|
Welcome to the YorkieTalk.com Forums Community - the community for Yorkshire Terriers. You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. You will be able to chat with over 35,000 YorkieTalk members, read over 2,000,000 posted discussions, and view more than 15,000 Yorkie photos in the YorkieTalk Photo Gallery after you register. We would love to have you as a member! Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today! If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please click here to contact us. |
|
| LinkBack | Thread Tools |
12-30-2009, 11:02 AM | #1 |
Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Posts: 248
| Underweight Yorkies? Vet says Sophie's weight is fine, but I can feel every vertebra in her spine, every rib, and even her hip bones! I know the ribs are supposed to be felt, but the spine and hip bones worry me. She's very petite and only wieghs 2 lbs. 5 oz. (at 10 mos.) She's active and is eating, but is not filling out. :-( The vet thinks she's fine, just petite... but should I seek another vet's opinion? Does anyone have a furbaby who is/was underweight? How did you know? What helped? Thanks for any advice! Last edited by mommyofsophie; 12-30-2009 at 11:03 AM. |
Welcome Guest! | |
12-30-2009, 11:18 AM | #2 |
Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Where the deer and the antelope play
Posts: 7,069
| My Moka is like you describe. I can feel her spine, but not so much her ribs. She is very active, eats great, and her coat is shiny and healthy. My vet too says she is "ideal." I have wondered too if she is underweight, but overall she feels pretty solid when I hold her. I would rather my dogs be a Tiny bit on the thin side than overweight. I should add, she is long and narrow by nature which I think does make a difference for her. My new baby is not quite as long, and I can tell already she is just going to look overall different but I can't feel her spine at all but then again she is a bit more stalky.
__________________ Shelly and the girls Moka Mylee Last edited by Cha Cha; 12-30-2009 at 11:22 AM. |
12-30-2009, 02:48 PM | #3 |
Currently Suspended! Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Canada
Posts: 2,275
| That's Lola to a T. I can feel her hip bones too and her spine. She is VERY active though and is always on the go. Vet said she was fine as well so I just take it as it is, Perhaps not very good breeding? I know my Lola was from a BYB. |
12-30-2009, 03:32 PM | #4 |
Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Posts: 248
| Sophie was a gift, and she was from a BYB... I think you're right; it might be poor breeding. I started giving her a little bit of plain roasted chicken with her kibble-- maybe that will help? |
12-30-2009, 03:33 PM | #5 | |
Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Posts: 248
| Quote:
| |
12-30-2009, 04:38 PM | #6 |
Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: St. louis, MO
Posts: 65
| Starr weighs a little over 6 lbs and she is as you describe. The vet has examined her several times and has always said that she is healthy. Are you measuring the amount of food given daily so that you know if she is eating enough or not. |
12-30-2009, 04:56 PM | #7 |
Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Katy, Texas USA
Posts: 1,458
| Buster, who weighs 4 lbs was diagnosed as anorexic earlier this month. I compare him to Maggie, she is 6 lbs but she is shorter than Buster and she looks a lot heavier but she really isn't. When I see other Yorkies when we are out, Buster is always the skinniest. I can feel every bone in his body. He does eat, just not very much. He eats just enough to survive. The vet doesn't want him to get any bigger because of his LP. Dunno...
__________________ Jeanie, mom to Buster and Maggie |
12-30-2009, 05:01 PM | #8 |
YT Addict Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Hillsboro, mo , usa
Posts: 340
| Oh yes Chicken that will help. I buy a bag of chicken breast frozen and cook a piece then use a little each meal last me a few days. I have to put warm water on the puppy soup dog food I use then nuke it for 40 seconds, break up chicken into tiny pieces stir and let sit for a minute. All my yorkies love it and it keeps weight on their bones. Sassy is only 5lbs and buddy is 3.5lbs molly and louie are around 7-8lbs all very healthy and no bones about it. |
12-30-2009, 05:11 PM | #9 |
Razorback Yorkie Lover Donating Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Bentonville, AR
Posts: 2,056
| Scout is a little bony boy too...can feel his spine really well. The Vet says he's just right and has good muscle tone, etc. and that he would rather Scout be bony like that rather than fat. It's much healthier for him.
