER FOR YOU. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT? OKAY. ALL RIGHT. LET'S HEAD THIS WAY. IN ORDER FOR RICK AND VALERIE
TO UNDERSTAND THE SEVERITY OF THE SITUATION, I REALLY NEED TO HAMMER HOME HOW
MUCH THEY'RE OVERFEEDING BEAU. I HAVE A WAY TO SHOW
THEM IN TERMS THEY WILL DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND. IF THIS PIZZA WAS THE ONLY THING
YOU HAD TO EAT FOR AN ENTIRE DAY, COULD YOU EAT
THIS WHOLE PIZZA IN ONE DAY? I ACTUALLY THING I COULD. SO YOU WORKED
ON THE FIRST PIZZA. LET'S SAY YOU FINISHED IT
IN THE EVENING TIME. COULD YOU EAT ANOTHER ONE? I MIGHT BE ABLE TO HAVE
A BITE OF IT. OH, PLEASE. REALLY? OH, NO. OKAY. SO IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE
A SHUT-OFF VALVE, AND SOMEBODY GAVE YOU
ALL OF THIS IN A DAY, YOU WOULD EAT THEM ALL. WHO ELSE IN YOUR FAMILY
DOESN'T HAVE A SHUT-OFF VALVE? POOR LITTLE BEAU NUGGET. BEAU NUGGET'S PORTION
WAS AT LEAST FOUR TIMES THE AMOUNT OF WHAT
HE SHOULD BE GETTING. THIS IS THE EQUIVALENT
OF WHAT'S HAPPENING TO BEAU EVERY SINGLE DAY. THAT'S SAD. HE MUST FEEL MISERABLE. I MEAN, IF I JUST HAD
ONE OF THESE AND A COUPLE OF PIECES
OF ANOTHER ONE... BUT HE DOESN'T ACT MISERABLE. OF COURSE.
HE LAYS AROUND ALL DAY. HOW DO WE KNOW? WHEN YOU FEEL MISERABLE
AND YOU'RE SICK, WHAT DO YOU DO? I LAY AROUND ALL DAY. MM-HMM. DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING. THAT MAKES ME WANT TO CRY. I COULD BE MAKING BEAU NUGGET
MISERABLE INSTEAD OF HAPPY. Travis: RICK AND VALERIE
OBVIOUSLY LOVE BEAU NUGGET. BUT SOMETIMES I HAVE TO USE
A LITTLE TOUGH LOVE. ESPECIALLY IF THEY WANT THEIR
PET TO LIVE A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE. BEAU NUGGET WASN'T
REALLY WORKING FOR HIS FOOD. SO ONE OF THE SOLUTIONS AS PART
OF THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS PLAN THAT I'M GOING TO
PUT TOGETHER FOR BEAU WILL BE THIS REALLY FUN CAT TOY. YOU'LL FILL THIS WITH THE FOOD. AND THIS WILL BE
THE ACTUAL PORTION HE NEEDS TO BE
GETTING TWICE A DAY. AND IF BEAU NUGGET WANTS
HIS FOOD BAD ENOUGH, HE WILL BAT
THIS LITTLE BALL AROUND. AND THE FOOD WILL
JUST COME RIGHT OUT. THAT'S A GREAT IDEA. THE OTHER LITTLE TOOL I HAVE FOR YOU
IS CALLED A FITBARK, BUT IT WORKS ON CATS. IT WILL TRACK THE DISTANCE
HE WALKED. IT WILL TRACK
THE CALORIES HE BURNED. THIS HAS AN APP TO IT. AND WHENEVER YOU SYNC IT,
I GET THE INFORMATION. WOW. WOW! OKAY. THE FITBARK IS GOING TO ALLOW ME
TO TRACK HIS EXERCISE. FOR RICK AND VALERIE, IT'S GOING
TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE. AND IT'S GOING TO
HELP THEM REALIZE HOW LITTLE EXERCISE
BEAU IS EVER GETTING. I HAVE ONE MORE THING FOR YOU. I GOT A CUSTOM CAT TREE
MADE TO GO ON THE WALL THAT WILL HELP HIM
WORK FOR HIS FOOD. THAT'S SO EXCITING. I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD
TO NEXT TIME I CHECK IN TO SEE
WHERE WE'RE AT. OKAY. OKAY. THAT'S GREAT. EXCELLENT. BEAU NUGGET WEIGHED IN
AT 23.5 POUNDS. TO GET HIM TO A HEALTHY 4-MONTH
TARGET WEIGHT OF 17 POUNDS, RICK AND VALERIE WILL HAVE
TO RESTRICT HIS FEEDING TO ONE CUP OF FOOD PER DAY, USING JUST THE FOOD BALL
AND CAT TREE TO GET BEAU NUGGET
WORKING FOR HIS FOOD. THEY'LL ALSO NEED TO TRACK HIS
EXERCISE BY USING THE FITBARK. Valerie: I'M EXCITED ABOUT
MOVING FORWARD, AND TRYING TO HELP BEAU NUGGET
GET HEALTHY. I'M A LITTLE NERVOUS ABOUT IT BECAUSE I'M AFRAID
HE MIGHT REBEL, HE MIGHT KEEP ME UP AT NIGHT. I THINK BEAU NUGGET HAVING
HIS OWN TREE HOUSE IS GOING TO BE GREAT. I HOPE HE'LL GET SOME GOOD
EXERCISE CLIMBING IT. I HOPE WE HAVE IT ANCHORED WELL BECAUSE HE DOES
WEIGH 23.5 POUNDS. OH, NO.
THAT SCARES ME. ♪♪ I'M MADISON INGLE. AND I'M HER MOTHER, LISA INGLE. AND WE HAVE A CHIHUAHUA
NAMED GRACIE. WE GOT GRACIE FROM A RESCUE
ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO. SHE WEIGHED A POUND AND A HALF. WE LOVED HER A LOT IMMEDIATELY. GRACIE LOVES TO EAT. IT'S HER FAVORITE THING TO DO. WHEN WE FEED HER
AND THE OTHER DOGS, SHE'LL USUALLY GO AND
STEAL THEIR FOOD TOO. NO, GRACIE.
NO. SHE'S SO LOVABLE, YOU CANNOT
HELP BUT FALL IN LOVE WITH HER. SHE'S, LIKE, A LITTLE OLD LADY
INSIDE A YOUNG DOG'S BODY. THAT'S A PERFECT DESCRIPTION. WE NOTICED GRACIE WAS GAINING
WEIGHT ABOUT 5 MONTHS AFTER WE GOT HER.
