is your dog overweight?

[cloverfdx]

what a great thread *i will try not to bitch*

in my opinion if a dog is perfectly healty other than being over weight then there is no reason for the owner not to do somthing about it, it is amazing what a run at the park will do to a dog *over time obviously*

it makes me mad when i see overweight dogs and there usualy lazy owners.

now to my 3 kids

Penny has lost some weight *winter weight* and is now getting lighter by the day (she refuses to go for walks in winter/when its raining and cold) but we have been playing inside with her alot to get the weight off *yay*

clover is a good weight, but i need to start her on fitness and endurance training, and she has always had a pot guts on her even as a pup we could never get rid of her lil tum, i can feel her ribs and she has an hourglass figure (so she should with all the exercise she gets)

as for Mr Theodore he is much bigger than his breed standard (chihuahua) but i still think he looks skinny but wont put on the weight as he runs it off strait away ( he is hyperactive lol).

when friends of mine rescued/reclaimed one of their labradors he was morbidly obese it was horifying to look at the poor boy, but to look at him now you would never be able to tell he at a good weight , though i think he could lose a few more kilo's for his own good

[anna_66]

Some may say Angus is, but it's just that since he's gotten older & doesn't move around as much he's lost most of the muscle in his hind end. So I think that makes him look a little larger in the middle. But by no means do I think he's fat (he weighed 106 at his last visit). Do you think so?

And as for Huney and Roxey, I think they are just perfect (but maybe I'm a little biased )

[cloverfdx]

what a great thread *i will try not to bitch*

in my opinion if a dog is perfectly healty other than being over weight then there is no reason for the owner not to do somthing about it, it is amazing what a run at the park will do to a dog *over time obviously*

it makes me mad when i see overweight dogs and there usualy lazy owners.

now to my 3 kids

Penny has lost some weight *winter weight* and is now getting lighter by the day (she refuses to go for walks in winter/when its raining and cold) but we have been playing inside with her alot to get the weight off *yay*

clover is a good weight, but i need to start her on fitness and endurance training, and she has always had a pot guts on her even as a pup we could never get rid of her lil tum, i can feel her ribs and she has an hourglass figure (so she should with all the exercise she gets)

as for Mr Theodore he is much bigger than his breed standard (chihuahua) but i still think he looks skinny but wont put on the weight as he runs it off strait away ( he is hyperactive lol).

when friends of mine rescued/reclaimed one of their labradors he was morbidly obese it was horifying to look at the poor boy, but to look at him now you would never be able to tell he at a good weight , though i think he could lose a few more kilo's for his own good

[micki76]

I have one very pudgy JRT x, Millie, and the other two are fine. Aneko was very underweight when we got her and is now at a good weight. Chester has a great shape and is just fine. If only I could only get Miss Tubitha to shed a few pounds. We walk, we play fetch, we run in the backyard and we go for walks in the neighborhood. Nothing works, she's just getting fatter!

We don't give table scraps either. They're a no-no due to Chester's pancreatitis.

[Pam]

Neither Bella nor Ripley have a weight problem. They get lots of exercise and eat well. When we got Ripley he was only 11 lbs. and you could feel every rib. They shelter's paperwork described him as skinny. He is now about 14-15 lbs. and holding. Bella fluctuates from 39-40 lbs. A dog is a product of what we, their humans, put into them. Fortunately for them they don't have to fight the battle that we do when we are in the supermarket and that delicious pastry or that 1/2 gallon of ice cream goes on sale and screams out to us ....Buy me!. It's a lot easier for them! They eat what is put in front of them. They don't really have a say in the matter.

Edited to include the kitties: I used to free feed the cats until recently and that, I believe, is what caused Trevor to put on all of his excess weight. Andy just never ate much when I put the food down so I left it for them to, hopefully, share. Obviously Trevor was eating the "lion's share." I now feed them separately and have switched to canned to make meals more palatable for Andy so that he will eat in a reasonable amount of time. The reason for all of this: Trevor developed diabetes. I am sure I am mostly to blame for allowing them to "free feed," but thankfully he is doing much better. Sorry to ramble on about kitties on a dog thread, but diabetes can also strike dogs.

