Is My Labrador The Right Weight?
Many Labrador owners mistakenly believe that Labradors should be thickset and do not realise that they are overweight. If your dog does not look lean and muscular or is showing signs of fatigue then it is overweight and needs help.
Labradors love to eat, so tend eat to excess and gradually put on weight. Because the weight goes on slowly many owners do not see that their Labrador is getting fat. Suddenly their Labrador looks like a coffee table from above and no longer has a waist.
You should not be able to see all your Labradors ribs, if you can he or she is underweight. You should however be able to see the most prominent 3 or 4 ribs when you look at your dog carefully. When you stroke your Labrador, you should be able to feel all of their ribs. The dog should not feel bony, rather muscular with the ribs barely perceptible as you pass your hand over its ribcage.
If you are at all unsure that your Labrador is a healthy weight, take them to the vet. Your vet will weigh your dog and tell you exactly how much weight they need to lose or gain. Whilst there tell your vet what your dog eats and take any advice they offer on improving your dog’s diet.
Leaving your Labrador overweight will not only stop you getting the best out of your dog, but will lead to health problems later in life. Labradors are prone to hip problems and arthritis, if they are overweight at any stage of their life the chances of them developing those problems dramatically increases.
Overweight Labradors will become very lethargic and may suffer from mood swings. The fatter the dog is the more likely it is that this will be a problem. The sugar levels in the dog’s body become unstable, which can lead to changes in your dog’s state of mind. Your dog may also become diabetic as a result.
If your Labrador needs to lose weight, start by cutting back on the little titbits that you feed him or her between meals. A Labrador never says no to food that includes the half-chewed biscuits that your toddler leaves lying around. Make sure that you only feed your Labrador on dog food and that you do not exceed the recommended amounts. Instead of feeding your dog once, a day split the meal into two, so that the dog has two meals to look forward to and their metabolism ticks over more evenly over the course of the day.
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