How do you decide when your OES is too lean?
Chiquita has hit a growth spurt. I'm worried she's a bit to lean. Past her rib cage her 'waist' really ducks in. She doesn't have an ounce of fat on her. Do you think I should up the calorie in take? She's two and five months eating 4/ almost 5 cups a day. What do you think? Is the bread just lean? Stephanie |
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DannyboyStephjoy's OES wrote: Hi All, Past her rib cage her 'waist' really ducks in. Stephanie  That's what we call their "tuck up"! Now if she's malnourished (which I am sure she isn't) you'd be seeing & feeling ribs bigtime. But to be in good physical condition they should have a tuck up. When they start to be overweight, the tuck up (disapperaing) & rolls on the shoulder area are where we first notice the weight gain. |
| Stand over your dog and look down on the spine. The area behind the rib cage should come in........think waist. Below that, the pelvis, should not show bones and above, the ribcage, should not show individual ribs.......of course that is in a short haired dog. We have to let our hands do the seeing: there should be a nice waist, the hip bones need padding and the ribs should be felt but they shouldn't stand out. Weight varies with the dog and the growth stage. Tis better to give the excellent food and have them slender than to over feed......period. Some dogs will always be a bit porky...just like people....fluffy?? You dont want obese. Also exercise amount will determine your dog's shape. High energy movers will have longer slender muscle but if they are really using those legs to run far, climb hills, etc thos back leg thighs will be like rock  You have a puppy......they are constantly changing |
Quote: Chiquita has hit a growth spurt. I don't think the breed as a whole is naturally lean but some dogs can be. Can you feel her ribs easily? Is she digesting her food well or are her stools real bulky? She's probably on a monthly worm preventative. This is a nice site that shows examples of weight but in different breeds- http://www.k9station.com/articles/fat.htm Darby's been on thyroid meds since before 2 years of age... her coat is thin compared to the others. Her lipase level was getting high once indicating pancreatic concerns so we now keep her on a low fat diet which brought the numbers back to normal. But she's a little slim despite a boost in her food (2 heaping cups of Blue Buffalo- Longevity Mature) so I was looking at giving her Prozyme- http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm ... 6&aid=1358 It mentions- "Because of the increase in digestibility of the food, amounts fed may need to be decreased to prevent weight gain." Not sure if it's appropriate to use with Darby (or Chiquita because she might be perfect as she is!  ) so I've got to talk with our vet first. |
All very helpful advice! Thanks. Well, it would seem from your posts that Chiquita is just a very active healthy girl. I guess I worried with this growth spurt that she might need more caloric intake but for now she's just fine.  Thanks! |
| LOL. Too lean. Yeah, that's a problem I wish I had! |
ButtersStotch wrote: LOL. Too lean. Yeah, that's a problem I wish I had! All my dogs are lean except Biscuit. He is a stocky block of lab, and Todd has him a bit overweight as well (in my opinion - he feeds him). I wish I did as well with myself~!  |
Here's a trick my vet taught me. If your dog is at a healthy weight, their ribs should feel like the back of your hand. You can still feel the bones, but there is a slight layer of fat. If your dog's ribs feel like the palm of your hand, then your dog is on the "fluffy" end of the spectrum.  Laurie and Oscar, Currently Fluffy |
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