From Chesty to Lean: A Real-Life Dog Weight Loss Story

In this episode, Toni is joined by former producer and longtime friend, Cydnee Traversari, to share the real-life story of her dog Rufus and his journey from being significantly overweight to thriving at 16 years old. The conversation offers an honest, relatable look at how easily weight gain can happen—and how powerful small, informed changes can be.

Toni and Cydnee discuss early feeding mistakes, including relying on kibble guidelines, overestimating portions based on current weight, and unintentionally over-treating. Cydnee shares how switching to higher-quality, more nutrient-dense food, cutting portions, and eventually incorporating raw feeding helped Rufus lose over 10 pounds and dramatically improve his mobility, energy, and overall health.

The episode also touches on behavior changes linked to diet, the role of joint supplements, managing senior dogs, and why questioning marketing and feeding charts matters. With humor, honesty, and zero judgment, this conversation reinforces a key message: better food, proper portions, and education can add years—and quality—to a dog's life.