# Pup weight



## Peter Cavallaro (Dec 1, 2010)

Pup has maintained his weight at 75pounds for 3 months now a few weeks over 6 months.

26 inches at shoulder, looks fined down to me but vet wants to see ribs sticking out??

dont want to second guess the vet but.....

opinions??


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Not sure quite what you mean by ribs "sticking out," but I like to see maybe the last 2 ribs (unless it's a breed with a ton of coat, in which case it's difficult to see) and feel all of them relatively easy. When you pinch the skin over the ribs, you can feel layers of tissue through your fingers. You should feel a SMALL amount of fat, but not a ton.


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## Dave Martin (Aug 11, 2010)

How about a couple pictures?


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Peter Cavallaro said:


> Pup has maintained his weight at 75pounds for 3 months now a few weeks over 6 months.
> 
> 26 inches at shoulder, looks fined down to me but vet wants to see ribs sticking out??
> 
> ...



Pictures?

One from the side, with the dog standing, camera at dog level, and one looking down on standing dog.


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## Peter Cavallaro (Dec 1, 2010)




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## Peter Cavallaro (Dec 1, 2010)

sorry about delay and lack of show stance, photos taken from phone.


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## Kelly Godwin (Jul 25, 2011)

Peter Cavallaro said:


>


I don't think he looks overweight. We keep our dogs just a little more lean than what you have, but I don't think your boy is overweight at all. Much like Maren mentioned, our dobies last rib or two can be seen and the same could be said for our GSD but she's a LC so it's hard to notice. 

Very strong looking boy you got there, Peter! Big guy at only 6 months, very impressive!


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## Peter Cavallaro (Dec 1, 2010)

Thanks, LC??.

he is surprisingly active for his size given some pup clumsiness.

think i will maintain current condition regardless of vet and when grown out fine him down some more. still open to others opinion though.


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## Peter Cavallaro (Dec 1, 2010)

Thanks, LC??.

he is surprisingly active for his size given some pup clumsiness.

think i will maintain current condition regardless of vet and when grown out fine him down some more. still open to others opinion though.


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## Martin Koops (Oct 15, 2009)

The Pup doesn't appear to be that overweight but then I can't feel the cover over the ribs. He may well benefit from some small reduction in weight.

Why did the Vet want you to slim down the Pup?


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## Peter Cavallaro (Dec 1, 2010)

Well he has been this weight for 3 months he has just gotten taller so i can understand concerns back then, but now??

Vet says he makes a lot of money fixing GSD probs and he doesn't want to see mine in pain from joint issues in a few years.

I guess the vet has seen the problems caused by sh! t breeding and wants to keep stress off young joints.


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## Sara Waters (Oct 23, 2010)

He looks really nice and not overweight. However from what I can see, without running my hands over him, I do like to grow my working dogs out a little leaner than he is when they are pups. 

Just my personal preference having run the gauntlet of hip and elbow dysplasias in several dogs in the past, expensive and no fun.


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## brad robert (Nov 26, 2008)

Id agree with the others peter i like to raise them a little leaner too.But my biggest issue would be that you are saying that he has been that weight etc for the last three months so since he was just over 3 mths


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## Peter Cavallaro (Dec 1, 2010)

give or take a few pounds, but on average yes.


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## Martin Koops (Oct 15, 2009)

Peter,
It's just not about bad breeding practice, overweight Dogs/Pups have more unnecessary stress on their joints. 

If you don't believe your dog is overweight get a second opinion.


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## Peter Cavallaro (Dec 1, 2010)

Martin hence the thread n pics??


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## brad robert (Nov 26, 2008)

Honestly right now i think the dog looks fine sure he could be a little lighter but if its not affecting him alls good.Had a rottie that was too heavy as a pup and problems showed up very quickly did the whole injection thing but i put the dog on a diet for a bit and it all fixed its self promptly but no one wants it to get to that level it was a big lesson for me and i wouldnt do it again poor dog could bearly walk on its front end and it was only 5 months

The old saying better safe then sorry??


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## Peter Cavallaro (Dec 1, 2010)

Cheers brad, prolly continue to hold his current weight while he grows, been trying to include the whole spectrum of nutrients in a raw diet and mistakenly included too much.

How old is yours now.


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## Martin Koops (Oct 15, 2009)

Agreed Pup doesn't look bad in the pictures but that's not as good as running your hands over the dogs ribs.


