🎙️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.
One dog's weight loss journey has been praised online after his before and after transformation pictures went viral.
Chester the dog's owner said on Reddit that they went "overboard" on feeding him when he was first adopted. But after some hard work and lots of love, Chester's back to a healthy size.
"The veterinarian said he needed to lose weight. I present to you, dechonkified Chester," his owner shared in a post on the subreddit r/aww, where it gained over 25,000 upvotes so far.
"He didn't like the journey but never takes food for granted after the diet he had to endure," they added.
The before and after transformation shows Chester looking just a fraction of the size he used to be. The sweet, 6-year-old pup is almost unrecognizable after slimming down.
Chester's owner said it took two years for the dog to lose 15 pounds.
"I fed him a lot when I adopted him at three years old. He was so skinny when we first got him. We just fed him so much. We went overboard," they wrote online.
The method? Cutting his food intake by 20 percent, and then 30 percent, along with skipping the five treats a day he previously had.
Many dogs have to lose weight for their own health, according to the American Kennel Club. The recommended method from the AKC is feeding your dog "normal food in the morning but replacing his second meal with mostly green beans, a bit of kibble and a doggie multivitamin in the evening."
"Don't make the common error of associating food with love," the AKC said. "Plying your dog with food to the point of obesity will only likely shorten the amount of time you will have him in your life. And don't put too much stock in your dog's opinion, either: Many dogs will act ravenous even after they have met their caloric requirements for the day."
Reddit users praised Chester and his owner for their hard work in transforming his health.
"As a veterinarian I want to congratulate you on a great job! Chester is going to be so much happier and healthier now," wrote one Redditor.
"you will get to spend more quality time together," a Reddit user pointed out.
"Way to go, to both of you! He looks so much younger in the second pic and I bet he plays like it too," one person commented, sharing their congratulations with the duo.
"He looks WONDERFUL! Good on him and you for making it work!" wrote another commenter.
Newsweek reached out to Chester's owner for comment.
