More weight issues

[shaznrich]

Further to the other thread about greys getting too heavy, I kind of have the other end of the problem. The girls are fine (just like with humans I guess) and I have to watch they don't eat too much. But no matter what I do, Selwyn always looks skinny.

I know about the 2-rib rule and you can always see more than 2 ribs on Selly, plus you can see is pin bones very clearly. I try to get him to put a little bit on by feeding him extra (complete food) or topping up with pigs' ear etc, but he's still skinny. And if i put down extra food for him he will just leave it when he's had enough. In all other respects he's fit as a fiddle - lovely shiny coat, as energetic as any of them are, happy and waggy etc. So I've kind of concluded, that like some annoying people, he is just naturally supermodel skinny. Or do you think I should be worried?

[Oskar]

One of my greyhounds is a big leggy boy who always has his ribs and pin bones quite prominent.

He eats 2-3 meals per day, burns athletic, pasta and burns tinned meat, as well as anything else he can scrounge, pigs ears and gravy bones etc etc. Half a day in kennels and he drops another kilo! He has never moved above 30kgs when he really ought to be at least 33kgs. The more he eats, the more he s**ts!

My vet says he'd like him to be a bit fatter but as he remains healthy in all other ways it is not a problem (other than people saying 'Oh look how thin he is') His litter sister has just come up for rehoming, and. guess what, looks like a blue version of Kate Moss and has the same issues about food.

My mum has a lovely saying about my little boy being 'one of Pharoh's lean kind' and I think you; like me, might just have to accept that you have a scrawny hound. Three years of nutritional analysis and home cooked food have not changed mine and as long as I know he is healthy I just have to accept the skeletal look is what he prefers!! You can fit three-four fingers amongst his back ribs but there is no way to change it other than fat realignement from me to him! Happy waggy, shiny and fit as a fiddle is a perfect way for a greyhound to be. XX

[shaznrich]

Thanks for that. Good to know he's not the only one! I would just hate to think that people think I don't feed him (God forbid!! )

[Flaperoo]

If Selly is happy, with lots of energy and the vet is happy with him I wouldn't worry too much.

Roo gets twice as much as food the other two and he too has more than two ribs showing. He only weighs 26.5kgs and although my vet said he would prefer it if he was 29-30kgs, he also advised that there is nothing to be overly concerned about either.

Roo can be a terrible worrier about nothing , so I put it down to high anxiety levels keeping his metabolism high bless him

Mary X