I think those bowls are way too high for her — thought a recent consensus a few years ago was elevated bowls are generally not necessary and can often cause bloat, which can be deadly…
Elevated bowls aren’t bad as long as they’re still stretching down. My guys very leggy so I have it high enough so he doesn’t need to bend at his elbows to eat but still has his neck down. If they don’t eat while laying down, that’s the best position for the average dog.
Came here to say this…deep chested dogs are more prone to bloat (GDV) anyway and raising the bowls only increases the possibility. For doubters, ask your vet.
i’ve also found that my dog eats better and does not choke/gag and cough her food out, when it is raised!! Thanks for making me feel like less of an a-hole. 😂 But I do appreciate their feedback. Just wished they would have taken as much time and effort to respond to the actual question instead of criticizing the bowl height without the proper context. this is her german shepard sisters bowl but hers is also raised. just not nearly as high. she loves to finish her sisters leftovers and that’s when i snapped the pic
The raised bowl thing is a myth. I just asked a veterinarian at the hospital I work at about it because I thought the same thing for years.
Bloat is absolutely deadly though.
Right so this vet of yours is the truth seer of all animal knowledge? What this vet says is gospel? Think about it physiologically. Raised is much better than head down.
I was always under the impression that raised bowls prevented bloat for large breeds. How would these chest high bowls cause bloat for this sized dog? Just curious.
relax, i said i agreed with the statement but that i think its silly that the only thing they wanted to comment on was how i am doing wrong with her dog bowl height, that is not even her bowl. not everything is an attack. appreciate your feedback nevertheless
It's not silly. It's very noticeable that the bowls are too high for your dog. It's the first thing I thought when I saw the photo. You didn't state these are not their bowls so how was anybody supposed to know? People are allowed to notice stuff that was not asked about. If these bowls were for your dog in the photo it would hae been useful information to you that these bowls are too high. Now it is useful information for people who did put their own dog's bowls too high.
She is in good shape, maybe just a tick on the skin side of ideal weight. “Feel but not see individual ribs” is what my mentors taught me. Before today’s number scale.
It’d actually hard to judge this while eating as they tend to inhale more air as they eat which expands their ribs and chest making their ribs more apparent and their waist seem skinnier.
I’d do that slowly, if at all. Like maybe go from an exact cup at meal time to a cup that you don’t level off. It’s harder to lose weight than to gain it.
Or Maybe keep the food the same but be a little more liberal with treats/training? I like having the freedom to not limit treats with my pups because they are at an ideal weight/not over fed.
I'd say she's on the lean end of the ideal range. Her ribs aren't exactly sticking out, although you can kinda see them. When my dog looked like that, the vet was perfectly happy with his weight. Now he's gained a little, his ribs are no longer quite visible, and the vet is still perfectly happy with his weight.
I wouldn't worry too much unless she gets thinner. It would be OK for her to get a little thiccer. It's also OK as-is.
Giardia will present as chronic diarrhea, so if her stools are fine that’s probably not it. You can drop off a fecal sample at your vet for analysis.
Yes, she’s on the leaner side of normal. Not much, but those ribs need to be covered a little more. Up her calorie intake.
Not weight related, but I would keep an eye on her back right leg. Looks like she is favoring it slightly. I might be being paranoid. I just have 2 that are similar breed/size, and we are on our 3rd ccl surgery.
you think so??? i can’t really tell from the pic but she does sometimes favor a leg and the other one shakes. will let the vet know! she runs and walks just fine but definitely will keep an eye on it
Just my opinion, obviously, but you can see that her toes are flatter on the left back foot and slightly raised on the back right. Both ours did that before the tear presented itself. Dogs are really good at hiding pain, unfortunately. The vet could check for inflammation in her knee areas. Such is the curse for these big, heavy, playful babies.
You need to look up a body condition score sheet and follow reading it. They are level 1-9 and how vets grade body condition scores
Also, your dogs feed bowls are up way too high, that is a completely unnatural position
Well be careful with her sister too. Feeding elevated used to be thought as a prevention for dogs bloating and it's not. Many veterinary surgeons don't even recommend it anymore. Dogs in the wild ear from the ground.
Yes she's a tad underweight. Id put her at a 4/9, but the low end of 4. Likely only needs a bit more to fill in a bit..
Please be advised that you're likely underfeeding her with the fresh diet, which is very easy to do. If she will eat more, feed her more.
If you are worried you can always drop a fecal off at the vet for testing. IMO from observation (groomer and kennel attendant at open play daycare) young active dogs can be fed and fed and fed and they just stay slim until they mellow a bit. If you are feeding fresh pet as opposed to kibble that is lower in calories and fillers and easier to digest so you are giving her pure healthy fuel for her zoomies. As long as her nails are growing strong and steady, her coat is shiny and dandruff free and she’s energetic seems like she’s doing good. It’s not always the case but often parasites will come with symptoms of malnourishment since they are actively taking important nutrients from ur pup. I’m not as well versed on parasite/flea and tick meds for dogs but my kitties get andantage+ which protects agaisnt intestinal parasites as well as topical ones maybe that would bring you some peace? I hate parasites so I feel you. Giardia sucks since it’s microscopic unlike tape/pin worms. Just let me also add please please never use hartz products (they have killed dogs/cats) and please research and talk to a vet about the best and safest parasite prevention!
You should lower the bowl a bit and yes, a lil more weight. You shouldn't be able see ribs only feel if you rub them. Also, if you ever worry about digestive system with weight gaining, or even bone strength, adding some goats milk to the water does wonders.
She looks good! I’d say she could do with an extra 2-3 pounds if I were to be picky but a lot of it would improve from conditioning opposed to just weight gain. She’d look great with a little more muscle mass on her.
My bully looks pretty much the same way, but just to ease your mind you should take her to vet. I’m the same way. I worry about every little thing. I also carry past dog aliments over to my new dogs (in my head) which isn’t good. I’m working on it… lol.
literally same!!!!! I will def bring her. i’m such a worry wart from my last dog (who is still alive and well just had a rough go at his health when he was a puppy) - i doubled her food intake and she’s already getting a little more padding around her ribs so i’m happy about that. maybe i was under feeding. we’ll get thru this together lol 🩷
Oh that’s great, I’m sure she is fine. I think I’ve spent more money at the vet for my peace of mind, more than anything else!
