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Any other big Cavs out there?

Susanna

Well-known member
Any other big Cavs out there? PICS ADDED

My 8 month old male Cav weighs 30 lbs, is on a diet/exercise regime, but not only that, he's taller and longer than most Cavs I see. I knew he'd be a big boy, according to the breeder who breeds the litters for the larger size, but I guess that's not common, since Brian stands out.

Are there any large Cavs here?
 
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We adopted a Blenheim male, 3 YO, in January through Cavalier Rescue and he was 35 pounds. Now he is down to 32 and is at *his* perfect weight. There are some larger Cavaliers, but over 25 is definitely the minority.

If you can't see a defined waist and easily feel his ribs when he is standing, he needs to lose some weight. At 8 months old, though, I can't imagine he's hugely obese? Maybe he will just be a rare "big one". Personally I like them on the big side since I have a preschooler.
 
Is Brian overweight? You said he's on a diet/exercise routine. I also know a couple Cavaliers in that range, the important thing to consider is whether their weight is right for their frame ... does Brian have a discernible waist? He might just be large and not really overweight.

That said, Cavaliers that large are really anomalies. The one I know is from a great show breeder, but doesn't have any large siblings. A Cavalier in the 20 lb range is not that uncommon, but good breeders typically try to breed to standard. I'm not sure if any reputable breeder would be trying to breed large Cavaliers.
 
My Oliver is a trim and slim 26-27 pounds. He is however at least 15+ inches at the shoulders, whereas Riley, my petite one, is probably about 10 inches at the shoulder. These are just rough guestimates since I'm not really sure where exactly to measure from. But Oliver is much taller and longer than my other three.
 
I forgot to add in my last post, that Oliver was 31 pounds at 11 months , and I was told in no uncertain terms to get his weight down. He has maintained at the same weight (~26 pounds ) since then and he is 8 years old now.
 
Daisy is a bigger girl, too. She is definitely longer than average, and I think some taller, too. She is 27.4 pounds (down from 28.8 -- yeahh! Still have about 4 or 5 more to go to get to what the vet says is probably her ideal weight.)

I would have preferred the smaller end of the size range, to be honest, but of course, I think Daisy is absolutely beautiful and I wouldn't trade her for any dog in the world. (I'm not exactly on the petite end of the size spectrum either, so who am I to judge?!)

We have 2 rescue Cavaliers right now. Both are much smaller/shorter framed than Daisy. One is 22.4 pounds and the other is 26.4 pounds. The heavier one definitely needs to lose a few.
 
We get asked all the time whether Maggie is a full cavalier (she is), because she's apparently extra long and tall. (??!?)

At one year and two months, she weighs 17.5 pounds, which I don't think is that much - she's certainly not starving but cuts a very sporting figure. You can still feel her ribs and she has a nice waist, but I don't think she's so thin. She's really tall and leggy as can be. Since her last bath last week her paws have gotten even bigger, so I wouldn't be surprised if she puts on a few more pounds as she grows up.
 
I should add, she still seems tiny to me compared to the other cavvys we meet in the neighborhood. But she still has some filling in to do. Some people just like to think they got one over on you. :rolleyes:


One more edit: Her neurologist said SM is often due to many cavaliers having brains the size of a labrador, in that tiny little skull. So maybe it is a good thing overall for those of us with big cavaliers?
 
My Barney is one of the biggest Cavaliers I have seen he is longer tall and is very big the last time we were at the vets for his vacs and MOT he was heart clear but does need to lose some wieght my vet say to get him down a lot will let you know when he is down I will not put his weight on here because I have seen what has been said about big cavaliers and there owners
BarneySam1.jpg

---Aileen and the gang(Barney---Jazzie---Jake)
 
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We meet a big cavalier at the park not that long ago, he was adorable:)
you can see the size difference between mine and him:biggrin:

dogs011-20.jpg
 
I will not put his weight on here because I have seen what has been said about big cavaliers and there owners
---Aileen and the gang(Barney---Jazzie---Jake)


???
What has been said?
I think anything derogatory would show the ignorance of the blabbermouth who said anything.
 
One more edit: Her neurologist said SM is often due to many cavaliers having brains the size of a labrador, in that tiny little skull. So maybe it is a good thing overall for those of us with big cavaliers?

No, this makes no difference according to neurologists. SM occurs in all sized cavaliers with many different shapes of head -- it seems to be correlated to them being a small, short-nosed breed. It is the interior space and shape of the skull which doesn't directly correlate to how large the head or the dog is.
 
Kizzy is about 24 pounds and very long and tall. We're starting to wonder if maybe she's crossed with a springer! She looks very similar to the cav/springer cross that was posted on the rescue pages and has flecks of brown in her white coat...
 
I agree Suzie. Some dogs are bigger and thats in their genes. My shih tzu is a big guy. He gets one cup of dog food a day. 1/2 cup in the morning and 1/2 cup in the afternoon. Maybe a very very small cookie a day. I swear we could give him a 1/2 cup of dog food a day and he'd still be his size. Its in his genes. His mom and dad were the same way etc. To put other shih tzus by him though is like that picture--we had another shih tzu before him and she was so much more petite-smaller etc. He is not fat--just muscular. You can tell an overweight dog vs muscular etc.
 
Leo is bigger than nearly every cavalier we've met. He weights 11kg and is very tall and broad. The vet actually said she doesnt feel he is over weight because he has a defined waist and certainly doesnt look fat.:D

But he is certainly much bigger than most others.

Mel
 
I just measured Brian...he's 16 inches from front leg to shoulder. His parents are large, too, but it looks like he's bigger than they are.

Karlin, do you think the breeder was just giving me a line about breeding bigger Cavs to improve the breed? I know it's too late now, Brian is mine forever, but in hindsight I'm confused about size vs genetic problems. Larger nosed=better breathing which puts less pressure on the heart valve issues. Larger skulls to accommodate their brains to avoid SM. Longer legs to weed out hip dysplasia. A few more reasons, she said.

Anyway, I don't mean this thread to debate. Just to get some information, and mainly to see if my big boy is an oddball!:)


We're going to a Cavalier Meet tomorrow in Manhattan, so I'll take some pics of Brian and his Cavvie friends to post here.
 
Unfortunately, I don't have a big cavalier. I have a small cavalier. She only weighs 10lbs and she's two years old now. She's on the thin side because I like my dogs thin but she's also about 10-11 inches at the shoulder.
 
My Murphy is a tall, long lad, he's around 16" tall at the withers, and is 22 and a half pounds. He's a good weight for his size, and quite lean.

I used to worry, as he doesn't have a waist as such, but the vets is always happy with his weight. He told me Murphy doesn't have such a noticeable waist as he's so long and thin. Must be nice, wish I could say the same:rolleyes:
 
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