Dog Weight.

[tgrover]

I recently got a rescue cav. He was given the once over by the vets and i was told he was in perfect working order but he was over weight. And that he was over wieght by a few kilos. He currently wieghts 21. He wsa 22 kilos when we got him 3 weeks ago so went straight on to a diet.

He is a 3 year old male blenheim. After searching the net people have written that he should be any where between 8kg to 15kgs. Does anyone know the ideal weight!!

[sallymum]

I dont think there is a ideal weight for a cav they all seem to vary. I had Sam a rescue who weighted 24 ilb, he looked big but most of that was actually fur. I have Sally who is so small at one and a half that people thinks she is a puppy. I think with Cavs if they have a waist they are fine.

[Karlin]

The ideal weight for any cavalier is whatever it should to weigh to be fit at that dog's build. Just as with people there's no single answer (eg we would never expect to be told women should weigh 140lbs and men 160 lbs and that's it for everyone! There are many shapes, heights, and builds of people so the 'right weight' is different for every individual! Exact same thing with dogs. Many cavaliers are oversized and beyond the breed standard and thus the standard will probably not fit your dog as he's pretty big from the sounds of it. I doubt the dog is so fat that he needs to lose over half his body weight to reach within breed standard! ).

Ask your vet how much weight he should lose and then be very rigorous. In general you should be able to see a distinct indention of a waist when viewing the dog from above and easily feel his ribs. With an overweight dog you can barely feel ribs when you run your hands over the dog's sides.

Scroll down and you can see correct waist shapes here:

http://www.roycroftcavaliers.com/manualfeeding.htm

I'd avoid lowfat dry foods and instead reduce the amount fed, cut out all calorie-laden treats, feed fruit and veg to bulk out meals, and gradually increase exercise to at least a brisk 45 minute walk daily. There's info on feeding and obese cavaliers in the Caring for your Cavalier (or the Health) section of the Library here -- check both.