Weighing In - Is Your Dog Obese?

[Dax]

Why is weight important?

Maintaining a healthy weight on your dog is an essential part of keeping potential problems at bay. Obesity will affect every majour part of your dog's body in little time.

An overweight dog has added stress on his joints, bones and muscles. The bones have to carry the extra weight, resulting in worse fractures should an accident occur, the muscles have to struggle to move the extra weight around causing strains and sprains, and the joints can deteriorate faster resulting in Osteoarthritis in younger dogs. Hip dysplasia, and other degenerative joint diseases can be directly linked to a pet's weight problem.

There's still more to worry about.

Obesity leads to severe cardiovascular problems in pets as well. If your dog is overweight, he is in danger of suffering arrythmia and heart failure.

How do I know if my dog is overweight?

You can do this at home, but it is important to have your dog checked regularly by a veterinarian, and more so if you discover Buddy is already pushing his limits.

To see if your dog is sitting nicely at a healthy weight, stand beside and just run your hand along his ribs. Can you feel them as shallow indents under his skin? You should be able to count them by feeling for them, but they shouldn't be protruding so much that you can count them by sight alone. If you can't feel his ribs, take him in for a check up and confirmation.

Every dog should have a definable "waist", indented at the belly, from behind his ribs to his legs. If you can not see where his ribs end from the side, then there is definitely a problem.

http://dogs.about.com/cs/disableddogs/a/aa041203a.htm

[Moo]

Kirby is nearly 18 lbs, which is, proportionately, a significant lot heavier than your standard Coton. However, he is also taller, 2 inches, which makes a big difference in a small dog. Ribs? What ribs? Who can see ribs under all that hair?

[Lessica Jake]

Bailey is still a bit chubby, but not nearly as rotund as she used to be. She has definite shape, her belly tucks and she tapers past her ribs, but her ribs still have a tad more padding than necessary. But we're moving up to two good walks a day, so that should sort itself out in no time.
Also, like Kirby, there's no way you could see her ribs.

[GretaJack]

Jack skinny, Greta, well the vet called her fat in May but she just weighed in at a healthy 64lb Yeah Gertie! Wish her owner could lose some weight too.

[dobermom]

Last weigh for Clifford was 88 pounds, he is still young about 16 months and will continue to fill out. He looks good, but I think he will top out at about 95 pounds.
Meka is much smaller and petite. Her last weigh was 50 pounds up 4 pounds for in the 2 months I have had her. I'm watching her close because right now she eats as much as Clifford. She is still also young about 19 months.

[ConantheBarbarian]

Conan is around 115 lbs, at 10 months. He is very strong, and healthy. I have no idea what he is going to top out at. His father was 180, mom about 140. We are trying to watch his food intake closely so as not to over feed him. He barks at his bowl when it's empty, (that means "give me more food MOM!) We have also started holding back on the treats a lot more, I know he was getting too many, and it made his appetite so unpredictable. But now we are back on track. Oh, by the way, finally bought him a Kong. Of course the only time he wants it is when there are goodies inside!

[BabyElephant]

Poppy is currently weighing in at 15 kg (33 pounds) at almost 5 months of age. The vet reckons she will eventually weigh about 25kg (55 pounds) when she is fully grown.

[Trace]

Maddy weighed in at 15lbs today at the vets. We had a long chat with the vet about weight and health.

[erdog3]

Ellie weighs in at 26kg, small for a lab. Sophie and Wally both in at 31kg.
Sophie was obese when she was 2, she weighed in at a whopping 42kg. It took a strict diet and 1 year for her to reduce it to the above and keep it there.
I always watch what she eats. Don't want a weight problem again.
She has always been heavier than the standard though, which is 28kg for females and 31kg for males.
She is a very sturdy, big boned classic looking Lab.

[Dax]

If Ariel or Dax have ribs.. they're hiding them. Ariel is tightening up -losing some of the puppy fat but now it feels like solid muscle over those ribs...There must be different dog types. SHe looks fit enough