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## brad robert (Nov 26, 2008)

Peter Cavallaro said:


> Cheers brad, prolly continue to hold his current weight while he grows, been trying to include the whole spectrum of nutrients in a raw diet and mistakenly included too much.
> 
> How old is yours now.


Peter my GSD is about 3 now and i kept her very lean as a young one and still do as i had a bad experience before but that rottie would be five now i gave her to a security guy i know up near grafton as she was very socially dominant and not a fit for my young family but she never had a problem again.

Meant to say i like the look of your pup mate he should fill out nice.


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## Peter Cavallaro (Dec 1, 2010)

His mother was rangey, his father was solid, i have no idea what he is trying to be, they get most of it from mother right?


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## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

Peter Cavallaro said:


> His mother was rangey, his father was solid, i have no idea what he is trying to be, they get most of it from mother right?


What makes you think that???

I've inherited my father's crooked nose, his tendency to rheumatism, his vein disorders but fortunately, my mothers brain to overlook such abnormalities which luckily only made themselves noticeable in later life!!

I think your pup looks ok. I wouldn't worry about his weight. A lot of vets, including mine, although excellent, tend to remember the GSDs of yesteryear and think that a 5-7 year old GSD is a crumbling wreck.

Mine are at this age, have never been so skinny as to show some of their ribs - I can feel them but not automatically see them.

They are still amazingly athletic, the younger one is as giddy as he was as a 4-month old pup - they have always had an extremely good food drive and are mentally extremely alert.

First and foremost, enjoy your pup. I honestly wouldn't try to slim him. If you're giving him a good kibble or Barf equivalent, keep to it. When he's at a stage where he is able to do strenuous exercise and training you can adjust his feeds to his needs.


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## Kelly Godwin (Jul 25, 2011)

Peter Cavallaro said:


> Thanks, LC??.
> .


Long coat.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Like many others who replied, I think he looks OK but I do keep my dogs just a little leaner than that. That is, from the side, there is more of a tuck-up behind the ribs and from above, there is more of a curve in at the waist.

Not a lot, though, and your dog's looks wouldn't have me panic-stricken.

Also as others have said, the appearance of your dog would make me want to run my hands over the ribs. Maren described how that should feel. It's a good test, IMHO.

And last, I pretty much say "good on your vet." A little lean is (IMHO) better than a little overweight.

All JMO.


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## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

Funny you should say that, Connie. My younger GSD looking down at him looks similar to Peter's dog, whereas the older one has a definite "tuck-in" at the flanks. It maybe because he is a heavier-boned, muscular type of dog, especially in the hind legs.

The younger is a long-legged variety and has probably a little more fat on his ribs than the older but looks slimmer. However, he is a raving lunatic - can't sit still for a moment and is always racing around as though time is running out! 

What for me is important, like the Briard and the Fila before them, their weight has remained constant from becoming adult dogs and they have masses of energy and eat as though it's the last supper!!


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Gillian Schuler said:


> ... What for me is important, like the Briard and the Fila before them, their weight has remained constant from becoming adult dogs and they have masses of energy and eat as though it's the last supper!!



Yup!

I regularly drop by the vet's and weigh the dogs on the floor scale in the waiting room.

For me, I consider even a few ounces of increase in my adults to be the time to cut back a little ... not waiting for a pound or more. So there's never a serious "diet" needed.

I've found over the years that many breeds can tend to pile on some padding around the neck and shoulders in senior years (I think particularly males), and it's easy for that to go unnoticed. So while I rely a a lot on the ribs and waist, I double-check with the scale.

(It's also an innocuous vet visit to help balance any not-so-pleasant vet-office experiences.)


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## Peter Cavallaro (Dec 1, 2010)

Connie Sutherland said:


> Yup!
> 
> *I regularly drop by the vet's and weigh the dogs on the floor scale in the waiting room.*
> 
> ...


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## Peter Cavallaro (Dec 1, 2010)

Gillian Schuler said:


> *What makes you think that???*


 
bush folk-lore/wisdom

hey it created the worlds best stock dog, 

thats why i couldn't care less about the famous stud dogs in kennels - IMO the dog is largely determined by the female side.


the male IMO is nothing more than a sperm donor, to add a bit of science (not a biologist but)... *mitochndrial DNA*

wouldn't that make about 60% of the traits from the mother???


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## Peter Cavallaro (Dec 1, 2010)

thanks for all comments folks - out of panic mode and into monitoring mode.


cheers all


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