AND STARTED LIMPING. SHE'S HAD ONE KNEE REPLACEMENT, BUT SHE CAN'T HAVE THE SECOND
ONE UNTIL SHE LOSES MORE WEIGHT. IT BREAKS MY HEART TO SEE GRACIE
WHILE ALL THE OTHER DOGS ARE PLAYING OUTSIDE OF
PLAYING WITH EACH OTHER. AND SHE'S NOT ABLE
TO DO ANYTHING. SHE'S A YOUNG DOG. AND SHE SHOULD BE OUT
RUNNING AROUND. I FEEL THAT WE ARE ALMOST AT
A LOSS AS TO HOW TO HELP GRACIE. NOTHING SEEMS TO HELP. SHE'S A WONDERFUL DOG. AND SHE DESERVES THE LIFE
THAT THE REST OF THE DOGS HAVE. IT'S HARD TO PUT IN WORDS
HOW MUCH I LOVE GRACIE. AND IT'S REALLY HARD TO SEE HER,
THE WAY SHE LIVES, EVERY DAY. AND I KNOW SHE NEEDS THE HELP. AND I WANT TO HELP HER. GRACIE IS PROBABLY
ONE OF THE BEST DOGS I'VE EVER HAD. MOST LOVING
AND VERY AFFECTIONATE. AND I'M AFRAID IF WE DON'T
GET SOME HELP THAT WE MIGHT LOSE HER. Travis:
GRACIE HAS TO LOSE WEIGHT BEFORE SHE CAN HAVE
THE NECESSARY SURGERY. SHE NEEDS HELP FAST. HI. HI. I'M TRAVIS. HI, TRAVIS. I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD
TO GETTING IN THERE AND SEEING HOW I CAN HELP. WELL, HELLO.
YOU MUST BE GRACIE. THAT'S GRACIE. WHOA.
SHE'S REALLY CUTE. I'M ASSUMING
SHE'S CHIHUAHUA, OR... WHAT ELSE CAN YOU
TELL ME ABOUT HER? WE WERE TOLD THAT
SHE WAS A CHIHUAHUA. A CHIHUAHUA, WHEN YOU GOT HER.
OKAY. BECAUSE THAT'S A BIG CHIHUAHUA. I MEAN BECAUSE YOU HAVE, LIKE, THE MACK TRUCK
OF CHIHUAHUAS, RIGHT? I'VE SEEN A LOT
OF OBESE PETS IN MY LIFE. BUT GRACIE, SHE'S
TOPPING THE CHART. WE GOT HER AS A PUPPY. OKAY. SHE WAS REALLY ACTIVE,
REALLY PLAYFUL. AND PROBABLY 6 MONTHS,
WE NOTICED THAT SHE WAS SLOWING DOWN,
LIMPING, WASN'T ABLE TO PLAY ANYMORE, AND KEPT GETTING BIGGER,
AND BIGGER AND BIGGER. MY MOM AND I DECIDED
TO TAKE HER TO THE VET. AND HE SAID THAT SHE HAD
FLOATING PATELLAS. GRACIE HAS A FLOATING PATELLA, WHICH BASICALLY
MEANS HER KNEECAP IS FLOATING OUTSIDE OF THE
SOCKET IT'S SUPPOSED TO SIT IN. IT CAN CAUSE A LOT OF PAIN, AND EVENTUALLY LEAD
TO IMMOBILITY IF NOT FIXED. THEY DID THE SURGERY
ON THE FIRST KNEE. THEY COULDN'T DO BOTH
AT THE SAME TIME. THEY TOLD ME THEY COULD
DO THE SECOND KNEE AFTER SHE LOST BETWEEN
10 AND 15 POUNDS. AND THEN THAT NEVER HAPPENED. THAT NEVER HAPPENED. SHE PROBABLY GAINED
10 OR 15 POUNDS. GRACIE IS IN A STICKY SITUATION BECAUSE SHE HAS
THE FLOATING PATELLA THAT IS RESTRICTING
HER MOVEMENT, AND MAKING IT HARD
FOR HER TO EXERCISE. BUT IF SHE DOESN'T EXERCISE,
SHE CAN'T GET THE SURGERY TO FIX THE FLOATING PATELLA. SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT
THEY HELP HER LOSE THE WEIGHT BECAUSE IT'S POSSIBLE
SHE COULD GET TO A POINT WHERE SHE CAN'T WALK AT ALL. SO TELL ME ABOUT HER
EXERCISE ROUTINE LATELY. I WOULD TRY TO WALK ONCE IN THE
EVENING JUST TO GET HER OUT. AND I COULDN'T TAKE HER
DOWN THE DRIVEWAY WITHOUT HER SITTING DOWN. WOW. AND SHE'S BEEN THAT WAY
FOR A WHILE NOW. WE LIKE HER TO BE ACTIVE,
AND BE ABLE TO PLAY WITH AND THE OTHER DOGS. YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO BE
ABLE TO FEEL HER RIBS. BUT, I MEAN, SHE'S JUST A CHUNK. NONE OF THE OTHER DOGS
ARE AS OVERWEIGHT AS GRACIE. I WONDER WHAT THEY'RE DOING
DIFFERENTLY WITH HER. SHOW ME HOW YOU FEED GRACIE. OKAY. SHE GETS ONE OF THESE
SCOOPS TWICE A DAY. OKAY. AND SHE JUST LAYS THERE
AND WAITS FOR IT? YES. SHE LAYS DOWN
WHEN SHE'S EATING. SHE LAYS DOWN WHILE SHE EATS? WOW. I WISH I COULD LAY IN BED
WHILE SOMEONE FED ME. I'VE SEEN DOGS LAY DOWN
TO EAT THEIR FOOD BEFORE. BUT TYPICALLY IT'S WHEN A DOG
IS PHYSICALLY DISABLED TO STAND. I THINK SHE KNOWS THAT
THAT'S RIDICULOUS. MM-HMM. SHE'S GOT TO, LIKE, TAKE A NAP
IN BETWEEN BITES. GRACIE IS SO OVERWEIGHT THAT
