Fat Labradors: A Thought

[macka]

I'm liking this thread full of healthy lean labbie pics!

[GoldenGirl85]

Me too lol, one reason why I decided not to get a Lab was because I thought it was impossible to keep weight off them!

[mrs tornsocks]

I'm liking this thread full of healthy lean labbie pics!

show us yours !!!

Here's my boy, sometimes I do think he looks a little skinny, but he's only just turned one so prob got a bit more growing/filling out. I would really rather have him a bit lean than have joint problems.

[mrs tornsocks]

Me too lol, one reason why I decided not to get a Lab was because I thought it was impossible to keep weight off them!

It is quite simple, food control.

[macka]

I'm liking this thread full of healthy lean labbie pics!

show us yours !!!

Here's my boy, sometimes I do think he looks a little skinny, but he's only just turned one so prob got a bit more growing/filling out. I would really rather have him a bit lean than have joint problems.

There's mine, right behind Archie!

I don't seem to have very many recent full body shots!

@ 6 months:

Edited April 6, 2010 by macka

[Pete.the.dog]

oww so beautiful!!!

[Mas1981]

I'm liking this thread full of healthy lean labbie pics!

show us yours !!!

Here's my boy, sometimes I do think he looks a little skinny, but he's only just turned one so prob got a bit more growing/filling out. I would really rather have him a bit lean than have joint problems.

Archie is about the same size as Mason, have u weighed him lately??

[mikelli]

You will probably find that most fat labs have owners that are not in top physical condition either.....not that I can talk, but my labs are kept in good condition. Mostly it is those "feed me" eyes that get lab owners, they think they are hungry "all" the time. As Mrs.TS says, it is simple "food control".

But lets not just single labs out here, I know lots of breeds of dogs that are far too fat and do not get enough exercise.

[Mas1981]

Me too lol, one reason why I decided not to get a Lab was because I thought it was impossible to keep weight off them!

It is quite simple, food control.

Yip its very easy, if your dog is picking up too much weight feed less

[mrs tornsocks]

I'm liking this thread full of healthy lean labbie pics!

show us yours !!!

Here's my boy, sometimes I do think he looks a little skinny, but he's only just turned one so prob got a bit more growing/filling out. I would really rather have him a bit lean than have joint problems.

Archie is about the same size as Mason, have u weighed him lately??

Yes, I meant to post in labs -- he is 31.5kgs too !!

[pie]

wolfgirl, Pearl looks LOVELY! That is the size I like my Labs to be (which they are) Mine both weigh 24.5kg. I really dislike fat labs.

Where's that stacked photo of Ruby you posted in the Lab Agility thread?

RubyStar's two are just how I like to see labs, fit, lean and energetic

[Linda K]

agree with Mikelli - when I first met my DH, he had a beautiful lab X , who over the years got very fat (at her max was 45kg), Her main problem was she would swim in the dams and get ear infections, and as the vet put her on cortisone, it made her very hungry. My MIL also had a weight problem, so would feed the dog each time she ate - as she ha no self control herself with her own weight, she was certainly not going to have any for the dog. The only thing that did work (so we got Princess down to a much better 28 kg), was by telling her the vet had said she would not survive much longer at her weight (I'm sure she wouldn't and the weight was not doing her health any good, so not really a lie), so a diet was now a matter of life and death. It worked, and we were able to get her weight back to a much healthier level, and she was a lot more active then too, despite her age.

[Nik]

My FIL has a gorgeous black lab, but sadly became rather obese as he couldn't look after him for a year and ended up staying with his mother, who is in a walking frame, so needless to say didn't get enough exercise. I was able to walk him twice a week (they lived a little too far for more than that unfortunately) which helped a little, but he just got massive. I took him to the vet to have him weighed and he was 55.4 kg!!!!! I had a stern talking to my OH's grandma, and his tidbits (marrowbones!) were dramatically reduced. She was feeding him the bones as well as his regular diet. He then went back to living with my FIL, with walks several times a day, and plenty of swimming, and actually now has a waist! Such a nice sight to see. I don't think he'll ever be as lovely and slim as those posted on here though - he is much bigger than them structurally.

