# Is Sisko too skinny??



## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

How tall is he? And how old?


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

It’s impossible to tell without seeing him and feeling his ribs. How does it feel when you feel them ? Is there a thin layer of fat on top of the bones ? If so that’s ideal.


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## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

cowpony said:


> How tall is he? And how old?


He is 26 or 27 inches and he is 2 now.


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## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

Dechi said:


> It’s impossible to tell without seeing him and feeling his ribs. How does it feel when you feel them ? Is there a thin layer of fat on top of the bones ? If so that’s ideal.
































I can feel his ribs, and I think what I am feeling is loose skin instead of a thin lay of fat. His skin is pretty loose too.


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## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

But it could be fat too


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

I think he looks fine. I think Misha may be a tad leaner than that actually. I don't think Sisko's hips or ribs are protruding, so he's probably perfect.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

He is probably fine but if it was me I would like him to have just a little bit more fat on him. 

Some dogs just don’t gain weight easily though. They have a fast metabolism and are active, so they burn all calories they eat. I don’t think you need to worry !


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## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

Okay, thanks guys!! Sisko has always been like this. (just not when he was a small puppy) But I thought he was going to make it to 60lbs, so he is the same size of his mom. (She is 55lbs and his dad is like 70 or 75lbs. Even my Greyhound had more fat on him! 

I guess Poodles are the opposite of Labs😅?


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## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

Raindrops said:


> I think he looks fine. I think Misha may be a tad leaner than that actually. I don't think Sisko's hips or ribs are protruding, so he's probably perfect.


Whoa! I though Misha looked bigger than Sisko😆


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

Fenris-wolf said:


> Whoa! I though Misha looked bigger than Sisko😆


Well it's really hard to tell with poodle fur. Even when Misha dropped to a seriously low weight for a bit people were surprised when I said he needed to gain some. But then they would feel his ribs and be like "Oh yeah actually he is really thin." I'm always trying to get Misha to gain a little bit because his last couple ribs really protrude on each side, and he's got a bit of a hollow between his hips. In the last month he's finally filled out some and doesn't seem quite so skinny. As long as you don't feel like the ribs and hips are bony protrusions, I don't think you have a problem. It's much more healthy for them to be a little under weight than a little over weight considering the strain it puts on the joints.


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

He's around the height and weight Pogo was at his age. Pogo has put on a few more pounds as he gets older and more sedentary.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

If your vet's not concerned, I probably wouldn't be either. Adolescence is such a lanky time for a dog. They typically reach their full height well before they fill out.


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## townferret (Nov 11, 2019)

Did you just have him shaved? He looks fine to me. Noodle looks too skinny when she is shaved down. But the vet rated her health as ideal. (45 pounds)


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## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

townferret said:


> Did you just have him shaved? He looks fine to me. Noodle looks too skinny when she is shaved down. But the vet rated her health as ideal. (45 pounds)
> View attachment 466466


Yeah😄! I shaved him 3 weeks ago.


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## townferret (Nov 11, 2019)

Fenris-wolf said:


> Yeah😄! I shaved him 3 weeks ago.


oh well another 3 weeks and he'll look normal


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## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

townferret said:


> oh well another 3 weeks and he'll look normal


Okay🙂


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## townferret (Nov 11, 2019)

look at her legs- they look like toothpicks-














Within 3 weeks I trimmed her head
and you can already see her hair is filling her out.


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## Asta's Mom (Aug 20, 2014)

I don't think he is too skinny. Funny how they really look skinny after a shave down. When I do a shave down on Asta he always looks skinny and it takes about 3 weeks for him to grow out.


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## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

townferret said:


> look at her legs- they look like toothpicks-
> View attachment 466470
> View attachment 466471
> 
> ...


Ah! Okay😁 Wow, her legs did look like toothpicks.


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## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

Asta's Mom said:


> I don't think he is too skinny. Funny how they really look skinny after a shave down. When I do a shave down on Asta he always looks skinny and it takes about 3 weeks for him to grow out.


Okay! It is funny😄


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## Porkchop (Sep 2, 2019)

Poodles are deceiving since they have such long legs/proportions. Follow the body condition scoring chart below. From your pics, it doesn’t look like his ribs or hips are protruding. Out of curiosity, do you know how many calories are in the 3 1/4 cup of food you’re giving? 

this link has a calculator that determines a ballpark average of how many calories to feed. 

A Dog’s Daily Calorie Calculator | Plato Pet Treats


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## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

Porkchop said:


> Poodles are deceiving since they have such long legs/proportions. Follow the body condition scoring chart below. From your pics, it doesn’t look like his ribs or hips are protruding. Out of curiosity, do you know how many calories are in the 3 1/4 cup of food you’re giving?
> 
> this link has a calculator that determines a ballpark average of how many calories to feed.
> 
> ...


Thank you! I don't know how many calories are in the 3 1/4. I think I can find out.


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## Porkchop (Sep 2, 2019)

You’re welcome! If you look at the back of the bag it usually says how many calories (kcal) are in 1 cup of food.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Is Sisko a picky eater? Or does he always finish his meals?


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## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

PeggyTheParti said:


> Is Sisko a picky eater? Or does he always finish his meals?


He always finishes his meals🍽🐩


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## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

Porkchop said:


> You’re welcome! If you look at the back of the bag it usually says how many calories (kcal) are in 1 cup of food.


Okay, thank you😁


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Then I'd probably add a quarter cup or so. He's at the very upper range for his current serving size according to the Nutro Essentials feeding chart, and he's got a young dog's metabolism.

He might find it easier to settle with a full belly.


