Gizmo's Weight

[brenda]

I have become a little concerned and am unsure as what to do. I measured and weighed Gizmo tonight. He is 12" at the withers and weighs 6.9 kgs. His ideal height as an adult should be between 9 and 13", but his weight should be no more than 5.5 kgs as an adult. As you can see he is already 1.5kgs overweight and he is only 5 months old. I feed him 1 tin of dog food with mixer split into 3 meals per day,plus his usual tit bits, treats etc. The recommendation on the back of the tin says he should be getting 1 tin a day but does not mention if this is to include a mixer. My concern is that when he turns six months the recommendation is to increase to a tin and a quarter. I know he would eat for Scotland, but should I cut down his food intake and stop the tit bits till he loses some weight. Or am I being overcautious, is it just a case of "puppy fat" I can find no information on what weight he should be as a pup. I have always had big dogs and have never had a problem with their weight.

Brenda

[Lindy]

HI Brenda

I think you are sensible to check, I would say that the recommendation does not include mixer so you would need to cut down on the meat or remove the mixer and cut down on the treats too.

[Lorna]

You could check with the food manufacturer for advice.
_________________
Regards,
Lorna, Basil & Poppy
Great Danes are not substitute children. They are much more important than that!

[Lisa]

I would have to agree that the recommendation does not include mixer so you should cut that out or alternatively reduce the tinned meat to allow for the mixer. I would also cut down on treats. In my experience puppies shouldn't be carrying "puppy fat" as its bad for their growth as you have to consider that their bones are still growing and therefore aren't as strong as they will be later in life. However, you should also seek further advice.

[Janis]

brenda i agree with lindy also i think the tin split three times a day is fine but with no mixer! if you want to include the mixer then cut down on the tin!

he certainly looks fine as he is but you don't want to have him suffer later with sore joints! and i don't think you're being over anxious you're just looking out for his health!
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Cockapoo's...a little of this, a little of that..........
the perfect combination!

[kirsty]

Brenda, the wee man looks absolutely fine he does not look to be carrying any extra weight, but best to make sure

[linsey]

hi Brenda,

I'd say cut out on the mixer and if you are worried about him being hungry, you could try bulking up his food with some veggies instead... I know Leon likes that...

Other thing to bear in mind is that he might just be "bigger then average" because from looking at him, he doesn't seem fat... Leon is 9.5kg and apparently your average Lhasa is something like 6-7kg, but I've had the vet check Leon over and she says he is fine - he's just a big lad!

Linsey x
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Dogs are the leaders of the planet.
If you saw two living creatures, one of them does a poo and the other carries it for him, who would YOU think was in charge?
- Laurence Billi

[Barry]

Althou i agree with the mixer being over and above Gizmo's allowance, the standard sizes for all breeds always states within reason as long as your dog, looks in proper proportion. This seems the case with Leon and from what you say so far about Gizmo, neither dog looks overweight!
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Barry, Kylie & Jay with precious Rotti Tikka

[Ashley]

Awww wee Gizmo! I dont think he looks overweight!!! For Holly's breed, she is underweight, and yet the vet says she is completely healthy! I agree with what everyone else has said about the mixer, but he doesnt need to be exactly in line with the weights specified for the breed. As long as he's getting decent, regular exercise (which he is), then I dont think its a major worry!
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Ashley with Holly & Murphy.
I hope to one day be as great as my dog thinks I am right now!!

[Steven]

Hi folks, thanks for all the advice. We will cut out the mixer and add some veggies. Although Gizmo does not appear to be overweight we feel he has lost some of his sleekness, if that sounds right. Did some checking on the Net as to when "Toy" dogs stop growing, apparently they stop bone growth i.e. height at anything between 6 and 8 months. This is something we had no clue about as large dogs continue to grow well into their first year. We will keep on top of it though and try to reduce his weight, for his own good health. Again many thanks for your thoughts.

Stevie

[Janis]

i know what you mean by sleekness stevie and i have learnt something today! i wasn't aware that toy breeds reach their adult height at 6 or so months!

even with a little extra weight he is still gorgeous, but for his health keep him lean!
_________________
Cockapoo's...a little of this, a little of that..........
the perfect combination!

[Ashley]

I read that about the height when we were looking into the getting a Cav Spaniel.... so that means that Holly is pretty much the size she's always going to be! I'm sure she'll fatten out a little bit though. I'll need to keep an eye on that.

I do know what you mean about sleakness Stevie, and I suppose you and Brenda are more likely to notice it more than us. At least yous have picked up on it now though!
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Ashley with Holly & Murphy.
I hope to one day be as great as my dog thinks I am right now!!

[Lorna]

Ashley! "...yous..."
How could you?
There are not any female sheep on this forum. If there were they would be 'ewes'.

English teacher rant over now.
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Regards,
Lorna, Basil & Poppy
Great Danes are not substitute children. They are much more important than that!

[Ashley]

I have absolutely NO IDEA how that 's' got there!!!
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Ashley with Holly & Murphy.
I hope to one day be as great as my dog thinks I am right now!!

[Lorna]

I'll forgive you - just this once.

_________________
Regards,
Lorna, Basil & Poppy
Great Danes are not substitute children. They are much more important than that!