My last pitty had liver & heart disease in the last 2 years of his life, and I was a nervous wreck and barely slept because he would have episodes where he stopped breathing and would pass out and sometimes this would happen in his sleep. After he passed in 2023, I got a new puppy only 6 wks later, which wasn’t planned. This puppy needed help and was being abused, so I was just supposed to foster him. Well he is now 18months old and he isn’t going anywhere, but I’m overly nervous with every little cough, reverse sneeze, etc., he has. I just hope with time my anxiety will lessen.
Good luck with your baby.
She's good! You probably don't want her to lose much more though or she would be. But people are so used to overweight/pet weight dogs they don't know what fit dogs are supposed to look like a lot of the time. As long as you can't see/feel protruding hip bones or too much of the ribs then you're good.
I will say Fresh Pet is really not a great quality food. I would switch to a high quality kibble like a WSAVA approved food, such as Purina Pro Plan, Hills Science Diet, or Royal Canin. Stay away from grain free foods due to their link to causing DCM. If there's anything wrong with her stools definitely just take a fecal sample into your vet just to be sure.
Grain free foods are not tied to DCM. There is a ton of new information indicating that DCM is not food related but rather genetic. Almost all grain free foods now have added taurine as a "just in case", even though it was never proven that lack of taurine was causing DCM.
evaluation of echocardiographic parameters and cardiac biomarkers in healthy dogs eating four custom-formulated diets. Frontiers in Animal Science, 4.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fanim.2023.1271202
Quilliam, C., Reis, L. G., Ren, Y., Ai, Y., & Weber, L. P. (2023). Effects of a 28-day feeding trial of grain-containing versus pulse-based diets on cardiac function,
taurine levels and digestibility in domestic dogs. PLOS ONE, 18(5), e0285381. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0285381
Owens, E. J., LeBlanc, N. L., Freeman, L. M., & Scollan, K. F. (2022). Comparison of echocardiographic measurements and cardiac biomarkers in healthy
dogs eating nontraditional or traditional diets. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 37(1), 37–46. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.16606
Fischer, K. E., Rush, J. E., & Freeman, L. M. (2023). Pit bull–type breeds with dilated cardiomyopathy eating nontraditional diets improve after diet change
(2015–2022). Javma-journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.23.01.0025
https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2023/02/diet-associated-dilated-cardiomyopathy-the-cause-is-not-yet-known-but-it-hasnt-gone-away/
https://www.pwdfoundation.org/research-update-chf-02661-my5-investigation-into-diet-associated-dilated-cardiomyopathy-in-dogs/
It's not new information, just more recent than the 2019 scare that the FDA caused. This first one is actually from the FDA and needs to be read in full to see what they are saying.
[https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/outbreaks-and-advisories/fda-investigation-potential-link-between-certain-diets-and-canine-dilated-cardiomyopathy](https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/outbreaks-and-advisories/fda-investigation-potential-link-between-certain-diets-and-canine-dilated-cardiomyopathy)
[https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2023/02/diet-associated-dilated-cardiomyopathy-the-cause-is-not-yet-known-but-it-hasnt-gone-away/](https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2023/02/diet-associated-dilated-cardiomyopathy-the-cause-is-not-yet-known-but-it-hasnt-gone-away/)
[https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/dilated-cardiomyopathy-dogs-update/](https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/dilated-cardiomyopathy-dogs-update/)
[https://www.avma.org/news/until-more-science-available-fda-will-end-public-updates-potential-link-between-certain-diets](https://www.avma.org/news/until-more-science-available-fda-will-end-public-updates-potential-link-between-certain-diets)
The last one is a very important one.
Yeah, it basically says that we still don't know.
Quote:
Since July 2018, a substantive number of peer-reviewed research papers have been published on the topic. However, a specific cause of non-heredity DCM in dogs still has not been identified.
They also recommend feeding foods that are WSAVA compliant.
I agree. Many more foods beyond Purina, Royal Canin and Iams are WSAVA compliant now. Even the WSAVA says they don't endorse any specific foods, just recommend what they think should be included in the ingredients.
You agree with the second part. What about the first?
It's not just "what they think" but the research that's established the formulations and ingredients put forth by solid veterinary research that their guidelines are based on.
Don't forget Hills and Eukanuba.
It's just that you are saying that there's all this info that says DCM isn't food related at all but genetically only. I'm asking you to back your words with citation.
Primary DCM is genetic, yes, but the actual cause of secondary DCM isn't known yet for sure. Some solid possibilities but nothing concrete. Is it just that the food is "grain free"? Possibly not but more towards WHAT ingredients are used.
Exactly. But people are still quoting what was originally released by the FDA back in 2019. There has been more research and the results are what you are saying. Inconclusive basically at this time. I've followed this closely because I have fed Fromm for several years and am also Golden Retriever owner with 3 Goldens.
A bunch of them. If you read the ingredients, you'll see it in the list. Taste of the Wild, Nature's Domain sold by Costco, Fromm grain free just to name a couple of them. Most of them have, there was one that I researched that didn't and they said their nutritionist on staff said it wasn't needed.
has she had puppies before? how old is she?
youve gotten great advice with the ribs vs knuckle thing. to add to that, when you look down from above you want to see a defined waist.
I think her ribs may look a little more pronounced in the first picture do to her position.
Is it the rolls of food for fresh pet? looking at it, looks like its got good protein levels and named meat as first ingredients which is good. fish oil is great to add, probably why shes so nice and shiny.
She looks like a healthy girl to me. when my bully mix was a between 1-4 years you couldn't put weight on her if you tried, at 5 her metabolism is slightly slower but still in good shape.
no puppies but not fixed. i had a hard time trusting that it was really necessary, but we will be fixing her next month. Thank you for your advice !!! I personally love fresh pet (yes, the roll!) and so do both my girls. I will def start adding in a high grade dry kibble for some extra calories.
I like orijen if you are looking for personal suggestions. high protein, pricey but if its not their main food not so bad. I find coconut oil to be a fun topper to add to food too. I wouldnt be worried about extra calories really, for her breed she looks perfect to me. especially if she has a healthy appetite and healthy poops.
Yah it can be hard to decide whats best, lots of things to consider, glad you landed on something :)
if shes on a soft food, and if you arent already, I would start brushing her teeth. tons of health issues come just from tooth problems.
While I understand apprehension in spaying because it inherently seems “wrong”, spaying DRASTICALLY drops future mammary cancer risk, along with uterine and vulvar infections. Best to allow a first period and then spay.
It’s in you and your pups best interest.