THEY'RE ACTUALLY ALLOWING HER TO LAY DOWN TO EAT HER FOOD. I'VE NEVER SEEN
ANYTHING LIKE THIS. IT BLOWS MY MIND. OH, MY GOSH. SHE LAYS DOWN WHEN SHE'S EATING. WOW. AND SHE'S DONE THAT
FOR HOW LONG? WELL, AFTER HER KNEE SURGERY
SHE WASN'T REAL MOBILE. AND IN HER KENNEL,
SHE LAY DOWN AND ATE. AND IT JUST KIND OF
BECAME A BAD HABIT BECAUSE SHE'S CAPABLE
OF STANDING UP AND EATING, WOULDN'T YOU SAY? I... YOU MAYBE THINK SHE ISN'T? YOU KNOW, IT'S SHE'S
SUCH AN AWKWARD SHAPE. YOU KNOW, I ALMOST FEEL LIKE
SHE'S SO HEAVY HER LEGS JUST DON'T SUPPORT HER
TO STAND UP LONG ENOUGH TO EAT. ALL RIGHT. WELL, I THINK
I'VE SEEN ENOUGH HERE. LET'S MOVE ON. I CAN'T HELP LISA AND MADISON GET GRACIE DOWN
TO HER IDEAL WEIGHT UNLESS THEY UNDERSTAND
HOW DANGEROUSLY OBESE SHE IS. IT'S SO IMPORTANT
FOR MADISON AND LISA TO SEE EXACTLY
HOW MUCH SHE WEIGHS, COMPARED TO WHAT
SHE SHOULD WEIGH. ♪♪ HEY, GRACIE. A HEALTHY MAX WEIGHT
FOR A FULL-BREED CHIHUAHUA WOULD BE 8 POUNDS. ARE YOU READY TO SEE
HOW SHE WEIGHS? NO. WOW. 42 POUNDS. OH, MY GOD. Travis:
IT'S HARD TO BE IN DENIAL WHEN YOU SEE A NUMBER LIKE
42 POUNDS. DID THEY TELL YOU HOW BIG
THEY THOUGHT SHE WOULD BE WHEN YOU GOT HER? SEVEN POUNDS AT THE MOST. SO IF SHE WAS SUPPOSED
TO BE 7 POUNDS, AND NOW SHE'S 42 POUNDS, WHAT DOES THAT NUMBER
MEAN TO YOU? IT MEANS SHE PROBABLY NEVER WAS
A CHIHUAHUA LIKE WE WERE TOLD. POSSIBLY. OVEREATING. DEFINITELY. NO EXERCISE. DEFINITELY NO EXERCISE. YOU SAY YOU DO TAKE HER
ON SOME WALKS. WE HAVEN'T LATELY JUST
BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER. YOU KNOW, WHEN IT WAS
NICE ENOUGH, WE COULD GET TO
THE CORNER AND BACK. LET'S READDRESS THAT. I'D LIKE TO SEE THE WALK, AND SEE WHAT KIND OF
STRUGGLES YOU'RE HAVING. AND SEE IF I CAN HELP. OKAY. OKAY. COME ON, SWEETHEART. COME ON. LISA SAYS THAT GRACIE
CAN'T WALK ON A LEASH. BUT I HAVE A FEELING
IT'S NOT GRACIE'S FAULT. IF LISA BELIEVES THAT
GRACIE CAN'T DO IT, SHE'S NOT GOING TO DO IT. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET
HER OUT ON A DAILY BASIS. BUT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW,
SHE HAS THOSE BAD KNEES, WE DO HAVE TO BE CAREFUL
NOT TO PUSH HER TOO FAR. OKAY. OKAY? I WANT TO SEE WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN LISA WALKS GRACIE
WITH CONFIDENCE. COME ON. COME ON, GRACIE. THERE WE GO.
RELAX THAT ARM. JUST NOW WALK. COME ON. BEAUTIFUL. COME ON. THAT'S A GOOD GIRL. ANY TIME YOU FEEL THAT LITTLE
TENSION, JUST ENCOURAGE HERE. HERE WE GO.
HERE WE GO. GOOD GIRL. YAY. GOOD GIRL. GOOD GIRL, GRACIE. YOU'RE DOING SO GOOD. WELL, SHE LOOKS LIKE
SHE'S HAVING FUN. SHE IS.
SHE LIKES TO BE OUTSIDE. THAT'S A GOOD THING. I THINK SHE'D LIKE
TO WALK ALL DAY. I THINK SHE WOULD TOO. AW, WHAT A SWEET GIRL. GRACIE IS STILL A YOUNG DOG. SHE HAS SO MANY YEARS
AHEAD OF HER. IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT I GET
LISA AND MADISON ON BOARD IF WE WANT THOSE YEARS TO BE
LONG, HAPPY AND HEALTHY. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO GET
GRACIE DOWN IN WEIGHT. NOT JUST TO HELP HER
OVERALL HEALTH, BUT TO GET HER TO A POINT WHERE SHE CAN HAVE SURGERY
ON HER OTHER KNEE. MM-HMM. IF SHE DOESN'T, SHE'S GOING
TO REACH A POINT WHERE SHE WON'T BE
ABLE TO WALK AGAIN. IT MAKES ME FEEL BAD AND GUILTY BECAUSE WE COULD HAVE DONE
A LOT MORE ABOUT IT. BUT WE JUST DIDN'T. THE GOOD THING IS THERE'S ONLY
ONE WAY TO GO, AND IT'S UP. RIGHT, LITERALLY FROM
LAYING DOWN TO UP. TYPICALLY ON A FIRST MEETING, I CAN ADDRESS MORE
ISSUES AT ONE TIME. BUT WITH GRACIE, WE HAVE
TO START WITH BABY STEPS. YOU KNOW WHAT THIS IS? THAT'S A "GRACIE'S GONNA
STAND UP AND EAT FROM NOW ON." THAT'S RIGHT.
