Thunder is 9 years old so he is considered a senior dog. His age has not slowed him down, but one thing we have always struggled with is maintaining his weight.
When he was younger, we had trouble keeping weight on him.
In the above picture Thunder is 93 pounds and is too thin. You can actually see his ribs. Thunder’s ideal weight is about 95 pounds. At that weight he looks healthy and fit.
As a senior dog, we now fight to keep Thunder’s weight down. This past winter was particularly challenging because February was freezing and March was icy. It was difficult to get Thunder out to exercise. As a result he put on a few pounds and at his annual vet appointment he weighed 102.
Yikes!
Not only is that too heavy but it also matters for his heart worm preventative. Thunder takes HeartGard Plus chews which are dosed based on the dog’s weight. The largest chew they make is for dogs 51-100 pounds. If a dog weighs over 100 pounds then you have to add a second chew (say the chew for dogs up to 25 pounds).
I am told that the HeartGard Plus weight limits are forgiving when it comes to a pound or two, but we would rather be safe than sorry. We purchased a couple of the smaller chews to add to Thunder’s normal dose for a couple of months hoping that he would drop the weight once he was able to get out and do some training. We also cut his food back a bit.
We used up the two smaller doses in April and May so with June fast approaching, it was time to check Thunder’s weight. I loaded him up and headed off to the vet last night to weigh him. If he was still over 100 pounds, I planned to buy a couple more of the smaller chews to add to the larger chews we had already purchased.
I can report that he weighed in at 97 pounds. He lost 5 pounds in 2 months with a bit less food and more exercise. We still hope to get him down a couple more pounds but for now, we will take it!
Hunt test training benefits the dogs in so many ways including helping to keep their weight in check.
We hope to get some training in this weekend, although tomorrow might be a wash out. Darn!
Have a nice weekend!
Thanks to SlimDoggy, MyGBGV Life, and To Dog with Love for the FitDog Friday Blog Hop!
Way to go Thunder, great job on the weight loss, can I drop Nellie off by you? Great pictures.
We’ll take Nellie anytime. 🙂
Magnificent senior fellow captured in action! Same deal with heartworm for Little Butt, below that 50 pounds at annual checkup, so off to vet before next dose, issue with Erynn is she is starting to build muscle mass, though her stature is still petite..
Swimming today to avoid tomorrow’s “washout”!
Barley’s weight is always a struggle for her, too! In the spring/summer, we walk a ton, but it’s hot so once we’re home she just wants to nap instead of romping around the house, too. In the winter, we have too much ice and snow for consistent outdoor workouts. If I try cutting back her food, she waits until I turn my back and climbs on the counter to eat the cat food instead, so she ends up eating more than she was on her normal diet. We’re in the process of trying to get a couple pounds off right now, too. Glad Thunder’s had so much success lately!
I struggled to keep weight on Koda when I first adopted him. Luckily after going through a few different foods to find the right one for him, he is just right now 😀
ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!
It has been interesting for us, finding Earl’s correct weight. As he is so active (vets say he could be classed as a ‘working’ dog) with all his training in agility and competing, he lost some weight when he was being fed the usual amount for his age, size and current weight. BUT, we realised that really, he needed a little extra due to all his physical activity. He is a muscle machine, with an amazing waistline now! Ethel is also a lean little pup, but she is a perfect weight for her. Luckily for us, we have found their ideal food to be fed on, which keeps them both at good weights.
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Well done Thunder. I know how easy it is for the weight to creep up – especially on Seniors who aren’t as active as they once were.
Mr. N tends toward being underweight which is good in a way because there are really only a finite amount of treats we can train with! I do worry that he won’t have a “fat reserve” if he gets sick though.
And good job on the weight loss!
Good job keeping a close eye on his weight! As Katie gets older and is less active, Mom has decreased her food. Just like older people, the metabolism changes and activity intensity lessens, so one has to adjust feeding accordingly. Great job losing the 5 lbs.
at the age of 12, Sophie can’t get around like she used to so weight is an issue with her. She hates being on a diet so we give them carrots and apples which don’t have a lot of calories but fills them up.
He’s a handsome fellow.
He’s doing great. He clearly loves being outside and being active, so it won’t be hard to persuade him to do a bit more to lose a few more pounds. You’re doing a great job.
Great job on the weight loss; I didn’t realize how big he really was (as in size only not weight). Laika’s 70 lbs and she still thinks she’s a lap dog. I think I might get a hernia if she was any bigger.
Good job on the weight loss. It’s hard sometimes for us to take that extra couple pound off. 😉 And often times even harder to get it off our dogs. I think my dogs it was a good couple of years to get the weight off, but they were also both losing a minimum of 25 pounds.
Wow, great job getting those pounds off! It’s not easy. It was a rough winter and I’m glad that’s behind us now. So are the dogs, so they can get more food and treats now that they’re more active!
That’s some pretty impressive weight loss! Mr. K might need to follow in your footsteps. He’s up to 25.8 pounds! Much love, The Scottie Mom.