A weighty issue
Blue will be 9 months old on the 22nd of this month and she weighs 56lbs. I'm worried that she's looking a little skinny. Saying that though, I can't feel her ribs or anything like that. Could somebody give me an idea of what weight their female Sheepie was at around 9 months? I know it varies but I just want to be sure she's ok. |
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| My first oes was only 55 lbs full grown and she was in wonderful shape, she went up to about 65 lbs after she was about 5 or 6 years old, but that is normal. She looked fat though at 65lbs.
Dancer is already about 55 lbs at 7 months, and she doesn't look big at all, but she is solid. I'd have to dig to find her ribs. LOL... She's very muscular, and muscle weighs more than fat. Sky is smaller than Dancer was at her age, but that can change very quickly. At 7 weeks Dancer was 10.2 lbs, and at the exact same age Sky was 7.4 lbs. But Sky seems chubbier than Dancer did. If you do think Blue is a little thin, perhaps try feeding her more or changing her food, but chances are she's fine if you can't feel her ribs. |
| And hey it's nice to know someone else is up at this ungodly hour! LOL
I couldn't sleep, at all.... so here I am... have been all night. |
| Still waiting on kittens?
Oh- and I'm on the other side of the pond so it's a much nice 12.45 pm here. Thanks for answering my questions. How did the two girls get on over the weekend? |
| Ack, it's not even 8 am here yet...lol...
still no kittens... *sigh* And the girls are getting along great... 
Sky is doing well with crate training, but she doesn't eat enough. She ate like a little piggy her first day here, but that was it. She doesn't drink enough either, but I guess if she is still peeing and pooping she must be getting énough'it just doesn't seem like much to me. |
Talking about ribs, are you supposed to feel their ribs when they are pupies? I can feel Mopo's ribs.  |
| I think you are supposed to feel ribs, but not too prominently.
This is an excerpt from an article called The Pet Connection on Veterinarypartners.com Q: Our New Year's resolution is for the whole family to trim down and eat healthier, including the dog! My question: How do I know what a good weight for our dog is? Are there height-weight charts, as there are for people? -- J.H., via e-mail A: With dogs, determining fitness is done with the eyes and the fingers. First, look at your dog from the side. You should see a "tuck up" behind the rib cage, so that your dog has a discernible waistline. Ribs should not be visible, but neither should be rolls of fat. From above, you should see also see that "nip in" at the waist -- a dog should not resemble a coffee table when viewed from above. Now, put your hands on your dog, on his ribs, and press in gently, then move forward and back. You should feel a slight padding over the ribs, but still easily be able to feel the bones with your fingers. Not sure? Ask your veterinarian for advice. While you're there, ask to weigh your dog to have a baseline for determining progress. Your veterinarian should allow you to bring your dog in just for follow-up weighing without charge. |
| That doesn't sound too skinny to me - but it really depends on her bone structure/frame. I wouldn't be too concerned. The "trimmer" the better! It so much better for them to be slim & trim then to be plumpy - especially as they age. Presley is full grown (5 years old) and weighs 66 lbs. The Vet said she's "trim" but that was GOOD!
Brittney on the other hand gained far too much weight after she was 5 or so (after her brother died and she became head honcho) - and she is now suffering the consequences - dealing with arthritis and hip dysplasia. Kristen |
hmmmm, ok. They are not taking into consideration our big fluffy dogs. Kinda hard to see the "tuck" with all that hair. LOL But I did run my fingures down her sides and I can feel the ribs but not too much. We are going to the vet tomorrow for her last shot. Yeay! We can take her for walk now without being too worrried of her catching diseases from dog poops. Thanks Willow!  |
| Thanks, Kristen. I figured that she was probably ok. She wasn't a big eater until I started adding the cottage cheese in. So I thought maybe she was too thin. I wanted to start feeding her four times a day, but I think that is too much. Four cups a day, hmmm. |
| She might get diarreah if she eats too much. Dancer wasn't a big eater either, she still isn't. I worried soo much about her, but the vet said she was fine and it was better for her to grow slowly anyway. Sky hasn't been eating much either... only a few bites at a time it seems. I'm not sure if I should start adding something to her food to get her to eat more or just leave it and see how she does. She's 7 weeks old and only eats maybe one and a half cups a day. |
| I have to tell you that Mopsey did the same thing. She would come up to her bowl and take a few bites, then wander off, the come back and take a few more mouthfulls. That's when I started mixing in the cottage cheese. I figured, its calcium, and good for her bones. And she eats all of her food now. I am just gonna do this until she is done growing so rapidly. I was afraid she wasn't getting enouph neutrients. I also give her puppy vitamins. |
| Don't worry excessively about dogs and their food. They go thru eating and noneating periods. This is especially true prior to a growth spurt or a female coming into season. If a dog misses two meals, be concerned, but don't panic. Paige is nearly 10 and has been Miss Picky since day one. Right now she will only eat if I put a cup of whole milk on her food, not skim. The day I gave her the last of the half and half she walked away in disgust. Go figure.
As for how much should they eat, it depends on the genetic size the dog will become and their activity level. You should be able to feel the ribs well, but not notice dents inbetween them, LOL. Also the backbone should be padded, but still quite noticeable. A backbone without side fat is a sign of malnutrition. Yes, they should be pulled up a bit......and it is hard to see with all the hair. Let your hands tell you.......or look at them when they are wet. Muscle is important. Feel the back legs. The meatier the "thighs", the more exercise your dog is getting. Ideally the pup would make a fine "leg of dog" if someone were to eat him........HORRORS!!! The chest is also a place for muscle. In no way should you be able to tap one side of the dog and watch the wave go all around the dog.........like a rescue we just took in. Fatso! |
| LOL... Sheepieboss... not a pretty picture, thank you....
I wondered about the musculature... Dancer is built like a tank. She does not look it, she looks slim and trim, but she is soooo strong! Her legs and chest are developing muscle at an astonishing rate lately! She has grown a lot in the last 2 months... 20 lbs worth in fact. |
| She sounds fine. A good sheepie should be well boned and muscled. Too many are fine boned......like nearly all my rescues. Your pupper won't even out until 10-18 months. In the mean time you'll see some pretty weird shapes since they don't grow evenly. |
| Thank you! Do any of you have pictures of shaved down sheepies to show off their body structure and bone mass etc...? I would love to be able to compare Dancer now that she is taking on the appearance of an adult. I plan on showing her once she is in full coat again. I think she will do well in the show ring, though I am worried about a few things. For one thing, she still has one very tiny pink spot on her nose. We think it may be a scar from nipping siblings, but if it doesn't fill in I wonder how badly that will affect her in the ring. Also, her pigment around her eyes doesn't quite go all the way around. I had hoped it would fill in, but if it hasn't by 7 months old do you think it will? I plan on going to some more shows just to see and compare and hopefully talk to some other breeders. |
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