Thin young male?

I'm dog sitting a red fox lab who is 17 months old, and currently weighs around 26kg, he is fussy with his food but he does eat more than recommended on the packet..... the vet that saw him 2 weeks ago did describe him as "lean" but his ribs are visible, and you can feel his spine, Our previous black lab ate everything in sight. He is a full dog, and getting much more regular exercise than he normally does 3 miles morning walk, 2 miles afternoon walk.
His feaces (can't spell,sorry) is firm when he passes his first of the day, but further toilet is very soft and pale, and he goes or attempts to go 3-4 further times.
Any advice would be welcome. Thanks

 

We're not vets on this forum so I wouldn't want to challenge the vet's opinion. My rule of thumb for managing Holly's weight is that we should be able to feel but not see her ribs. She should have a waist that is well defined from above and the side. Holly is in great shape and her weight is usually in the 27-27.5 range. At 17 months she was still bulking out with muscle so she was a bit lighter.

If you're concerned about weight then my first thought would be worms. When was the last time he was wormed?

 

It's impossible to tell from numbers alone whether a dog is the right weight. My entire male is three years old and 26kg, and a perfect weight for him. He is very lean and muscular, and you can often see his last couple of ribs. Ribs are always visible when he's eating, sniffing or turning. He was very skinny growing up, and I struggled to get weight on him because feeding too much would just give him the squits. Labs come in all sorts of shapes and sizes but, sadly, the majority we see are overweight to some degree, and it tends to colour our idea of what "ideal" is.
As long as the dog isn't desperately thin, then being on the skinny side of slim isn't a bad ting at all; it will be far better for his joints in the long term.

If the vet isn't concerned at him being underweight, then I wouldn't be, either. Some vets are a bit permissive of dogs being overweight (others rightly are very hot on it), but I'm sure they would have said if they thought he was worryingly skinny.

If you can upload any pictures, we might be able to put your mind at rest; a side-on view of him standing and a view from above are the most useful.

 

Are the faeces very pale?

 

When we got our boy at 14 months and 26k (or 28k) he was very lean and sounds exactly as you describe. 1 week into pet ownership we took him to the vet for his annual jabs etc and the vet described him as lean but ok and to keep him on the food he came with - she had no concerns. We went to the appointment a bit worried and left happy to hear this but still not 100% convinced. His Poos were hard (and I mean hard) and white in colour most of the time.

1 Week later we were back at the vets as he was unwell (he never went out so low immunity) this vet said he was underweight and she thought he had been neglected prior to us getting him (we were mortified)! We changed his food as recommended by this vet and he is now 33KG - not fat at all. I am far more comfortable with how he looks. I can feel his ribs but I don't get comments on how skinny he is anymore. He also seems a lot more content now he has been with us a few months. His poos are now firm but the last bits are looser & lighter - as are any 2nd poos on a walk. This is now normal for him.

As a result of these 2 experiences I truly believe it is subjective and down to the individual. Both vets were at the same practice and gave completely different opinions/diagnosis.

He sounds healthy from what you have said but if your not happy I would say trust your instinct.

 

When we rescued Charlie a Labrador x Pointer at 9 months he was very thin, you could see every rib and his hip bones Guided by our vet we fed him a good quality food and got him fit and healthy. He is 6 years old now, weighs 32 kg and 27" at the withers, he is as fit as a butchers dog, not an ounce of fat on him just pure muscle, he looks fabulous I personally wouldn't ever want to be able to see his ribs but I do like to be able to easily feel them and the same goes for Hattie. I very much trust my own instincts. x

 

Just for some reference. Homer is a long lean fox red. They do tend to be leaner than an average lab (if an average lab exists). At 1 year old he was 30kg and now at 5 years old he's 34.5kg. I can feel his ribs under a thin blanket covering but not his spine. His ribs are visible when he stretches out.

He loves his excersise and has two 2-4 mile walks a day with swims. Eats more than recommended on the packet.

 

My lad Sam weighs 40 kilos , he is very tall and leggy without any spare fat . He is now six years old but as a youngster , he could look scrawny and too slim . However , our Vet said he was happy with his looks , better a little under than a lot over weight any day ! I cant see his ribs but can feel them , and he goes in at all the right places ! They are all one breed but can often be very different in looks x

 

Thanks for your response, I'm not sure about the worming, I'll double check that.

 

Thanks for responding, it's been really helpful just to get views from other red fox owners!

 

Thank you, the response has been really helpful.

 

Thank you for your response, they have been really helpful.

 

Thank you, your boys poo sounds the same as my Ollies, (sorry, sounds a bit familiar!) but it is reassuring to hear from other owners.

 

Not very pale, more Dijon mustard at its lightest

 

Thanks, that's really helpful.

 

It could be pancreatic insufficiency if his faeces are pale.

 

If you are dog sitting then is this not the owner's reponsibliity? Are you asking on behalf of the owner?