In regards to a weight-scale chart....what is the *preferred* ....

[Woofie]

situation for a dog to be in; i.e. on the picture charts you'll see an emancipated, thin, ideal, overweight, and grossly overweight dog.

Creek is 15mnths old and is definitely in the thin category.

Our orthopedic surgeon recommended she remain in good weight her entire life due to having had OCD surgery on her left shoulder; so I wouldn't be too concerned regarding her thinness if she was full grown.

I don't think this girl is full grown; her stools are excellent, energy is fantastic and seems to have no digestive issues - I think it's just her age and whatever she might be mixed with.

Creek is 25" tall and maybe 47lbs.

How to Evaluate Your Dog's Weight - For Dummies

I have no problems adding calories to this girls diet, however she's already eating LOTS of food.

[doubledip1]

Luna is a teensy bit chunkier than "ideal". She's got a great tuck-up, clear waistline, but slightly more padding over her ribs than those charts like to see. I'd call it a quilt instead of a sheet. :-)

How calorie dense is the food?

[Snowshoe]

The chart itself says that "ideal" will vary by breed. Both GSD we know are beyond thin and on the way to emaciated but they are active and energetic and seem healthy other wise. Both their backbones are prominent and Oban's was too, when he was sick. I'd draw that emaciated dog with a definite hollow alongside it's backbone.

But I have a question on the "thin" dog. It looks like maybe the model is a Lab. In the Thin dog the front ribs are showing but the back ones are not. I'm not sure how realistic the chart is meant to be but when Oban lost all that weight his back ribs showed first. My field trainer commented that he likes to see the last three ribs. Is that typical for a Lab? Or does it apply to other breeds too? That the last ribs show first as weight is lost and then the other ribs begin to show up too?

[Snowco Labradors]

I do not like the charts as a guide. You need to go by how "your" dog looks and when you put your hands on their ribs.

A lab should not have a tuck up (English bred anyway) (field lines can and/or will have a tuck up).

Last 3 ribs showing is too thin IMO.

[CraftHer]

I'd call it a quilt instead of a sheet.

Love this! I've heard their ribs should be felt but not seen.

[Woofie]

Creek's spine, hip bones are definitely prominent - no fat layer period. Her ribs are not as prominent, but very definitely easily felt.

Creek eats raw; her meals are between 350 - 480 kcals/8 oz patty/cup depending upon which meat/veggie combination she's eating. I try to rotate her proteins; she gets eggs, yogurt, etc on top of that too.

She's eating roughly 2lbs of food a day - 75-80% of that is meat/protein

[POPTOP]

It's so hard with Mardi having had 4 litters. Because of that, she has no tuck up but definitely has a waist. She's the type that has loads of skin.

Snowshoe: It's been an eye opener with Archie. He joined us he looked so painfully thin, IMO. We could see his hips, backbone, ribs. Was shocked when the vet and trainer said he did not look bad, maybe gain a few pounds but not much. Such a difference between the breeds.

[doubledip1]

I LOVE this chart... Luna would be a 5 to a 5.5.

[shelly]

That's a great chart! I have seen one like it before but it didn't have the "Best in Show dog" as an overweight example. Did someone photo shop it? Our Lab just had TPLO and has gone from a 7 to a 3. They want him to stay at a 3 but I think he looks too thin. I like the 4-5 range. As dogs like people tend to creep as they age the lower we keep them when they are young the less the creep should matter.

[Snowshoe]

I LOVE this chart... Luna would be a 5 to a 5.5.

Did the chart come with the scored photos? Or did a third party add them in?