Weight gain 6 weeks post adoption - ideal weight?

[steerpike]

We've had our lad (in the UK) for approx 6 weeks now.  When he was adopted, he was approx 35kg and wasn't seemingly underweight for a greyhound - his ribs were quite prominent as were his pointy hip bones at the end of his back.  We kept him on the same diet as he had been on while in kennels (2 mug fulls of Pets at Home Complete Nutrition Kibble and half a pouch of Wainwrights meat x2 daily). 

Over the last few weeks, we've been feeding him Natural Instincts raw - approx 300g, 1 mugful of Gain 20 kibble plus some sardines and green veg also x2 a day.  

He's now noticeably chunkier - his ribs are barely noticeable and his hip bones have disappeared.  He's certainly not fat but I don't want to put his legs under any strain so keen to keep an optimum weight. 

He has 2 walks per day of approx 40 mins each time (quite vigourous exercise as he's youngish and only recently finished racing)

I'll try and exercise portion control but wondered if there was an ideal weight for a male Greyhound.  As a guide, he's towards the end of the scale in terms of size - i.e. a very large dog.  Should I be sticking to around 35kg or is it natural that they put on weight once adopted - I'm inclined to think he's getting a better diet now, but maybe I'm getting the fat content wrong?

Edited October 25, 2021 by steerpike

[DocsDoctor]

There's some helpful advice + photos here. I have always understood that you want to see/ feel just a hint of hip bone when you run your hand over the dog's back, and the last couple of ribs. Look also for a 'condition line' running across the ribs at low level - it's very visible on the photo of the healthy-weight fawn dog whose photo is top left on the link.

Sounds to me like a bit of portion control is probably in order, going forward!  On the other hand, muscle weighs more than fat so if he was sitting around in kennels before you adopted him, and is now getting more walks, he may have been building muscle.

If you are in doubt, ask your vet - in my experience, UK vets are usually pretty good on what a greyhound should look like, having come across plenty in vet school. Mine have always been happy for me to go in and get one weighed in passing and free of charge, and even throw in the odd treat = "happy" vet visit, which will help make future ones less fearsome. Of course, Covid may well have changed that. 

[steerpike]

@DocsDoctor Thank you, really useful advice and the website is a handy reference.  I will indeed take him to the vets as they have walk on scales for dogs so I can see how much he's actually put on.  Based on the link you posted, he's well short of obese. 

[EllenEveBaz]

My Gelsey thinks the ideal weight for a retired greyhound is about 50 kg / 110 lbs.  She looked on the thin side to me when she first arrived this summer, and conned me into giving her larger portions by whining, sighing, yipping, and of course the big sad eyes for hours before mealtime.  She gained 7 lbs in 6 weeks!  She is now reluctantly losing the weight.  .  

[HeyRunDog]

I feed Grace on a mix of Gain Maintenance and the Greyhound Trust's kibble with 1/2 a tin of sardines or a scrambled egg as a treat on Sunday's and was advised to try and keep her close to her racing weight which she still is within 1/2kg either way.

18 hours ago, DocsDoctor said:

If you are in doubt, ask your vet - in my experience, UK vets are usually pretty good on what a greyhound should look like, having come across plenty in vet school. Mine have always been happy for me to go in and get one weighed in passing and free of charge, and even throw in the odd treat = "happy" vet visit, which will help make future ones less fearsome.

I agree. Grace is enrolled on the local vet's care plan and gets weighed, nails clipped, checked over every 3 months and given treats . It also includes flea and tic treatment and her worming tablets.