I BELIEVE SHE CAN DO IT. DON'T YOU? YES. YEAH. SHE MAY NOT LIKE IT,
BUT SHE CAN DO IT. I'LL BE WORKING WITH
A NUTRITION SPECIALIST TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS
WORKING TOWARDS THE GOAL OF GETTING HER TO AN IDEAL
WEIGHT FOR HER BREED, WHICH BRINGS UP ANOTHER
QUESTION. WHAT IS SHE? WHAT IS SHE, EXACTLY? WE NEED TO FIND OUT. I'M GOING TO DO A DNA TEST
TO FIND OUT WHAT BREED OR BREEDS GRACIE IS,
SO WE CAN FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT HER
TARGET WEIGHT SHOULD BE. THE STRUCTURE OF HER BODY, HER FRAMING IS LARGER
THAN A TYPICAL CHIHUAHUA. RIGHT. IT DOESN'T TAKE AWAY
FROM THE FACT THAT SHE FALLS IN THE CATEGORY
OF AN OBESE PET... RIGHT. WHICH IS AS BAD AS IT GETS. WE REALIZE THAT. AND THE 42 POUNDS PROVED IT. SHE HAS TO LOSE THE WEIGHT. RIGHT. SO I'M GOING TO PUT A DAILY
EXERCISE PLAN TOGETHER. SHE HAS TO GET UP,
AND SHE HAS TO GET MOVING. ESPECIALLY IF WE WANT TO GET
THE ONE KNEE BETTER, AND GET HER TO A POINT WHERE SHE
CAN HAVE THE OTHER ONE FIXED. NOT TO PUT ANY PRESSURE ON YOU, BUT IT'S ALL GOING TO BE
ON YOUR SHOULDERS. THE GOOD THING IS SHE HAS MORE
ON WEIGHT ON HER SHOULDERS THAN YOU HAVE ON YOURS,
SO YOU HAVE THE EASY LIFTING. SHE'S REALLY GOING TO BE
COUNTING ON YOU. SHE'S LIKE, "OH, MAN. THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE ME
STAND UP TO EAT." GRACIE WEIGHED IN AT 42 POUNDS. IN THE 4 MONTHS THAT
I'LL BE WORKING WITH THEM, LISA AND MADISON
SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET GRACIE DOWN TO A TARGET
WEIGHT OF 34 POUNDS. I LEFT THEM WITH
A STANDING FOOD BOWL, WITH FIRM INSTRUCTIONS
NOT TO ALLOW HER TO LAY DOWN
AND EAT ANY LONGER. ADDITIONALLY, THEY NEED TO WALK
GRACIE 30 MINUTES A DAY. AND I'M GOING TO BE
TRACKING THEM ON THE FITBARK I LEFT WITH THEM. I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE GOING
TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS. LET ME KNOW
IF YOU NEED ANYTHING. I'LL BE BACK TO CHECK IN
ON YOU VERY SOON. THANK YOU.
WE'RE IN WITH THIS GAME PLAN. WE'RE ON BOARD FOR ANYTHING
HE WANTS US TO DO. IF WE DO, GRACIE WILL BE ABLE
TO LIVE HER LIFE TO THE FULLEST. AND IT WON'T BE CUT SHORT
BECAUSE SHE'S OBESE AND CAN'T DO ANYTHING. SO I THINK IT'S JUST BEST
TO STICK TO IT, AND GET HER TO WHERE
SHE NEEDS TO BE. COMING UP ON "MY BIG
FAT PET MAKEOVER"... ARE YOU READY TO SEE
WHAT BEAU WEIGHS? I GUESS SO. OH. I THINK BEAU NUGGET
HAS BEEN DOING FAIRLY WELL. A LOT BETTER THAN I EXPECTED. NOT FEEDING BEAU AS MUCH AS
I WAS USED TO FEEDING HIM AS BEEN A LITTLE
DIFFICULT FOR ME. HE'S CRIED QUITE A BIT. YEAH, HE MEOWED SO MUCH
HE WAS HOARSE. BUT I THINK OVER
A PERIOD OF TIME, HE HAS STOPPED CRYING AS MUCH. AND HE LOVES HIS LITTLE
FEEDING BALL. HE REALLY HAS FUN WITH THAT. ALTHOUGH EVEN WHEN HE BATS
THE BALL AROUND, HE'LL RUN TO HIS FOOD,
AND HE LAYS DOWN TO EAT IT. I MEAN, THE ONLY EXERCISE
HE'S GETTING IS WITH HIS PAWS BECAUSE HE'S NOT MOVING. HE'S JUST KIND OF DOING THIS,
AND EATING. AND DOING THAT, EATING.
AND I'M... HE'S NOT GETTING UP
AND RUNNING AROUND. BEAU NUGGET,
THERE'S FOOD AT THE TOP. I LOVE BEAU'S CAT TREE I THINK
ALMOST AS MUCH AS HE DOES BECAUSE I LOVE BEING ABLE TO WATCH HIM GO UP
AND DOWN THE TREE. IT'S SO FUN TO WATCH HIM. FOOD! WOW. HIS FOOD IS NOW UP
ON TOP OF HIS CAT TREE. AND HE KNOWS HE HAS TO CLIMB UP
ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP TO EAT. AND THE HE HAS TO COME
ALL THE WAY BACK DOWN. I KNOW I'M NOT FILLING
HIS BOWL COMPLETELY, BUT THERE WERE
A FEW DAYS IN THERE THAT I DIDN'T ACTUALLY
MEASURE IT, SO... I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THAT. Travis: WHEN I LEFT RICK
AND VALERIE A MONTH AGO, THEY WERE UNDER
STRICT ORDERS TO GET BEAU NUGGET MOVING. HI, TRAVIS! HI, VALERIE. COME ON IN! THANK YOU. BUT I'VE BEEN TRACKING
HIS ACTIVITY ON THE FITBARK, AND I'M NOT SEEING
MUCH OF AN IMPROVEMENT. I NEED TO FIGURE OUT
WHAT'S GOING ON. SO I'VE BEEN FOLLOWING
BEAU ON HIS FITBARK, AND I'VE NOTICED THAT HE
WAS LACKING IN EXERCISE. HOW HAS THAT BEEN GOING? HE'S BEEN USING THE CAT TREE. AND THAT IS SO GREAT. AND THEN THE LITTLE FOOD
BALL HAS BEEN GREAT. SHOW ME HOW YOU WOULD SET IT UP
AND GIVE IT TO BEAU NUGGET. OKAY.
JUST OPEN IT UP. SO PRETTY MUCH FULL. SO HE CAN... THERE, BEAU. HEY, BEAU NUGGET. NOW, DO YOU PUSH IT FOR HIM
LIKE THAT ALL THE TIME? TO START HIM ON IT, I DO. OKAY. HE'S NOT A DUMB CAT. HE LEARNED, "ALL I GOT TO DO
IS KIND OF LAY HERE AND BAT THIS THING WITH MY PAW SO I CAN EAT ALL I WANT." SO I THINK IT'S HILARIOUS. AND HE DOESN'T EVEN STAND UP.
