# Confused by my vet!



## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

When I took Dexter for his pre-op check up the other day the vet accused me of 'half starving' him! She said he was way too thin/light and I must double his food portions. He is 9 kilos and the same size and weight of other cockapoos I know of the same age and size. He is very healthy and never seems hungry and I give him the amount recommended for his NI (he has just moved on to adult food) as well as 2 chicken wings a day and a few treats and chews. He is very active and has 3 walks a day.
I'm really wondering how much she knows about cockapoos and if she is comparing him to a cocker spaniel. Any advice please?


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

it could just be he has taken a groth spurt they can slim down during that. 

or maybe the vet is just so used to seeing over weight dogs she has forgotten what a healthy dog looks like.


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## paul1959 (Aug 3, 2010)

I'm with Kendal, on her second observation!


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## marzy (Aug 20, 2010)

hi 
our cockapoo is 9.3kg 
with all is fur he looks quite thick 
but when wet he's very slim/ lean I call it 
slightly longer legs and a long body! 
some cockapoos are built like cocker s some are like grey hounds! mine is like that! 
I wouldn't worry .
ifhes eating and exercising then he's a mean lean racing machine 

u wouldn't want a fat cockapoo 

how tall is he ? 
marzy 
x


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

I have doubled his food as she made me feel so guilty- he can barely finish it! He has never been an enthusiastic eater.


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

Marzy he looks deceptively big as he has a long fluffy coat but when he is wet you can see he has a tiny frame rather like a whippet but with quite long legs. Not sure how tall he is where do I measure him from?


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## wellerfeller (Jul 12, 2011)

Hi I wouldn't worry about it, all young cockapoos I have seen are on the light side, very little dog under all the hair!!
They seem to take a good 12/18 months to fill out and get a little weight on them Weller was a scrawny rat for a long time, so much so that I would hate it if he got wet in the park as he looked soo skinny!!! That has changed now he is in no way fat but just has a bit more weight on him. I think the nuetering helps too. So ignore your vet, she doesn't sound like someone who has seen many young poos!


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## pops (Aug 12, 2011)

Tilly weighs 7.7 kg and is 6 months old. So she must be even more starved!!
Don't worry if the dog is active and alert does it matter how much it weighs??


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## wellerfeller (Jul 12, 2011)

tessybear said:


> I have doubled his food as she made me feel so guilty- he can barely finish it! He has never been an enthusiastic eater.


I wouldn't double his food, may be add a little more but if he is faced with too much food it may put him off completely.


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## Nadhak (Jun 4, 2011)

Treacle is the same age - she weighs 11 kgs and is 40 cms floor to shoulder - she hardly eats - sometimes goes 3 days [worries me] but as she has continued to grow I have tried to relax about her eating.
It sounds like Dexter is very active and therefore very healthy - like humans I am sure every dog is different x 
Try a different vet x [does she know you are feeding NI - some are not so keen on raw feeding?]


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## marzy (Aug 20, 2010)

measure to the shoulder and neck to base of tail 
well if he looks like a whipped is say he's fine!! 
I wouldn't double his food tho xxxx,
I ve seen 1 cockapoo who's overweight and she's really grumpy.xxxx 
marzy xx


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## Kirsty (Sep 9, 2011)

I think they are just all different and will eat what they want. If we try to force more food on them than they want they'll either be put off or eat it and throw it up because their little bellies can't cope.

Cara is 9.2kg and looks skinny to me ... even worse when you give her a shower!!! I think she has used all her food on growing legs so far!!

She seems happy in herself and runs around like crazy. Maybe worth seeing another local vet if you are worried.

K xx


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## Sezra (May 20, 2011)

I would only agree with everything else that has been said. Daisy is a fluff monster until you bath her and she is a tiny little thing underneath. You should be able to feel their ribs and spine but you should still feel a layer of fat over it. My parents accused me of not feeding Daisy enough when we first got her as they thought she was too skinny. 

Like the others said I wouldn't feed double, however if he is an energetic dog then you might need to add a bit extra if you are worried. The suggested amount from NI is a guide and only you can judge whether he still seems hungry or has had enough.


