dobesanddragons said:No need to go low-cal.
Puppies need a lot of food when they are growing, more than an adult. Something to remember is as they grow- they will require less food to keep them at that perfect weight and you might have to adjust it accordingly by how they look month to month. Activity also plays a MAJOR part. Spring and summer usually bring more activity. Sometimes dogs require more food in the winter to keep warm as well. Just varies
waiting said:Heh Oakie,
******* is probably putting on weight, because we use Prong Collars remember we are so L - A - z - y and sit on the couch all day eating bon-bons.
lol sorry couldn't help myself
I let both my girls have a heat before spaying them. I found they looked a little fuller / mature. I relate it to young adolescents coming into puberty, blossoming.
She could also be in false heat, my vet never recommended I change the diet at that point in her life, your gal is getting bigger yes, but remember she is still a pup and is going to fill out and grow more. Wait till her chest gets deeper and broader, and her hips and rear, ******* is far from finished. She is a beauty now wait and see how much better she is going to look when she is two, with all her womanly ways.
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I'm not to sure if she is just getting more body or she is starting to put on a few extra pounds?? Here are a few pictures if this helps....Murreydobe said:Is she getting more body or just getting fat? That first heat can cause some major growing up and beefing up (including more weight), but the dog shouldn't be looking fat.
If she's starting to look fat, could be a false pregnancy. Or it could be due to the fact she didn't get as much exercise as usual while she was in season.
I always cut Razzle's food back slightly when she goes into season, knowing she won't get those play dates at the park for the next 3 weeks or so..I also put her on senior dog food once she goes into heat, and keep her on it for a couple of months to try to avoid falsies..so far, that's worked well.
Murreydobe said:I can't be 100% certain without being able to look down at her and see if she has any kind of a waistline..but it looks like she probably could stand to lose a few pounds. I think maybe the root cause of the problem is lack of exercise, not unusual when it's cold out..I think she could be harder bodied than she looks in those pics.
But again-even when you get her in ultimate condition, you may see her put on some weight due to the maturation process..Razzle gained about 6 lbs. all in muscle mass and body after her first season, and it happened pretty darned fast, too.
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brumwolf said:She is beautiful any way i look at her,but the best way silly as it sound is to look down on her, and if she is straight sided she may need to lose a little weight,she should curve in at her sides a little, just before her hips,just like any woman.
Wegs813 said:The nipples are normal. I had commented to Travis one day that Copper's nipples were looking rather large and about a week later we knew that she was in heat. I had never dealt with it before so I called the vet and asked.
Patches Mom said:Sorry I have a boy but remember summer is around the corner with summer it usually is hot ( global warming and all ?) Most dogs will cut back on eating on their own you may not want her too loose too much. you may not be able to get her back up to a good weight till next fall.?
Patches Mom
Thanks for the tips!dobebug said:Murreydobe said that all bitches go into false pregnancies after a season--it's true--the only difference between one bitch and another is that the extent of the false pregnancy varies.
I missed that, I didn't realize that ALL bitches have f.p's.
False pregnancies act just like real ones do--a pregnancy in a bitch lasts for about 63 days--it starts (real of false) right after the finish of the standing heat part of the season--about midway through the season. Some bitches will, as they approach their imaginary whelping date actually exhibit contractions and occasionally will labor as well.
And I will watch out for this. Is there anything that can be done to minimize things?
I agree that her weight looks rather soft--and if I had to guess I'd think that she is both in a false pregnancy and is a little undermuscled as well.
I don't think she is really undermuscled, more like a coating of fat over her muscles..lol.
Feeding senior food isn't so much a matter of just cutting calories but cutting protein and fat (a vet breeder that I knew who did this for years said that you are trying to fool the bitches body into thinking it can't support a litter at this time).
Keep checking those nipples--the will usually increase in size during a false pregnancy even if the fp isn't one of the bad ones.