[Logan]

Lilly has a weight issue, constantly. She is a "wide load", and every inch is so sweet! But we are always watching and working on her weight, trying to keep it down so that she will be a healthy girl for many years.

The others are really fine, although Zipper looks thin compared to the rest.

Logan

[pitc9]

I get comments everytime I have my pups in public, people say
"Oh my gosh your dogs are so skinny....are they sick??"

And they both are on the skinny side (Buddy who is still fighting with worms could stand to gain 10 - 15 lbs) and Sierra, she's just so active... they both eat well, there just skinny dogs!

I think it's funny because now a days so many people have overweight animals, and when they see a "normal" looking dog they think there underweight.

[Logan]

I thought this was interesting, given that you just asked this question.

Overweight pets

[ParNone]

Well Me, Murph and Maddie can definitely afford to lose some
pounds. Murph and Maddie, about 4-5 lbs and I'll keep my
number to myself. I've never really given Murph and Maddie
table scraps or that much in the way of treats, so I think that's
a misnomer to think all fat dogs are eating table scraps.
I'm just not very precise in measuring out their dog food,
which I've recently changed. I'm trying to get both of their
weight down. Murph for his knee and Maddie, because I
noticed she's breathing a lil' bit too heavy lately. Here's
some pics I took at lunch today:

Overhead shots




Side View




Now Oz I keep thinking looks too thin. He has the opportunity
to eat 4 cups of dog food a day, but only eats closer to 2 cups.
Then a few weekends ago, my Aunt commented on how thin he
looked. Oh my gosh! Was I paranoid then. Kept looking at him
and feeling his ribs. Driving him nuts I'm sure. Just can't handle
anything starving. That's one of the reasons I can't watch those
animal cruelty shows on Animal Planet, because it's so many
times an animal starving. I took him to the vet a few weeks later
for his annual checkup and he only weighed 55 lbs. Breed
standard wise, he should be more like 65 lbs. So I asked the vet,
because now I was really worried and he said Oz was perfect
weight. So I'd have to agree with pitc9, because I know I have
a tough time determining what's normal, I get so many
conflicting viewpoints.

Here's the pics of Oz today:




Par...

[primabella]

Mickey doesn't get table scraps either (meat ect) but he gets crackers and sometimes bread for treats, which isn't really very good. He gets a lot fo excercise though. I think he is a good weight although a lot of people think he has a fat ass--well that's a sheltie butt for you.

When they sit, you should see an hourglass figure? Mickey looks like a freakin' pear! lol it's that butt I tellz ya!

I think a chubby dog is alright, as long as they are in shape and not gasping for air. I think it's the same thing as people--I know people who are chubby but they are way more in shape than those who are skinny. It may just be...the dog. Am I making sense?

[Kater]

Originally posted by Logan
I thought this was interesting, given that you just asked this question.

Overweight pets

Ooooooh, this article links to the scientific report itself!

The report, partly available on the Internet (http://dels.nas.edu/banr/petdoor.html), also details daily calorie recommendations and essential vitamin and mineral requirements for dogs and cats, as well as how to tell if a pet is deficient.

[Cincy'sMom]

Sadiea nd Spot are both at a great weight for them, they "fit" all the right criteria.

Cincy on the other hand is overweight. Not disgustingly so, but she ranges from about 5 lbs over where she should be to 15 lbs over. She still has an hourglass figure, it is just alittle wider then it shold be. We have her on weight control food, she gets tons of exercise, she does not have the metabolism she should. Her weigth does not hinder her...she can clear agility jumps, and get on our couch, into my truck, etc. with no isses. She runs almost as fast as os the other two, even with her much shorter legs.

I do worry about her weight, becuase I know a heavier dog much have shorter lifespan. We have had a thyroid test run on her, and are awiting the results.

Bottm line, she is a happy, active dog, and we love her

[Cinder & Smoke]

Originally posted by Pam
... A dog is a product of what we, their humans,
put into them.

