is my dog to fat?

Question

ok shes a little smaller then a med size dog and she weighs about 45 pounds and shes a year old .her belly hangs and it doesnt look like a fit belly like all those other dogs i see on t.v .in the moring she eats 2 small cans of dog food about 6.o onces each can .then all day she has dry food in her bowl which she doesnt even touch half the time until like 9 at night sometimes and like at 7 my mom gives her rice and chicken and during the day she might get a bone or treats .i'm afarid shes to fat .shes always huffing and out of breath but she also plays and runs around all day so that might be it .when i took her to the vet he didnt say anything about it .do you guys think shes to fat?

Answer 1

It sounds like it, and by reading what all you are feeding her, she is eating too much during the day. She shouldn't be having the chicken and rice, and limit her treats to one or two a day. Feed her the amount of dry food it recommends on the bag, and then give her half a can of the canned food in the evening as her treat. Take her on walks daily. And next time you have her at the vet, ask him/her if the dog is too fat. Excess weight on a dog can cause a lot of health problems, just like it would for a human. Good Luck.

Answer 2

I don't know if she is fat. Sounds likely but you should definatly change your feeding schedule. First get rid of the can food totally. It is full of calories AND (if you knew what was in it I promise you wouldn't feed it to your dog.)

Stop free feeding.

I would gradually change over. Give 1/2 dry and 1/2 can in the mornings and again in the evening. If she eats it all fine if not you can leave it out but don't intentionally keep food in her bowl all day. After gradually weaning her off the can food go to 1 cup dry in the morning and 1 cup dry in the evening. If she refuses to eat the dry food with nothing on it then add a Tablespoon of broth.

Plain rice and chicken is fine for dogs but I would stop giving it to her and just use plain dry food. Dogs need vitamins and nutrients that are not found in "human food."

If you don't take any of this advice that is fine BUT please consider at least cutting out the soft food. Look at the can does it say "by-products" or does it list corn as one of the first 3 ingrediants. If so throw it out. Do some research and you will find the distrubing things put in this food.

Answer 3

You could always ask your vet to get a definite answer, but what I've been told by vets in the past is that if you put your thumbs on the dog's spine and wrap your fingers down around the rib cage, you should be able to feel the ribs easily. If you can't, then your dog is probably overweight and you should cut back on her food or switch her to light food. Also watch out for snacks. They don't help people lose weight, and the same is true for dogs.

Answer 4

Just wanted to comment on Amber's answer then get to the question. I have seen a toy poodle get bloat and my aunts Collie had it also so it isn't just deep chested dogs. You tell tell if your dog is too fat by if you stand over the back of your dog and look down on him and you can't see a waistline or you can't feel any ribs no matter how hard you push he is too fat and should go on a diet. I am not saying his ribs shoubs be sticking out you should just be able to slightly feel them. There is also a picture on most dry food bags of a overweight dog, an under wieght dog and a normal wieght dog. Check you dry dog food and see if it has it on there or next time you go to the store just look at one of the bags that has it on it and compare your dog to it. Good Luck!!

Answer 5

yes...way too fat. heres some info for u

1) Its not so good for their teeth to feed wet food unless its holistic wet food because of all the plaque build up

2) Im guessing you feed normal kibble. These have fillers so your dog is extra full off the fillers in the canned food and dry

3) your dog probably isnt eating dry food because you are feeding wet food

4) Look at your dog. If you cannot slighty feel the ribs then yes she is too fat.

5) white rice isnt good. It can get clogged in their tummy

Lose weight....

Holistic dog foods are super healty so it will increase energy and help them lose weight

Since they are usually expensive (first 5 ingredients MUST be meats) then u shud just get a regular kibble weight loss formula.

She may not eat dry food at first. Just leave it. She will eventually eat it if you do not feed table scraps.

Please start NOW!!! By the sounds of it your dog eats more than me!!!

Answer 6

It sounds like she is. Talk to your vet about it, the vet will get you to do the right thig. My dog is a border collie, he weighs about 55 lbs. and he's easy to pick up. He never has any trouble getting around and even though he's 8 yrs. old he still acts like a puppy! He's the best! He only eats once a day, not too much. I agree with everyone else here!! STOP FEEDING YOUR POOR GIRL TOO MUCH!!

Answer 7

The last time I took my dog to the vet they told me the best way to check and see if your dog is overweight is to feel the ribs of the dog...if you can feel the ribs by touch but not see the ribs when you look at them then your dog is in good condition...if you can see the ribs they are underweight and if you cant fell or see them then they are overweight. Hope this helps

Answer 8

Yes. To me it sounds like she is too fat. Talk to your vet about how much and what to feed her. Why not feed her once in the morning and once in the afternoon, picking up whatever she doesn't eat in between? That's what I do with my two. I also used Nutro Weight Maintence (dog food) in order to get one of my dogs to lose weight after I adopted her.

By the way...Bloat only happens with deep chested dogs like Boxers and Great Danes.

Answer 9

You should be able to feel the ribs and the spine with a thin layer of fat over them, the chest and the belly shaped...if they arent then the dog is overweight.

Answer 10

OH YEAH!!!...Slow down on the food and get her some exercise. Or you won't have her around much longer. I'm not trying to be harsh here, just putting it plain and simple.

Your vet is not saying anything, they just see dollar signs. You have to ask the question, then they see more of the $$$$....ya dig?