I do obsess over my pets, and my current obsession is their weight. Because of their past career as professional athletes, I recognize that their bones and joints have endured much more stress than the average pet, and I don’t want to add to that stress by having them carry extra weight.
The reason this has been on my mind this week, in particular, is because a stranger approached me at a meet-and-greet and asked me why my two dogs were “so much bonier” than the others. A strange turn of the tables for me, I must admit. When we first got Bruno (our first greyhound), we fed him too much, too often, and he fattened up very quickly, ballooning up to 10 pounds over race weight. Yikes.
Honestly, he looked terrible. Looking at pictures taken of him while he was at this inflated weight, it’s impossible to tell he had ever been a very successful racer who ran 137 races and won many of them. There was something very sad about it.
We finally got it under control, and about 2 months ago he weighed in at 70 pounds, just two pounds over his race weight. Now that we’ve switched to the raw diet, he weighs 66 pounds, and I think he looks fantastic. I can see three ribs and his hipbones, and he looks healthy and athletic.
Hoover raced at 69 pounds, and he now weighs 65. He looks “ribbier” than Bruno, and I’d like to see him gain one or two pounds. Hoover is more active than Bruno, and it’s apparent to me now that he needs bigger portions to keep more meat on his bones.
I’m glad that man asked me about their weight at the meet-and-greet, though, because it made me think and realize that Hoover could use a bit more chow. At the same time, it made me evaluate my whole philosophy and confirm my commitment to keeping my boys lean, even if that means they go a little below race weight.
7 comments:
I enjoyed reading your post. I've also been looking and Nick and Rosie trying to decide whether or not they are at the right weight. A little ribby = good, ribs you can play like a xylophone = bad.
Now I just wish someone would ask a similar question about my weight! I would be nice to hear comments like "How does she stay so thin?" Maybe I need to put Nick in charge of portion control for my plate.
I pay a bit more attention to hip bones than to ribs. My first dog was very barrel-chested, and she looked right with a couple of ribs showing. Sam, on the other hand, has a sort of flat rib cage and either all the ribs show or none of them. And Jacey is my porky one, with weight issues complicated by thyroid issues.
Sam never raced, but his weight has been at 65 pounds (plus or minus 2) for years now, and he looks very good. Jacey's weight has gone from 55 to 61, and she raced at 57. Right now, she's at 56 (on the PetSmart scales), but I'd like to see a bit of a hip bone on her. You can see a hint of ribs, but it takes some hunting to find her hip bones.
When people ask about "Why so skinny?" I point out that dogs getting on and off the sofa as much as my guys do should not be carrying any extra weight.
Right now my Gemini is 6 pounds above racing weight. He looks good and is healthy. I'm trying to keep him at that weight.
As for my Heater, you can see and feel every rib, but he has arthitis and I don't want him gaining another ounce.
Now, if I can turn this obsession on myself.....
My dogs get too skinny too sometimes. I try to make sure I look at them for that on a weekly basis. Typically mine look best about 5 pounds under race weight.
Jen
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One thing I try to keep in mind is that sickness can wipe 5 lbs. off these dogs in a heartbeat...not that I'm advocating fatness (for my beasts...me, I'm not so sure).
Addie, we usually get the comment at M&Gs, "why are they so skinny?" and I then fall into my spill about weight control, body type, race weight, etc. I always tell folks that they prefer to be called "slim" rather than "skinny". And, of course, like everyone else, I'd much rather have their metabolism than mine!
Wow...seems to me that we have a concensus, and I'm not alone in giving this lots of thought. Since I posted this a couple of days ago, I added a little more to Hoover's meals and voila!, his xylophone is gone.
He looks better now, and if I can just keep him EXACTLY like he is now, we'll be golden. I do worry about one little illness on a guy who's too skinny, so I'm pretty comfortable with how everybody's figure looks now. Everybody with fur, that is. :-)
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