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## DONNA (Jan 7, 2011)

How much are you feeding her?On NI i feed Buddy 6% of his body weight. Also when you say she has three walks aday are they off lead? and for how long.If off lead i would probably up her treats maybe some cheese as that is high in calories.

I must admit some days i think Buddy's had a growth spirt as he looks alot slimmer then the day before? I do have a friend whos cockapoo is a really fussy eater and omg you can feel the dogs bones everywhere now that is too skinny! 

I must admit i was also feeding Buddy some orijen kibble at lunch (half a cup) you could try that if your really worried buddy seemed to pile on the pounds when i was doing that.


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## Laura(L)Izzie (Sep 9, 2011)

I wouldn't double it either!
My Izzie is about 14.5" to the shoulders & she weighed 8.7kg roughly at a year old (fully grown) she may still bulk up but she doesn't seem to be so that will probably be final, our vet has never had a problem with her weight so I really wouldn't worry as Izzie sounds very light & is absolutely fine 
Good luck with your op Dexter!


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## RubyCockapoo (Feb 5, 2011)

I think you have to go with your instinct when in comes to your dog! The vet doesn't know how he eats, or how much excercise he has! Our vet said that Ruby was a little on the lean side at her annual check up - she's 10.6Kg. He said that there should be a 'covering' on her ribs and he thought you could feel too much rib! I see what he means, but I'm happy with what we feed her, and we also like to be able to freely treat her and use food for training without having to deduct it from her meals. Overall I'm happy that she's a healthy dog and am sure that her weight will fluctuate depending on the amount of excercise she has.

I think I'd be tempted to increase his food a little to see how he gets on and review weekly/monthly - if he gets used to loads of food and puts on weight it will be harder to reduce it. But as I said at the beginning - be guided by your own instinct - no-one knows your dog better than you!


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## JulesB (Mar 6, 2011)

I was told by one of the vet nurses that Betty would grow to about 20kg, she is only now at 19months 5.2kg!!! I think the issue with crossbreeds is vets don't always know what size they will end up or which parent they will take after. Betty is really lean and leggy whereas my parents neighbours have a boy cockapoo who looks much more show cocker build.

The vet nurse wanted me to see the weight specialist nurse with Betty as they felt she was a bit on the thin side but i know she eats her food and has lots of energy which in my mind means she is healthy and i don't want her to be overweight as that has further health implications.

I do also agree with Kendal that so many dogs are overweight that his becomes the norm.


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## colpa110 (Jul 5, 2011)

I agree with everyone else,Betty is 6.1kgs at 6.5 Months. She eats really well since being on Barking heads..I don't think there can ever be a norm with poo's as it depends on which parent they favour. Betty is definitely on the poodly side and has a slighter build underneath all the fur. She too looks like a whippet once wet - quite an ugly one at that(sorry Betty)..I keep threatening to post a picture if she does not behave herself


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## JulesB (Mar 6, 2011)

colpa110 said:


> I agree with everyone else,Betty is 6.1kgs at 6.5 Months. She eats really well since being on Barking heads..I don't think there can ever be a norm with poo's as it depends on which parent they favour. Betty is definitely on the poodly side and has a slighter build underneath all the fur. She too looks like a whippet once wet - quite an ugly one at that(sorry Betty)..I keep threatening to post a picture if she does not behave herself


How can you say that about Betty!!!!! But must admit my Betty doesn't look her best when wet!!!


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## jools (Nov 11, 2010)

Dexters only just 8 kilos at nearly 7 months - i think ur vets not probaby used to our lovely little breeds - loadsa fluff but not much underneath (hmmmm reminds me of wot my hubby says about me)!!!  x


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## mum2bobs (Jun 23, 2010)

Bobby gets weighed each time he goes to the vets and it varies between 9kg and 11kg! I dont know why there is such a variation unless the times he has been weighed needing a haircut makes him heavier.

She has never said that 9kg is too low for him though, even though I can easily feel his backbone and ribs.

To be honest, even if this was deemed as too low a weight for him there is little I could do. He has food down for him to munch on all day whenever he wants and is a healthy energetic dog.

I wouldn't worry too much about his weight if he seems happy and healthy to you. Surprised by her comments to be honest.


