Stitch’s Story

Stitch Parsons, a miniature Dachshund from Boksburg lost more than half her bodyweight (52%) to win the 2007 Hill’s Slimmer of the Year title.

Stitch, who is now 7.6kgs, weighed a massive 15.7kgs when veterinarian Dr Athol Johnson advised that she should enrol in the Hill’s Pet Slimmer programme. He warned her devoted owners, Alf and Carina Parsons, that if the dog did not shed some of her excess kilos “you’re going to lose her.” Stitch was enrolled immediately.

Mrs Parsons says that Stitch had started to fatten up after going on cortisone to treat an allergy. “I fed her according to her current weight, not realising I should have fed according to her ideal weight. As she got heavier I increased the amount of food. We never gave her treats or table scraps so I couldn’t understand why she was getting so fat.”

On the day Stitch started her diet she went for a walk. “After 500 metres she was ready to keel over; I thought she was going to have a heart attack,” said Mrs Parsons.

It was a long process for Stitch and it took months to lose the weight, but since shedding the excess kilos she is “like the puppy I originally had. She used to sit and wait for you to pick her up; now she can jump on the couch and bed easily. She also used to sleep a lot, but now, when it is hot, Stitch can be found outside - hunting lizards.”