# Poodle Structure/feeling bones?



## Spencer (Oct 7, 2009)

So I know it is a big deal when The Fiance tells me to "go ask your poodle forum people". Obviously, it's a big deal, since the The Fiance isn't the biggest Perry fan. And here I am! Asking you, my "poodle forum people" 

When we first found/got Perry, he weighed in at the vet at about 8 pounds (which could have been nasty matted hair). I weighed him at my mom's house two days ago and he weighs 5.2 pounds. I had noticed it seemed like he had lost weight, but couldn't remember if he had always been a little bony and I am being too nervous. 

So here is what I am supposed to ask (via The Fiance)... how are toy/mini poodles built? We're used to seeing and feeling our greyhound's ribs and spine, but we aren't sure how poodles are supposed to feel. If that makes any sense. You can feel Perry's ribs, spine and hips. Is this... normal? I have been feeding him like he is an 8 pound dog since the first weigh in. He is an active little guy, but I don't know if that makes a difference. (Also, he has never had worms, I had a giant blood/everything test run when I first took him to the vet and he was given a clean bill of health.)


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## WonderPup (Oct 26, 2008)

You should be able to feel the ribs if you run your fingers over them with slight pressure. You should not be able to see them in a poodle with a short coat. 
I can feel the ribs and spine on both my poodles, the spine is harder to feel than the ribs. 

My personal feeling is that they are better off a little on the lean side than they are if they are a little heavy. It kind of depends on what you are comofortable with, I suppose they are less cuddly if they are boney lol.

Also keep in mind that sometime scales are off. Both of my little dogs always seem to weigh less on my digital scale at home than they do at the vet. Sometimes the scale in the clinic is off too, I usualy weigh myself these days on the vet clinic's scale before I weigh the dog. Haha, I get weighed so often now I know exactly how much I weigh so it's a good way for me to judge how well that scale is working. I take my big dogs in monthly to weigh in just to make sure we are still within the proper weight range for our heartworm preventative since they are just a couple of pounds from the limit on average.


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## Spencer (Oct 7, 2009)

Whew, okay. This makes me feel a bit better. And I will have to share this info with TF, whom is knocked out sleeping with mouth open right now. (Ideas of what to stick in there?! lol!)

ProblemChild and TheQueen both have thick skin, so in order to feel their ribs you have to run your hand along them harder than you do with the thin skinned Grey. Perry seems to have thin skin, but we weren't sure! (We had a quite captivating conversation, actually.) I suppose he seems to be fine... however, I enjoy my mother's scale, as it gave me a fabulous weight... as well as I weighed TheQueen, and her weight was about par for course as well (a meaty 27 pounds, lol)


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## flyingduster (Sep 6, 2009)

Paris is on the skinny side of lean (picky eater, and very very active) and I can feel her ribs, hips and spine too. Even on the odd occasion when I've gotten a little more weight on her so that she actually has a little covering on her ribs, I can still feel everything. She'll never be a chunky poodle!!! Another poodle I know you can't feel her hips like you can on Paris, but you can feel her ribs if you press a little. They all vary a bit in structure I think, so no real key to it!! But feeling the ribs is fine, you can tell when they hvae a little covering on them (which is good) and when they're just all bones or all fat!


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## KPoos (Aug 29, 2009)

This subject brings up an issue that I have with people that meet Harry. Harry is on the lean side and our vet has said over and over that he is fine and looks great. He goes even leaner in the summer months because of the heat. Well, people meet him and say how skinny he is. His pictures are posted here after a cut and you cannot see bone although yes he is thin. I don't understand why people think that dogs need to be fat in order to look healthy? Around here (south Texas) people tend to think round and fat anything is cute and healthier than thin. I showed off Harry to this lady that lives in my neighborhood that walks by our house with her dogs on a regular basis and wanted to meet him. She was going on and on about how thin he was when her boxer was HUGELY fat. I wish people would understand how many health problems can arise from fat overweight dogs.


