Weimlover Posted March 7, 2005 Share Posted March 7, 2005 Hello everyone, I need some help. I have a ten month old Weimaraner puppy who is currently overweight (has the flabby chest). My vet said that I shouldn't worry because he is still growing and is not overweight by much, is this right??? He is a very stocky boy anyway. He is already taller than most of the full grown weimaraners and has much larger feet. He weighed in at 42kg last month and even after cutting back his eukanuba dry food and cutting back the amount of chicken wings, drumsticks, thighs e.t.c he has not lost a thing. He gets at least an hour of excercise each day (off leash and on). WHAT SHOULD I DO??? PLEASE HELP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pheebs Posted March 7, 2005 Share Posted March 7, 2005 (edited) Good Lord My girl (granted, a bit small in frame) was a bit pudgy at 32kg!!! She's now at her ideal weight of 27kg... Naturally, it's to be expected that the males will weigh more... 10months is a very critical age - as you would know our breed is very prone to hip dysplasia and the like, so it's by far better to keep them lean then overweight particularly at an age where healthy bone development is crucial... I know what you've cut out, but what diet is he currently on (also, two meals or one)? As a fully-grown adult, my girl was getting roughly 2.5hrs a day - they never seem to tire do they Edited March 7, 2005 by Pheeble Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdayz Posted March 7, 2005 Share Posted March 7, 2005 My boy at 2 years old, stands a full 27inches at shoulder so is about as big as they get, and weighs in at 40kg and would be 'show' weight, and will lose about a kg for full fitness/agility. When he was 10 months he weighed 36kg and was overweight, and probably 2 inches shorter at most. Can you find his ribs by touch, are they visible? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowser Posted March 7, 2005 Share Posted March 7, 2005 (edited) Hi Weimlover, I have two weimarener boys myself and couldn't go past your post without replying. I have had the opposite problem to you - my 4 y.o Austin has been underweight for most of his life. We've tried everything the vet suggested (feed small portions more often, different foods etc) but up until recently you could see every rib and backbone and he looked like he was being starved. Strangers in the street would tell me that I 'should feed him', and it killed me because I didn't know what else to try. He would vary between 27kg and 29kg, but recently put on some weight and is now 32kg. I didn't notice it as it has been a gradual change, but recently some people at the dog park commented on it, so I weighed him. I've been feeding him more chicken wings and necks etc, so I think that is what has helped. My other boy, Bowser, is 2 years old and has been around 33kg since he stopped growing, and has always had a bit of healthy 'pudge' around his middle. He LOVES his food and would eat constantly if he could get away with it, whereas Austin eats a bit more slowly. So anyway, my point is - there can be a lot of variation in weights within the breed. I read the 'ideal weight range' for a weimeraner in a book once (can't remember which one, sorry) and it said they should be between 25kg and 40kg. You've said that your boy is quite tall for his age, so he is probably just destined to be a HUUUGE boy (they sure do grow quickly). How tall is he? Has the vet ruled out any thyroid problems? If your vet isn't worried then you can probably relax. He will probably burn off any excess fat as he gets older. I hope you figure it out. We'll keep our fingers and paws crossed for you Edited March 7, 2005 by bowser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fin Posted March 7, 2005 Share Posted March 7, 2005 My breeders dog is about 27in at the shoulder and weighs in at about 36kg. He's 4 years old, in show condition and is quite a solid build compared to some dogs around at the moment. Perhaps look into a 'special' barf diet. When using BARF you have the option of feeding the same amount of food but increasing the vegies and decreasing the meat to try and manage your dogs weight. Read into it heaps before going this far though. It may just be easier to cut down his food until it starts to make a difference. Also, it sounds like he'll be quite big hows the covering over his ribs, should be able to feel his ribs easily without really seeing them (maybe see the last rib as he turns). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hilaryo Posted March 7, 2005 Share Posted March 7, 2005 I have to periodically reduce my dogs food as they put on weight so easily. This is mainly due to other family members giving in to those pleading eyes and feeding tipbits all the time - it soon adds up. Ruling out any health problem, you've just got to be tough and cut the food more. Switch maybe to chicken necks rather than wings which have more fat and reduce his dry food further. It should only take a few days to start noticing a difference. Having said that - I always feel like I'm starving mine LOL. I used to own a shepherd that was naturally very slim, so I can't get used to the small amount of food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdayz Posted March 7, 2005 Share Posted March 7, 2005 Switch maybe to chicken necks rather than wings which have more fat yep, chicken wings are hopeless for dieting dogs. My collie has had one a day the last week as i was buying them for Bailey the rescue dog. Despite cutting out her normal raw kangaroo each night when I looked at her last night and could not find a rib without pushing hard, where before she was at healthy fit weight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Anne~ Posted March 7, 2005 Share Posted March 7, 2005 My Wei boy weighed in at around 40 kilos (give or take a kilo or two) for the most part of his life. He was at the larger end of the scale for a lad but I never considered him fat. General rule of thought for most dogs is that you should be able to visualise a waist. Looking down from over the top of the dog does he come in at the sides where his waist would be? Think hourglass. Generally this means that he will have at least the last rib defined and perhaps the last 2 ribs. Our bitch, Rhana, suffered from chronic pancreatitis and so she was a thin as a rake. I too had people glare at me like I was an abusive owner because she was always painfully thin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weimlover Posted March 7, 2005 Author Share Posted March 7, 2005 (edited) Hello, Thankyou everybody so much for all your replys. Just answering your question pheeble about his food, He has mainly the eukanuba puppy large breed twice a day (2 cups morning and two cups night) also he has fresh chicken with his morning meal. You can feel his ribs at the moment but there is a bit of fat covering them. I would like to excercise him more but have been told that I should take it easy due to his growing bones. Just for comparison his parents weights are 34kg for the dam and 47kg for the sire (show weights). He is currently about 26inchs at the moment. Edited March 7, 2005 by Weimlover Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weimlover Posted March 7, 2005 Author Share Posted March 7, 2005 Sorry... I forgot to say that he has been checked out by the vet and there are no health reasons for his weight so it must be what I'm feeding him. Although he was on antihistamines for a couple of months due to skin allergies I don't know if that would have made a difference?? I will take him off of the chicken wings for a while and give him the chicken necks to see if that helps. The only thing I worry about then is how will his teeth stay clean when not eating bones???????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdayz Posted March 7, 2005 Share Posted March 7, 2005 (edited) If he is like my weim he will swallow chicken necks whole. Maybe source turkey necks - certainly Coles near me are selling them (though expensive). I use lamb necks to keep my boys teeth clean (he is allergic to chicken) though lamb is fatty of course. Edited March 7, 2005 by dogdayz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weimlover Posted March 7, 2005 Author Share Posted March 7, 2005 Hi, YES.... Thats him alright. Would the turkey neck be too strong for him though???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdayz Posted March 8, 2005 Share Posted March 8, 2005 Do you mean to tough to bite - i find my weim can break any bones no problem. or do you mean too strong/rich - do you know his allergy source. I dont believe Turkey to be really any richer. kangaroo tails are also well designed for teeth cleaning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weimlover Posted March 8, 2005 Author Share Posted March 8, 2005 Thanks Dogdayz Sorry, I was thinking too rich.. He has no trouble chewing bones. He does have a LOT of allergies though, I'm not sure about turkey because he has never had it. Will give the turkey necks a try, and see Oh and will have to get some kangaroo tails for him, I have never come across them before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fin Posted March 8, 2005 Share Posted March 8, 2005 Just for comparison his parents weights are 34kg for the dam and 47kg for the sire (show weights). He is currently about 26inchs at the moment. FORTY SEVEN KILOS !!!!!????? Are you sure? He must be absolutely enormous if this is show weight, and a long way above standard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weimlover Posted March 8, 2005 Author Share Posted March 8, 2005 Hi Fin, Yes the breeder said that the sire was 47kg for show weight but they have at times got him down to 46kg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benson Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 We give Benson antihistamines periodically, and when he is on them he eats like a horse, whereas usually he is a picky eater. The vet did tell us they do make dogs more hungry, so perhaps your dog is also wanting to eat more then usual when given the antihistamines? Not sure how heavy Bronte is right now (female Wei, will be two in June, was 30kg at last weigh in), but she does really love her food :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now