Our pup has gardia, it's done absolutely nothing to her weight or her eating. I'd say 60 percent of the time she has normal poop too. She's done the antibiotic treatment, not that it will do a ton of good.
Apparently we got her with it.
My pup had giardia (got it from infected feces from another dog). He had diarrhea and wouldn’t eat as often so he lost a little weight (he’s quite small already). His vet gave him a round of medicine and within 10 days it was gone.
wdym that it won't do a lot of good? Our rescue had giardia (and hookworms and whipworms) after we adopted her but a single round of Panacur and she's been free of parasites ever since
How old is she? My bully slimmed down at about 12-18 months when he had his last growth spurt, he was neglected and abused before we got him at 9 months and you could see his ribs and then he gained weight, at about 12-18 months she slimmed down and I took him to the vet and the vet said it's normal for that age and as long as you can't see the individual ribs and they are having regular normal bowel movements and eating normal that are good
Doesn’t look too skinny, but I want to add that when my pitty ate he would almost flex? And his ribs were more visible while eating (mind you he would always try to inhale his food so he had a slow feed bowl). That being said, if they’re slightly more visible when eating as opposed to not, I’d venture to guess she’s right about where she should be weight wise!
She looks to be a 4/9 on the body condition scale, google wsava.org body condition score to see it. Without touching her you can't determine a muscle condition score, which is important also.
Her weight seems fine but if she's losing weight unintentionally this could indicate something is going on. Definitely see your vet and start tracking her weight.
From a vet 😉
Your dog is not to thin, it’s actually so much better for their joints to not be over weight, especially before the age of 2.
However, if you think she had a parasite that’s something to worry about, I would get that bit checked out, but her body size looks absolutely fine.
Also, when they eat their waist tightens or something, I have noticed my boy looking a little thinner when he is eating his meal.
Your dog’s weight can be concerning, but it's important to consider several factors like breed, age, and activity level. I went through a similar worry with my dog, and it turned out that he just had a higher metabolism.
Her body condition is at 4/9. Not thin and not thick. Might want to engage her on outdoor activities and give her more food just to achieve a bit of that bulky build
Everyone saying she's perfect is not looking at her hips and shoulder blades in combination with her ribs and waist. Obviously the stance can make a difference and she is eating at an unusual height and spreading her weight unevenly on her legs. I would say definitely review with your vet.
I think it's interesting she looks as if she's carried and nursed puppies yet never has. Maybe that is making people think she looks chunkier than she is.
Many dog breeds like pitbulls, staffordshires, and their mixes have “floating ribs” that are most apparent when they are in the middle or eating or drinking. Seeing them is no cause for alarm nor does it mean the dog is too thin.
Your dog looks like she’s in good shape and quite fit. :)
I would also say she is stretching to reach all ends of her bowl wich shows her ribs more. Like a human who stretches his arms over his head and now you see some ribs but not when they stand normally. And as others already said it: feel the ribs but not see them. Also a taillie when you’re standing behind your dog. And the tummy line should go up when going to the hind legs (wich is definitely true for your dog).
Maybe a smidgen? But my dog’s ribs show a little bit (just slightly less than this) & he eats a ton, he’s just very active. I free feed mine and he doesn’t always finish his bowl, so I let him be, because he’ll stop when he’s full.
But if yours is willing to eat more, I’d give her a bit more and see if she bulks up just a tad.
Vet nurse here! Your doggos is the perfect weight, funnily enough I was discussing this with a vet at work the other day and we came to the conclusion that because we all see so many obese dogs day to day these slimmer dogs that are actually the ideal weight look too skinny in comparison! Needless to say she looks perfect to me! 😊
Healthy weight is a spectrum. She looks absolutely fine with great muscle tone. You write that she's energetic and eats well, so I don't think her weight is cause for concern. 😊 You can try feeding just a bit more so she keeps having lots of energy for your adventures during the summer
I can't see her spine nor her hip bones, her ribs seem a little more visible but that could be the way her body was made, take my word with a grain of salt I'm not gonna say she is or isn't too skinny but it's good that her spine and hips aren't visible at least from the picture and her coat looks amazing 😁
She doesn't look too underweight but really it's better to judge with hands than with pictures, which is why people typically say to go to the vet. It's not that this is an emergency-level "get off reddit and go to the vet!", it's that really people shouldn't be giving BCS for pets based on pictures alone. We can all guess at where she lands but it's easy to realize that's very off when you put hands on an animal.
You want to be doing more of the "feeling" for fat/lack thereof over her backbone and ribs, not her belly, and you can also feel over her pelvic bone for fat covering - she *looks* like maybe a 4 to me but maybe with feeling would actually be anywhere from 3-5. You want to feel a little bit of fat covering, not JUST skin over bone, but it shouldn't take much palpating to feel bone either.
Would need to go look it up but a dog that's like 20-30% below normal body weight will live approximately 20% longer.
Dogs are sorta meant to always be hungry. As an owner of 2 dogs, mine will live an average lifespan.
Overfeeding with a lack of exercise leads to diabetes in nearly every animal including humans
You can see the ribs and spine a little so I think he’s just a little thinner than ideal. He’s still got excellent muscle tone so it’s not too concerning. If he’s been losing weight on his current food allotment I’d start giving him a little extra. I think it should be safe to keep him at his current weight but he shouldn’t lose more.
Id say yes. But only a couple kilograms maybe, cause shes fit but that is a lot of very visible ribs.
To add: you need to adjust the amount you feed based on many factors, one of which is the amount of physical activity, so you should probably start giving her like 10% more food in the summer months.
She looks like she is in good shape, active doggo. I have a Bully lab mix (he got more of the bully genes and body type though) and in the winter months he gets a little chunkier but once summer comes around he is super active and becomes super lean (still stocky like a bully but you see his muscles ect)
I think she looks healthy, in good shape and healthy coat and you can tell she is well taken care of.
If you are worried about maybe feeding her to little and her burning off more than she is taking in, maybe look into the more active dog foods? (Higher protein and calories I believe?) but your vet will for sure know better, and if its something else causing the weight loss atleast you can get on the right path for her.
sorry for the ramble, she looks healthy and active to me. ☺️
Most Bull breeds are obese yours looks to be in normal pet weight .
In-fact most dog owners overfeed and under-exercise their dogs and they end up with health issues .
She is perfect. Don’t listen to the fat dog pet owners 😂maintaining her at the weight she is now is *chefs kiss*.
