How to tell your puppy is too fat...

Rua · 02-01-2013, 04:26 PM

Is the way you measure how fat/thin your puppy is the same as you do for an adult? By that I mean, feeling for ribs, seeing the tucking in between the ribs and hips when looking down at them from above, feeling for pinbones?

The reason I ask is that my 17 week old boy is such a monster in size compared to my girl at his age. He's 42lbs right now, and he would eat himself to morbid obesity if I let him. I'm trying very hard to make sure I keep him at a good weight that won't put extra pressure on his joints. But he's such a stocky thing compared to when Juno was his age! He's WGSL, so I know that their bone structure can be a bit on the heavy side.

I can feel his ribs (though he's got a bit of padding on them up until the last two), his pinbones, and he's got the "tuck". But he looks quite heavy to me still. He kind of reminds me of a barrel on legs sometimes. lol

So how do you all gage your puppies weight?

**MaggieRoseLee** · 02-01-2013, 04:40 PM

Put up 2 pictures, him standing and one from the side and one from above.

It IS harder to tell with puppies cause they grow in spurts and can be out of proportion..

Rua · 02-01-2013, 07:01 PM

I definitely will do that first thing tomorrow. Right now, it's bedtime here and my camera is out of batteries.

Sunflowers · 02-02-2013, 09:31 AM

Well?

Rua · 02-02-2013, 10:24 AM

Sorry for the delay! It's been a manic day.

Here you go. Apologies for the not so great shots. I couldn't get him to hold still. lol

Sunflowers · 02-02-2013, 10:29 AM

He's perfect.

**JeanKBBMMMAAN** · 02-02-2013, 10:32 AM

Adorable! One thing I will ask is about de-wormings. They can be thin, but potbellied, because of worms.

Extreme example - skinny puppy, full of worms/parasites. Click to actually see it!

Shade · 02-02-2013, 11:01 AM

What a cutie! Looking good with the weight as well

Rua · 02-02-2013, 11:44 AM

Ah, that's good. His build is so different from Junos at that age that I don't know what to compare him to and I just hoped that his ferocious appetite for food wasn't making him too chubby. (I had a mishap with him yesterday that involved him somehow finding a way to open the food canister and gorging himself before I could get to him. Result: waking every hour through the night because he gave himself the runs.

) It's so weird going from having a totally non food interested dog to having a dog that would eat himself to death. lol

As regards worming, he's been done regularly.

GatorDog · 02-02-2013, 11:45 AM

He looks fine to me! And very cute!

02-01-2013, 04:26 PM	#1 (permalink)
Rua Master Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Dublin, Ireland Posts: 571	How to tell your puppy is too fat... Is the way you measure how fat/thin your puppy is the same as you do for an adult? By that I mean, feeling for ribs, seeing the tucking in between the ribs and hips when looking down at them from above, feeling for pinbones? The reason I ask is that my 17 week old boy is such a monster in size compared to my girl at his age. He's 42lbs right now, and he would eat himself to morbid obesity if I let him. I'm trying very hard to make sure I keep him at a good weight that won't put extra pressure on his joints. But he's such a stocky thing compared to when Juno was his age! He's WGSL, so I know that their bone structure can be a bit on the heavy side. I can feel his ribs (though he's got a bit of padding on them up until the last two), his pinbones, and he's got the "tuck". But he looks quite heavy to me still. He kind of reminds me of a barrel on legs sometimes. lol So how do you all gage your puppies weight? __________________ ~ Juno ~ 25/10/11 ~ GSD ~ Bowser ~ 07/10/12 ~ GSD Last edited by Rua; 02-01-2013 at 04:29 PM.

02-01-2013, 04:40 PM	#2 (permalink)
MaggieRoseLee The Agility Rocks! Moderator Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Bushkill, PA (The Poconos!) Posts: 24,183	Put up 2 pictures, him standing and one from the side and one from above. It IS harder to tell with puppies cause they grow in spurts and can be out of proportion.. __________________ MACH3 Bretta Lee Wildhaus MXG MJG MXF MFB TQX HIT CGC TC Glory B Wildhaus AX, AXJ, XF "*It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious."* - Oscar Wilde

02-01-2013, 07:01 PM	#3 (permalink)
Rua Master Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Dublin, Ireland Posts: 571	I definitely will do that first thing tomorrow. Right now, it's bedtime here and my camera is out of batteries. __________________ ~ Juno ~ 25/10/11 ~ GSD ~ Bowser ~ 07/10/12 ~ GSD

02-02-2013, 09:31 AM	#4 (permalink)
Sunflowers Crowned Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Central Florida Posts: 4,674	Well? __________________ Norden von Narnia--Hans, dob 1-15-2012 http://pdgf.pitapata.com/uC6lm4.png

02-02-2013, 10:24 AM	#5 (permalink)
Rua Master Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Dublin, Ireland Posts: 571	Sorry for the delay! It's been a manic day. Here you go. Apologies for the not so great shots. I couldn't get him to hold still. lol __________________ ~ Juno ~ 25/10/11 ~ GSD ~ Bowser ~ 07/10/12 ~ GSD

02-02-2013, 10:29 AM	#6 (permalink)
Sunflowers Crowned Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Central Florida Posts: 4,674	He's perfect. __________________ Norden von Narnia--Hans, dob 1-15-2012 http://pdgf.pitapata.com/uC6lm4.png

02-02-2013, 10:32 AM	#7 (permalink)
JeanKBBMMMAAN The Rescues Rule Administrator Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 22,783	Adorable! One thing I will ask is about de-wormings. They can be thin, but potbellied, because of worms. Extreme example - skinny puppy, full of worms/parasites. Click to actually see it! Attached Thumbnails __________________ Help IMOM help Pets www.imom.org Help a rescue: wish some big dogs a Happy Howliday! www.bigdogsbighearts.blogspot.com Think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight. Albert Schweitzer

02-02-2013, 11:01 AM	#8 (permalink)
Shade Knighted Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Ottawa, ON Posts: 3,439	What a cutie! Looking good with the weight as well __________________ Shanna My Pack: Jasmine - Female Miniature Poodle - born Aug 15, 2010 Loker Delgado Von Stalworth - male GSD - born Jan 26, 2012 Koda & Zazu - 4 year old male cats

02-02-2013, 11:44 AM	#9 (permalink)
Rua Master Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Dublin, Ireland Posts: 571	Ah, that's good. His build is so different from Junos at that age that I don't know what to compare him to and I just hoped that his ferocious appetite for food wasn't making him too chubby. (I had a mishap with him yesterday that involved him somehow finding a way to open the food canister and gorging himself before I could get to him. Result: waking every hour through the night because he gave himself the runs. ) It's so weird going from having a totally non food interested dog to having a dog that would eat himself to death. lol As regards worming, he's been done regularly. __________________ ~ Juno ~ 25/10/11 ~ GSD ~ Bowser ~ 07/10/12 ~ GSD

02-02-2013, 11:45 AM	#10 (permalink)
GatorDog Knighted Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Albany, NY Posts: 2,867	He looks fine to me! And very cute! __________________ -Alexis Aiden vom HausDaka - (HOT) CGC, TT, IPO1 Carma vom Oz Haus - puppy in training! http://sharpshepherd.wordpress.com//

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