How Do You Tell If They’Re Getting Too Fat?

[jshell]

Betty Joan is a smaller Greyhound, and has typically weighed between 53 and 58 pounds for the six years I’ve had her. This past summer she got really sick (hypoalbuminemia) and dropped down to 42 pounds! And had a stroke/vestibular syndrome incident, and went on prednisone. Anyways, at her most recent vet visit she was up to 60 pounds! She looks and feels really healthy for her age of 8.

 

Now I worry about the line where I might still be feeding her too much. We’ve recently switched food. Her main food used to be Purina Beneful; during the summer she was mostly on Prescription Diet I/D. Now we’re trying out various high quality foods to try to prevent any further gastrointestinal / protein loss related issues. (Currently trying Nutra Source grain free lamb, which Betty is finicky about at breakfast; and starting to try Acana Grasslands, also grain free, which Betty currently loves).

 

These new foods feel a bit more dense, so I’m trying to find that new balance of how to feed her. Hopefully our next vet visit won’t be for a few months as everything is settled and we’re in the final stages of weaning off the prednisone. So after all of that the basic question is:

 

What visual / physical signs can be used to tell if they’re getting to be too fat? Where do Greyhounds start to put on the bulk? I’m not worried about Betty being 60 pounds, but I don’t think she should be too much more than that.

 

Thanks.

[OwnedBySummer]

The vet shouldn't mind at all if you whip in and out, using the scale. I do it all the time.

[Guest RaznNik]

So glad your girl is recovering well. You might want to call the vet to just check, because I believe when you are on prednisone you tend to gain quite a bit of weight, and as you are weaning her off, she might just come back down to her normal weight after she is off it for awhile. Not sure I would worry about her weight right now, but am sure if you just call to double check with the vet, they could give you a quick phone call back.

Keep up the great recovery Betty Joan!

[Guest KennelMom]

The only time our dogs get weighed is when the vet does it. Like human weight, scale weight isn't really a very good measure (other than drastic changes) since it tells you nothing about body composition.

 

Most greyhounds come off the track with a lot of muscle. They lose a lot of that muscle simply by being retired/less active and after being altered. Most of our dogs actually weight less than their racing weight.

 

And, every dog is built a little differently. Some can be fat but still have hip pointers showing. Some will lose their hip pointers and still show some ribs. USUALLY, the ribs are the first to disappear and then the hip pointers. Rule of thumb, the last 2-3 ribs should be visible and the other ones easily palpable and you should see the hip pointers as well. The dogs should look slender.

 

eta: I wouldn't worry about weight too much until she's fully weaned from the prednisone.

Edited September 20, 2011 by KennelMom

[OwnedBySummer]

If they lose their tuck-up... they're waaaaaaaaaaay too overweight! I've seen it and it's terrible.

Edited September 20, 2011 by OwnedBySummer

[Feisty49]

I read that we should be able to see the faint outline of the last three ribs and just the points of the hips. So if we don't see some bone, we're over feeding. But as somebody said, Prednisone makes a person gain weight and I assume it's the same with a dog. My girl weighed 61 pounds at the track. When I adopted her, after being in 3 foster homes, she weighed 68 pounds and the vet said that was a perfect weight for her.

[Yamaha_gurl]

My bf suggests weighing yourself, insuring that you haven't gained or lost weight, them picking up your grey and seeing what the total is

[philospher77]

A rule of thumb someone told me once: Run a finger along your dog's ribs. Now, make a fist. If the ribs feel like the back of the hand, the dog is too fat. If they feel like the knuckles, he's too skinny. If they feel like the fingers, the weight is fine.

 

It's a rough estimate, of course, but it does provide a handy reference.

[PrairieProf]

The vet shouldn't mind at all if you whip in and out, using the scale. I do it all the time.

 

Absolutely! My vet's scale is right out in the waiting area. It is very important to me to keep Beth's weight where it should be and I like knowing for sure.