HE JUST... WHY DO YOU THINK HE ONLY HAS TO
LAY THERE AND BAT IT, VALERIE? PROBABLY BECAUSE I DID... I OPEN IT TO THE FULL SIZE
OF THE OPENING BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID
THAT HE JUST WOULDN'T KEEP WORKING TO GET HIS FOOD. WHICH WOULD MEAN
HE MIGHT BE FULL? OKAY.
ALL RIGHT. SO WE NEED TO MAKE IT
A LITTLE HARDER FOR HIM TO GET TO HIS FOOD SIMPLY BY CLOSING IT
OFF HALF WAY. OKAY. OKAY? BEAU.
BEAU, LOOK HERE. TRY THAT ONE. OH. OH, HE GOT A PIECE. NOT AS EASY. AND THEN HE'S GOING TO LOOK
AT ME AND SAY, "MAMA,
WHERE'S MY FOOD?" AND THEN YOU LOOK BACK
AND SAY, "IT'S RIGHT THERE." AND YOU SAY, "IT'S RIGHT THERE.
GET TO WORK." HERE IT GOES.
THERE YOU GO. OH, LOOK, HE GOT... LOOK AT THAT. THEIR SENSES ARE ALMOST 14 TIMES
STRONGER THAN HUMANS, SO HE KNOWS THERE'S FOOD. GO, BEAU. GET IT. THIS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE
WHEN YOU SEE BEAU NUGGET STOP AND THINK
ABOUT IT FOR A MINUTE. IT WOULD BE JUST LIKE US. IF WE HAD TO WORK FOR EVERY
OUNCE OF FOOD THAT WE ATE, THERE WOULD COME A POINT
WHERE WE WOULD GO, "YOU KNOW, I'M NOT OVERLY FULL,
OR EVEN COMPLETELY FULL. BUT I'M TIRED
OF WORKING FOR IT." AND YOU WOULD STOP.
AND IF WE DID THAT EVERY MEAL, WE WOULD BE
OUR IDEAL WEIGHT ALSO. I'VE SHOWN RICK AND VALERIE THAT
IF BEAU NUGGET IS HUNGRY ENOUGH, HE CAN BE MOTIVATED BY FOOD. AND I CAN USE THIS MOTIVATION
TO GET HIM MOVING IN OTHER WAYS. IF I CAN GET BEAU TO COOPERATE, I HAVE A REALLY FUN THING THAT
MIGHT EVEN GET HIM MOVING MORE. WOW! OKAY. REALLY?
THAT'S, LIKE, A HAMSTER... TREADMILL FOR CATS. THAT'S, LIKE, A HAMSTER WHEEL. I MEAN, DO YOU THINK
BEAU NUGGET WILL DO IT? LET'S FIND OUT.
GO AND GRAB BEAU FOR US. ALL RIGHT.
I'LL TRY AND FIND HIM. WOW. EXERCISING CATS CAN BE
A REAL STRUGGLE. ESPECIALLY AN INDOOR CAT
LIKE BEAU NUGGET. CATS CAN BE MORE DIFFICULT
TO EXERCISE THAN DOGS. THEY'RE VERY INDEPENDENT. OH.
WHAT IS IT? HE'S NOTICING. HE'S CHECKING IT OUT. WHAT IS THAT THING? I'M CURIOUS. AWW, THAT'S IT. OH. I'VE SHOWN VALERIE HOW TO LURE
BEAU INTO THE CAT WHEEL, HOW TO HOLD THE TREAT
OR THE REWARD IN FRONT OF HIM TO MOTIVATE HIM TO WALK. THE REST IS UP TO HER. I THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO
GET TO EXERCISE TOGETHER. I THINK HE SAYS, "THAT WHEEL
LOOKS LIKE TOO MUCH WORK." MOVING FORWARD, RICK AND VALERIE NEED TO TIGHTEN UP
THAT FOOD BALL, AND STICK TO THE ONE CUP
MAX PER DAY OF FOOD. THEY ALSO NEED TO PRACTICE
WITH THE CAT WHEEL, TO HELP BEAU BURN MORE CALORIES. I'LL BE BACK IN 3 MONTHS TO SEE
IF BEAU HAS LOST THE WEIGHT. ♪♪ TRAVIS LEFT US WITH
A STANDING FOOD BOWL SO SHE WOULDN'T LAY
DOWN ANYMORE TO EAT. AND SHE'S NOT
ENJOYING IT AT ALL, SO SHE'S NOT EATING
AS MUCH AS SHE USUALLY DID. WHICH IS GOOD, I GUESS. GOOD GIRL, GRACIE. IT'S BEEN EASIER THAN I THOUGHT,
TAKING GRACIE ON A WALK. SHE IS EXCITED ABOUT GOING, AND I KNOW THAT IT'S THE
RIGHT THING TO DO FOR HER. BUT I'M WORRIED
ABOUT GRACIE'S KNEES. I NOTICED THAT WHEN SHE'S
WALKING, IT SHAKES A LOT. AND WE HAVEN'T GONE PAST
THE 30 MINUTES OF WALKING BECAUSE
GRACIE WILL SIT DOWN. AND I HAVE TO GIVE HER A BREAK. AND IT'S NOT A LONG WALK. SHE SLEEPS BETTER NOW
THAT SHE'S EXERCISING MORE, BUT SHE DOES WAKE UP PANTING. AND I JUST WORRY ABOUT HER HEART
AND IF I'M OVERWORKING HER. AND I'M HOPING TO
FIND OUT AT THE VET IF IT'S JUST ME
BEING OVERPROTECTIVE, OR SOMETHING REALLY
WRONG WITH HER. WE WANT TO MAKE TRAVIS PROUD. Travis: LISA AND MADISON ARE
FOLLOWING THE GAME PLAN, BUT GRACIE ISN'T LOSING
AS MUCH WEIGHT AS WE HAD HOPED. I'VE SET UP A VET APPOINTMENT
TO SEE IF HE CAN SHED SOME LIGHT ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH HER. ALSO, I'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH
ON GRACIE'S DNA. I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE
INTERESTING TO SHARE WITH EVERYBODY. Man: HER MAIN PROBLEM
IS PRETTY OBVIOUS. SHE'S JUST TOO FAT. BUT SHE ALSO HAS ANOTHER
UNDERLYING PROBLEM, AND THAT IS THE FACT
THAT HER THYROID GLAND ISN'T PRODUCING ENOUGH
THYROID HORMONE. IF YOU HAVE TOO LOW THYROID, THEN YOU'RE GOING
TO BE SLUGGISH. YOU DON'T WANT TO GET UP. YOU DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING,
AND JUST LAY AROUND. Travis: HYPOTHYROIDISM
IS A CONDITION WHERE THE THYROID GLAND ISN'T PRODUCING
ENOUGH HORMONE. THIS ISN'T THE REASON THAT
GRACIE PUT ON THE WEIGHT. BUT IT MIGHT BE A REASON