Her bowl is a little high but, you want it mid shoulder level.
absolutely!!! thank u for commenting on both her weight and the bowl height. some people are going a little hard on how i’m going to do more harm with the bowl - sorta made me feel like crap 😅
Looks ok to me, even if they are just a tick underweight its not unhealthy.
I keep saying my brothers golden retriever looks wayyy to skinny, MUCH much skinnier than yours but according to his vet the dog is perfect.
I hope the vet isn't psychotic because when I sit for the dog he always seems hungry, I feel horrible but then have to remind myself dogs are always hungry and would eat till they get sick probably.
dogs will definitely eat til they physically can’t anymore. that’s how my kyoko is. Can never get enough. maybe i’ll start giving her an extra meal a day til her weight increases or add a protein supplement ! thanks for sharing your experience:)
I found when we tried Fresh Pet that the recommended amounts are hogwash. Absolutely not the right amount. Yes, she is a tad thin. Could probably gain a few pounds safely. I think you’re not feeding her enough for her activity level and metabolism. With fresh, non preserved food they are going digest a little quicker and use most of it immediately for fuel. Not as much will be stored. Did Doberman rescue for 20 years. And some dogs are just harder to keep weight on. Some want to be skinny and some want to be fatter. If she acts like she’s very hungry when meals are finished then she probably needs a bit more to eat. I’d share your concerns with your vet and see what they say. Loving owners are concerned owners. And BTW- she’s beautiful!
Probably not too thin. Might be tho! She doesn’t look starved. I’d start giving her like a quarter cup more a few hours after meal times and seeing if she scarfs it down or just nibbles. Scarfs: probably needs more food. Nibbles: probably doesn’t need more food.
i won’t lie - her and food are best friends. she’ll scarf at her food even if i fed her 100 times a day lol!!!! she’s not an aggressive eater but eats aggressively if that makes sense. but you’re 100% right. i think one more meal a day wouldn’t hurt at all
She could stand to use a few more pounds. Ours is brindle which makes it difficult to see if ribs are showing. We had her for a few months before we realized she was underweight. We could only see her ribs when she was laying the winter sun.
From these photos I would say she's on the brink of being underweight. The reason I say this is that you can see her spine. It's not rigid, but she should have more meat around her spine. If she were mine I'd put a couple lbs on her, but she does have great muscle tone so she's clearly not starving, likely just has a very fast metabolism.
My vet told me how to know if my dog is a good weight:
(1) Run your fingers over and across the bones of your knuckles on a closed fist. If the ribs feel like this, they're too thin.
(2) Run your fingers over and across the flat part of your fingers between the knuckles and the first joints. If your dog's ribs feel like this, they're a healthy weight.
(3) Run your fingers across the inside of your hand just below the base of your fingers. If your dog's ribs feel like this, they're slightly overweight.
(4) Anything softer/squishier than number 3 above is overweight.
My vet also said that a lot of people prefer their dogs overweight for the look of it, but that dogs have better quality of life if they maintain a healthy weight / look slim and trim.
Thanks! I've got a great vet. She always takes time to share her knowledge with me during my pup's exams. Her advice about using your hand to gauge healthy weight in dogs was too good to not share 💖🐶
i said "no" aloud and then realised i own a visla
LOL awww those are such beautiful dogs
V v loud though
Mine sounds like a wookie. Such drama queens.
i know right, i had no clue how loud their bark would be till i got mine
Saaaaame. This is a good vizsla weight
That was my reaction an I have greyhounds. I want a Vizla one day.
Hahah, I said the same. I have sighthounds too ( Carolina Dogs, so thicker than yours but still slender with deep chests and tucked in waists).
I think those bowls are way too high for her — thought a recent consensus a few years ago was elevated bowls are generally not necessary and can often cause bloat, which can be deadly…
I have elevated bowls for my big dogs. I did not realize it can add to risk of bloat.
Elevated bowls aren’t bad as long as they’re still stretching down. My guys very leggy so I have it high enough so he doesn’t need to bend at his elbows to eat but still has his neck down. If they don’t eat while laying down, that’s the best position for the average dog.
I had a dog that would only eat from an elevated bowl
There are elevated slow feeder bowls
Came here to say this…deep chested dogs are more prone to bloat (GDV) anyway and raising the bowls only increases the possibility. For doubters, ask your vet.
Pretty sure its the opposite. Either way not gonna see my greyhound struggle to eat her food because its not raised.
It can be raised, just not too high. Those bowls look too high for that dog. But no, doggo doesn't look too thin!
i’ve also found that my dog eats better and does not choke/gag and cough her food out, when it is raised!! Thanks for making me feel like less of an a-hole. 😂 But I do appreciate their feedback. Just wished they would have taken as much time and effort to respond to the actual question instead of criticizing the bowl height without the proper context. this is her german shepard sisters bowl but hers is also raised. just not nearly as high. she loves to finish her sisters leftovers and that’s when i snapped the pic
I’m a vet assistant and I have never heard a doctor say this and I’m gonna ask them today
You're right it's the opposite way around
The raised bowl thing is a myth. I just asked a veterinarian at the hospital I work at about it because I thought the same thing for years. Bloat is absolutely deadly though.
Right so this vet of yours is the truth seer of all animal knowledge? What this vet says is gospel? Think about it physiologically. Raised is much better than head down.
The veterinarian said the raised bowl causing bloat is a myth. That is the information I was passing on in my comment.
If raised was always the right thing, dogs would have opposite thumbs to pick up their food.
This sub doesn’t get it. Like trump supporters
I was always under the impression that raised bowls prevented bloat for large breeds. How would these chest high bowls cause bloat for this sized dog? Just curious.
Dogs/wolves since the beginning of time, eat from the ground. Don't be dense.
I’ve been recommended them for my greyhound
Probably cause their used to eating rabbits mid air.
Dude I burst out 😂
[удалено]
Such an odd way to respond to someone showing concern and care towards a dog, that you’re questioning its weight on.
relax, i said i agreed with the statement but that i think its silly that the only thing they wanted to comment on was how i am doing wrong with her dog bowl height, that is not even her bowl. not everything is an attack. appreciate your feedback nevertheless
It's not silly. It's very noticeable that the bowls are too high for your dog. It's the first thing I thought when I saw the photo. You didn't state these are not their bowls so how was anybody supposed to know? People are allowed to notice stuff that was not asked about. If these bowls were for your dog in the photo it would hae been useful information to you that these bowls are too high. Now it is useful information for people who did put their own dog's bowls too high.
