Hi, My lab is 15months old and he weighs 27kg, he soo active but I just can’t seem to put any weight on him, he worries me a bit as he looks soo skinny. I have him on WAGG WORKER dog food at the mo! Any advice on dog on a different dog food that would help with his weight? You can see a picture of him as my profile picture. Thanks Amy
Hi Amy I'm no expert but our 22-month-old labrador has always been skinny - to the point where a couple of people have asked us in the past whether we are feeding him enough. We can't seem to put weight on him either and his ribs are visible sometimes, particularly when he's stretching. He has a very defined 'waist' too. However he weighs 30kg and our vet is really happy with him. He says it's much better to be on the lean side particularly when they're young and as long as he has lots of energy and is happy then there's nothing to worry about. I think 27kg at 15 months sounds pretty healthy but if you're really worried maybe pop him down to your vet's for reassurance.
This is how dogs are supposed to be. You should be able to see their ribs when they are panting heavily, eating and stretching. However: Wagg is possibly one of the worst dog foods available.
Hi Amy and welcome to the forum. Have a look at this thread: Labrador Size And Growth. You'll find lots of information there to help you. It's hard to say for certain whether or not your dog is underweight from your profile picture, but he looks okay. A lot of dogs go through a gangly phase at around a year old when they look all legs and elbows . Most will fill out a bit over the next year or so. But being able to feel ribs and having a waist is normal. Being able to feel the knobbles on a dogs spine is not so good. Have a look at those articles for more info. Perhaps some members will recommend their favorite food brands
Evening Amy Ive changed my avatar so you can see a picture of my boy. He's 4.5 yrs and weighs around 29kg. We adopted him a year ago. I get so many comments, is he a pup, what a skinny Labrador, is he underweight but I just ignore it all. I know he's healthy and my vet has no concerns. He is 5 generation working dog lines and I just think most people have got used to seeing show dog Labrador lines and they really do have a different build. He doesn't have an ounce of fat on him and has a really defined muscle structure, particularly on his back legs. We canicross a couple of times a week and do 2 x 1 he walks a day as well as fun swims at the local hydro pool when we can. Like humans we are all different shapes and sizes so as long as he's healthy and clearly not underweight from a body condition view I wouldn't worry. I feed Barking Heads Lamb, Albion Raw, Cotswold Raw working dog and bones as treats. They do a reasonable job of keeping his weight stable but I do weigh him every couple of weeks as any increase in exercise makes a difference quickly. Hopefully this info is useful. Regards x
I think a lot of the working labs are generally much slimmer. I used to get asked all the time what breed Toby was. Partly because of his colour but also his size. He looks nothing like a labrador you would see at Crufts that are very square and chunky looking. He weighed just under 30kg when he started chemo. Dropped to 27kg and is back up to 29kg now. At 27kg he did look too thin but also looked poorly too which didn’t help. More important to get plenty of exercise and a good diet than conform to a standard.
I have a skinny lab. He's 8 months old and 40 pounds. I feed him enough, he loves to eat and play. He can also be incredibly lazy. People can be so judgey. I've been told by multiple people he's not a pure bred lab because he's small or because he likes to snuggle and isn't crazy. He's very low key. As long as your vet is happy I would be happy! Your boy has the same shape as mine.
my boy is 17 months old & 32kgs, isn't fat but I also don't mind when he sometimes drops a couple of kilo like when I get him back from kennels he has usually dropped a little. I also get the what's he crossed with due to his colour. Someone said to me the other week he's skinny I answered with he's not at all skinny. I think people are just so used to seeing overweight labs that they think that's the norm. If he's happy & healthy I would have no concerns with his weight
