Carita Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 I just don't understand why my male Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is gaining weight. I have 2 Cavs who eat the same yet it is only the male that gains weight. They share a chicken thigh fillet if theyre large or each have a small one. They each get a dog biscuit in the morning , about 1Tblsn mince after feeding the birds and a chicken neck. Could it possibly be hormones fed to the chickens that is causing this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VizslaMomma Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 How old is the cuddly Male and is he desexed? :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Hi :) provided his health checks have been all clear, and he is on no meds which may do this , then I would think he just has a different metabolism- and needs less food/more exercise :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raineth Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Different dogs have different energy needs. Just feed him less and he should maintain his weight :) My male dog was heavier than my female (by more than 10 kgs) but she needed to eat a third more food to maintain condition, or double the amount when she was my running companion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 There are NO hormones fed to any chickens in Australia. Certainly different dogs have different dietary needs and this can change over time :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carita Posted February 23, 2015 Author Share Posted February 23, 2015 Thank you for those sweet words. I have been so worried. He's de-sexed & only 21/2 yrs old. He's been checked by the vet & has great health I've cut his servings back a little so I guess we will just have to increase the exercise "There are NO hormones fed to any chickens in Australia" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Crazy Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 (edited) As others have said every dog is different. Just like us we all have different metabolism's. I have 2 BC'S & they are both desexed. There is no way I could feed them the same. My girl would eat till she exploded if I allowed her to. I feed her approx. half what my boy has. She is such a good doer. OH always says Stella could run on the smell of a good stew LOL. My boy on the other hand only has to look at food to gain weight. It is trial & error with diet. Firstly what diet works best for each dog. Then how much. Both of which can be alittle tricky to balance ☺ Edited February 23, 2015 by BC Crazy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavNrott Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 My male Cav is fed exactly the same amount of food as my female Cav yet he will become overweight if I don't watch carefully whereas my girl has never been overweight. Different metabolism. They're both desexed elderly dogs and can't tolerate as much exercise as they were used to when they were younger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carita Posted February 23, 2015 Author Share Posted February 23, 2015 Thanks cavNrott. I guess its the differences in metabolism that is the issue here with my boy. The 7yr old female doesn't like to walk too far so it's just around the block twice a day . She has a heart murmur so I cant over work her. Luckily my boy loves to chase a ball so I'll have to increase this play for him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 (edited) Cut his food by a third .. and yes, more trick training /ball chasing :) Can you not walk him by himself ? Edited February 23, 2015 by persephone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carita Posted February 23, 2015 Author Share Posted February 23, 2015 No, there's already power games on at the moment. If he gets special treatment she wont be happy. Already he's just a PITA brother. Cut his food by a third .. and yes, more trick training /ball chasing :) Can you not walk him by himself ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 No, there's already power games on at the moment. If he gets special treatment she wont be happy. Already he's just a PITA brother. Cut his food by a third .. and yes, more trick training /ball chasing :) Can you not walk him by himself ? hmmmm.. Ultimately , what is best for EACH dog is your responsibility . Your boy needs his walks, he needs to be out & about and doing young dog stuff - while it seems your girl needs a quieter lifestyle . It is unfair to the younger dog to spend life as an invalid , IMO. .... Depending on the stage of heart murmur - she may well be able to build up to a longer walk ... what does the vet say ? Other than that - if she were mine , she would learn to stay home with a treat/big bone/kong full of yummies while the boy gets his walks . OR , she would be safely strapped into one of of THESE ... and have an outing !! Oh .. and people with cute cavs HAVE to post photos for us to awww over ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denali Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 I have 3 cavaliers, all males, all desexed. One eats about 4 times the amount of the other. Henry would look like a balloon if fed what your boy is fed- so it is definitely nothing to worry about. Just reduce his food Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denali Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 In regards to walking you may have to adopt a "relay walking" take both out for a short walk, drop your girl back nd continue on with your boy. Or go to an empty off leash park so they can both cruise at their own leisure :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carita Posted February 24, 2015 Author Share Posted February 24, 2015 (edited) How cool is that set of wheels.. much more stylish then the babies pram that I push now for " just in case". I feel he's getting almost enough exercise now for the average dog. He's plump, but not obese and I don't want him to get that way. That's why I wondered if it could be the chicken. I guess I was looking for excuses outside the square. Photo's , I wish !! I'm just a klutz at up and downloads Thanks Denali, my boy looks like your Deneki Edited February 24, 2015 by Carita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 That amount of exercise may not be enough for him though :) Exercise is NOT 'one size fits all' :) 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