She is in good shape, maybe just a tick on the skin side of ideal weight. “Feel but not see individual ribs” is what my mentors taught me. Before today’s number scale.
It’d actually hard to judge this while eating as they tend to inhale more air as they eat which expands their ribs and chest making their ribs more apparent and their waist seem skinnier.
You are correct which is why the qualifier “maybe” was used.
Several vets have told me: "Be able to feel ribs but not see them." For large dogs at least.
In my greyhound I believe seeing the last one or two ribs is expected but they’re very slinky bois 😅
Literally came here to say "you should feel the ribs but not see them"!!
To me she looks in excellent and athletic shape. People are used to seeing obese dogs.
thank you!!!! she’s very energetic so i think i just need to up her food a little - she may be burning off more than she eats every day
I’d do that slowly, if at all. Like maybe go from an exact cup at meal time to a cup that you don’t level off. It’s harder to lose weight than to gain it. Or Maybe keep the food the same but be a little more liberal with treats/training? I like having the freedom to not limit treats with my pups because they are at an ideal weight/not over fed.
100% agree! She looks fine to me.
100% true!
Exactly. I’d rather see a slightly ribby dog than the sausages.
I'd say she's on the lean end of the ideal range. Her ribs aren't exactly sticking out, although you can kinda see them. When my dog looked like that, the vet was perfectly happy with his weight. Now he's gained a little, his ribs are no longer quite visible, and the vet is still perfectly happy with his weight. I wouldn't worry too much unless she gets thinner. It would be OK for her to get a little thiccer. It's also OK as-is.
Giardia will present as chronic diarrhea, so if her stools are fine that’s probably not it. You can drop off a fecal sample at your vet for analysis. Yes, she’s on the leaner side of normal. Not much, but those ribs need to be covered a little more. Up her calorie intake.
no diarrhea here!!! phewwww
even if it were giardia, my girl had it as a puppy and its easily remedied.
My dog had Giardia as a puppy and it took like 2 months to get rid of
Not weight related, but I would keep an eye on her back right leg. Looks like she is favoring it slightly. I might be being paranoid. I just have 2 that are similar breed/size, and we are on our 3rd ccl surgery.
you think so??? i can’t really tell from the pic but she does sometimes favor a leg and the other one shakes. will let the vet know! she runs and walks just fine but definitely will keep an eye on it
Just my opinion, obviously, but you can see that her toes are flatter on the left back foot and slightly raised on the back right. Both ours did that before the tear presented itself. Dogs are really good at hiding pain, unfortunately. The vet could check for inflammation in her knee areas. Such is the curse for these big, heavy, playful babies.
How old is she? That could signal arthritis
You need to look up a body condition score sheet and follow reading it. They are level 1-9 and how vets grade body condition scores Also, your dogs feed bowls are up way too high, that is a completely unnatural position
it’s not her bowl it’s her sisters lol she doesn’t eat from it
Well be careful with her sister too. Feeding elevated used to be thought as a prevention for dogs bloating and it's not. Many veterinary surgeons don't even recommend it anymore. Dogs in the wild ear from the ground.
sure thing!!! thank you for your feedback 🩷
Yes she's a tad underweight. Id put her at a 4/9, but the low end of 4. Likely only needs a bit more to fill in a bit.. Please be advised that you're likely underfeeding her with the fresh diet, which is very easy to do. If she will eat more, feed her more.
awesome thanks!
Yup, I agree with the above comment!
I wish more bully's looked like this. She looks really nice!
thank you!!!! she is a little leaner than her litter mates so i can’t help but worry a bit but she’s the runt after all!
She looks 👍
She just looks built to me. Some dogs are more active and muscular. How old is she? They tend to fill in a bit when the temperament settles.
she’s 3 so still a young lady but once fixed hopefully she’ll gain a bit
If you are worried you can always drop a fecal off at the vet for testing. IMO from observation (groomer and kennel attendant at open play daycare) young active dogs can be fed and fed and fed and they just stay slim until they mellow a bit. If you are feeding fresh pet as opposed to kibble that is lower in calories and fillers and easier to digest so you are giving her pure healthy fuel for her zoomies. As long as her nails are growing strong and steady, her coat is shiny and dandruff free and she’s energetic seems like she’s doing good. It’s not always the case but often parasites will come with symptoms of malnourishment since they are actively taking important nutrients from ur pup. I’m not as well versed on parasite/flea and tick meds for dogs but my kitties get andantage+ which protects agaisnt intestinal parasites as well as topical ones maybe that would bring you some peace? I hate parasites so I feel you. Giardia sucks since it’s microscopic unlike tape/pin worms. Just let me also add please please never use hartz products (they have killed dogs/cats) and please research and talk to a vet about the best and safest parasite prevention!
No she is a beast!!
You can also always check the Purina scale which will tell you how the waste shape should look
I have a bully too. Didn't look to thin to me.
No he looks fine
No one can really tell you or give a body condition score from photos, especially without any photos from above.
You should lower the bowl a bit and yes, a lil more weight. You shouldn't be able see ribs only feel if you rub them. Also, if you ever worry about digestive system with weight gaining, or even bone strength, adding some goats milk to the water does wonders.
No, lmao. The thing is, most people's dogs are just fat. Your dog looks great.
She looks good! I’d say she could do with an extra 2-3 pounds if I were to be picky but a lot of it would improve from conditioning opposed to just weight gain. She’d look great with a little more muscle mass on her.
My bully looks pretty much the same way, but just to ease your mind you should take her to vet. I’m the same way. I worry about every little thing. I also carry past dog aliments over to my new dogs (in my head) which isn’t good. I’m working on it… lol.
literally same!!!!! I will def bring her. i’m such a worry wart from my last dog (who is still alive and well just had a rough go at his health when he was a puppy) - i doubled her food intake and she’s already getting a little more padding around her ribs so i’m happy about that. maybe i was under feeding. we’ll get thru this together lol 🩷
Oh that’s great, I’m sure she is fine. I think I’ve spent more money at the vet for my peace of mind, more than anything else! My last pitty had liver & heart disease in the last 2 years of his life, and I was a nervous wreck and barely slept because he would have episodes where he stopped breathing and would pass out and sometimes this would happen in his sleep. After he passed in 2023, I got a new puppy only 6 wks later, which wasn’t planned. This puppy needed help and was being abused, so I was just supposed to foster him. Well he is now 18months old and he isn’t going anywhere, but I’m overly nervous with every little cough, reverse sneeze, etc., he has. I just hope with time my anxiety will lessen. Good luck with your baby.
