The vet says he's Chunky?

[Sandy]

Just had Toby to the vet. He's 15 months now, and a big boy. He weighed in at 70.2 pounds. He is on the large size of medium, as far as doodles go, I'd say. Plus, he has fluffy black hair, so seeing his defined waistline isn't always easy.

That being said, the vet told me he was chunky! Toby eats 2 1/2, or at the most 2 3/4 cups of Nutram dog food per day. He gets almost no treats, and when he does, they are healthy treats. He runs and plays ball in the yard, has zoomies in the yard, and gets at least 2 walks a day. I'm certainly not going to cut his food down more - that's not much for a big dog. It's funny though - it's almost like the vet told me I was chunky - I was offended!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

He isn't on the large side of medium. He is large (of course my 26 pound doodle is on the small side of medium LOL)! Maybe the vet thinks he should be poodle-like and he is lab-like in body type! My daughter's 16 month old lab weighs 74 pounds and he certainly is not fat or chunky even.

[Sandy]

Hmmm....well, compared to other dogs, he doesn't seem that big to me. But then again, people DO refer to him as "that big black dog". :) Toby is a goldendoodle, bred from an English retriever and a standard poodle (on the small side), so I guess he has the English retriever body. Funny how it offended me to be told he was chunky, though.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Labradoodle size in terms of mini, medium and standard are based on height. I realize Toby is a goldendoodle but how tall is Toby?

[Sandy]

Hmmm...good question. I'd have to try measuring him when he's standing still, I guess. :) I think last time we measured him, sometime in the summer, he was around 22 inches at the shoulder? So I'm not sure what that makes him.

[Adina P]

Did the vet feel his sides/ribs or just say it based on weight? If she did feel him and find him chunky I'd trust the vet...it's much healthier for dogs to be a hair thinner than a hair chunkier. Rosco was declared chunky by ME (vet didn't use that word) because he'd gained 14 lbs this last year (and he's 3.5 yrs old so NOT growing). You wouldn't have to cut his food much...just keep it to the lower end of the range you feed and if that does nothing...try 2.25 cups...what weight did the vet say is better for him?

[Sandy]

The vet said he'd like to feel his ribs better than he did. Toby seems to have loose skin still - there's no way he could still be growing, is there? I guess I'll try to stick "absolutely" to 2 1/2 cups for now, and see what happens. It's just so hard to see him looking at me with hungry eyes. :)

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Sorry about the lab-body. Retriever-body!! LOL We also have two other dogs that we found were overweight due to inactivity. We cut their food down to the recommended amount for the recommended weight and they slowly lost until they were at the desired place. Our lab-mix does have the barrel chest of a lab and the squarer, trunky body so, of course he will weigh more than perhaps his brother who took after the Australian Shepherd mother.

[Stella]

Don't let him guilt you into giving in!! We always joke that Hartley pulls the 'thin face' when he thinks he should be fed... it is the lab in him!!

[Tante & Jordan & now Annie!]

I blame the Lab in Jordan as well for her "weight" issues. Poodles are perfect and would never ever over eat! ;)

You can feel her ribs, she has extra skin underneath that the Vet wants gone.My Vet said Jordan needs to loose 17p.Where she has 17p to loose I am not sure.Now Jordan only gets 2cups of food.Still no treats. I really think my Vet needs to see Jordan with out her full coat. I would say Jordan could loose 10p.

[Sandy]

Toby's coat is rather full right now too. I can see his "waist" from above, so he's grossly overweight anyway.

[Adina P]

ALL my dogs would eat all day if I fed them repeatedly...so yeah I agree with the rest...don't give in to those eyes. It's not hunger it's 'craving' ;-) It's PUHLEEEEZE mommy, one more ice cream cone...please *with batting eyelashes*

[Sandy]

I measure out his food in the morning, and when it's gone, it's gone. No refills. I spread it into three meals a day, because if he eats too much, too fast, he loses it (vomitting, I mean). :) I won't give in.