Is He Looking A Bit Pudgy To You?

[Guest DogNewbie]

Hey everyone,

 

I wasn't sure if this should be in health/medical or food/diet. I thought it was more health related so I put it here.

 

I was looking at this website and I am trying to decide if Wiley is a bit to "thick" or not. He is my first greyhound and my first dog. Wiley is a male, neutered, 5yo and two years off the track. When we first got him, he was about 69-70 lbs with horrible dandruff and a rough, dull coat. He is now about 79lbs with a soft coat. I can see his last 2-3 ribs and can feel all of them. We walk every day (2-3k) and on the weekends (3K). Tuesday nights we have agility and sometimes we go to practice on additional days. He has gained a lot of muscle since getting him and he has huge hind leg muscles and shoulder muscles.

 

Right Side Picture- not happy about standing for pictures!

 

 

Left Side Picture

 

 

Topline Picture

 

 

Thanks for the advice! If you think he is a bit overweight, I won't be offended. He is getting 2 cups of Natural Balance LID Duck at night with some beef broth and 1/3 can of wet food. He doesn't eat his breakfast, but if he does, he gets 1 cup of dry Natural Balance Duck. He gets 1 denta stick per day and training treats and 1-2 dog cookies per day. He gets the wet food/broth because if he doesn't, he does this dry chocking sound and coughs up his food.

 

Thanks for the help!!

[Time4ANap]

He looks retired to me. I think he looks fine.

 

Rocket's weight would always fluctuate when our walks slowed down over the winter in Illinois. Now it's the opposite, our walks slow down over the summer in Phoenix due to the heat. I think as long as he is eating okay, and getting regular exercise with no health issues, you are good.

 

I've found that Rocket looks more like a racer when he comes back from boarding and has run with other greyhounds for a week or so. The muscles really bulk up fast when they run and he has more of that "racer" physique after a week or so of playing hard.

[XTRAWLD]

What an adorable look he's giving the camera!

 

I don't see hip bones, or the ribs...well faintly on the one pic, but if you can that's all that matters He does not look overweight to me. My Ryder looks very much like that, and I know he's a bit hefty but what's strange...I tried to tone his food down, and he lost 8 pounds in as many months and you know what...he looks the exact same......as he did before the weight loss.....

 

If he's happy and healthy, that's good!

[Guest Lygracilux]

What an adorable look he's giving the camera!

 

I don't see hip bones, or the ribs...well faintly on the one pic, but if you can that's all that matters He does not look overweight to me. My Ryder looks very much like that, and I know he's a bit hefty but what's strange...I tried to tone his food down, and he lost 8 pounds in as many months and you know what...he looks the exact same......as he did before the weight loss.....

 

If he's happy and healthy, that's good!

 

 

The pic in the 2nd photo....so cute.

 

I agree with XTRAWLD.

He doesn't look thin, but not overweight either. To me he just looks like a big, healthy boy. I mean, look at that neck. He must be rock solid.

[Guest Wasserbuffel]

He looks overweight to me. No backbone or hip points are showing at all, and his tuck is in danger of disappearing. A guy who raced at 70lbs really shouldn't weigh more than 74 or 75 as a pet.

 

You can use plain water to moisten his kibble and keep him from hacking it back up by eating too fast.

 

 

When we first got him, he was about 69-70 lbs with horrible dandruff and a rough, dull coat. He is now about 79lbs with a soft coat.

 

If you look at the chart on the page you link a dog who raced at 70lbs who gets above 80 is obese.

[scullysmum]

Another vote for "looks just fine to me", he is well covered, not fat and certainly not obese, he clearly gets plenty of exercise and it doesn't sound like he's eating everything in sight. My current boy Johnny gained 10lbs in his first year with me, he wasn't thin when I got him, and he's certainly not fat now. Keep up the good work

[OwnedBySummer]

You may find this article on Greyhound Crossroad's website useful.

[MP_the4pack]

In the famous words of Goldilocks. he is JUST right!

[a_daerr]

He could stand to lose a few- maybe get back down to 75-ish. I wouldn't be too worried about it, though. Some greys, particularly Kiowa lines, never look ribby no matter what weight they are.

[Jerilyn]

I’m not very good at judging Lila’s weight by looking – more muscle definition when she’s more active, more fur in the winter, etc. I occasionally have phases when I think she looks too fat or too skinny. I just run her over to the vet and get her on the scale. And she’s always within a pound of her standard weight.

[Guest chickenpotpie]

He looks SOOOO FLUFFY This has been a rough winter for lots of people / dogs. Lucky came through ok, but boy her fur! there was so much of it that she looked quite overweight! she's not, and weighed in at 67lbs last trip to the vet but still, fluffy fur can hide a pups lines. And hell or high water (or in some cases blowing snow) we went on our walks and/or played in the yard. If you're worried, reduce his food a bit and maybe add some extra time on the walks. You don't appear to be overfeeding, though I don't know what the treat situation is. You may want to reduce those too if you think its too much. Overall I think he looks good sans a bit in the hind parts.

[Feisty49]

It's difficult with his coloring to get a good look, but if he were mine, I'd want to take off a couple of pounds. I don't think he's fat, and certainly not obese, but I just think he'd look better a bit lighter. He is a gorgeous guy and I love his fuzzy wuzzy belly. It reminds me of Annie's.

