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Is Katie Too Skinny?


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Hi!

 

Wasn't sure if this should go here or in the Health forum, but thought it is most likely going to be seen in either one.

 

Katie seems to have dropped a noticeable amount of weight recently, and I was wondering what people here think. She is also seeming to be hungrier than normal (tonight she counter-surfed a soy sauce packet from last night's Chinese, something she generally never does.) She had been getting 2 cups of Taste of the Wild a day, and keeping a fairly steady 54-58 pounds (sometimes up a bit sometimes down a bit, but mostly in the middle there). She has been getting more exercise, going from staying at home pretty much all the time to actually going on walks several times a week. Do people think that the increase in exercise is a likely first suspect for the weight loss? The second most likely cause I can think of is hookworms (well, worms in general, but hookworm is the one that she has come down with before), but I am not seeing any of the other symptoms that I have in the past. I am going to up the amount to 3 cups a day and see what happens. If it is just the increased exercise, how long should I give it to see if the increase in food makes a difference? I'd hate to delay too long if it turns out to be something that needs medical care, but don't want to jump the gun if it's just a case of "feed more". The pictures aren't the best, being both cell phone and originally meant to just give me an indicator in X amount of time that there is a difference, or not. And her coloring makes it difficult to tell sometimes, because the brindle runs along her ribs and tricks the eye.

 

Click thumbnails for larger view.

 

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Thanks for your thoughts, guesses, and opinions!

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My blog about helping Katie learn to be a more normal dog: http://katies-journey-philospher77.blogspot.com/

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I know that the package calls for more, but she's held a steady (and good, not too heavy not too thin) weight with the 2 cups (sometimes up to 2.5) for the last 2 years. Which is why I am finding this weight loss to be puzzling, unless she's just being more active in general (which is possible... she was quite a spook when I first got her, and now has calmed down and mellowed out, and is being more normal-dog-like).

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My blog about helping Katie learn to be a more normal dog: http://katies-journey-philospher77.blogspot.com/

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Do you know how much she weighs right now? She does look a bit skinny in the first pic where you see ribs, but sometimes whether you catch them breathing in or out can make a difference in how they look in a photo. She doesn't look bad in the standing pic. When she's standing up and relaxed, can you consistently see all/most of her ribs? If so, then she's underweight.

 

I find that my dogs can gain or lose weight based on minor changes in activity level, so her increased exercise lately may be the culprit. If she seems completely fine otherwise (good appetite, normal stools, not lethargic), I would just increase her food like you're planning, and give her a couple weeks. Most greyhounds seem able to gain and lose weight quickly - I suspect because of their relatively high metabolism compared to other breeds. I look at my dogs weight on a daily basis and make minor adjustments to their feeding amounts as needed, based on how much of their ribs and hips I'm seeing (or not).

Jennifer &

Willow (Wilma Waggle), Wiki (Wiki Hard Ten), Carter (Let's Get It On),

Ollie (whippet), Gracie (whippet x), & Terra (whippet) + Just Saying + Just Alice

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Guest KsFrets

Our little Maggie's racing weight was 52 pounds, and she's 58- 60 these days (7 years old). She eats a solid three cups of kibble a day plus treats plus selective scraps. She looks great with a hint of two ribs, and slight hip bone. She's been as high as 65 and looked pudgy, and lower than 58 and more than three ribs show, and she acts famished. We do a two mile walk every evening. If I only gave her two cups a day, she would probably eat the couch and then start on the dining room table and chairs.

http://www.greyhound...ear=&birthland=

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I know that the package calls for more, but she's held a steady (and good, not too heavy not too thin) weight with the 2 cups (sometimes up to 2.5) for the last 2 years. Which is why I am finding this weight loss to be puzzling, unless she's just being more active in general (which is possible... she was quite a spook when I first got her, and now has calmed down and mellowed out, and is being more normal-dog-like).

 

My male weighs 64 pounds, and he gets two cups of TOTW (and abundant treats, I admit!). She looks perfect to me, but I think a Greyhound is SUPPOSED to be slim. And I also happen to think there are a LOT of overweight Greyhound pets.

 

Drop a stool sample off at the vet--that way you don't have to wait and see if the food increase helps and THEN test her for parasites!


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Susan,  Hamish,  Mister Bigglesworth and Nikita Stanislav. Missing Ming, George, and Buck

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i just enlarged the standing pic and i think she looks fine. when they are lying down it's hard to tell- their ribs always seem to show if they don't have a layer of "padding". i don't think you can go by their racing weight, annie raced at 61#, she's now 58 and has much more covering her ribs now, she was all rear muscle. emily raced at 60, she went to 61 that was it. if her hip bones are not really protruding then i would say she's fine, but i like my dogs lean, they are runners. my salukis were also always lean.

 

i never follow the recommendations for food as published on the bag. annie eats 3 cups daily- 58#s, felix who is 77#s eats 4 cups, emily did really well on 2-3 cups. it's the dog, their age, their activity. i also find that upping their food just produces lots of "waste" (many many poops). when felix drops weight after a week of heavy running at the beach- i add 1/4c more kibble and some rice and they do recover and gain weight quickly. the last thing one wants is an over weight dog who is on a diet- it's a PITA!

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Guest zombrie

I know that the package calls for more, but she's held a steady (and good, not too heavy not too thin) weight with the 2 cups (sometimes up to 2.5) for the last 2 years. Which is why I am finding this weight loss to be puzzling, unless she's just being more active in general (which is possible... she was quite a spook when I first got her, and now has calmed down and mellowed out, and is being more normal-dog-like).

