e reasons/excuses abound why our pets are obese. As we get fatter, so do our pets. We work harder and longer, no time for walks. Yadda, yadda, yadda. The real reason is: We feed them too much. They eat their food. We give them treats. Then they eat our scraps. So, they get fat, and we end up shelling out hard earned cash after they develop health issues like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, joint issues, and others. My advice for owners of overweight dogs: go green with the Green Bean Diet. It’s easy, inexpensive, and it works. Green beans add fiber and to dogs’ diets and make them feel full without having the extra calories. Here’s what you need to know: 1.) Buy frozen green beans. Avoid canned green beans with salt since they’re loaded with sodium. Get French cut or regular cut, not whole green beans—they’re easier to measure and no cutting. 2.) Halve the regular amount of dog food that you feed your dog. Substitute green beans for the other half. For example, when my Bichon Frise, Scout, got a little tubby from all my counter-top droppings, he got ¼ cup of dry dog food and ¼ of green beans twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. But will dogs actually eat green beans? Most do. If not, try baby carrots, but they’re pricier. Some pet owners start with less than half green beans to get them used to the change, but all th't comment because he hadn't had time to review the complaint. An investigation began this week after the Department of Corrections received a letter from the American Civil Liberties Union about Buckles' claims, said department spokeswoman Sharyn Elman. Illinois requires that jails provide medical care, including prescription drugs. The jail violated Buckles' right to medical treatment and expense is "an inappropriate and unconstitutional reason to deny necessary treatment," according to the ACLU letter. ACLU attorney John Knight said poor HIV treatment is a common problem in jails and prisons, partly because of the high cost of the drugs. The Illinois ACLU has received similar complaints from HIV-positive former jail detainees in St. Clair and La Salle counties, including from a woman who said her virus count went from undetectable to detectable after a month in jail without medications, Knight said. Last year, a former inmate sued Cook County claiming he didn't get his HIV drugs while in jail, and 16 federal lawsuits were filed by HIV-positive inmates claiming their treatment was delayed or denied. Bureau County uses a private company to provide jail medical services, but pays for HIV drugs because of an exclusion in the contract. Peoria-based Advanced Correctional Healthcare delivers the jail's health services for about $35,000 a year. The company's CEO, Dr. Norman Johnson, said HIV drugs are paid for by the county under the contract's terms. It's common for jail contracts with private operators to exclude high-cost drugs for HIV, multiple sclerosis and cancer, Johnson said. Johnson said HIV-positive inmates need to stay on their prescribed medications, but downplayed the danger of a delay in treatment, which he acknowledged was a common occurrence in small jails. "It's not the end of the world and it's not going to suddenly reverse the patient's health," Johnson said. "They're not suddenly going to crash and burn. That doesn't happen." But an infectious disease specialist from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago said skipping HIV medications for a week can have "devastating consequences for the individual" and make the person more contagious to others "so it's a public health issue." "When the virus comes back, it's like getting infected all over again," said Dr. Robert Murphy of Northwestern. "All of a sudden it comes back like a tsunami," increasing the risk of complications including heart attack. Missing doses also can lead to dr