He looks so different now 🤯
From Overweight to Overjoyed: How Theo the Chihuahua Transformed His Life
When Theo was adopted from Underdogs Animal Rescue, he weighed an astonishing 14.5 pounds—twice the weight of a healthy Chihuahua.
“We had never seen a Chihuahua look like that before,” Theo’s mom, Addison, shared in a video for The Dodo. “It looked like he had a white turtleneck on.”
At his heaviest, Theo struggled to breathe properly, could barely move, and faced severe health risks. He needed a family willing to help him heal, and when Addison and her fiancé saw him, they knew they had to step up.
“If we don’t help him, who’s going to help him?” Addison recalled.
A Tough Start
Bringing Theo home came with its challenges. He was too chubby to even wear a harness properly, and simple activities, like walking, were exhausting.
“A half-mile walk felt like a 10-mile walk to him,” Addison said.
But despite his struggles, Theo had no problem voicing his opinion. Whenever a walk became too much, he’d stop, look up at Brendan (never at Addison!), and make it clear he was done.
A Life-Changing Journey
With patience, dedication, and a strict regimen of diet and exercise, Theo slowly started shedding the pounds. As he got leaner, he also got faster, more agile, and much happier.
To everyone’s surprise, once the extra weight came off, the vet determined that Theo was actually much younger than originally thought. His weight had been aging him, limiting his movement, and masking his true energy.
Now, Theo has lost nearly half his body weight, and his entire quality of life has transformed.
“We couldn’t be any more proud of him,” Addison said.
From struggling to walk to running with joy, Theo is now thriving—proving that with the right care and love, second chances are possible.