[puppylove2009]

First of all.....these pictures were taken the same day.


I ask because we do feed her the recommended amount of food for her weight

(We Feed California Naturals made by Natura same company as Innova)

but she still acts hungry then again she would eat constantly if we let her.

What do you think.

She is a 24 pound mix breed dog and is very lazy (She is an indoor dog but she does get plenty of exercise, 45 minutes twice a day and she gets 4 mile walks every saturday and sunday)


Oh she is a year old


She just seems hungry a lot.....(though when we got her (11 weeks and it took months to get over this) she had major food agression so that could still be part of why she eats it so fast)

She has a real nice coat....that coat is sleek and it looks thin but its really a coat like a Lab (a double coat and she sheds all the time) I know her coat at times can make her look thinner than she is and sometimes make her look heavyier.

I just don't know how to tell what a healthy weight is for a mixed breed dog

You know purebreds have their standards but not mutts.

Thanks. I think she is just right but being a mixed breed I don't know




Here are the pictures: (I will add she has a bit of muscle)













What do you think?

And how do I tell what is just right?

[puppylove2009]

Here are a few more.

These were taken at different times (but within the last 2 weeks) (It sucks we don't have a yard so when they got to play in the snow they had to stay on leash)








I just added this picture because she is so pretty

Puppy love, your girl appears to be a healthy weight from the photos. What does your vet say? But just to put your mind at ease, there are two good rules of thumb to help you determine if your dog is either too fat or too thin:

1) Rub your fingers on her ribcage. You should be able to feel the ribs, with quite a bit of texture-- like running your fingers lightly across a washboard. If you can't feel the ribs, your dog is obese. If you can feel them, but not very well, your dog is fat. If her pelvic bones are easily felt, with no muscle or fat over her hind end, or if you can see her ribs, she could probably do with some extra pounds.

2) Standing behind your dog, following her around and watching her walk, you should not see a roly-poly bulge where her ribs should be, nor should she "waddle" when she walks. The lower abdomen should tuck up neatly toward her groin, and not be paunchy at all. You should not be able to see her hip bones protruding.

I hope that helps! BTW, you can do a google search using your own thread title as a search cue, and you may be able to find a couple of articles answering your question in better detail, and more accurately.

[puppylove2009]

Our vet doesn't say anything.....she isn't due for another vet visit until June (as long as she doesn't get sick) Her last vet visit was for her spay last June and that is when she is due for her shots again. So she has only been seen by our new vet once and she never said anything....just said she was feisty.....she was 22 pounds then. That was when we got her her bordetella shot. She said she looked good

I can feel the ribs but I can't see them. So that is good. She doesn't waddle infact she seems in great physical shape......but someone passing told me the other day that my dog looked to thin and I don't know maybe its her coat that does it. You can't see any bones I mean she looks healthy and a good weight but I didn't know for sure.

I will look into that.

Oh, I see-- yes, totally understandable. My dog only gets weighed once a year herself. Now, one more thing to consider is, dogs often think they are hungry, even when they don't necessarily "need" more food, they just like to munch, kind of like humans.

My dog, for example, has been on a weight loss program, because we didn't realize we were over-feeding her, and she became quite plump. She's slimmed down quite a bit-- just a few more pounds to go! But I have to tell you our nickname for her: Schweinhund, which, directly translated from German, means "pig-dog," lol! She's ALWAYS ready to eat!

[puppylove2009]

Yeah I understand......my dog would probably eat all the time when if we let her. (Our other dog however we basically have to force him to eat.....he's picky and a poodle and its understandable with his condition)

I used to free feed but I learned its not the best way to go (especially with two dogs in the house) so we feed them there recommened amounts by weight and usually that is good. But I got worried when someone told me she looked to thin and you know I got concerned....kind of a freak out moment

[lil mutt]

my dog is very picky when it comes to her food... i wish she can at least look fit like your pets.

When people make comments about your dog being thin, consider the fact that Americans have forgotten what "normal" weight is for themselves much less for their dogs! Obesity is as unhealthy for dogs as it is for humans. Your dog appears to be a good weight for her build.

Have you been working on the food aggression issue?

[puppylove2009]

Originally Posted by Frecs

When people make comments about your dog being thin, consider the fact that Americans have forgotten what "normal" weight is for themselves much less for their dogs! Obesity is as unhealthy for dogs as it is for humans. Your dog appears to be a good weight for her build.

Have you been working on the food aggression issue?

Oh yeah from the day we brought her home.....it comes back at times but usually only when our other dog is sick and then we go back over the training with her.

Normally they can eat side by side no problems (but with supervision)

The thing is they won't drink out of seperate water bowls so its funny they've always shared a water bowl but there are times they can't eat side by side

[Yogi]

3 key things to watch for, 1. protruding hip bones which this dog does not have.
2. bony or protruding spine which this dog does not have and 3. exposed ribs which this dog does not have. The dog appears to be at a perfect weight based on the photos.