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## roxy25 (Dec 18, 2008)

I agree I think people have lost site of what a healthy dog should look like. Where I live 1 out of 2 dogs I see are over weight. When people see Enzo they say he is skinny I just roll my eyes.I have also seen dogs with ribs showing and these dogs are fit and healthy ( extreme exercise). It all depends on what you doing to the dog etc.... 

If you dog is active and exercise a lot then he or she should be in good shape. 

right now Enzo is on the fat ( or normal side) Once we start exercising him more you will be able to feel his ribs and spine.


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## Spencer (Oct 7, 2009)

I just read all the responses to The Fiance. I think it made us feel a lot better about our bony poodle! Neither of us have had a small dog before (unless you count cocker spaniels... but they're hefty dogs!)

We get the nasty comments about our greyhound all the time, or people saying, "Is he supposed to be this skinny?" Yeah... he is... no, we just take him out after starving him to show everyone how cruel we are. You can call me Cruella.


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## KPoos (Aug 29, 2009)

Spencer said:


> I just read all the responses to The Fiance. I think it made us feel a lot better about our bony poodle! Neither of us have had a small dog before (unless you count cocker spaniels... but they're hefty dogs!)
> 
> We get the nasty comments about our greyhound all the time, or people saying, "Is he supposed to be this skinny?" Yeah... he is... no, we just take him out after starving him to show everyone how cruel we are. You can call me Cruella.


Acturally cockers aren't really "hefty" dogs either. If they are the proper size and body weight they shouldn't be very heavy.


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## georgiapeach (Oct 9, 2009)

KPoos said:


> This subject brings up an issue that I have with people that meet Harry. Harry is on the lean side and our vet has said over and over that he is fine and looks great. He goes even leaner in the summer months because of the heat. Well, people meet him and say how skinny he is. His pictures are posted here after a cut and you cannot see bone although yes he is thin. I don't understand why people think that dogs need to be fat in order to look healthy? Around here (south Texas) people tend to think round and fat anything is cute and healthier than thin. I showed off Harry to this lady that lives in my neighborhood that walks by our house with her dogs on a regular basis and wanted to meet him. She was going on and on about how thin he was when her boxer was HUGELY fat. I wish people would understand how many health problems can arise from fat overweight dogs.


Oh, I'm SO sorry to hear about the really fat boxer. I have a boxer, and it's very dangerous for them to be fat. They already have so many issues that shorten their lives.


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## Spencer (Oct 7, 2009)

KPoos said:


> Acturally cockers aren't really "hefty" dogs either. If they are the proper size and body weight they shouldn't be very heavy.


I miss spoke, I meant stocky... Not weight-wise. I can't put it into words correctly lol.


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## WonderPup (Oct 26, 2008)

Spencer said:


> I just read all the responses to The Fiance. I think it made us feel a lot better about our bony poodle! Neither of us have had a small dog before (unless you count cocker spaniels... but they're hefty dogs!)
> 
> We get the nasty comments about our greyhound all the time, or people saying, "Is he supposed to be this skinny?" Yeah... he is... no, we just take him out after starving him to show everyone how cruel we are. You can call me Cruella.


You're not alone there, I used to hear that with the IG's ALL the time. Even from other IG's owners. Now mine were show dogs and often looked very very different from the adorable puppy in the window that the other person had gotten so that was part of it. I was sooo proud of myself for resisting the tempation to tell the other person that the little italian greyhound on the end of THEIR leash was waaaayyyy overweight lol.


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## KPoos (Aug 29, 2009)

georgiapeach said:


> Oh, I'm SO sorry to hear about the really fat boxer. I have a boxer, and it's very dangerous for them to be fat. They already have so many issues that shorten their lives.


Well she rescued him and I'm not sure how long ago but I think she said he was underweight when she got him. Now he's HUGE and he lumbers along. I think allowing overweight dogs is a form of abuse and I'm sure I'll hear flack on it but it's not loving to make a dog carry around weight that causes joints to ache or fat to put pressure on organs.


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