WHY SHE ISN'T LOSING THE WEIGHT. THIS IS A VERY
SERIOUS SITUATION. AND EVERY OUNCE WE LOSE IS
A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. OKAY. I WANTED TO SHOW YOU HERE
DNA RESULTS. TO TEST GRACIE'S DNA, IT WAS
SIMPLE A MATTER OF SENDING A SALIVA SWAB TO THE LAB. I KNOW LISA WAS, YOU KNOW, HOPING THAT MAYBE SHE WAS
THIS BIG BECAUSE OF HER BREED. SO ACCORDING TO THIS,
IT SAYS THAT GRACIE IS... SO ACCORDING TO THIS, IT SAYS
THAT GRACIE IS CHIHUAHUA AND AMERICAN ESKIMO. I ALWAYS HAD MY SUSPICIONS
THAT GRACIE WAS A MIXED BREED. AND SHE'S FRANKLY
JUST TOO LARGE-FRAMED TO BE A PURE CHIHUAHUA. THE AVERAGE WEIGHT RANGE
FOR AN AMERICAN ESKIMO DOG WOULD BE SOMEWHERE
BETWEEN 18 TO 25. SO EVEN AT HER WEIGHT,
AND A CHIHUAHUA, 3 TO 6 POUNDS, 4 TO 8 POUNDS. EVEN WITH THE DOG SHE'S MIXED
WITH, SHE'S TWICE HER WEIGHT. WELL, MAYBE THREE TIMES.
YEAH. AN OBESE LABRADOR LOSES
3 YEARS OF ITS LIFE. IF THE BROTHER IS SKINNY
AND THE SISTER IS FAT, THEN SHE'S GOING TO DIE
3 YEARS YOUNGER. SO IF WE GOT TO HER
A HEALTHY WEIGHT, WE COULD POTENTIALLY ADD 2
TO 3 YEARS TO HER LIFE. ABSOLUTELY.
YEAH. AND THEY'D BE GOOD YEARS. YEAH. SHE'D GET AROUND,
AND RUN AND PLAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. OKAY. THIS HAS BEEN VERY,
VERY HELPFUL. LISA, I HAVE SOMETHING FUN
FOR YOU AND GRACIE. OKAY. SO I THINK WE CAN HEAD ON OUT. ALL RIGHT. BYE, GRACIE. THE MEDS THAT
DR. HUDDLESTON PRESCRIBED FOR HYPOTHYROIDISM
SHOULD HELP A LOT. ALSO, I HAVE AN IDEA
TO KEEP HER MOVING FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME, AND TAKE THAT WEIGHT
OFF HER JOINTS. WHAT DO YOU THINK? THIS IS NICE. THIS IS EXCITING. YEAH? HAS GRACIE EVER BEEN
IN THE WATER BEFORE? SHE HAS. DID SHE LIKE IT? SORT OF. OKAY. I'M REALLY HOPING THAT
GRACIE LIKES TO SWIM BECAUSE A LOW-TO-NO-IMPACT
EXERCISE LIKE THIS CAN LITERALLY BE
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SUCCESS AND FAILURE FOR REACHING HER GOAL WEIGHT. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE
THAT WHEN I PUT HER IN THAT, YOU KNOW, SHE'S CALM. YOU KNOW, SHE'S
NOT FREAKING OUT. RIGHT. [ CHUCKLING ] OH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE
DOING THE PIDDLE-PADDLE BECAUSE YOU'RE OVERWEIGHT
OR IF YOU LIKE IT. YEAH.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? INTRODUCING A DOG TO WATER
IS A VERY DELICATE THING TO DO. YOU KNOW, IF YOU FORCE
A DOG INTO A POOL, IF YOU PUSH A DOG INTO A POOL,
THAT IS A BAD EXPERIENCE. OH, YOU'RE GOING TO SIT DOWN
EVEN IN THE WATER? THAT'S SO GOOD. SO IT'S IMPORTANT
THAT THIS IS A FUN AND EXCITING
EXPERIENCE FOR GRACIE. COME ON, GRACIE. YOU CAN DO IT. GOOD GIRL. GOOD GIRL. GOOD GIRL. COME ON. SO GOOD. GOOD GIRL. YOU'RE DOING SO GOOD. COME HERE, GRACIE. OH, GOOD GIRL. GOOD GIRL.
GOOD GIRL, GRACIE. I'M SO PSYCHED THAT GRACIE
IS LOVING THE WATER. IT IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. SO LET'S HAVE YOU GO
ALL THE WAY TO THE END. AND SHE CAN FOLLOW YOU
ALL THE WAY OUT. BECAUSE THE FITBARK
IS WATER-RESISTANT, I'LL BE ABLE TO TRACK
HOW MUCH ACTIVITY GRACIE HAS WHEN
SHE'S IN THE POOL. YAY. YAY, GRACIE. YAY.
YOU DID IT. GIVE HER LOTS OF LOVE. THAT'S AMAZING. YAY, GRACIE. GRACIE WAS A BETTER SWIMMER
THAN SHE IS A WALKER. I LITERALLY THINK
SHE IS SMILING. I MEAN, WHEN SHE CAME OUT
OF THAT POOL, SHE WAS, LIKE, A GAZELLE
COMING OUT OF THERE. SHE LITERALLY WAS WALKING BETTER WHEN SHE CAME OUT
THAN WHEN SHE WENT IN. WHAT DID YOU THINK? THAT WAS GREAT. SHE DID GOOD, DIDN'T SHE? SHE LOVES WATER. OH, MY GOD. SHE'S AMAZING. TO KICK GRACIE'S WEIGHT LOSS
INTO HIGH GEAR, LISA AND MADISON MUST BRING
GRACIE TO THE POOL AT LEAST 3 TIMES A WEEK. THEY ALSO NEED TO GIVE
GRACIE HER THYROID MEDICINE, AND CONTINUE WITH GENTLE WALKING
WHEN GRACIE IS UP FOR IT. WHEN I'M BACK HERE IN 3 MONTHS, I HOPE SHE'S AT HER HEALTHY
TARGET WEIGHT OF 34 POUNDS. THE FIRST TIME I WAS HERE,
BEAU WAS EXTREMELY OVERWEIGHT. WHEN VALERIE WAS HOLDING HIM,
SHE HAD TO SET HIM DOWN AFTER LESS THAN A MINUTE
BECAUSE HE WAS SO HEAVY. WHEN HE WENT DOWN,
HE JUST PLOPPED. I MEAN, HE WAS JUST, LIKE,
THIS DONUT LAYING ON THE FLOOR. I'M HOPING THAT
THEY STUCK WITH IT, AND HE'S BEEN ABLE
TO LOSE THE WEIGHT. HEY, TRAVIS. HEY, COME ON IN. TODAY, TRAVIS IS COMING
TO CHECK IN ON US. AND I'M REALLY EXCITED
TO SHOW HIM OUR PROGRESS. WELL, IT'S SO GREAT TO BE HERE.
