Good Morning, We have had our golden lab for nearly 2 weeks now. He is 14 months and neutered (before we got him). He has settled really really well, however I am a little concerned about his frame. He is very lean(looks skinny from some angles). He has had his vet check & jabs last week. The vet said he is on the thin side of medium. She said he weights 29kg (sounds healthy). I intend to worm him today as we don't know when this was last done. (I didn't want him to be put off from us in his first week with vets, jabs and worming whilst settling in). He is on 2 trays of Wainwrights 395g wet complete food a day (morning and night) and has treats for training. His stools are solid so all good there - he loves the food. He does appear to have a mild yeast infection in his ear - though he isn't irritated by it, it would seem he has had it a while judging by the amount of nastiness down there. The vet gave us a standard cleaner and said if it doesn't clear up in 3-4 weeks to go back. But I have read this can develop to the body and cause weight loss? We haven't changed his feeding routine and are doing as per the previous owner - but he is now getting 2 30 minutes walks a day whereas we aren't sure he was frequently walked before. My question.... should we be concerned/doing something differently? When he wakes up I will try and work out how to add a photo.
Hello and welcome to the forum. It's impossible to say how much any dog should weigh, or how much they should be eating, because it varies enormously from dog to dog. My Shadow (yellow boy) is two and a half and weighs 24.5kg. He's a slim boy, but quite muscular. He has very little coverage over his ribs, you can feel them easily when you stroke him and see them when he turns and when he eats. That's all just fine with me. Keeping your dog on the thinner side of slim is far better for his joints than having him slightly heavier. Pictures would help (and we love doggy pictures, anyway )
Hi and welcome! 2 weeks is quite early in the scheme of things. Give everything as much time as possible. Do you know why he was rehomed? Any history, sometimes that can give you some insight, but don't take it for granted. I would work on trust, space and helping your dog to relax. Build up the exercise, which you are doing perfectly. Work on focus and engagement, games are great for this, a fab book is "Control Unleashed". Regarding ears, take it slow, maybe look at clicker training here to help. There are some great vids, hopefully someone @snowbunny will link for you. (My internet is a bit wobbly! ) Diet..it sounds like your lab is little underweight, but not seriously so, so I wouldn't worry to much, but it might be a good time to research some quality dog food however, Wainrights wet food wouldn't be one on my list! You may find he naturally puts on a kg just through treats, healthy eating and just being with you.
Welcome to the forum Was the vet worried about his weight? Being on the thinner side of medium doesn't sound like a cause for worry to me - in fact it's probably something we should all aim for with our dogs. If you do think he needs a bit more weight on though then just increase his food by a moderate amount. I doubt that his weight has anything to do with the ear infection. Hope that's all under control soon.
Hello Wow such quick replies. Thankyou! The vet wasn't worried but she said if he loses any to look at it again. Snowbunny, it is exactly the same, you can feel his ribs due to little coverage. He doesn't beg for food or have rumbly tummy - he doesn't appear hungry (though he would eat whatever he could if given the choice) We don't particularly want to rush into changing his food just yet as he appears to be very happy on it. Just concerned as a few people have commented on how lean he is - made me worry more than I had been. Re previous owner. He was rehomed due to work commitments. I since found him for sale in January this year by his original owner - so we are his 4th (including the breeder) both former owners sold him due to work apparently. He is good as gold, housetrained etc - too good to be true almost . Pic below - best angle to show complete proportion.
He's got a beautiful face. So glad he's finally ended up with people who will really love and appreciate him. It can be a bit hard to tell from a photo but I personally would put a bit more weight on him. At that age I'd be wanting to see a bit more muscle. To help build muscle I'd actually try to improve the quality of the protein he's getting rather than just focusing on quantity. That would mean a better quality food (going on Beanwood's comments). I'm not familiar with UK brands myself but usually (not always) you get what you pay for).
Welcome! Oh, what a beautiful boy he is, he looks very like a smaller version of my big boy Pongo. Well done for giving him a home to call his own at last! He does look a little lean, but I really wouldn't worry too much - much better for a lab to be underweight than over. The test I was given was "When you feel his ribs, they should feel as though they are under a blanket - not a sheet, and not a duvet!" Where are you? In the UK? Let us know how he gets on. He is a lucky boy to have found you (and I'm sure he knows it!). Rosie
Aha. He is lulling you into a false sense of security. We will all point you back at this post some time in the future, I'm sure.....
I sympathise, Pongo gets these a lot. Smelly black gunk, yuk. I have some wipes that I use to keep his ears clean (he quite enjoys that, they are nice and cool) and when he has a flare up I have drops from the vet to treat and loosen it (he's not so keen on that bit but it is amazing what he'll do for a nice big bit of warm roast chicken as a reward...)
He has a lovely face I agree that, from the photos, he looks a touch under. As @Oberon says, he does look rather under-muscled for his age, which isn't particularly surprising, given his background. So a bit more good quality protein (very important for muscle growth) and a plan to gradually increase his exercise would certainly help. If you don't want to change his food just yet, how about adding some raw meat in to increase his protein intake? You could add a chicken thigh, some minced beef, turkey etc, raw (or even tinned) sardines etc.
What a lovely boy with such soulful eyes. I am so glad he has found you. My husband says I want to feed everything so my immediate reaction is to say a little more bulk and muscle would be nice. But as I have said, apparently I am not reliable when it comes to feeding...
Hello, Yes from the UK. - and yes delightful black ear gunk. It is clearing so fingers crossed the non medicated stuff will do its job. The vet room looked like a crime scene the first time she used the stuff on him. Poor woman had a bit of cleaning up to do after he shook his head Thank you all. It's nice to be able to drop into a community and seek useful and constructive advice. From his behaviour we don't think he was frequently walked. (he drops his head at the sight of his lead as if to say "no way not again" - but is all bouncing and interested upon leaving the house ) He was however taken to a dog park weekly so is socialised. He is going nowhere fast anytime soon. He is stuck with us You guys have put my mind at rest - thank you! Beanwood - what food would you recommend if we do decide to change it. On a lot of the pages I have found./read reviews on this is one of the recommended wet foods?
Would you look at that face! Utterly gorgeous He is a beautiful boy, even has angel wings, (the shape on his shoulders..just makes him extra special..) He looks show type, meaning a heavier natural build than his lighter, slimmer cousins who work in the field. You can see that in his head shape and large paws I think he is underweight, and agree with Oberon he needs to build muscle, which he is lacking, probably due to lack of exercise. That is a lot of homes for a 14 month boy, so be prepared for a few unwanted behaviours, some to be expected, purely because you have a young labrador. I guess though there may be a few gaps in the training department due to time constraints of previous owners. Don't panic though, there is lots of help here on the forum, and lots of us have been there one way or another. I can offer my choice of dog food, and have had great success on this with a very, underweight dog. The brand I like is Millies Wolf Heart, available online. Initially I would go with a single source, novel formulation with good protein and fat content...high on fat...hold the carbs for your lad right now I like salmon and veg, good quality single source protein, easy to digest and reasonable fat levels. They also have excellent customer service if you want to give them a call. All my three are on this right now. I can easily increase or decrease according to the feel of my dogs. https://www.millieswolfheart.co.uk/dog-food/70-meat-fish-recipes/salmon-veg-mix
Once you get his exercise/food intake balance sorted and maybe settled on a new food, I'm sure he will start to look a bit more muscly. He has a lovely, kind face, I'm so happy he has found his forever home. What is his name?
