A woman has been accused of animal abuse after piling melted butter onto her dogs' food - but she insists it's perfectly healthy.
Sharing the story anonymously, the woman's daughter took to the internet for advice after learning about her mother's unusual dog-feeding routine.
The mother insisted there was nothing wrong with it, adding that she only did it when her dogs wouldn't eat, but the daughter was doubtful as the pooches were ballooning in size.
The mother even continued to feed her dogs butter after one of them suffered a heart attack and died, and now the daughter is at her wit's end.
What do you think about putting butter on dog food? Let us know in the comments...
Taking to Reddit, the daughter said: "My mum's dog died yesterday. He was six-years-old and according to a DNA test he was a boxer, American staff, Great Pyrenees mix.
"I have his brother, they are large dogs. My dog (his brother) weighs 82.8 pounds. My mum's dog, however, weighed 135 pounds.
"I started expressing my concern when I noticed her dogs were getting bigger and bigger every time I would see them. A couple of years ago my kids stayed a few days with her and informed me that she was melting butter and pouring it onto their food!
"When my daughter questioned her about it my mom said, 'oh, I do that when they won't eat'.
"I lost it on my mum when my kids got back home. I told her she was going to kill them by doing that and that what she was doing was abuse.
"She blew me off and said, 'oh whatever I only do it sometimes'.
"I sent her articles on the dangers of feeding your dogs unhealthy foods and what obesity can do to a dog."
Certain that melted butter wasn't healthy for dogs, the woman took her mother to the vet to get some expert advice.
She continued: "I went to the vet with her and brought up my concerns. The vet explained everything to her and offered ways to help them lose weight.
"She does love her dogs a lot, but it's a weird unhealthy type of relationship she has with them. It's almost like she shows them love by feeding them.
"So yesterday she called me freaking out because her dog collapsed in the backyard. My daughter and her boyfriend went over and loaded him in the car while my husband and I went to the emergency vet to let them know they were coming.
"He was still somewhat responsive when they put him in the car but he had stopped breathing before they could get to the vet. The vet did try to revive him but I knew he was gone as soon as I saw him in the car.
"The vet said it was likely a heart attack or stroke and mentioned him being overweight several times. My mum was not present when the doctor came in.
"My husband had to help carry her dog in and my mum was getting in the way and carrying on so I had my daughter sit with her in the car.
"Now she is beside herself and says she just can't understand what happened.
"She also told my brother, 'he was so healthy, I just don't understand'
"I fully intend to discuss with her what the doctor said and let her know this will be her other dogs' fate as well if she keeps it up.
"I am so heartbroken for her dog and the suffering he had to endure. I am so angry at my mum for this that I'm struggling to even feel for her and her loss.
"She would never turn her remaining dog over to someone else, so that is out of the question. I have offered to help her so many times but she fails to see there's even a problem."
After sharing her story online, the daughter was inundated with advice from other Reddit users.
One wrote: "For the sake of your relationship with your mother, I would highly suggest having a necropsy done on the dog and have the vet be the one to discuss the findings with her.
"Based on your post I think any 'advice' from you is just going to make her dig her heels in more."
Then another said: "From my understanding, assuming this is salted butter, salt that comes from outside of their normal food can slowly kill a dog/cat, as it's more salt than they can handle.
"Butter is also a fat and can cause pancreatitis. Once a dog gets Pancreatitis, they have a higher chance of getting it again."
And a third added: "I am sorry you have to go through this with your mum.
"There is a psychological reason owners do this sort of stuff to their animals. People buy love with food. We do it with humans too. This is the same concept as why grandmas overfeed grandkids. If we feed them good food then they love us!"
The RSPCA have advice on what to feed your dog on their website, saying that "human food isn't ideal".
A spokesperson for the RSPCA said: "In very small quantities, butter won't do your dog harm, however it is high in fat so it is best to avoid giving it to them if possible.
"Dogs need a nutritionally balanced diet to keep them healthy and, though we love our dogs and want to share things with them, most human food will not provide dogs with the nutrition they need. The wrong diet can also lead to obesity and other health problems.
"Dogs need to eat a diet suitable for their age, lifestyle and health status and should be fed at least twice each day, unless advised otherwise by a vet.
"We'd recommend feeding a complete dog food to ensure it meets your dog's nutritional needs. Further information on dog nutrition is available on the UK Pet Food website.
"If you are unsure what the best diet for your pet is it’s a good idea to speak to your vet for advice."
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