(Fortunately for them they don't have to fight the battle
that we do when we are in the supermarket and that delicious pastry
or that 1/2 gallon of ice cream goes on sale and screams out to us
....Buy me!).

It's a lot easier for them!
They eat what is put in front of them.
They don't really have a say in the matter.

OH How True!

And how quickly an *adjustment* CAN be made!

Cinder was adopted at 6 months; and was both *small* AND *skinny*.
Doc Mike said to feed her "about what" my slightly larger Shadow (RB Shepherd/Husky) had been eating, as she had been in his mind an Ideal Weight.
Cinder 'filled out" to about 45# (from an initial 36#), but only grew an inch or so in height and length. "She's Just Fine" was the 1 year old observation from Doc Mike. We held at about 1.5 cups of Krunchies, twice a day.

But 45# became 46#; then 47#... and then SmokeMutt arrived...
BADLY underweight - and every bone on his back protruding; every rib visible. The boy needed FOOD!

HE got 1 3/4 cups, twice a day; Cinder got 1.5 cups.
A year later; he had NO ribs showing; all was well
untill Miz Cinder
developed the *itchies* and we visited the White Coat...
and made the manditory trip UP on the Evevator Table with
that Durn METER!
Uhhh-Ohhhh....
Cinder was *pushing 50#; Smokey (who cooked his own goose by *insisting*
on a "ride" on the table too) had porked up to almost 45#!
The WORD came Loud & Clear from Doc Mike -
"They can Both do with a *Little Less*!

Neither one *looked* overweight -
but the once Hour-Glass figures HAD slipped away to
a rather "tubular" shape.

Trust me - They Both *NOTICED* that night!
"Hey, DAD! <Looks in bowl>; <Looks UP >;
<Looks in bowl, again>; <Looks UP >
Lookz like we'z a lil bit *SHORT* here!
They've been on 7/8 of a cup, twice a day for almost a year.
And they gave up with the <Look Up>; <Look back in the bowl>
routine - it wasn't having much effect on me!

The ponds HAVE melted away!
Last trip on the Elevator Table made Doc Mike *Happie azza Klam*!
Cinder was a trim 46#; Smoke was down to 39#.

With all the *swimmin* and *Bark Parkin* this summer;
Smoke's ribs were showing a bit; Cinder (with her fulffie coat)
was a bit hard to determine - but her ribs were easy to feel...
Soooo... we've *Up'd* the Krunchie count just a tiny bit -
they now get an *extra* tablespoon per meal - so the bowl
gets filled with just shy of a full (level) cup of Krunchies.

Just that *tiny* bit of an increase (a month ago) has already had a
visual effect on SmokeMutt - his ribs have melted away under his fur.
Cinder shows no real effect... "feels" about the same.

So the bottom line is ~
WE do control what, and How Much; the FurKids eat.
IF they are truly *overweight*... a small decrease in what
we feed WILL make a big difference in just a few months ~ Try IT!

[Cincy'sMom]

Originally posted by Cinder & Smoke

So the bottom line is ~
WE do control what, and How Much; the FurKids eat.
IF they are truly *overweight*... a small decrease in what
we feed WILL make a big difference in just a few months ~ Try IT!

That is usually very true...but not with Cincy. On her "Reduced Calorie" food, the bag says she should get 4 c/ day. I give her about 1 1/2 -2, and add green beans to "fill 'er up". She just doesn't lose. This is why we are investigating a helth reason

[micki76]

Originally posted by Cincy'sMom
That is usually very true...but not with Cincy. On her "Reduced Calorie" food, the bag says she should get 4 c/ day. I give her about 1 1/2 -2, and add green beans to "fill 'er up". She just doesn't lose. This is why we are investigating a helth reason

Same with Miss Millie. We had her thyroid tested and it was normal. The vet says that some dogs, like people are pre-disposed to retain calories as fat. LOL, he said in the wild they would be the healthiest pack members because they can make their food storage last longer!