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Old June 18th, 2010, 03:00 PM
leeah leeah is offline
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is my cairn terrier overweight?

Hi,

My female cairn terrier is turning 1 year old next week. she is now 18lb.

is she overweight? I have been feeding her the blue bufflo little less than a cup a day. We feed her veggie, fruit, etc.

please advise

thanks
Alice
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Old June 18th, 2010, 03:03 PM
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catlover2 catlover2 is offline
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From overhead can you see a slight indentation of a waist and can you just feel her ribs under a thin layer of fat? That's usually the test for a dog or cat to determine whether it's under or overweight. It's actually better for the pet for health and longevity to have a pet slightly underweight than overweight, unless it is being bred.
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Old June 18th, 2010, 04:56 PM
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hazelrunpack hazelrunpack is offline
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I usually feel along the spine and ribs and at the top points of the hips. You should be able to see the waist and feel her ribs under the thin layer of fat, as catlover2 mentions, but you should also be able to easily discern the tips of the hip bones by touch. You don't want her boney, but the bones should be easily palpable. Every dog is different, though. We have one who looks ribby even if she's got excess fat along the spine and over the hips.

If you have any doubts about it, a groomer or a vet should be able to tell you if your dog is at a good weight. Once you've determined what a good weight 'feels' like to your touch, you can check her once every few weeks or every month and keep her on track
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