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## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

PeggyTheParti said:


> Then I'd probably add a quarter cup or so. He's at the very upper range for his current serving size according to the Nutro Essentials feeding chart, and he's got a young dog's metabolism.
> 
> He might find it easier to settle with a full belly.


Okay, thank you!😁


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## Nadine King (Jan 13, 2020)

I think he is fine, he is still young, my mini male was very thin when he was young, after he was neutered at 6 mos he gained a little more now at almost 6 he is perfect, solid and loves to eat so I have to be careful he doesn't put too much weight on.
They are healthier on the lean side, easier on the heart and joints.
Beautiful boy!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I think he sounds pretty normal. One way you can assess whether your dog is in the normal weight range is to look at and put hands on not just looking at/feeling for ribbiness and vertebral processes sticking up is to feel between the crests of the dog's hips. If that area feels bony and like there is a real dip between the tips of the hip bones then that dog is too skinny.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

lily cd re said:


> I think he sounds pretty normal. One way you can assess whether your dog is in the normal weight range is to look at and put hands on not just looking at/feeling for ribbiness and vertebral processes sticking up is to feel between the crests of the dog's hips. If that area feels bony and like there is a real dip between the tips of the hip bones then that dog is too skinny.


Yep!! This.

And I wish I'd known this distinction when we brought Peggy home. Her malnutrition would have been obvious.

Now I find myself regularly rubbing this space, just to appreciate how much healthier she is now. 💛


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

I tried to snap some pictures of Misha for reference since I just shaved his back down again. You can clearly see his last ribs (the floating ribs) and points of his hips. He is a little too lean but not terribly so. You can feel a dip between his hips but it's not too bony. I'd prefer if he added half a pound. But these are things you can keep an eye on for Sisko.














But here is a full body shot where you can see he doesn't really look too skinny.


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## Angus & Archie (Nov 3, 2019)

Fenris-wolf said:


> Sisko is 55 pounds and at most he was 56 pounds. I feed him 3 1/4 of Nutro Essentials a day. The last time we went to the vet he was 55.6 pounds and the vet didn't seem concerned and didn't say anything about it, so I'm guessing he's fine.


When I adopted Angus & Archie, Angus was in good shape at 49 lbs (they are both on the small side), but Archie was 45 lbs. and his bones were protruding. It was uncomfortable to pet him because he felt like a skeleton with hair. I began feeding 1 cup Bil-Jac topped with a handful of chicken, twice a day. They both leveled out at 50 lbs. and are in perfect shape. I would suggest to trust your vet, and your hand. If he feels too bony, he may be a pound or two light.


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## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

Thanks everyone for chiming in!! I think Sisko should put on a pound or 2, so I have added a little bit more. Sisko seems to be able to relax more around the apartment now too. Is this okay? I wish I would have done something sooner.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Fenris-wolf said:


> Thanks everyone for chiming in!! I think Sisko should put on a pound or 2, so I have added a little bit more. Sisko seems to be able to relax more around the apartment now too. Is this okay? I wish I would have done something sooner.


Since adding that chicken topper to Peggy's food, she cleans her bowl instead of grazing, and I've noticed she curls up and sleeps deeply after eating. I definitely think a full belly is soothing.


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## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

PeggyTheParti said:


> Since adding that chicken topper to Peggy's food, she cleans her bowl instead of grazing, and I've noticed she curls up and sleeps deeply after eating. I definitely think a full belly is soothing.


That's awesome. I think it is too. Sisko slept for hours in a deep sleep after eating earlier. He seems less anxious and more relaxed now too. I just feel bad about not doing anything about it sooner😞 but I'm very happy that he feels better.

I still can't believe that he needed more food. I'm kinda shocked about it. Should his vet have said something too?


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## Yojimbo64 (Jan 23, 2020)

She looks terrific. Don't be concerned. Poodles look very thin once they get shaved down.


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## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

Yojimbo64 said:


> She looks terrific. Don't be concerned. Poodles look very thin once they get shaved down.


Okay, thank you!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

It is better to go a little on the lean side than too far in the other direction, right?! If you really need to get a little weight on though then satin balls do the trick very nicely. There are recipes for them here or you can google for one. Basically how can you not gain a bit of weight having a couple of snacks each day that is a meatball of raw ground beef, eggs and cream cheese held together with crushed total cereal and wheat germ. BTW they are also really awesome pill pockets.


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## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

lily cd re said:


> It is better to go a little on the lean side than too far in the other direction, right?! If you really need to get a little weight on though then satin balls do the trick very nicely. There are recipes for them here or you can google for one. Basically how can you not gain a bit of weight having a couple of snacks each day that is a meatball of raw ground beef, eggs and cream cheese held together with crushed total cereal and wheat germ. BTW they are also really awesome pill pockets.


Yes, it is. Okay, thank you, so much Catherine! That sounds like Sisko's dream snack! I'm about to look them up.


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## Odussean (May 10, 2020)

Yeah, my Standard had toothpicks for front legs, too. I have read that they were bred as birders and it’s the rear legs that are the swimming legs, so they are much better muscled. All the same, I had a vet say that my dog’s weight was good, but a groomer said that his pelvic bones were too prominant. I did raise his weight a bit to about 63# and that seemed good (he was 26” tall), providing a bit of padding for the pelvic bones, but not a significant amount elsewhere. Still looked terrible with a shaved down chest/front legs though. I think that the hair can fool vets, too.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

I think your dog looks great. It is good to be able to feel the ribs, but worrisome if you can actually see them. To me, and my vet, there is nothing worse than a fat poodle. I have actually had my vet thank me for not having to give the 'fat dog lecture' which I guess lots of owners get.


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