 

She got admired at our reunion picnic Saturday for her elegant build -- but although she is a beautiful hound, I think what they were really noticing is that, in contrast to most of the dogs, I have not let her put on those extra pounds. Where I always see a difference is how narrow or wide they are across the top of the hips.

Edited September 20, 2011 by PrairieProf

[Guest KennelMom]

When I adopted her, after being in 3 foster homes, she weighed 68 pounds and the vet said that was a perfect weight for her.

 

I have had vets tell me that an overweight greyhound was at a good weight. They were either trying to be nice or they didn't know what the proper weight for a greyhound was. And I have told them right back: Uh, no...this greyhound is actually overweight.

[Feisty49]

I so agree with OwnedbySummer that an overweight Grey is very unattractive and obviously unhealthy. Dogs get fat because the humans in their lives overfeed. If I couldn't see the faint outline of Annie's ribs, let alone her losing her tuck, I'd blame myself.

[jshell]

What is the ‘tuck’?

[seeh2o]

What is the ‘tuck’?

When you look at them from the side the tuck is the smallest part of their "waist". It is up (hopefully, if they aren't overweight) behind the chest, in front of the rear legs.

 

Here is a side picture where you can see Carl's tuck, and his manliness :lol

Edited September 20, 2011 by seeh2o

[Guest Swifthounds]

The only time our dogs get weighed is when the vet does it. Like human weight, scale weight isn't really a very good measure (other than drastic changes) since it tells you nothing about body composition.

 

Most greyhounds come off the track with a lot of muscle. They lose a lot of that muscle simply by being retired/less active and after being altered. Most of our dogs actually weight less than their racing weight.

 

And, every dog is built a little differently. Some can be fat but still have hip pointers showing. Some will lose their hip pointers and still show some ribs. USUALLY, the ribs are the first to disappear and then the hip pointers. Rule of thumb, the last 2-3 ribs should be visible and the other ones easily palpable and you should see the hip pointers as well. The dogs should look slender.

 

eta: I wouldn't worry about weight too much until she's fully weaned from the prednisone.

 

Exactly.

 

When I adopted her, after being in 3 foster homes, she weighed 68 pounds and the vet said that was a perfect weight for her.

 

I have had vets tell me that an overweight greyhound was at a good weight. They were either trying to be nice or they didn't know what the proper weight for a greyhound was. And I have told them right back: Uh, no...this greyhound is actually overweight.

 

 

Vets, except for some track vets, will almost never think a fat greyhound is fat.

[jshell]

Vets, except for some track vets, will almost never think a fat greyhound is fat.

 

That's a good reminder.

 

On our last visit, I found out that my vet is familiar with track hounds. I don't think he worked there, but he spent some time there in school and even had a greyhound himself. He'd previously given indications that he knew about racing-related injuries and wear'n'tear, but it was only recently that I found out how he knew about that. I guess as long as he says Betty Joan is looking good that I can trust his judgement.

 

He's a mobile vet (he has an office but we just have him visit us as I don't drive), so stopping by for quick weight checks isn't an option.

 

A mobile vet who has personal experience with greyhounds and track dogs but works in the Salt Lake Valley, far from the racing world. I feel pretty lucky to have him.

[Guest sweetpea]

At the kennel, what I've noticed is that the dogs start look really "smooth" when they're overweight.

No rib-bumps, no hip bumps, no spine bumps. Not that you should see all these bumps all the time,

but when you can't see any of them at all when they're moving, that's chubby.

 

Buzzy

[XTRAWLD]

My boy is on predinsone (low dose) and he can't put weight on, so no - it doesn't necessarily mean you automatically gain weight when on that drug. Weight has always been a struggle with our boy.

 

You should be able to see the outline of 2 ribs and a bit of the third, some spine showing an perhaps even a bit of hip bone. Kasey (who is the one on pred) is actually a little under weight to my eyes, and my other boy Ryder is just right. Oddly, Ryders hip bones show, Kasey's do not....however Kasey has up to 3 ribs showing.