 

My male weighs 64 pounds, and he gets two cups of TOTW (and abundant treats, I admit!). She looks perfect to me, but I think a Greyhound is SUPPOSED to be slim. And I also happen to think there are a LOT of overweight Greyhound pets.

 

Drop a stool sample off at the vet--that way you don't have to wait and see if the food increase helps and THEN test her for parasites!

 

I'm with you there, I think a lot of people don't know the proper weights for greyhounds. Everyone comments on how skinny my dogs are but the vet thinks they are perfect.

Katie looks perfect to me. I wouldn't go by the picture of her laying down, they all get ribby looking when they are laying down like that.

The vet told me for a good weight in a greyhound, the the hip bones should be visible (you shouldn't have feel around to find them) but obviously shouldn't be too prominent.

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I think she looks good too.

 

I never pay too much attention to the quantities suggested on the bag. They are guidelines, but every dog is different. Sagan is an 82lb male but he only get 3 cups of food a day (and treats). If he had the recommended 4 cups, he would be fat. Trust me. I've had him on 4 cups a day before.

 

Merlin is the same. He actually eats 2.5 cups a day total. And his food is low-fat food. But he is older now and less active (i.e. much less running) because of his arthritis, so his food had to be adjusted. I would have them lose a pound or two each, to be honest, but then I tend to think that it's always best for dogs, greyhounds especially, to be a couple of pounds lighter than a couple of pounds heavier.

 

Wow - Katie really is a beauty, isn't she? :wub:

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Kerry with Lupin in beautiful coastal Maine. Missing Pippin, my best friend and sweet little heart-healer :brokenheart 2013-2023 :brokenheart 
Also missing the best wizard in the world, Merlin, and my sweet 80lb limpet, Sagan, every single day. 

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Guest 2dogs4cats

She looks fine to me, but if she is hungry and dropping weight,it would make me wonder what is going on. 2 cups seems a bit low to me, but they are all different. If it continues, I would see the vet.

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I generally try to keep her lean. It's more that she is losing weight when being fed the same amount where she didn't lose weight before. But if, as JJng said, greyhounds lose/gain weight easily with changes in activity level, then I won't be too concerned. She's just feeling a little too bony to me when I pet her. I'll post back in a week and let you all know if the extra food seems to be making a difference.

 

I did forget, until bedtime, that I had given her Xanax yesterday (we were at a big dog event, where she mostly slept in her crate and did very well), and that tends to give dogs the munchies, so that might explain the counter-surfing.

 

And yes, I totally agree: she is gorgeous!

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My blog about helping Katie learn to be a more normal dog: http://katies-journey-philospher77.blogspot.com/

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Guest WhiteWave

I think she looks fine. Some dogs even of the same breed, are naturally leaner than others. Ronon even when racing looked meaty vs other dogs I've had like Xander who showed ribs and hips in racing condition.

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She looks good to me, too. She's just a little peanut! :) It wouldn't hurt to increase her food for a week and see what happens with her weight/behaviour but I would probably increase by 1/2 cup to begin with instead of a full cup.

 

I much prefer a lean greyhound to a chunky one.

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You should be able to easily see the last two or three ribs. Her hips should be identifiable. Some greyhounds have a natural "dragon back" where part of their spinal process is prominent, but Katie doesn't seem to be one of them. If you can see most or all of her ribs when standing, then she's too skinny.

 

I would drop off a stool sample. Hooks seem to be particularly prevalent this year around the country. And also increase her food. She's such a peanut that even a moderate increase in activity will have an impact on her weight. And a half-a-pound or a pound loss on a small dog is more visible than on a larger one.

 

She's so cute! We don't see enough pictures of her!

Chris - Mom to: Felicity (DeLand), and Andi (Braska Pandora)

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Angels: Libby (Everlast), Dorie (Dog Gone Holly), Dude (TNJ VooDoo), Copper (Kid's Copper), Cash (GSI Payncash), Toni (LPH Cry Baby), Whiskey (KT's Phys Ed), Atom, Lilly

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Guest sweetpea

Katie looks good to me, Sweetpea's right around the same size (#55), and she gets 1 1/2 cups of food 2x a day.

 

Some days she eats all she's given, some days she leaves some behind, but she's always right around 55-58 pounds.

(I wish I was so good at self regulating!)

 

Buzzy

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  • 2 weeks later...

If it was me I'd probably up the food a half cup per day, to accommodate for the increased activity, but don't go crazy about more food. Wait and see. She looks fine to me. She looks a lot like my Diana has for most of her life with me. If she keeps dropping I'd suspect worms, and you don't always get other symptoms, and really, that's an easy fix most of the time.

 

Greys (in my personal experience only) can be weight yo-yos. They can drop and gain amazingly quickly. I don't fret over a short period of time - I look for longer term trends.

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I upped her food the half cup, and it seems to have taken off the skin-and-bones feel, without putting too much weight on her. So I am going to put it down to the increase in activity, and possibly the weather getting colder.

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My blog about helping Katie learn to be a more normal dog: http://katies-journey-philospher77.blogspot.com/

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My dogs have always dropped weight when the weather gets cooler. They are also far more active with the cooler temps

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Guest greytone

I think she looks a little skinny. You should only be able to see the last 2 or 3 ribs. Some other thoughts that I have for you is: have you changed her food or is she not eating well? Or maybe she isn't feeling well? How much food are you giving her? Maybe its not enough and you could be killing her more.

 

Also, to put some weight on her I would give her cheese, chicken breast, hamburger, scrambled eggs and I sometimes give my 12year old greyhound bread as a special treat.

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