This is him with our 10 week old Aussie Shep pup

[RubyStar]

wolfgirl, Pearl looks LOVELY! That is the size I like my Labs to be (which they are) Mine both weigh 24.5kg. I really dislike fat labs.

Where's that stacked photo of Ruby you posted in the Lab Agility thread?

RubyStar's two are just how I like to see labs, fit, lean and energetic

It's not really a stacked pic, she certainly is no show dog! But a beauty in my eyes

Ruby:

Millie:

Millie, Mason and Ruby:

Edited April 6, 2010 by RubyStar

[Mas1981]

wolfgirl, Pearl looks LOVELY! That is the size I like my Labs to be (which they are) Mine both weigh 24.5kg. I really dislike fat labs.

Where's that stacked photo of Ruby you posted in the Lab Agility thread?

RubyStar's two are just how I like to see labs, fit, lean and energetic

Yip they are very lean, no matter how hard i try I cant get Mason to trim down to smaller than he is, I think its because he is a male and just built differently

[Mas1981]

wolfgirl, Pearl looks LOVELY! That is the size I like my Labs to be (which they are) Mine both weigh 24.5kg. I really dislike fat labs.

Where's that stacked photo of Ruby you posted in the Lab Agility thread?

RubyStar's two are just how I like to see labs, fit, lean and energetic

It's not really a stacked pic, she certainly is no show dog! But a beauty in my eyes

Ruby:

Millie:

Millie, Mason and Ruby:

Lol look how short Mason's legs were there still, he had a lot of puppy fat !!

[SparkyTansy]

RS that is the most beautiful picture of a Lab i have seen in a long time.

[percyk]

fat labs

fat cavs

just the way of modern suburban life

we have never had a fat dog

once we had our spaniel stay with a friend and he packed it on but we quickly got him back to a waistline shape lol

i only remember seeing two labs in the past few years that have had a good shape...and we did a double take

so nice to see

dont get why the labs pack it on

surely it cant be just overfeeding

not every owner gives in to the labs eyes, do they?

fat dogs make me feel sad

a little less sad than seeing skinny dogs at the pound but still sad

when you hear people tell you how much their dog enjoys a sausage or bacon or buttered toast or cheese...its really sad that these owners dont know how many joules theyre packing into their poor animal and how hard it is to get those kilos off

[dee lee]

Damned if you do damned if you dont... ;)

I posted a similar thread a little while back because I was having so many people comment on how skinny my GR was!

After a while even I started to think she was losing weight and was getting too skinny so I changed her food to a higher fat one.

Now a month on, she has lost her waist, seems heavier and is much more lethargic.

Back to the old food and keeping her trim, she looks and certainly seems to feel much better on it.

Also looking at the lovely fit labs in here, I think I was on the right track before!!!

Rubystar- your lab is stunning!!

[aussielover]

When my boy started flyball and I saw the rigours that the sport would place on him I decided to get some weight off him. I didn't consider him fat but thought he "could lose a couple of kilos". He dropped from 37 kg down to 31-32kg over about 6 months. The interesting thing is that he lost several kgs before there was any appreciable effect on his physique. I assume this was from losing visceral fat. In humans it is visceral fat that is the worst for your health so I think that any lab that is carrying appreciable fat on its frame has plenty of internal fat as well that is detrimental to it's health. So even if your lab is not participating in sport being fat is going to be detrimental to its health.

There are several labs in flyball that are carting around way too much weight, I shudder to think how they will be moving in ten years time, luckily they aren't particularly fast so don't hit the box too hard.

This is Ebon now

My other lab Princess who is a flyball beginner and weighs about 24kgs

Your dogs are in great condition! Nice long legs too . Where did you get them from?