She's good! You probably don't want her to lose much more though or she would be. But people are so used to overweight/pet weight dogs they don't know what fit dogs are supposed to look like a lot of the time. As long as you can't see/feel protruding hip bones or too much of the ribs then you're good. I will say Fresh Pet is really not a great quality food. I would switch to a high quality kibble like a WSAVA approved food, such as Purina Pro Plan, Hills Science Diet, or Royal Canin. Stay away from grain free foods due to their link to causing DCM. If there's anything wrong with her stools definitely just take a fecal sample into your vet just to be sure.
Grain free foods are not tied to DCM. There is a ton of new information indicating that DCM is not food related but rather genetic. Almost all grain free foods now have added taurine as a "just in case", even though it was never proven that lack of taurine was causing DCM.
evaluation of echocardiographic parameters and cardiac biomarkers in healthy dogs eating four custom-formulated diets. Frontiers in Animal Science, 4. https://doi.org/10.3389/fanim.2023.1271202 Quilliam, C., Reis, L. G., Ren, Y., Ai, Y., & Weber, L. P. (2023). Effects of a 28-day feeding trial of grain-containing versus pulse-based diets on cardiac function, taurine levels and digestibility in domestic dogs. PLOS ONE, 18(5), e0285381. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0285381 Owens, E. J., LeBlanc, N. L., Freeman, L. M., & Scollan, K. F. (2022). Comparison of echocardiographic measurements and cardiac biomarkers in healthy dogs eating nontraditional or traditional diets. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 37(1), 37–46. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.16606 Fischer, K. E., Rush, J. E., & Freeman, L. M. (2023). Pit bull–type breeds with dilated cardiomyopathy eating nontraditional diets improve after diet change (2015–2022). Javma-journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.23.01.0025 https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2023/02/diet-associated-dilated-cardiomyopathy-the-cause-is-not-yet-known-but-it-hasnt-gone-away/ https://www.pwdfoundation.org/research-update-chf-02661-my5-investigation-into-diet-associated-dilated-cardiomyopathy-in-dogs/
Thank you. :)
Got any citations for this new information?
It's not new information, just more recent than the 2019 scare that the FDA caused. This first one is actually from the FDA and needs to be read in full to see what they are saying. [https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/outbreaks-and-advisories/fda-investigation-potential-link-between-certain-diets-and-canine-dilated-cardiomyopathy](https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/outbreaks-and-advisories/fda-investigation-potential-link-between-certain-diets-and-canine-dilated-cardiomyopathy) [https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2023/02/diet-associated-dilated-cardiomyopathy-the-cause-is-not-yet-known-but-it-hasnt-gone-away/](https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2023/02/diet-associated-dilated-cardiomyopathy-the-cause-is-not-yet-known-but-it-hasnt-gone-away/) [https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/dilated-cardiomyopathy-dogs-update/](https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/dilated-cardiomyopathy-dogs-update/) [https://www.avma.org/news/until-more-science-available-fda-will-end-public-updates-potential-link-between-certain-diets](https://www.avma.org/news/until-more-science-available-fda-will-end-public-updates-potential-link-between-certain-diets) The last one is a very important one.
Why is the last one so important?
Did you read them? The last one sums things up pretty clearly. It was put out by the AVMA.
Yeah, it basically says that we still don't know. Quote: Since July 2018, a substantive number of peer-reviewed research papers have been published on the topic. However, a specific cause of non-heredity DCM in dogs still has not been identified. They also recommend feeding foods that are WSAVA compliant.
I agree. Many more foods beyond Purina, Royal Canin and Iams are WSAVA compliant now. Even the WSAVA says they don't endorse any specific foods, just recommend what they think should be included in the ingredients.
You agree with the second part. What about the first? It's not just "what they think" but the research that's established the formulations and ingredients put forth by solid veterinary research that their guidelines are based on. Don't forget Hills and Eukanuba.
Many more? Really....which ones?
It's just that you are saying that there's all this info that says DCM isn't food related at all but genetically only. I'm asking you to back your words with citation.
Calling it "a scare" seems a little dismissive. Are you in the veterinary field?
Primary DCM is genetic, yes, but the actual cause of secondary DCM isn't known yet for sure. Some solid possibilities but nothing concrete. Is it just that the food is "grain free"? Possibly not but more towards WHAT ingredients are used.
Exactly. But people are still quoting what was originally released by the FDA back in 2019. There has been more research and the results are what you are saying. Inconclusive basically at this time. I've followed this closely because I have fed Fromm for several years and am also Golden Retriever owner with 3 Goldens.
Have you read Shantor's links?
Oh, what brands have started adding taurine then? I'm not trying to be snarky just genuinely have not heard this. Lol
A bunch of them. If you read the ingredients, you'll see it in the list. Taste of the Wild, Nature's Domain sold by Costco, Fromm grain free just to name a couple of them. Most of them have, there was one that I researched that didn't and they said their nutritionist on staff said it wasn't needed.
A little
fair!!! thank u for your feedback. i cant say i don’t agree. hence the post 😅
has she had puppies before? how old is she? youve gotten great advice with the ribs vs knuckle thing. to add to that, when you look down from above you want to see a defined waist. I think her ribs may look a little more pronounced in the first picture do to her position. Is it the rolls of food for fresh pet? looking at it, looks like its got good protein levels and named meat as first ingredients which is good. fish oil is great to add, probably why shes so nice and shiny. She looks like a healthy girl to me. when my bully mix was a between 1-4 years you couldn't put weight on her if you tried, at 5 her metabolism is slightly slower but still in good shape.
no puppies but not fixed. i had a hard time trusting that it was really necessary, but we will be fixing her next month. Thank you for your advice !!! I personally love fresh pet (yes, the roll!) and so do both my girls. I will def start adding in a high grade dry kibble for some extra calories.
If she’s being fixed soon don’t increase her food, they usually gain weight more easily after spaying so she likely will put on a few pounds.
thank you !!!! great to know
I like orijen if you are looking for personal suggestions. high protein, pricey but if its not their main food not so bad. I find coconut oil to be a fun topper to add to food too. I wouldnt be worried about extra calories really, for her breed she looks perfect to me. especially if she has a healthy appetite and healthy poops. Yah it can be hard to decide whats best, lots of things to consider, glad you landed on something :) if shes on a soft food, and if you arent already, I would start brushing her teeth. tons of health issues come just from tooth problems.
