Dog losing weight in winter?!

[bsalem21]

Hi there,

I was just curious as to why my puppy would be losing weight during the winter? I have read about dogs gaining weight due to lack of exercise, however my dog still runs outside in the snow and in our apartment (he's a small dog so space isn't a problem for him). He free feeds, as he has never over eaten and he more recently went to the vet where they took a stool sample and he was clear of parasites. I wasn't sure if I should be concerned. We just moved from an area where the weather tends to be warmer in the winter and he weighed about 10.6lbs.. now he is about 9.4-9.6lbs. Do you think I should be concerned? He is an 9 month old mini aussie and although I do not think he looks skinny he does have a lot of fur which makes it difficult to tell.

Thanks for the advice.

Brittany

[Wicket]

From what I've read puppies are supposed to be feed three times a day, but the month you're supposed to stop escapes me. If he was only fed once a day, it's entirely possible he *could* be underweight because of this. On the other hand, depending on what brand of food you are feeding, he *could* not be getting the adequate nutrition and is losing weight because it.

How can you tell if your dog is underweight? If you can feel the ribs, do they feel like there is a layer of fat between the coat and the ribs? If you feel around his body, does his body shape feel more like an hour glass or a box? When you spoke to your vet about this, was she/he concerned about his weight when she gave your puppy a physical examination?

[Nettle]

Sounds as if he is having a growth spurt. He'll be growing for a while yet. At 9 months, feeding twice a day is perfectly adequate, but I see you free feed so you don't really know how much he is getting.

I don't buy into you not being able to tell if he is the right weigt because he has a lot of coat - feel him and you will know .


Dogs are way more efficient than we are in metabolising fat to keep warm - so being in a colder climate may have had a part in this effect. But it's far more likely that he is growing. Lean dogs are healthier than fat ones, so if he is an okay weight or even a bit on the lean side, you have nothing to worry about.