Homer is the same, tall long and 32kg. Last's week our trainer at Dog Club was checking him over feeling his tummy and commented 'Wow, he's got a six pack!' There is a lab just younger than Homer, whose owner runs at least 5km with him every morning who is chubbier around the waist than Homer. As a teacher it's not just the pets but the children too.
My dads cattle dog cross called Bobby got very fat mostly due to the vet putting him on steroids due to a skin rash. The poor dog ballooned and was very solid. Only years later they moved and discovered by chance that he was allergic to a type of grass. With new grass and no steroids his weight is slowly coming down. My husband was always concerned that my dad was simply over feeding Bobby but all his other dogs have been normally fit and healthy.
@Saba's Boss I use this as a good guide as to whether my dog is under weight, over weight or about ideal. I guess vets, like forum members, all have their own views on how they like a dog to look.
I've always found that particular poster a bit odd - isn't it also rather old now? The problem with it is that the green box does not specify a prominent waist, yet the criticism of the dog shown on the right of that is that the waist is not prominent. I've always found that strange on that particular diagram.
Oh how I wish someone would control my food intake like we control Snowie's! At least his "struggle" to remain at a good weight is not his own but rather ours. Me, well, the diet always starts on a Monday!! Interestingly, where I walk my dog, people have no problem saying: your dog is fat! And it is quite an affront to hear that!! I'd said it to others, but when it was said to me about Snowie, I understood how awful one feels. Because of course it is YOU who made the dog fat, not the dog. At the time, when Snowie was overweight, it was when he'd started epilepsy meds and they gave him a ravenous appetite and we felt incredibly sorry for what he was going through and gave in. But I was lying to myself when I said to the person who said he was way too fat (she is a dog physio and we were training together) that he weighed 36kg, only 2kg over his ideal of 34kg. Meanwhile, when we did eventually weigh him, he weighed 39kg!!! As soon as the epilepsy drug dose was reduced and we altered the amount and type of food he got (no more duck, which is very fatty), he came down to 34kg and also became more energetic (although difficult to say what caused the overweight and lethargy -- epi drugs or overeating, and which continued to exacerbate which -- much like the post above about the dog on steroids). When Snowie was a puppy, the guy at the pet shop said I must feed him in a big bowl because it will slow his eating down. Not sure how that works, but I went with what he was suggesting. However, a big bowl looks so EMPTY when the correct amount of food is put in there! And also, a dog is so much smaller than we are, and yet we think he should eat the same quantity as us!
It may be an old diagram, but for many novice owners it gives a clear picture of how their dog should look when viewed from above or from the side. If it helps an owner to decide that their dog is overweight, or underweight, and they take action for me it is of very little importance if a waist is described as prominent or not. The health of a dog is improved.
Of course @MaccieD, we can all express our own views - politely, of course. I do disagree with this. I think this is one reason why novice dog owners make a mistake, I've definitely noticed it on the forum over the years - because people don't understand that a vague indication of a waist isn't good enough. When people say 'I can see his waist' they don't appreciate that might be true, but the dog is still overweight. It's the difference between a score of: 6 (overweight) Ribs palpable with slight excess fat covering. Waist is discernible viewed from above but is not prominent. Abdominal tuck apparent. Ribs palpable. 4 (slim side of normal) Ribs easily palpable, with minimal fat covering. Waist easily noted, viewed from above. Abdominal tuck evident. On the WSAVA 10 point scale.
For reference for members here is the WSAVA scale for body condition, pictures and words for clarity http://www.wsava.org/sites/default/files/Body condition score chart dogs.pdf
I think it's helpful to have some kind of visual guide and a description to go with it. The guide above could do with a rewrite though - the description of scores of 4 and 6 is really the same eg: what is the difference between 'minimal fat covering' (4) and 'slight excess fat covering' (6)? What is the difference between 'easily palpable' (4) and 'palpable' (6)? Or 'easily noted' (4) versus 'discernable', 'evident' (4) versus 'apparent' (6)? Could do with more concrete and distinct descriptions. I like the 'sheet versus blanket versus duvet/doona' analogy for fat covering over the ribs - something like that is easier for people to detect and understand.
Hmm....it's interesting to consider whether people know what these diagrams and descriptions really mean, isn't it? The whole sheet (to aid discussion) is here (there is also one on muscle mass) : http://www.wsava.org/nutrition-toolkit
I'm sure Saba is just fine, @Saba's Boss ! The conversation has somewhat drifted on, as these things do.
@Oberon Like you I struggle with the definitions that go along with the visual guides - so much depends upon a persons interpretation of a word. I also like 'when you glide your hands over your dog's sides you should be able to feel the ribs, with no pressure being applied'. A quick and easy check as you pet your dog
I don't think many people are used to seeing dogs that are the correct weight. Not just labs but any dogs. I have 2 labs which I'm concerned about in my area Coco who is only 3 but so overweight he can barely walk and is out of breath walking up and in slight incline and Todd who is now square. Todds owners have only had him for about 8 months and he is now at won't be able to walk soon stage. Its so depressing seeing him I just don't get it most people are polite but I'm getting to the stage where my visible shock is becoming to apparent to his owners. Its wrong the worse lab case round here was a bitch that was so fat her rectum started to work its way out because ther was no more room inside her body and still they maintained she was not too fat. It was horrible the RSPCA were involved but in the end she died from being over weight. I know it can be a problem with labs because they are good a putting on weight, mine are kept on strict diets from when they are about 2 to 3 years but now its hard to keep my elderly lab bitch from getting fat because she can no longer exercise like she did when she was younger. I try very hard and she is in really good condition for a 13 year old but I do worry about her and find that I would really have to cut her food to nothing and i think that given her age it would be cruel to starve her. I against my better judgement have let her stay a bit fatter than I would like in order for her to be happy. Saying that by most peoples standards she is still skinny and has a waist which is just memory for some of the labs round here.
I was also told I was being cruel to my dog because her ribs could be seen and that this idiot was going to report me to the RSPCA her dogs were so fat they could barely walk. It was really horrible she spread vile rumors about me and even told people I beat my dogs and starve them. My vet was furious and said get her to ring me heres my card you labs are in great condition.
@sdegg, you can bulk your older dog's food out so that she feels she is having more, by mashing some cooked carrots and adding those, without adding weight.