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## ali-s.j. (Jun 6, 2011)

My vet just told me the same thing about Izzy - he said she's too underweight to be spayed. Izzy is 6.2 kg at 6 months, fit, healthy and full of energy (and mischief )
The vet nurses who have been there when I take her in to be weighed, which I do regularly, have always said she's fine .....


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## MillieDog (Jun 1, 2011)

Millie is now an adult at 10months old and has started to fill out. Before that she was scrawny. It sounds like a cockapoo trait.

The first time I took Millie to the vets at 9 weeks old, she said that Millie would weigh about 10kg when fully gown. I haven't weighed her recently, but at my last check she was just over 8kg.


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## colpa110 (Jul 5, 2011)

ali-s.j. said:


> My vet just told me the same thing about Izzy - he said she's too underweight to be spayed. Izzy is 6.2 kg at 6 months, fit, healthy and full of energy (and mischief )
> The vet nurses who have been there when I take her in to be weighed, which I do regularly, have always said she's fine .....


How strange - she is almost exactly the same weight and age as Betty
and Betty was 'done' last week - the vet did not mention anything about her weight.


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## Rubydoo (May 11, 2011)

Hi

I too was worried that Ruby was under weight. She is fed NI and I was sticking to the guide they provide. However after speaking to a friend of mine who has 15 dogs that are spoilt beyond belief, she said that when you are feeding raw you should generally aim to feed a dog weighing about 10kg a lb of raw meat a day. Working this into grams, it equates to rougly half a kilo or half a tub a day.

I have to admit that when feeding the guide amount, it does not look a lot and since upping Ruby's food, she has filled out nicely. Her coat looks better than ever and her overall condition has improved. I must add Ruby is very active and has at least 3-4 hours walking a day, along with the ball thrower! 

I suppose it is down the individual dog, but I was once told feed them as much as they will eat. If you are giving the correct balance of food an exercise they will not put on weight... even those with the greediest of dogs I think would be surprised that their dog would give up when full!

James


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## ali-s.j. (Jun 6, 2011)

colpa110 said:


> How strange - she is almost exactly the same weight and age as Betty
> and Betty was 'done' last week - the vet did not mention anything about her weight.


My vet isn't doing Izzy's op, she's having keyhole surgery at the Dick Vet School. I'm just ignoring him!


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## Rufini (Sep 9, 2011)

when Vincent is wet he looks really skinny - he is so leggy!


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## Cockapoodledoo (Feb 8, 2011)

My vet is quite refreshing. He said that Basil was on the slim side when he last saw him but that he much preferred to see dogs that way as soooo many dogs he sees are overweight.

I think Dexter has looked absolutely spot on when I've seen him at meets .....and that includes seeing him wet too! 

Karen xx


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## strof51 (Sep 26, 2009)

ali-s.j. said:


> My vet just told me the same thing about Izzy - he said she's too underweight to be spayed. Izzy is 6.2 kg at 6 months, fit, healthy and full of energy (and mischief )
> The vet nurses who have been there when I take her in to be weighed, which I do regularly, have always said she's fine .....


Hi Ali
Izzy looked fine to me and she made Rosie look like a little dot. 
Rosie was 6kg when she was spayed and has had a bit of a growth spurt since we last met. The week after I had Poppy to the vets for her boosters and she's 10kg. The vet says they are both in fantastic condition and nice and slim with a nice covering of flesh on their ribs. Seems you cant win with some vets.


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

Thanks for your advice much appreciated. I am going to increase his food but not double it. He has seen other vets before at the practice and I have never been told he is too thin before.


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## Dylansmum (Oct 29, 2010)

When Dylan was a puppy, I fed about 5% of his weight, but after he was neutered, at 8 months, he put on a lot of weight as I didn't change him to adult quantities soon enough. He went from 8 1/2 kilos to nearly 10 kilos. Since then I have found that his ribs feel best at just over 9 kilos, and that is where I try to keep his weight. I do find that the recommended NI quantities are a little low, and on 2% of his weight, he loses weight, so I feed around 3% which seems to maintain him just right. He gets around 260-280 g a day and is pretty active. I also give a few bones each week.


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