Canine obesity is finding its way into most households. Despite what you see on Facebook or Twitter, chunky dogs are not cute and them being overweight actually puts them at risk for serious health problems and even shortens their life span. In fact, according to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, 22% of owners who say their pet's weight is "normal" actually own a pet that is obese. Although different dog breeds have different energy levels and exercise requirements, it is important to be sure your dog is staying fit and active. Not only does a lack of physical activity cause dogs to become overweight, but it also can lead to boredom, which can then lead to behavioral issues.
Your dog's diet has a lot to say about you as an owner. You want to be sure that it reflects upon you positively, and that you are not overfeeding your dog. Do you know how to measure the correct amounts of food for your dog? The steps are easy. Let me show you!
First, you want to figure out what your dog's daily calorie intake should be. The average dog, to maintain their current weight, needs about 30 kcal per pound of body weight. If you believe your dog needs to lose weight or gain, call your veterinarian to discuss your dog's diet. That being said, multiply your dog's weight in pounds by 30.
Ex.) My dog weighs 65 pounds, so I multiply 65x30 to get 1,950. The resulting number is your dog's calorie intake.
Once you've figured out how many calories they should be eating daily, you need to find out exactly how that translates into their meals (plus treats!). Most dry bags of kibble will tell you on the back how many kcals per cup of food, or ounces of food. This is helpful- if Fido's daily intake in calories is 1,050, and he eats 4 cups of chow a day, with each cup of chow being 600 kcals, you've got a bit of an issue. Again, I am not a professional, so it is best to bring up your concerns with your veterinarian. I do not suggest drastically altering your dog's diet without consulting a nutritionist first.
However, if you are going to change your dog's food intake, a good place to start is with treats and people food. Although a dogs kcal intake may be at a certain number, most people do not think to calculate treats into the equation. Most pet dogs are given people food- although I'm not going to take a stance on this, (yes- I am guilty of doing this with my own dog.) it is important to count this into your dogs daily diet. If your dog is overweight, eliminating people food and treats is certainly a good place to start.
This all being said, let's talk about breed standards. I have posted photos below and I want you to answer my question. Is this dog emaciated?
No, this dog is not underweight. This is an extremely healthy example of a fit breed standard Azawakh.
Yes, this dog is extremely malnourished and emaciated. This is a Shih Tzu (shaved for veterinary purposes). Although seeing ribs is not necessarily a problem in dogs, (most fit dogs that are mostly muscle will show at least a small bit of rib), we can tell the Shih Tzu in the photo is not a healthy weight for many reasons. One, the spine and hip bones are clearly protruding from the body. Certain bones should be felt easily when petting a dog, but not to the point of being able to count each spinal disc with your bare eyes.
Although both show ribs, they are not both healthy. A Shih Tzu has a completely different breed standard than an Azawakh. Azawakhs are known for being thin and lean. They should healthily be able to show their bone structure due to thin skin, according to their AKC standard. However, when it comes to Shih Tzus, their long and silky show coat makes it difficult to see any structure at all. This being said, certain breeds, such as Labrador Retrievers or German Shepherds, have multiple bloodlines within their breed. Show line labradors and field line, labradors look entirely different- same goes for Golden Retrievers. German Shepherds have 5 different types- American Show Line, West German Show Line, West German Working Line, East German DDR Working Line, and the Czech Working Line. Though there is a visible difference in each of these dogs aesthetically, the physically healthy appearance should still be remotely similar.
To learn more about your dog's weight or their breed standard, visit:
https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-pet-obesity
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/
https://www.woodhavenlabs.com/dogweight.html
Photo Credits and Outside Educational Resources Given To:
http://bani-bangou.blogspot.com/
https://www.gofundme.com/emaciated-shih-tzu-tossed-from-car
https://germanshepherdcorner.com/german-shepherd-breed-types/
Your dog's diet has a lot to say about you as an owner. You want to be sure that it reflects upon you positively, and that you are not overfeeding your dog. Do you know how to measure the correct amounts of food for your dog? The steps are easy. Let me show you!
First, you want to figure out what your dog's daily calorie intake should be. The average dog, to maintain their current weight, needs about 30 kcal per pound of body weight. If you believe your dog needs to lose weight or gain, call your veterinarian to discuss your dog's diet. That being said, multiply your dog's weight in pounds by 30.
Ex.) My dog weighs 65 pounds, so I multiply 65x30 to get 1,950. The resulting number is your dog's calorie intake.
Once you've figured out how many calories they should be eating daily, you need to find out exactly how that translates into their meals (plus treats!). Most dry bags of kibble will tell you on the back how many kcals per cup of food, or ounces of food. This is helpful- if Fido's daily intake in calories is 1,050, and he eats 4 cups of chow a day, with each cup of chow being 600 kcals, you've got a bit of an issue. Again, I am not a professional, so it is best to bring up your concerns with your veterinarian. I do not suggest drastically altering your dog's diet without consulting a nutritionist first.
However, if you are going to change your dog's food intake, a good place to start is with treats and people food. Although a dogs kcal intake may be at a certain number, most people do not think to calculate treats into the equation. Most pet dogs are given people food- although I'm not going to take a stance on this, (yes- I am guilty of doing this with my own dog.) it is important to count this into your dogs daily diet. If your dog is overweight, eliminating people food and treats is certainly a good place to start.
This all being said, let's talk about breed standards. I have posted photos below and I want you to answer my question. Is this dog emaciated?
No, this dog is not underweight. This is an extremely healthy example of a fit breed standard Azawakh.
Yes, this dog is extremely malnourished and emaciated. This is a Shih Tzu (shaved for veterinary purposes). Although seeing ribs is not necessarily a problem in dogs, (most fit dogs that are mostly muscle will show at least a small bit of rib), we can tell the Shih Tzu in the photo is not a healthy weight for many reasons. One, the spine and hip bones are clearly protruding from the body. Certain bones should be felt easily when petting a dog, but not to the point of being able to count each spinal disc with your bare eyes.
Although both show ribs, they are not both healthy. A Shih Tzu has a completely different breed standard than an Azawakh. Azawakhs are known for being thin and lean. They should healthily be able to show their bone structure due to thin skin, according to their AKC standard. However, when it comes to Shih Tzus, their long and silky show coat makes it difficult to see any structure at all. This being said, certain breeds, such as Labrador Retrievers or German Shepherds, have multiple bloodlines within their breed. Show line labradors and field line, labradors look entirely different- same goes for Golden Retrievers. German Shepherds have 5 different types- American Show Line, West German Show Line, West German Working Line, East German DDR Working Line, and the Czech Working Line. Though there is a visible difference in each of these dogs aesthetically, the physically healthy appearance should still be remotely similar.
To learn more about your dog's weight or their breed standard, visit:
https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-pet-obesity
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/
https://www.woodhavenlabs.com/dogweight.html
Photo Credits and Outside Educational Resources Given To:
http://bani-bangou.blogspot.com/
https://www.gofundme.com/emaciated-shih-tzu-tossed-from-car
https://germanshepherdcorner.com/german-shepherd-breed-types/
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