[Guest CatsandGreys]

It's hard to tell with pictures of brindles. But by what you say he sounds ok.

 

I wouldn't let him fill out in the tuck area any more though. He could probably stand to loose a pound or two.

 

He sounds like he has a great activity level though!

[Guest DogNewbie]

Thank you for all of the feedback everyone! So I just weighed him, and he is 78lbs. I am going to try and get him down to about 74-75lbs. Wiley never really had a super defined tuck, even when we first got him. He is fed and let out on a regular schedule. Then he gets treats for training and agility practice.

 

Here are some photos of when he first arrived in Canada:

 

 

 

It is kind of hard to tell, but I think in these pictures, his tuck is not as obvious as it is in some greyhounds.

 

Thanks so much everyone! I really appreciate the help!

[Guest AngelPup]

I think he looks perfect! It's hard to see definition on brindles, but he has a good side/belly tuck and I can see the last few ribs. He doesn't look skinny or fat--just right!

[a_daerr]

It is kind of hard to tell, but I think in these pictures, his tuck is not as obvious as it is in some greyhounds.

 

I agree. He doesn't have a very defined tuck or hip points, but you can tell he's skinny in these pics. He's got the dino-spine and ribs.

[Guest DogNewbie]

thanks for all of the help guys!

[Guest Bean_Scotch]

Another vote for loosing 5lbs or so here...he does look a little fluffy too me, but he's a gorgeous boy!

[krissy]

It's important for sport dogs to be lean. Carrying extra weight is hard on joints, and requires more effort to get over the big jumps. If you're going to have him in agility I'd recommend erring on the leaner side of ideal weight. Even at greyhound events I often see a lot of dogs that, by my standards, are a little "over".

[Guest DogNewbie]

Ya, I'm going to try to get him to about 75# and maybe try home cooked meals.

[IndyandHollyluv]

Wow. What a handsome boy Wiley is. Looks so much like my beloved (angel) Indy. Very brindle-y with big, round "love me" eyes. I cast my spell on you! Look into my eyes - you cannot resist me! Sigh.

 

Anyway, I adopted a 5 y/o houndy girl in January 2015. When the adoption group brought her in for spay and dental in March 2014, she weighed in at 66 lbs.

 

But when I took her to the vet for blood work in March 2015 - she weighed 71 lbs. I'm not sure how much she weighed when I brought her home in January, but she looked liked she could lose a couple of pounds - despite the fact that she l-o-v-e-s to run and is quite active and athletic. Meaning she's not a retired slug.

 

I have been tinkering with her food as she has had a persistent pancake batter poo problem. So I am in the process of changing kibble brands and have trimmed her food back maybe 1/8 - 1/4 of a cup per day (I feed a mix of kibble and canned).

 

My girl went in for a dental last week -- weighed in at 69 lbs. Lost two lbs. Looking svelte. Two pounds made a HUGE difference!

 

If you think Wiley is bordering on the portly side (!!), try reducing his food ever so gradually - just a little. For your handsome boy.

Edited May 26, 2015 by IndyandHollyluv

[GreytTerp]

We used to have the chubby greyhound at all the meet-and-greets, as Marvin just isn't a high energy dog at all. We brought him home at about 65 lbs, but he peaked around 77 lbs, mostly during a cold winter and a time when we were struggling to find a food that produced good results or leave him driving us up the wall wanting food all the time. Wiley looks like he is built a lot like Marvin as well: no severe tuck, very thick neck and wider head (I laugh at the 'large greyhound measurements' for hound knit hats), fuzzy tummy, and just wider everywhere than nearly all the other hounds we ever meet - head, chest, rib cage, hips, the whole bit. He could probably lose a few pounds, just to ease any stress on his joints, but if you can see a few ribs, vertebrae, and hip tips, then it's not much. We got Marvin back down to his happy 72-73 lbs by just cutting back on his food a little bit until he leveled out (took out up to 1/4 cup per day from his usual 3 cups). Gosh, Wiley is handsome

[Guest DogNewbie]

Thanks so much for the positive support guys! I have cut back on his food and we are trying to do a bit of agility practice each night too! Thanks for all the compliments! He is my heart dog <3

[Remolacha]

Some greys just have a stockier build than others, looks like Wiley might be one of those, so he will never have the classic greyhound silhouette. Doesn't mean he is chubby, although the stocky ones are harder to judge by eye. Brindles are harder to see as well. I would say, if you think he needs to lose a few pounds go ahead and cut back on his food a little, but don't obsess, he looks fine

 

I am doing the same with Conner, just want him a little lighter.

[Guest Marsroving]

He could stand to lose a few- maybe get back down to 75-ish. I wouldn't be too worried about it, though. Some greys, particularly Kiowa lines, never look ribby no matter what weight they are.

 

My Mars is from a Kiowa line and he looked exactly the same at 86 as he does now at 71! I couldn't believe we actually got him back down to his racing weight! I honestly cannot tell by looking at him...to the point where I had him weighted three times! So yea, some of our hounds just aren't built to look super sleek. Mars is built more like a muscular tank.