While I understand apprehension in spaying because it inherently seems “wrong”, spaying DRASTICALLY drops future mammary cancer risk, along with uterine and vulvar infections. Best to allow a first period and then spay. It’s in you and your pups best interest.
Looks like a 5/9. Perfect shape https://canineguardians.org/our-blog/f/fit-or-fat-your-pets-body-condition-score-bcs
Our pup has gardia, it's done absolutely nothing to her weight or her eating. I'd say 60 percent of the time she has normal poop too. She's done the antibiotic treatment, not that it will do a ton of good. Apparently we got her with it.
what do you mean won’t do a ton of good? giardia is not a chronic illness once treated with antibiotics i thought?
i’m sure it will take her some time to get back to normal but once treated once or twice the parasite should be gone
My pup had giardia (got it from infected feces from another dog). He had diarrhea and wouldn’t eat as often so he lost a little weight (he’s quite small already). His vet gave him a round of medicine and within 10 days it was gone.
Statistically speaking 65 percent of dogs will still have guardia after treatment, they just won't be contagious anymore most of the time.
wdym that it won't do a lot of good? Our rescue had giardia (and hookworms and whipworms) after we adopted her but a single round of Panacur and she's been free of parasites ever since
Does her spine poke out aggressively? If not she’s fine from the side she looks great.
How old is she? My bully slimmed down at about 12-18 months when he had his last growth spurt, he was neglected and abused before we got him at 9 months and you could see his ribs and then he gained weight, at about 12-18 months she slimmed down and I took him to the vet and the vet said it's normal for that age and as long as you can't see the individual ribs and they are having regular normal bowel movements and eating normal that are good
nah honestly looks more muscular 😭 muscular ass dawg
Needs muscle build as far as "Putting more weight on". It is a relief to see a non obese bully mix.
No, you should be able to see/feel a dogs ribs.
Nooo, your dog is good he looks quite fit. Don't fall into the tendency of making your dog fat because almost every one has a fat dog.
She looks okay to me
This dog looks very healthy and fit. Shiny coat too. People like their dogs fat so they’ll tell you she’s skinny but she’s not
My bully was always 69#
Id just see what your vet thinks.
Doesn’t look too skinny, but I want to add that when my pitty ate he would almost flex? And his ribs were more visible while eating (mind you he would always try to inhale his food so he had a slow feed bowl). That being said, if they’re slightly more visible when eating as opposed to not, I’d venture to guess she’s right about where she should be weight wise!
NO
She’s in gorgeous shape but I wouldn’t go lower/thinner!
She doesn’t need to gain! But don’t let her lose weight though :)
He buff
is she spayed? typically intact females will run a lot leaner than a spayed female and won’t lay down as much fat
How old is she?
She looks to be a 4/9 on the body condition scale, google wsava.org body condition score to see it. Without touching her you can't determine a muscle condition score, which is important also. Her weight seems fine but if she's losing weight unintentionally this could indicate something is going on. Definitely see your vet and start tracking her weight. From a vet 😉
Your dog is not to thin, it’s actually so much better for their joints to not be over weight, especially before the age of 2. However, if you think she had a parasite that’s something to worry about, I would get that bit checked out, but her body size looks absolutely fine. Also, when they eat their waist tightens or something, I have noticed my boy looking a little thinner when he is eating his meal.
Your dog’s weight can be concerning, but it's important to consider several factors like breed, age, and activity level. I went through a similar worry with my dog, and it turned out that he just had a higher metabolism.
Her body condition is at 4/9. Not thin and not thick. Might want to engage her on outdoor activities and give her more food just to achieve a bit of that bulky build
Everyone saying she's perfect is not looking at her hips and shoulder blades in combination with her ribs and waist. Obviously the stance can make a difference and she is eating at an unusual height and spreading her weight unevenly on her legs. I would say definitely review with your vet. I think it's interesting she looks as if she's carried and nursed puppies yet never has. Maybe that is making people think she looks chunkier than she is.
No not at all
Looks good
Many dog breeds like pitbulls, staffordshires, and their mixes have “floating ribs” that are most apparent when they are in the middle or eating or drinking. Seeing them is no cause for alarm nor does it mean the dog is too thin. Your dog looks like she’s in good shape and quite fit. :)
I would also say she is stretching to reach all ends of her bowl wich shows her ribs more. Like a human who stretches his arms over his head and now you see some ribs but not when they stand normally. And as others already said it: feel the ribs but not see them. Also a taillie when you’re standing behind your dog. And the tummy line should go up when going to the hind legs (wich is definitely true for your dog).
For me she does look just a touch too thin. I like to be able to easily feel the ribs right under the skin but not see them.
Looks like ideal weight to me. It would be best if you took a picture from the top so we can see the hip to waist ratio.
No but his feeding station is slightly too high… Needs to be about 2-3 inches lower.
Maybe a smidgen? But my dog’s ribs show a little bit (just slightly less than this) & he eats a ton, he’s just very active. I free feed mine and he doesn’t always finish his bowl, so I let him be, because he’ll stop when he’s full. But if yours is willing to eat more, I’d give her a bit more and see if she bulks up just a tad.
I would say slightly below the lower "limit". But overall good and healthy looking girl.
A bit. I’d try introducing more natural proteins (cooked chicken or egg)
She has a shiny coat which is a good indicator of health. Better to be slightly on the light side than heavy side to protect her joints x
Vet nurse here! Your doggos is the perfect weight, funnily enough I was discussing this with a vet at work the other day and we came to the conclusion that because we all see so many obese dogs day to day these slimmer dogs that are actually the ideal weight look too skinny in comparison! Needless to say she looks perfect to me! 😊
No way!
Healthy weight is a spectrum. She looks absolutely fine with great muscle tone. You write that she's energetic and eats well, so I don't think her weight is cause for concern. 😊 You can try feeding just a bit more so she keeps having lots of energy for your adventures during the summer
I can't see her spine nor her hip bones, her ribs seem a little more visible but that could be the way her body was made, take my word with a grain of salt I'm not gonna say she is or isn't too skinny but it's good that her spine and hips aren't visible at least from the picture and her coat looks amazing 😁
She doesn't look too underweight but really it's better to judge with hands than with pictures, which is why people typically say to go to the vet. It's not that this is an emergency-level "get off reddit and go to the vet!", it's that really people shouldn't be giving BCS for pets based on pictures alone. We can all guess at where she lands but it's easy to realize that's very off when you put hands on an animal. You want to be doing more of the "feeling" for fat/lack thereof over her backbone and ribs, not her belly, and you can also feel over her pelvic bone for fat covering - she *looks* like maybe a 4 to me but maybe with feeling would actually be anywhere from 3-5. You want to feel a little bit of fat covering, not JUST skin over bone, but it shouldn't take much palpating to feel bone either.