YOU GUYS LOOK AMAZING. THANK YOU. WELL, THANKS. DID YOU LOSE WEIGHT? YES, WE DID. YEAH. YOU BEEN RUNNING
ON THE CAT WHEEL? I'VE BEEN RUNNING ON
THE ROAD OUT THERE. YOU'VE BEEN... WELL, OKAY.
WELL, I CAN TELL. YOU GUYS LOOK FANTASTIC. I MEAN, I OBVIOUSLY
I HAVEN'T SEEN BEAU YET. BUT WHAT'S CHANGED WITH BEAU? WE CAN TELL THAT
HE'S LOST WEIGHT BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE BONES
YOU COULDN'T SEE PREVIOUSLY. YOU KNOW, HIS SHOULDERS
AND HIS HIPS. AND HE'S MORE ACTIVE. HE IS.
HE'S A LOT MORE ACTIVE. TELL ME ABOUT ACTIVE. LIKE, WHAT ARE YOU SEEING
SPECIFIC THAT'S DIFFERENT? WELL, I'VE GOTTEN HIM
TO USE THE CAT WHEEL. I'M EXCITED TO SEE BEAU. IS HE AROUND? HE IS AROUND. OH, HE'S HERE SOMEWHERE. OKAY. BEAU NUGGET. COME HERE, BEAU. BEAU. COME HERE. KITTY, KITTY, KITTY, KITTY,
KITTY, KITTY, KITTY, KITTY. COME ON, BEAU. COME ON, KITTY, KITTY. COME HERE, BEAU. KITTY, KITTY, KITTY,
KITTY, KITTY. COME HERE, BEAU. COME ON. KITTY, KITTY,
KITTY, KITTY, KITTY. COME ON. ♪♪ SEE HOW THIN HE IS? SEEING BEAU FOR THE FIRST TIME, I DON'T THINK
HE LOOKS THAT DIFFERENT. BUT RICK AND VALERIE ARE
CONVINCED THAT HE'S LOST WEIGHT. THERE'S ONLY ONE
WAY TO FIND OUT, AND THAT'S TO
GET HIM ON THE SCALE. [ MEOWS ] OH, GOOD BOY. LOOK AT THAT. LOOK AT YOU. YEAH. HEY, BEAU. ALL RIGHT.
READY? FIRST TIME I WAS HERE,
BEAU NUGGET WEIGHED 23.5 POUNDS. HIS 4-MONTH TARGET WEIGHT
WAS 17 POUNDS. ARE YOU READY TO SEE
WHAT BEAU WEIGHS? I GUESS SO. BEAU NUGGET STARTED OUT
AT A WHOPPING 23.5 POUNDS. I SET A 4-MONTH TARGET WEIGHT
FOR HIM OF 17 POUNDS. ARE YOU READY TO SEE
WHAT BEAU WEIGHS? I GUESS SO. WELL, HE LOST 2 POUNDS. HE DID. BEAU NUGGET ONLY LOST 2 POUNDS. BUT THAT MEANS THE SCALE IS
MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. WHICH MEANS RICK AND VALERIE
HAVE FINALLY BOUGHT IN TO WHAT I ASKED THEM TO DO. I KNOW HE DIDN'T REACH
HIS GOAL OF 17 POUNDS, BUT HE HAS LOST WEIGHT. HAVE YOU NOTICED
ANY OTHER CHANGES? I MEAN, 2 POUNDS
FOR A 23-POUND CAT. WELL, THAT'S, LIKE, 10 PERCENT
OF HIS BODY WEIGHT. THAT'S RIGHT. AND THAT WOULD BE, LIKE, ME
BEFORE I STARTED LOSING WEIGHT. THAT WOULD BE ME
LOSING 24 POUNDS. SURE. I WOULD BE HAPPY WITH 24 POUNDS. DON'T BE DISCOURAGED BY THIS. HE'S LOSING WEIGHT.
WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK. WE KNOW THE THINGS THAT WE NEED
TO ADD INTO THE PROCESS TO GET YOU WHERE YOU WANT TO BE. AND I NEED TO SEE
THIS CAT WHEEL IN ACTION. RICK AND VALERIE ARE
DISAPPOINTED THAT BEAU IS NOT AT HIS TARGET WEIGHT YET. BUT THE BRIGHT SIDE IS
THEY'RE EXERCISING HIM NOW. VALERIE SAYS HE'S EVEN
BEEN USING THE CAT WHEEL. I WANT TO SEE THAT. I PUT THE TREAT DOWN LIKE THIS. TRY TO GET HIM INTERESTED. AND... GOOD BOY. GOOD BOY. COME ON. WHAT? LOOK AT THAT. THIS IS AMAZING. CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS?
ISN'T THIS GREAT? KEEP HIM GOING.
THAT'S AWESOME. COME ON, BEAU.
COME ON, BUDDY. COME ON. YAY. COME ON, BUDDY.
COME ON, BUDDY. COME ON, BEAU.
