Hi, My dog is now 7 months old and weighs approximately 55 pounds. According to the recommendations on the back of the food bag, he should be fed 2 3/4 cups of kibble. I fed him the recommend about for a while but his body got very "pudgy" and since he has very long lanky legs I decided to cut back to only 2 cups - but he still has a very pronounced midsection (our vet tech said to watch for a waist). Should I just switch to an all life stages formula with a lower fat percentage? Or is it normal for a dog this age to look unproportional (in terms of his body being too heavy for his lanky legs)?
No, I don't think it's normal for a dog's body to seem too heavy for his legs - although just like humans, they do come in all shapes and sizes! I think by 7 months a Labrador may still look a bit like a puppy - mine does - but you should see a well defined tuck up, and an obvious waist (not just see a waist, see a very obvious unmissable waist). On my 7 month old puppy, you can just see the outline of her last rib when she is standing still and straight. You could switch to a lower fat food, but check the ingredients carefully. Check the percentages of fat and protein etc. not just assume an all life stages food is lower in fat - they do vary. Also, larger breed puppies do benefit from food that is formulated for slow growth etc. Some people seem to think that switching to adult food is best for this, but it's not - the point of larger breed puppy food is that it is formulated for slow growth. For me, if the food you are feeding is appropriate, and suits your puppy, I'd just feed less of it. Both my dogs get about 60% of the amount specified on the packet. If I fed them the full amount, they would both be podgy piggies.
Some Labradors don't have a very pronounced waist when seen from above (mine doesn't), but they should definitely have a 'tuck up' when seen from the side. I reckon that the tick up, along with being able to easily feel ribs, is the best indicator of being at the right weight.
