Hello, nice to find a 'peace of mind' site. Hope someone can help. We had (and dearly wanted to) take ownership of a Labrador yesterday as this 6 month old puppy was just too strong for the 71 yr old owner. He pulled her to the ground on two occasions and she was too scared to take him out again. The lady was very sad to see him go. But she will come and see him now and again. Anyway, we are concerned he is overweight. Very, we think. Benji measures 56cm to the top of the shoulder. He is 36kg in weight. His running is not what I think it should be and we would like to know approx' weight for height and age. Huge thanks for any help on this regards Pascal
Re: Puppy is too heavy. Worried new owner Hi Pascal and Benji, welcome to the forum I do hope Benji's old lady is okay, no injuries. Weight is a common worry. One of our other members started a thread about puppy weights and you can find a link to the thread here which might help. If that doesn't take you directly to the latest chart, then it is towards the bottom of Page 9 on the thread. I do hope that you can help Benji - he is at an awkward age Jac (and Lilly, 4 year old black girl)
Re: Puppy is too heavy. Worried new owner Just to wish you welcome to the best forum , lots of support and advice
Re: Puppy is too heavy. Worried new owner Welcome to the forum To me, 36kg does seem very heavy, especially for a 6 month old lab. Could you feel his ribs? Did he have a waist when you look at him from above? These usually help determine if a lab is a healthy weight.
Re: Puppy is too heavy. Worried new owner Well done on coming to the rescue My dog is 56cm at the shoulder and weighs about 28kg. He's a show type build, but not a particularly chunky version. 36kg sounds pretty heavy for that height, but a picture would help greatly in making a judgement. Any chance you can show us a photo? A side on shot and one from above would be great - both with the dog standing. And welcome to the forum
Re: Puppy is too heavy. Worried new owner Wow! What nice people you are! Such nice replies. I live in a very rural part of France and seldom see/speak with people. So it is nice to see these replies on here. Thanks Tried to add a photo. No luck? I can't see a waist nor can I feel the ribs without digging finger tips in a bit harder than I would like. Sounds like he needs to shed 6-10kg maybe? He does struggle when he runs and his run reminds me of a friends 11 yr old Lab' when the hips were beginning to weaken. regards Pascal
Re: Puppy is too heavy. Worried new owner Sounds like he could do with loosing a bit of weight. Would be worth consulting a vet and coming up with a diet plan. If you go to the technical section it describes lots of ways to post a photo
Re: Puppy is too heavy. Worried new owner I guess he will be getting a bit more exercise with you than his previous owner, so a bit of a cut in his food along with that should make a big difference.
Re: Puppy is too heavy. Worried new owner Hello and welcome! Good for you for taking him on. What is his name? My boy is a show line lab, not hugely chunky, but he looks substantial when I see him with the lighter working line labs. He is 56.5cm at the shoulder and weighs around 28kg, I try to keep him just below that.
Re: Puppy is too heavy. Worried new owner Hi and welcome. Albert is 6 months and 54cm height and weighs 26kg. He's from show lines and vet recently said he is around optimum weight which in his view would be 25kg, so I would say your puppy is a good bit overweight. But he probably hasn't had much exercise, so things should improve on that front. I would also try to get him swimming if he doesn't already, as that's great all round exercise with no pressure on the joints, and great for developing muscle tone. Try reducing his main food and adding some cooked veg to bulk it out. Good luck Jan
Re: Puppy is too heavy. Worried new owner Welcome here! From everything you have said it does sound like he has some weight to lose. Likely previous owner wasn't taking him for walks much. I'm sure you will be able to get him sorted with exercise and less food, the trick will be to resist those big brown eyes.... : Good luck, keep us posted and let us know how it goes at the vet!
Re: Puppy is too heavy. Worried new owner Welcome to the forum Pascal from me Helen, Hattie 7 years and our rescue Charlie 3 years. Firstly I would take your puppy to the vet just to make sure there are no underlying health issues and they will help you with a diet and exercise plan. Good for you taking on a rescue dog. Good luck and keep us posted xx
Re: Puppy is too heavy. Worried new owner Hope Benji settles well and brings you happiness. I'm sure with regular exercise he'll soon be in shape.
Re: Puppy is too heavy. Worried new owner Gradually bring down his food and possibly look to changing it too. What does he eat at the moment? Also go careful with his exercise if he is on the heavy side to avoid strain. I agree with the others pop by your vets and they will be able to give you a better idea as to how much he needs to loose. It is so nice that you have taken him on and that his previous owner can visit. She obviously cares for him. For pictures I use photobucket via an app on my phone (can be done through the website too if you are using a laptop or computer). Totally free and when you upload a picture on there you get a link to copy and paste. The picture will automatically show in the post
Re: Puppy is too heavy. Worried new owner from a teeny tiny black 5 1/2 year old Lab known as The DivaDog and her pet human
Re: Puppy is too heavy. Worried new owner Hello and welcome to the forum. Whereabouts in France are you? I am sure you can get on top of your puppy's weight problem. As has already been said, slowly increasing his exercise while giving him a little less food will be the way to go - and swimming, if possible, would be great as it will exercise him without straining his joints. Do keep us updated on how you get on!
Re: Puppy is too heavy. Worried new owner Hi there and welcome to the forum from me and my 10 month old boy Buddy. Increasing his exercise will also help your puppy reduce his bulk, in addition to watching his diet. Buddy bolts his food and I have found freezing food inside his Kongs to be invaluable- it lasts much longer and keeps him happy and occupied! There are lots of Kong recipes on this site- but Buddy will eat anything I put in them! Good luck,
