The biggest loser: doxie edition?

That's what some people are calling a 7-year-old pooch's journey to weight loss. Obie has lost 40 pounds in eight months, and his new skin-lift has him strutting his way to a celebrity status.

"He's just been trapped in his obese body, and now he can act like a dog again," said owner Nora Vanatta, a veterinarian technician.

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On Tuesday, Obie went through surgery to remove 2 ½ pounds of excess skin that was a result of his weight loss.

"That skin was dragging between the front legs and he kept stepping on it," said Vanatta. "And having short legs made it really hard. So he had to have that done."

Obie is recovering well from his surgery, but while his story has a happy ending, it was no easy journey for the pup.

"I don't think he was going to live very much longer," Vanatta told ABC News Wednesday. "He probably would've died."

At 77 pounds with short legs, Obie was dragging his chest and stomach on the ground, barely able to walk. His owners at the time were feeding him "people" food, which Vanatta believes was causing the decline in health.

"Aging owners with failing health were simply loving him with food. They just couldn't say 'no' to those big brown eyes," reads Doxie's Facebook page. "Through many tears, the owners relinquished him."

Without seeing a picture of Obie's condition, Vanatta adopted him and next thing she knew he was at her front doorstep.

"I really didn't believe it," said Vanatta. "He had chronic infections in the skin and he wasn't able to walk."

Obie was put on a strict veterinary prescription diet that consisted of only eating Purina OM. He started to lose tens of pounds over the months, but there was still one big hurdle: excess skin.

"His surgery was [Tuesday]. He's doing really well," said Vanatta. "He was up and wagging his tail this morning."

Vanatta said Obie currently weighs 35 pounds and has about 7 more to lose. More importantly, she said, now he can be his true self: a really fun happy dog with a great personality. Oh, and a bangin' body.