Should I be concerned? Gaining weight

[Diana Erhart]

I just had Charlie at the vet's office to pick up more heartworm, flea and tick medicine. The vet tech weighed him to make sure she gave him the correct dose of each. Charlie was just weighed 2 1/2 weeks ago when he had a lump taken off of his tail. In that time, he has gained over 3 pounds!!! His diet has not changed at all and he is getting the same amount of exercise. Is this something that I should be concerned about? I had been letting his hair grow out over the winter so he has gained about 5 or 6 pounds since last fall. I should mention that he is a mini ALD so up until now he has weighed about 22-24 pounds. He has always been a picky eater and is NOT food motivated so he has always been on the skinny side. He is getting groomed tomorrow so I am going to ask the groomer to weigh him before and after his haircut to see how much of the weight is actually from his hair. Of course I will ask the vet next time I go in to see her but is this something that I should be more concerned about and make an appointment sooner?

[F, Calla & Luca]

I doubt the hair makes that much difference. But I also think the weights can vary a lot due to collars and leashes, movement etc. Before you panic try to get some weights under controlled conditions. If Charlie is small enough you could weigh him at home by weighing yourself and the holding him. The you could eliminate the collar and leash variable. Also you could weigh him at the same time of day etc. A dog would have to eat an awful lot extra to gain that much weight in 2 1/2 weeks.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Well, he's middle-aged now, so his metabolism has probably slowed down. A 20% plus weight gain in less than 6 months is pretty significant. However, scales are not always accurate and the time of day they're weighted also plays a role. I think it's unlikely that he really gained 3 lbs in 2.5 weeks, especially if his exercise and calorie intake stayed the same. 

I'd just keep an eye on it. If he continues to gain weight like this, I think some blood work would be in order, but I wouldn't worry as long as there are no changes in his appetite and behavior. 

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

I've noticed scales at the vet's office give different readings depending on where you stand on the scale and if the dog is sitting or standing.  I got on the scale at my vet's office and stood at different spots on it and there was as much as a 1lb difference and had Cubbie sit and stand on it in the same spot and there was another 1lb difference so standing in 1 spot for one visit and sitting in another spot on the scale at the next visit could result in up to a 2 lb difference.  I think those larger scales are good for big dogs that can stand right in the middle but there seems to be too much variation depending on the placement of a small dog.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Even with the big dogs, the number is constantly fluctuating unless the dog hold perfectly still, which never happens, lol. The slightest little shifting of weight, like if they turn their head, and the numbers jump or down. 

[Lynda Kamrath]

I would say (just off the top of my head) that there is something wrong with the scale.  He could not gain 3 pounds in just a couple of weeks.  Ask the groomer to weigh him and I will bet that he is not over 25 pounds.

[Kate C Pappas]

Hi Diana: Personally, *I* would be concerned about a significant weight gain like Charlie's in such a short time. Plus, since he's a mini, I'd be asking the vet right away. Could it have been a read error?

Hugs, Kate and the "Y" Girls

[Diana Erhart]

Hi Kate.  I just weighed myself on my scale at home then weighed with me holding Charlie.  I came up with a similar weight.  I am going to have the groomer weigh him tomorrow for me, both before and after his haircut.  If it still seems way off then I will give the vet a call and talk to her.  She is very sweet and doesn't mind me calling with questions.  Thanks for your input!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

3 pounds on a mini seems like a lot. I would run him by the vet's office and re weigh him on the same scale.  We have had misreads on all of our dogs before at one time or another. When we switched to Orijen Ned gained close to two pounds, so I measure his food now.  He weighed about  27 pounds before and bounced up to almost 29.  He still feels 'skinny' but I do not want him to continue gaining.

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

I used to weigh my guys at least once a month just to keep track of their weight.  I have only weighed them once since I moved, but I should start doing it again because I like to be able to keep an eye on their weight and it is fairly easy to do with mini doodles :)