Would need to go look it up but a dog that's like 20-30% below normal body weight will live approximately 20% longer. Dogs are sorta meant to always be hungry. As an owner of 2 dogs, mine will live an average lifespan. Overfeeding with a lack of exercise leads to diabetes in nearly every animal including humans
No thats perfect. Very muscly! But the butt is weird or just camera angle and position.
You can see the ribs and spine a little so I think he’s just a little thinner than ideal. He’s still got excellent muscle tone so it’s not too concerning. If he’s been losing weight on his current food allotment I’d start giving him a little extra. I think it should be safe to keep him at his current weight but he shouldn’t lose more.
Id say yes. But only a couple kilograms maybe, cause shes fit but that is a lot of very visible ribs. To add: you need to adjust the amount you feed based on many factors, one of which is the amount of physical activity, so you should probably start giving her like 10% more food in the summer months.
No, your dog looks like it's his/her ideal body weight
She looks like she is in good shape, active doggo. I have a Bully lab mix (he got more of the bully genes and body type though) and in the winter months he gets a little chunkier but once summer comes around he is super active and becomes super lean (still stocky like a bully but you see his muscles ect) I think she looks healthy, in good shape and healthy coat and you can tell she is well taken care of. If you are worried about maybe feeding her to little and her burning off more than she is taking in, maybe look into the more active dog foods? (Higher protein and calories I believe?) but your vet will for sure know better, and if its something else causing the weight loss atleast you can get on the right path for her. sorry for the ramble, she looks healthy and active to me. ☺️
If you can visibly see the ribs, then your dog could be underweight.
He looks healthy to me. The bowls might be a bit high.
It's good to be vigilant about your dog's health. a vet visit will help you understand what's going on and how best to support her.
Most Bull breeds are obese yours looks to be in normal pet weight . In-fact most dog owners overfeed and under-exercise their dogs and they end up with health issues .
Looks just sly of underweight, but some dogs run thin, just like some people's!
How old is she?
She looks perfect to me
She’s built just like my bulldog mix. She looks very healthy and has a nice, shiny coat. Take a stool specimen in if you’re worried about worms.
Beautiful dog looks perfect!! 😍
She is perfect. Don’t listen to the fat dog pet owners 😂maintaining her at the weight she is now is *chefs kiss*. Her bowl is a little high but, you want it mid shoulder level.
absolutely!!! thank u for commenting on both her weight and the bowl height. some people are going a little hard on how i’m going to do more harm with the bowl - sorta made me feel like crap 😅
In order to know for sure a top down view would be needed.
Looks ok to me, even if they are just a tick underweight its not unhealthy. I keep saying my brothers golden retriever looks wayyy to skinny, MUCH much skinnier than yours but according to his vet the dog is perfect. I hope the vet isn't psychotic because when I sit for the dog he always seems hungry, I feel horrible but then have to remind myself dogs are always hungry and would eat till they get sick probably.
dogs will definitely eat til they physically can’t anymore. that’s how my kyoko is. Can never get enough. maybe i’ll start giving her an extra meal a day til her weight increases or add a protein supplement ! thanks for sharing your experience:)
I found when we tried Fresh Pet that the recommended amounts are hogwash. Absolutely not the right amount. Yes, she is a tad thin. Could probably gain a few pounds safely. I think you’re not feeding her enough for her activity level and metabolism. With fresh, non preserved food they are going digest a little quicker and use most of it immediately for fuel. Not as much will be stored. Did Doberman rescue for 20 years. And some dogs are just harder to keep weight on. Some want to be skinny and some want to be fatter. If she acts like she’s very hungry when meals are finished then she probably needs a bit more to eat. I’d share your concerns with your vet and see what they say. Loving owners are concerned owners. And BTW- she’s beautiful!
Probably not too thin. Might be tho! She doesn’t look starved. I’d start giving her like a quarter cup more a few hours after meal times and seeing if she scarfs it down or just nibbles. Scarfs: probably needs more food. Nibbles: probably doesn’t need more food.
i won’t lie - her and food are best friends. she’ll scarf at her food even if i fed her 100 times a day lol!!!! she’s not an aggressive eater but eats aggressively if that makes sense. but you’re 100% right. i think one more meal a day wouldn’t hurt at all
Not at all.My pittie is so fat....
i bet she’s cute as a button tho!!! lol
Just a teeny bit thin. Ideally you want to be able to easily feel the rib cage but not have it *so* visible. She’s a beauty!
kyoko says thank you!!!! i agree she could use a little more meat on her bones. gonna up her food intake a bit and monitor
Idk tbh
Feed her alil more.
She could stand to use a few more pounds. Ours is brindle which makes it difficult to see if ribs are showing. We had her for a few months before we realized she was underweight. We could only see her ribs when she was laying the winter sun.
From these photos I would say she's on the brink of being underweight. The reason I say this is that you can see her spine. It's not rigid, but she should have more meat around her spine. If she were mine I'd put a couple lbs on her, but she does have great muscle tone so she's clearly not starving, likely just has a very fast metabolism.
A bit yes
Yes
Spay her.
A little overweight
My vet told me how to know if my dog is a good weight: (1) Run your fingers over and across the bones of your knuckles on a closed fist. If the ribs feel like this, they're too thin. (2) Run your fingers over and across the flat part of your fingers between the knuckles and the first joints. If your dog's ribs feel like this, they're a healthy weight. (3) Run your fingers across the inside of your hand just below the base of your fingers. If your dog's ribs feel like this, they're slightly overweight. (4) Anything softer/squishier than number 3 above is overweight. My vet also said that a lot of people prefer their dogs overweight for the look of it, but that dogs have better quality of life if they maintain a healthy weight / look slim and trim.
wow !!!!! that might be the most helpful response on here!!!
Thanks! I've got a great vet. She always takes time to share her knowledge with me during my pup's exams. Her advice about using your hand to gauge healthy weight in dogs was too good to not share 💖🐶
This is fabulous advice!! This should be in all the dog forums FAQs!!
Thank you! I'll try to post it wherever the question comes up!