Skinny Minnie Doodle

[Lee Seidman]

Our Lexi is the best Doodle ever, she is just a fantastic little girl. She has never been a great eater but since we home cook for her she has turned the corner and is eating much better. The problem is she is pretty active and at 19 months has not topped the 40lb mark. She is so cute but soooooooooooooooo skinny. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to fatten her up a little?

She is built more like a Poodle then a Doodle...........

[F, Calla & Luca]

What do you think she should weigh and why. Being a little underweight is better than overweight.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I agree. Leaner is better. As long as she's healthy and active, she's at a good weight. And lots of doodles continue to gain weight well past 2 years old. I would just ask the vet about her body mass at your next visit.

[Adrianne Matzkin]

Lee, I don't think Lexi is underweight. Charli is built the same way - tall and lean. She is barely over 40 lbs and she is taller than Lexi. She just looks heavier because of her coat
Ms. Lexi is a PIA I agree - she wouldn't even touch a Zukes and mine go nuts over them!
What does your vet say ? That's the most important thing.
See you tomorrow?

[Sam]

This could be a picture of Ollie and I often think is he underweight? He doesn't look really skinny but I think he should eat more than he does. Ollie is a large medium doodle (also 19 months) and weighs 41 pounds (just had to do a quick conversion on google as we are kg here.....lol.....) He has never been much of an eater. He has (or should I say I put out) 2 cups of biscuits in the morning that are slowly eaten over the day but quite often just picked at, a chicken wing for lunch (which is always eaten) and I make him a mince / barf mix for his dinner which he eats occasionally. I have started taking the food away after half hour but I often throw it away the next day. (Obviously not a big fan of my cooking........) I tried him on those meat rolls you can buy from the supermarket which he likes but I'm not convinced they are the best thing to feed him????? How much do you feed Lexi??
He is very active so its not as if he is lethargic through lack of food.
Sorry to go on but I'll be interested to see what others say..... By the way she is very cute!!!!!
Sam

[F, Calla & Luca]

I have a large medium just slightly older who weighs 41 Lbs. His ribs are easily felt and I think he's just right . He runs and jumps and is active. I leave his food, Solid Gold Kibble out for him and he usually eats about 3 cups I'd say. My small standard who weighs 50 pounds and is, I think, a little chunky.

[Lee Seidman]

Lexi is becomming a better eater. We always mix Origen with home cooking trying to get her some additional vitamins. We give her a pet tab daily, she usually will eat a small chicken breast or sometimes we give her pork roast or some "satin Balls mixed with lean chop meat. (Google to see satin balls , a friend started us on these with home cooking.) We feed her twice a day, around 1 1/2 cups to 2 cups each feeding. she rarely finishes. We also treat her with dried chicken breast.and she looves those. Sometimes she just skips an entire meal.
Lexi has a run and a back yard that she can access thru doggy doors so is pretty active. I guess it is just her nature to stay lean. I wish the same were true for me !

[Kelli, Fenway, & Dustin Pedroia]

My doodle Fen is 22 months old, only 27pounds, and is long and lean (she's and F1b, Mom smaller standard poodle and dad medium labradoodle). I often feel she is too skinny too, but every time I go to the vet she comments about what a good looking dog Fenway is and how she wishes more of her dogs were lean like Fenway. I always ask if she's maybe a little too skinny, but the vet says she has the lean poodle build and looks perfect. As long as she's eating well and healthy and your vet isn't concerned I wouldn't worry too much about it. You can take a look at my page and see some of the pictures of Fenway with her shorter hair and tell she's really skinny, but evidently an ideal weight according to my vet!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I think she looks absolutely perfect! My vet told me this trick. She said you should be able to feel their ribs (slightly) and their body should taper nicely toward the back. She said this is how I can always know that Guinness is at the best weight for his body. I don't know about your Vet, but mine is on a personal crusade against excess weight in dogs. She believes it is partially responsible for all the joint problems she is seeing recently. I guess I wouldn't worry unless there's really no "meat" on his ribs. I'd be interested in your Vet's perspective.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Yep, excess weight is linked to joint problems. And just like people, dogs gain weight as they age. Many of us with doodles over 3 years are struggling to get their weight down, which is much harder.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

This is the detailed version of what my vet said I should use to monitor Guinness's weight....

Veterinarians often use a 9 point scoring system to evaluate the body condition of pets. A point value of 1 means the dog or cat is extremely thin to the point of emaciation. A score of 9 means the pet is grossly overweight. And like Goldilocks and the three bears, a score of 5 is 'just right.' To determine body score, there are several specific areas of the dog or cat we look at. Remember, these are guidelines. A Greyhound with a score of 5 is still going to be thinner than a Bulldog with the same score.

To perform the rating, we first feel the pet's ribs. We should be able to quite easily feel the ribs. There should be a slight amount of fat over them, but each rib should be distinct. If you can see the ribs, the pet is too thin. If you can not feel them at all, the pet is very overweight.

Second, check the area near the base of the tail. There should be a slight fat covering over this area and it should feel smooth. If the bones protrude, the pet is too thin; if you can not feel any bones at all, the pet is very overweight.

Third, feel other bony prominences on the pet's body such as the spine, shoulders, and hips. Again, you should be able to feel a small amount of fat over these areas. If these bones are easily felt or visible, the dog or cat is too thin. If you can not feel the bones beneath the layer of fat, the animal is obviously overweight.

Fourth, look at your pet from above. The animal should have a definite waist behind the ribs. If the waist is extreme, or again, bony prominences are visible, the animal is too thin. If there is no waist, or worse yet, the area between the ribs and hips is wider than the hips or ribs, the dog or cat is grossly overweight.

Fifth, look at the pet from the side. Dogs and cats should have an abdominal tuck, i.e., the area behind the ribs should be smaller in diameter than the chest. This can vary a lot between breeds. Irish Setters and Greyhounds, for instance, appear to have a much more distinct abdominal tuck, since they are so deep-chested. An animal who is too thin will have a very severe abdominal tuck. Overweight animals will have no abdominal tuck.

If you feel your dog is overweight, consult your veterinarian to determine if there are any other medical problems before starting the animal on a weight reduction program. Your veterinarian can also suggest various diets, how fast your pet should lose weight, etc.

[Adrianne Matzkin]

I wish Samantha had the poodle body! She doesn't eat all that much (MAYBE 2 cups of California Natural and chicken for dinner) but she can't get rid of that lab fat roll. She gets exercise by playing ball but can't seem to loose weight. I worry about arthritis as she gets older but I don't know what else I can do to get some pounds off of her. She weighs 62 lbs.
Any suggestions?
Oh, I did try the lower calorie CN but she wouldn't eat it and with Charli being a puppy it wasn't enough calories for her and needless to say, it is impossible to feed 2 different kibbles.

[Linda, Webber and Seda]

How many calories are in the California Natural? Could you cute Samantha back to 1 cup of kibble and more chicken?