Charlie is 10+ months old and he seems quite healthy and active but most of times my husband and i think he is little thin than others of his age. We can see his ribs from his thick skin coat while he walks. Does he needs more food?? I feed him with royal canin junior labrador little more than 2 cups in the morning and same quantity in the evening. Should we add something else to his diet or should we increase this quantity (its already as per written amount)
The general rule of thumb is that you should be able to easily feel the ribs but not see them . My Lab is slender , I did think too thin at one time but my Vet said to keep him nice and slim . Charlie will be having growing spurts which will make him appear thinner at times but if he is healthy and happy , maybe just increases the amount by a very little and see how he looks, but really, don't worry too much and no, don't bother adding to his food . They do all differ so in build, but far better on the slim side than the fat side
Hi, Charlie does sound to be perhaps a little on the thin side if you can see his ribs as he walks. Do you use a Royal Canin measuring cup or just a cup from the kitchen? From what I can see online Charlie should be having 3 3/8h or 3 5/8th cups per day. Royal Canin tend to over estimate the amount needed so most of us reduce the amount they suggest, but it is important that if measuring by cups you are using their cups. I find the best way of measuring food is by using a set of kitchen scales and weigh Juno's food in grams. In grams Charlie should be having between 323g and 343g for an adult weight of 26 or 28kg. I would reduce that quantity about a third to allow for dog treats and over estimation. Could you weigh his food? If you think he is looking very slim you could add a little more food to each of his meals but only 10g or so and see how he looks. while I is important to keep our Labradors slim we don't want them to be too thin.
Yeah you are right being on slimmer side is better than being on fat side. He sometimes looks good but sometimes when he walks we see his ribs. His face is still triangular shape and i was wondering when they fully develop their muscles and all
Im following guide for 35-36 kg weight guidelines and charlie is around 30 kgs so i think im feeding him ok as of now. I have measuring cups at home and 1 cup as per RC is same as my cup measures.
Much better to be a slim Labrador than too heavy! I can see the ends of my dog's ribs when he is stood still, and can easily see his ribs if he eats, drinks, turns or does anything to suck in his tummy - particularly in the summer when he seems to have a lot less undercoat. My vet does not think my dog is too slim. My dog has quite a rounded rib cage, and I just think it's his build/coat - his ribs are just quite easy to see compared to other dogs.
Here is a good graphic 10 months is usually a very lean age too - mine were all at their leanest then.
Homer is now 32kg and has been for a while, at 12 months he was 30kg, and quite slim, he filled out a bit more at about 18 months to 2 years. When he stretches out and runs we can make out his individual ribs but not when walking or lying stretched out on the floor. Putting my hand flat on the side of his chest I can't feel any bony ribs. Some one said once on here or somewhere that the covering over his ribs should feel like a comfortable wool blanket, a sheet is too thin and a duvet is too fat. Homer is fed Burnes kibble and gets nearly half again thier recommended daily amount, but he's weight has stayed constant for the last two years.
I know Coco isn't 100% Lab, but he has gone ribs feeling like through a sheet to a blanket - they are still fairly visible, but less so, I can see the ends of his ribs when he is stood still. He last weighed 29kg - need to weigh him now his covering is better. He's a very skinny looking dog. He has half the Skinners guideline plus a tin of Winalot, plus training rewards - mainly roast beef. I keep a very close check on his figure.
A vet once said to me that a "teenage" dog (I suppose starting around 10 months) should look like a teenage boy with his ribs showing and who is always ravenous and always looking inside the fridge. That was a good mental picture for me because I know several healthy, sporty teenage boys who look just like this and no-one says they're too skinny. But when it comes to Snowie, my husband and I will say: he's looking too thin. Then we go for a walk, and compared to other dogs with slight builds he looks bulky! My regular vet thinks he's fine -- he weighs 34kg at 4 years old and I guess that will remain his adult weight. He was rather narrow at 10 months and it took another year or two until he looked like a regular adult Labrador. I have read that bones stop growing longer from 10 months to 18 months (different bones stop at different times -- you will find info on this in topics on when to neuter), but they continue to widen/bulk up thereafter.
Everyone says Jessie is too slim and you can see her ribs, but the vet has seen her 3 times and she has been weighed three times since we've had her and say she is fine! So I am trying not to worry! I think they are all different! She is due worming next week, so I will get her weighed again then and see what they say.
This has got me thinking back to that vet who said a teenage dog should be skinny (that vet has since retired, no longer our regular vet). He never mentioned anything about worms... And now I am remembering back to that time: I thought the cold of winter was making Snowie burn more energy, so I just fed him more. Turns out he had a tapeworm infestation. Dewormed him and he put on 1kg in a week. So yes, if worried, then definitely worth checking for worms.
all mine were lan around this age the were growing and getting into everything playing and training loads they just burnt up their food so quickly. They seemed to get a bit less lean when they got to about 2 years they matured and weren't so nosy and want to do everything
Max will be five at the end of June. He weighs just over 30 kg. and is fairly small for a male labrador. You can see his ribs all of the time. Two vets have told me he is not too thin but I worry. However he is very muscular and powerful. He is never sick, is extremely agile and drags me for walkies every day. He is fed a big bowl of fresh, lightly steamed vegetables (carrots, pumpkin, butternut, sweet potato, beetroot, gem squash, etc.), good quality raw beef or chicken pet's mince and finishes with an apple, melon, pear or an occasional tomato twice every day after every meal. I deworm him every three months. I pick up his excrement so I can see if his stool is soft, if he has worms or if there is blood. It shows no problem. If his stool is a bit hard I increase the pumpkin or squash to carry water into the bowels. If I increase the volume his tummy gets wider but the ribs remain on the outside. The vet says it is so nice to see a labrador that isn't fat. This diet was recommended by a homeopathic vet and, other than being lean, I know of no cause to worry.
Hi and welcome ! It sounds like Max has a wonderful diet , and a good owner too . I truly wouldn't worry about him , especially as Vets have told you he is fine . They do vary so much in build , my own dog is 40 kilos , but he is also lean , just big boned and tall . As long as Max continues to enjoy his walks , looks good and healthy , I don't think you should worry at all .
How much meat do you think he's getting relative to the vegetables, say as a percentage by volume? As long as he is well muscled then I would say you don't need to worry about a bit of ribbiness.
I'm learning that Labradors come in so many sizes! Does he get raw bones as well? Dogs need calcium and other nutrients from bones. Just meat and veg is not enough.
My pup always looked bony until she reached 1 year. She started to fill out. Some puppies just grow super fast and their bones show. The amount of food seems absolutely fine. Do you use the measuring cup or just a kitchen one?