 

If you see NO bones anywhere on your grey - IMO it could stand to lose a little weight.

Edited September 20, 2011 by XTRAWLD

[Guest LindsaySF]

I don't bother with a scale, I just go by looks.

 

 

Most greyhounds come off the track with a lot of muscle. They lose a lot of that muscle simply by being retired/less active and after being altered. Most of our dogs actually weight less than their racing weight.

 

And, every dog is built a little differently. Some can be fat but still have hip pointers showing. Some will lose their hip pointers and still show some ribs. USUALLY, the ribs are the first to disappear and then the hip pointers. Rule of thumb, the last 2-3 ribs should be visible and the other ones easily palpable and you should see the hip pointers as well. The dogs should look slender.

 

Teagan has always been lower than his race weight too.

 

I go by the last 2-3 ribs. Don't go by hip bones, they vary too much.

 

 

Another general rule of thumb: If (non-Greyhound) people out in public aren't telling you your dog is too skinny at least once a week, then it's probably fat.

 

 

 

Vets, except for some track vets, will almost never think a fat greyhound is fat.

[Guest KennelMom]

Another general rule of thumb: If (non-Greyhound) people out in public aren't telling you your dog is too skinny at least once a week, then it's probably fat.

 

I almost posted that too

[Gryffenne]

Another general rule of thumb: If (non-Greyhound) people out in public aren't telling you your dog is too skinny at least once a week, then it's probably fat.

 

I almost posted that too

I was thinking that as well. Although in our new area, while I have a feeling that Sammi is the only greyhound here , generally people are either used to seeing skinny breeds or are too polite/shocked/stunned to say anything about her being "too skinny". In turn, I have seen relatively healthy dogs and only a few chunkies.

[Guest Celestrina]

I wish DH would believe me when I tell him that you should see a few ribs and the hip pointers. He insists she is underweight.

[Feisty49]

Re vets not knowing good weight for a Grey: My vet owns 2 Greyhounds herself and has for a few years. She knows what she's talking about.

 

As I said in another post, IMO, it comes down to us knowing our Greys better than anybody. Even after only 2 months of having Annie a part of the family, it was obvious that when she had bad diarrhea, she was also losing weight (**all** her ribs were sticking out like the bones they are and a trip to the vet's scale confirmed 4 pounds lost). It is now obvious that with the diarrhea gone and on a 'script food, she has gained the 4 pounds back and maybe 1 or 2 more so I cut back on her food by a quarter cup in the morning and the evening and it's making a small difference already.

[Guest Swifthounds]

A mobile vet who has personal experience with greyhounds and track dogs but works in the Salt Lake Valley, far from the racing world. I feel pretty lucky to have him.

 

Wow. Nice.

He doesn't have Bigfoot in that mobile office, does he?

 

Another general rule of thumb: If (non-Greyhound) people out in public aren't telling you your dog is too skinny at least once a week, then it's probably fat.

 

I almost posted that too

 

Or, if you go to a greyhound event and no greyhound folks ask you if your hound is just off the track.

[GeorgeofNE]

I read that we should be able to see the faint outline of the last three ribs and just the points of the hips. So if we don't see some bone, we're over feeding. But as somebody said, Prednisone makes a person gain weight and I assume it's the same with a dog. My girl weighed 61 pounds at the track. When I adopted her, after being in 3 foster homes, she weighed 68 pounds and the vet said that was a perfect weight for her.

 

People gain weight on Prednisone because it makes you hungry, and we have thumbs to snack when we want.

 

My dog (not George)was on Prednisone many, many times and never gained an ounce--what with not being able to serve himself!

[Guest Swifthounds]

People gain weight on Prednisone because it makes you hungry, and we have thumbs to snack when we want.

 

My dog (not George)was on Prednisone many, many times and never gained an ounce--what with not being able to serve himself!

 

Pred is also a calabolic steroid, so it encourages muscle wasting for energy and the storage of fat. A dog at the same weight with a higher body fat percentage will look "fatter" as stored fat replaces muscle.