Dr. Liz

Vets seem to have different opinions about my dogs weight. About 5 different vets have said different things about my dogs weight 1or 2 said he was overweight put him on a diet another said he was a muscular dog with broad shoulders and so on what do you think?

- Womble

This is obviously a very difficult situation to judge without having a consultation with the dog. Obviously some breeds are notoriously stockier than others. It is important to monitor your dogs body conditioning, regardless of the body type your dog has. 

Good nutrition is imperative to keeping your dog healthy and eating well. Poor nutrition can lead to loss of appetite and illness.  Your aim should be, to provide food that contains fiber to maintain you dogs digestive system. Good levels of protein will help your dog maintain muscle tone, while its coat and skin will benefit from levels of essential fatty acids. 

A great way to judge the body condition of your dog is to place both your hands on your dogs rib cage. If your dog is in it's optimum weight range you will be able to feel each rib individually, without the ribs protruding from the abdomen. If you look at your dog from the side, it will hopefully reveal a slight tuck in the line of the abdomen. This is seen in the section between your dogs ribcage and hind-leg. 

If, when you put your hands on your dogs ribs you cant easily feel the ribs. When you look at your dog from the side, there is no tuck in the abdomen, and the waist is sagging. Then your dog is overweight. 

This chart shows the body condition from underweight at the top of the chart, to overweight at the bottom. The ideal weight range is in the middle of the chart. This gives you a visual indication of what your dogs physical appearance should be.

It is important to find a veterinarian that you trust, this way you can build a relationship, and regime that is tailored specifically to your pets needs. 

-Dr. Liz