__________________ Tiffany Pippa, Scout, and Ranger's Mom http://www.dogster.com/?198523 http://www.dogster.com/?198525 |
12-30-2009, 06:02 PM | #10 |
I♥PeekTinkySaph&Finny Donating Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Posts: 18,866
| Sometimes they can go thin from not having the right gut flora. They may be eating fine, but their bodies may have a problem digesting the food. Adding a Probiotic to their diet can help, and certainly won't hurt. And the rules are: You should be able to feel the spine but not so much the sides or each individual vertebra. You should be able to feel the ribs,and a soft cushion between them and the skin. If you can see the ribs, the dog is underweight. Muscle, tendons and some fat should be covering the hips and shoulders. Bones should not be excessively evident. Age and activity will influence how an animal appears. If your dog is on the thin side, do not overfeed to put weight on. Read the feeding guidelines on the food packaging and follow them. Don't add fats or gravies to your dogs food, as they can cause pancreatitis. You can feed treats between meals, but be aware of the nutritional content. Nothing too fatty. Gradually the weight will come on. Also, weighing your dog weekly will help. So would a diary so you can see exactly what you pup has eaten and how he does with it. If you still think your pup has a weight problem, you'll have documented info for your vet which can help in a diagnosis.
__________________ Kat Chloe Lizzy PeekABooTinkerbell SapphireInfinity |
12-30-2009, 06:09 PM | #11 | |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: windsor, on, canada
Posts: 123
| Quote:
Thank you!
__________________ Neenagh and Lupo (my little wolf!) | |
12-30-2009, 06:20 PM | #12 | |
I♥PeekTinkySaph&Finny Donating Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Posts: 18,866
| Quote:
Even though I am not an Iam's fan, this is from their website and may help a bit more: Your Pets Ideal Weight: A Visual Guide I t has diagrams and better explanation.
__________________ Kat Chloe Lizzy PeekABooTinkerbell SapphireInfinity Last edited by kjc; 12-30-2009 at 06:23 PM. | |
12-30-2009, 08:38 PM | #13 |
Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Posts: 248
| THANK YOU for all of this great advice and information!! I really appreciate being able to learn from your experiences! :-) I've been free-feeding Sophie, hoping that she will eat more; however, after reading your suggestions, I'll start measuring her food more carefully so that I know how much she's eating each day. I'll also keep up with the chicken breast and her organic liver nibbles for treats. She also loves peanut butter, which I know is high fat, but the kind I buy has no trans-fat, so I'll keep giving her a treat filled with a dollop of p.b. I think measuring her food more carefully and weighing her more often will be really helpful. |
12-30-2009, 08:41 PM | #14 | |
Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Posts: 248
| Quote:
| |
12-30-2009, 08:48 PM | #15 | |
YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Beverly
Posts: 1,042
| Quote:
Just thought the comparison is so unfair !!! hehehe.. Post pictures of your tiny girl... I have no opinion as dealing with puppy owners i know a written description is hard to judge. Sometimes people will complain to me that their puppy is not eating as they expect and they are concerned... I usually invite for a visit... hehehe... it turns out most of the time the dog is actually a bit overweight from being overfed... and the owners expect their yorkies to eat more than they really need. An overweight yorkie is very bad for their legs and knees. Well, Hope your baby is healthy as she sounds like it ! XOXO
__________________ "The reason a dog has many friends is because it wags it's tail instead of it's tong " [I]Smartpuppiepets@yahoo.com /I][ | |
Bookmarks |
|
|
Thread Tools | |
| |
|
|
SHOP NOW: Amazon :: eBay :: Buy.com :: Newegg :: PetStore :: Petco :: PetSmart