COME ON, BEAU. LOOK AT THAT. YEAH. HE'S, LIKE, GOING TO TURN
INTO A TRIATHLETE. SEEING BEAU ON THE CAT WHEEL,
IT'S SO EXCITING. THE FACT THAT VALERIE
FOUND IT IN HERSELF TO BELIEVE THAT
BEAU COULD DO IT, AND BELIEVE THAT SHE COULD
GET BEAU TO DO IT, THIS IS AN AMAZING MOMENT. I AM SO HAPPY. Valerie:
BEAU NUGGET IS VERY PERSISTENT. AND IT WAS DIFFICULT
INITIALLY TO LIMIT HIS FOOD. BUT I'VE WORKED THROUGH THAT. AND SO NOW, JUST GETTING
TO SEE THE REWARDS, SEEING HIM BE MORE ACTIVE,
IT WAS WORTH IT. FOR ADDED MOTIVATION,
I WORKED WITH CHEWY.COM TO PUT TOGETHER SOME
REALLY GREAT TOOLS TO HELP BEAU CONTINUE DOWN HIS JOURNEY. WOW. GREAT. SO I KNOW HE HASN'T MET
HIS TARGET GOAL, BUT I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT. AND BECAUSE YOU STILL
HAVE WORK TO DO, THIS IS GOING TO HELP YOU. GOSH, THAT'S GREAT. SO GOOD LUCK. AND I'M GOING TO
LEAVE YOU TO IT. AW, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANKS, TRAVIS. NICE WORK, YOU GUYS. THANKS, TRAVIS. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. BYE, MR. BEAU NUGGET.
BYE. TODAY I'M HEADED TO SEE
LISA AND MADISON. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, GRACIE. GRACIE IS ONE OF THE MOST
EXTREME OBESE CASES I'VE EVER SEEN. I'M REALLY HOPING THAT GRACIE
HAS LOST THE WEIGHT. IF NOT, HER FUTURE
DOESN'T LOOK GOOD. HEY, TRAVIS. HI. TODAY TRAVIS IS COMING IN. I REALLY HOPE GRACIE HAS DONE
WELL ENOUGH TO GO ON WITH HER KNEE SURGERY. CATCH ME UP ON
WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON. HOW HAS THE PROCESS BEEN? SHE'S BEEN DOING REAL WELL. SHE'S TAKING HER WALKS
EVERY DAY, LOVES HER SWIMMING. NOW SHE'S SWIMMING
WITH NO LIFE JACKET. NO LIFE JACKET? NO LIFE JACKET. REALLY?
HAVE YOU SEEN HER SWIMMING. I WENT WITH HER
A COUPLE OF TIMES. YOU DID? YEAH. WERE YOU SURPRISED? YEAH.
I ACTUALLY WAS. SHE WENT RIGHT IN
WITHOUT ANY HELP. IS SHE STANDING UP TO EAT? SHE'S STILL STANDING UP
AND EATING. ALL RIGHT.
GOOD, GOOD. WELL, I'VE BEEN FOLLOWING
ON THE FITBARK. AND SHE'S BEEN
HITTING HER GOALS. AND I JUST COULDN'T
BE HAPPIER TO THIS POINT. SO I'M READY TO SEE
THIS NEW GRACIE. SHE'S IN MY ROOM.
I CAN GO GET HER. YEAH, GO GET HER. LISA AND MADISON ARE CONFIDENT
THAT SHE'S LOST WEIGHT. I'M INTERESTED TO SEE
IF SHE HAS. AND HOPEFULLY VISUALLY
I'LL BE ABLE TO TELL. SHE'S COMING. ♪♪ GRACIE. GRACIE, HI. HOW ARE YOU DOING? HI. NO LIMPING. NO. WOW. AND NO RING AROUND THE COLLAR. LITERALLY, THE COLLAR
IS COMING OFF. YOU NEED A NEW COLLAR. GRACIE HAS LOST WEIGHT. I CAN TELL.
SHE'S MOVING FAST AND HAS EXTRA ENERGY. I WANT TO SEE
HOW MUCH SHE WEIGHS. ♪♪ WHEN I FIRST MET GRACIE,
SHE WEIGHED 42 POUNDS. I SET A 4-MONTH TARGET WEIGHT
FOR HER AT 34 POUNDS. ARE YOU READY TO SEE
WHAT GRACIE WEIGHS? YES. GRACIE WEIGHS 34.5 POUNDS. WOW. YES. YOU DID IT. YOU DID IT.
THAT'S AMAZING. SO THAT MEANS THAT SHE LOST
SEVEN AND A HALF POUNDS. THAT'S AWESOME. I'M SO HAPPY SHE'S MOVING
IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY,
I WANT TO SEE THAT SHE REALLY DOES
HAVE THIS EXTRA ENERGY. ♪♪ OH, MY GOSH.
SHE'S DOING SO GOOD. THAT'S REALLY GOOD. SHE DOES REALLY WELL. YEAH, SHE DOES.
SHE'S MOVING. LISA AND MADISON ARE LOVING
THROUGH QUALITY TIME, THROUGH AFFECTION,
THROUGH EXERCISE. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT GRACIE NEEDS
TO GET WHERE SHE NEEDS TO GO. BRING HER ON BACK.
COME ON, GRACIE. I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT SHE'S GOING
TO GET TO HER TARGET WEIGHT. SHE'S GOING TO GET
THE SECOND KNEE SURGERY. AND SHE'S GOING TO LIVE A VERY
HAPPY AND HEALTHY LONGER LIFE. NICE JOB. GOOD JOB. GOOD JOB, GRACIE. AWESOME. I'M SO IMPRESSED. THAT'S NOT THE SAME GRACIE
THAT WAS HERE THE LAST TIME. SHE'S NOT THAT OLD LADY
ANYMORE, IS SHE? I THINK SHE'S GETTING CLOSER
TO FITTING INTO THAT BIKINI. SHE IS. ONE WALK AT A TIME. YOU'VE DONE GREAT
WITH GRACIE'S WEIGHT LOSS. SHE'S GETTING REALLY,
REALLY CLOSE. CLOSE ENOUGH THAT DR. HUDDLESTON
SAID JUST A FEW MORE POUNDS AND SHE'S WHERE SHE NEEDS TO BE
FOR THAT SECOND KNEE SURGERY. AND THAT'S ONE OF OUR BIGGEST
GOALS BECAUSE ONCE SHE GETS THAT AND THAT WEIGHT IS OFF, WE HAVE
A VERY HAPPY AND HEALTHY GRACIE, WHICH IS OUR BIGGEST GOAL. GREAT JOB. THANK YOU. I'M REALLY GRATEFUL TO TRAVIS
FOR WHAT HE'S DONE FOR GRACIE. I THINK HE SAVED HER LIFE. ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ --<font color="#FFFF00"> Captions by VITAC --</font><font color="#00FFFF">
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