Is My Dog Fat?
At Groomingdales, we groom approximately 6 dogs per day which is 30 dogs per week. Out of these I would say on average 2 will be underweight, 8 will be just right, 14 will be overweight and 6 will be obese. Dogs that are overweight are at the same risk as overweight humans, but they also have the increased pressure on their legs and on their heart and chest. This can lead to illness and even death. Many owners are ignorant of their dog’s weight, as it easily creeps up. Two of my own dogs are currently on diets, after they sneakily gained a few extra pounds. The important thing is, that once we realise our dogs have a problem we do something about it. You would not believe the excuses we have heard and the denial that some people are in. If we ever tell you your pet is a little tubby, please don’t be offended. We only want to help and we have your pet’s best interest at heart.
So, how do I know if my dog is overweight? The easiest answer is to weigh him. If you have a small dog that you can lift, this is easily done on your own bathroom scales. For example, first weigh yourself (say you weigh 10st 4lbs) then lift up Fluffy. If you both together weigh, say 12st 2lbs, Fluffy must weigh 1st 12lbs! You can compare this weight to the list at the bottom of this page. If you have a large dog most vets have walk on scales which you can use free of charge.
Another good way to see if your dog is overweight is just to look at him. If you look straight down upon him, can you see his waist or does he look a bit like a barrel? If you touch his side, can you feel his ribs or are they hidden under puppy fat? Finally, if your dog is really tubby, does he look like a table when he stands up?! Can you actually balance something on his back (like a pen) without it rolling off? If so, it might be time to join Dog Watchers!!! But seriously, if you are unsure whether your dog is a bit tubby, bring him in and we will let you know.
So, now we have decided our pooch is a bit podgy, what do we do? First, we need to see exactly what he eats in a day. Keep a doggy food diary and every time you feed him, give him treats or the crust of your sandwich at lunch, write it down. Sometimes those little treats build up and by cutting these out, the pounds quickly fall off. "I still want to treat my dog," I hear you cry! Well let's stop all human treats and try to replace his normal ones with healthy alternatives. Both Bakers and Pedigree make Light and Tasty treats now, so try those, but also try vegetables(my dog will do anything for cucumber or carrot). Never feed your dog grapes as they can be poisonous.
Why not try making some liver cake (recipe below).
Now we have changed his treats, well what about his food? Most brands of food now have a light version, so try swapping to these and make sure you give him the recommended amount, as advised on the back of the packet. Well, we’ve changed his food and his treats, so all that’s left is exercise. Whatever you do, don’t suddenly take him on a 10 mile hike. I doubt whether you or he will enjoy this. Slowly try to increase his exercise starting with five minute walks every day, or a energetic game of 'fetch' in the garden.
If, after all this, your dog still isn’t losing weight, then take a look at your family members. You would be surprised how many people ‘accidentally’ drop scraps or couldn’t resist those big brown eyes! Secondly, if none of the methods are working, pop your dog to the vets. There are medical conditions that can make dogs put on weight, so its best to get it checked out.
Liver Cake Recipe
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup Self-raising flour
375g Liver
2 Eggs
2 teaspoons of Garlic Powder
Water to mix
Put the liver, eggs and garlic through a blender until smooth. Gradually add the flour and top up with water until you have a sponge-like consistency. Put the mixture into a flat baking tray and place in a pre-heated oven at 200 degrees. Cook until no liquid remains, when tested with a needle or fork (roughly 30-60 minutes), depending on the depth of the tray. Cool it off, before cutting into cubes, bagging it up and freezing it in separate packages. You should have enough titbits to last you for weeks.
Dog Weights
Please note that these weights are only intended as average guidelines
|
Breed |
Weight (pounds) |
|
Bichon Frise |
7-12 |
|
Border Collie |
30-48 |
|
Cairn Terrier |
14-16 |
|
CKCS |
12-18 |
|
Chihuahua |
6 |
|
Cocker Spaniel |
28-32 |
|
English Springer Spaniel |
Male – 53 Female - 42 |
|
Golden Retriever |
Male – 65 to 75 Female – 55 to 65 |
|
Labrador |
Male – 65 to 80 Female – 55 to 70 |
|
Lhasa Apso |
14-19 |
|
Schnauzer mini |
13-15 |
|
Scottish Terrier |
18-22 |
|
Shih Tzu |
10-18 |
|
West Highland White Terrier |
15-22 |
|
Yorkshire Terrier |
7 |
