Am I underfeeding my lab?

[Sososadallthetime]

I have a lab puppy. He is 7 months old and quite slender. Vet has reassured us that he is the perfect weight and to ignore the comments from passers by that he is too thin.

He is on wainwright's puppy food at the minute which goes by what their adult weight will be. I've been feeding him as though he will be a medium dog (due to the fact he is slim and all the other labs round here are much bigger than him) but just had a look at the large dog bit and if I class him as that I should be feeding him nearly double! I have no problem feeding him the bigger amount but dont want to do it if its going to make him fat. Any thoughts?

The vet says he’s a perfect weight. Listen to the vet not random people passing you.

The problem is most labs are overweight so, by comparison, yours looks underweight but actually isn’t. Don’t over feed him if the vet says he’s fine.

go by eye & feed the dog in front on you

He’s fine, if the vet says he is. Having said which, the dog will tell you that he needs a lot more. He’s a Labrador. Don’t believe him!

We have a completely different breed but people often comment on how slim he is, particularly other owners. The fact is our dog is the perfect size and weight for his breed and age (according to our vet and the breed council guidelines), theirs are just over fed and overweight.

Yep virtually every lab is fat so listen to the vet. I was told my puppy lab was going to be big and fed her as such and then had to cut right down as soon as it became clear she was actually going to be quite a little thing. Much better to be on the slim side than overweight

I think people are used to seeing overweight dogs, especially labs. My friend has a slender lab and people say the same to her but he's just in great shape!

Same as above! Our lab is a slender boy. 27kg and has been consistently this weight since hes been fully grown. Don't be fooled though it's all muscle! He's classed as a medium sized dog. I'm sure your boy is perfect if the vet thinks so 😀

We have a lab cross, who definitely has a Labrador’s stomach!

She’s around 30kg and we fed her as a puppy as if she would grow to be a dog of that size - then when she was fully grown, we cut her food down to the amount recommended for a 30kg dog. It seemed tiny in comparison to what she’d had previously, but we didn’t want a fat lab!

I would follow the guidance on the packet, just make sure you weigh it/adjust it as she gets older.

The comments from strangers are annoying! We've even had people question if he is a full lab. At the minute he is all legs - nicknamed the greyhound!

Listen to your vet. The last thing my vet said to me after my labs kennel cough vac at 6 months old was "Please don't let him get fat." Far too many labs are fat and as a result people feel the need to comment if they see a slim one!

We've even had people question if he is a full lab

Par for the course I'm afraid, our lab isn't even particularly skinny and we were often asked if she was crossed with something.

Here’s my 2 year old scrawner. 26kg. Eats well, medium active, super healthy. I ask my vet ( and my sister and BIL, also vets) if he’s too thin every time we see them. I’m always reassured he’s fine! Strangers have asked me if he’s sick ( nope) or of yes a Lab cross ( I’ve met his parents). There’s a huge variation ‘normal’ for Labs. Not to mention the army of fLabradors skewing everyone’s view of what a healthy Lab looks like.

I’ve never bothered weighing our our dogs’ food. We just feed them and they look healthy. They regularly feast on leftovers, treats, stolen cheese sandwiches. fruit scavenged from the garden and Sunday roast so it would be pointless here.

Enjoy having a slim, healthy dog! Consider agility classes. Slim Labs are agility stars!

Unless you let him get fat, that’s going to happen I’m afraid... people really don’t know what labs look like at a nice weight.

I've got a shar pei x patterdale and everyone comments on him being thin !
He's not he's an healthy weight but I wonder what makes them experts 🤔.
Most labs are far two fat so people think that's normal but a cross like mine is much rarer so how do these people think he fits an average 🤷‍♀️.

I've got two thinner labs. They have two meals a day and lots of exercise. One chooses to swim in the river most days and the other can jump a five bar gate from standing.
The working strain is very different from the stocky, tending to put on fat, pet strain of labs.
Here they are, mum (front) and daughter.

In my experience the food guidance always overestimates what the dog needs

I have 2 labs, and even at their craziest most energetic moments they have not needed the full amount.

Your dog will never know enough to thank you for keeping him slim, but his physiotherapist will.

My lovely boy gets those sort of comments too, what breed is he, is he a cross, etc. No, unlike most of the overweight labs you see puffing around here he’s from pedigree working stock and is fit as a fiddle.

Labs are supposed to be slender! There are way too many fat ones about though and lots of people don't realise what they're supposed to look like.

People are always telling me my beagle is underweight but the vet says he's perfect. They're just used to seeing fat beagles 😞

My lab pup is 5 months old and slender. He's 15kg, and one if his siblings is 22! Vet says he's perfect, and, yes, I get asked all the time what breed is he? He's all legs so I say he's half kangaroo. That shuts them up. 🤣🤣

Just here for the lab photos - they are all gorgeous! I love a super shiny black lab coat - they are so glossy when healthy

YANBU for not posting a picture!

There was a post yesterday about labs and their weight

Here’s mine. 3 years old, fed twice a day and will happily hoover up anything else she finds. Approx 30k.

My lab gets these comments from time to time, despite the vet's advice that she's perfect in terms of body condition score.

The trouble is, most labs are overweight so healthy ones look skinny to the untrained eye. Ignore it, feed for the dog in front of you and enjoy your healthy pooch

This!