Overweight dog?

[AelinAG]

Hoping for some guidance or sympathy.

We have a wonderful Pembrokeshire corgi, who the vet had advised us is overweight by about 3kg.

we feed him the recommended amount for his breed and size and he takes three walks a day totalling 1.5 to 2 hours - closer to four hours on weekends.

we don’t overload with treats but he is food motivated to the point he steals if he can (my mums ham sandwich was a recent victim when she had the audacity to have a sneezing fit and gave him an opportunity) and woe betide any abandoned food on the ground, he sees it and scarfs it down before I’ve ever spotted it.

I don’t feel like we can feed him less or exercise him more so I’m a bit stuck for ideas, but also…

he is a BIG dog - compared to other corgis we see he’s longer and taller and is a very sturdy build (not an ottery looking one if you know what I mean). I can feel his ribs easily and he had a high arch on his tummy - which are meant to be signs they’re in good condition. So part of me does wonder…is he actually overweight or do we just have an outsize model that is a bit beyond the breed standard? Our vet says it’s his first corgi, so it crossed my mind as a possibility.

just looking for some thoughts really!

Why can't you feed him less? Some dogs will need less than the recommended amount.

I would be getting the advice of another vet.

We raised a guide dog puppy and they want them kept slim. We would told (like you) that a good indication is if you can feel ( but not see) their ribs easily when you run a hand down their side. I don’t know about corgis but certainly Labs vary hugely in size so it’s not the weight that matters exactly, it’s how their ribs feel and if they have the “tuck” you mention also.

Can you post a photo?

Our beagle is technically overweight by breed standard but you can easily feel his ribs and he abs an obvious tummy tuck when standing. He’s taller than most beagles and the vet always tells us he’s in perfect condition for his age.

Surely the vet would assess on body condition not just on a breed average. Does he have a waist if you look from above? When you say you can feel
ribs do you have to push to find them? Lack of tummy tuck I think is a late sign. It’s more likely that you are in denial than that the vet is wrong (speaking as someone who has also been told their dog is overweight by the vet and when he had managed to lose 3kg then I could see he had needed to)

The amount on the packet is always too much. I suggest gradually cutting down what you feed and maybe switching to a ‘diet’ food

https://www.petobesityprevention.org/pet-weight-check

This link has the chart

Just fed him less. You need to visually see a tuck at the last rib not just be able to feel it.

I would want a corgi underweight rather than a bit overweight with the issues they have with their backs

In my experience ( labs & Goldens) the ‘recommended’ amounts of kibble and wet food are vastly greater than the amount my dogs have needed.

My labs have all been active, some might say extremely so. We ran, swam, walked - upwards of 3 hours a day ( I was exhausted) but, had I fed them the ‘recommended’ amount they would be chunkers.

It’s not hard to skim their food down, try it for a month or so, and see if his weight drops and/ or if he loses energy.

Yes, I'm assuming the vet is going on body condition not just a chart of weights. My vet doesn't declare my much heavier dog overweight just because they're the same breed as my lighter dog! And an extra 3kg on a corgi would surely be obvious?

In my experience ( labs & Goldens) the ‘recommended’ amounts of kibble and wet food are vastly greater than the amount my dogs have needed.

I have the opposite, it's knocked out all my estimated costs spreadsheet 😂

'I can easily feel his ribs' depends a lot on what you mean by 'easily'.
You should be able to run your fingers over them, and find them as easily as feeling your knuckles when you hold your hand open.

A lot of people think that dogs like this are 'thin', because the proportion of overweight dogs has warped their expectations.

My beagle is exactly the same. He weighs 18kg but he is a tall boy & has the tuck and can feel his ribs. He is quite bony but the vet says he is perfect & everyone always comments how great he looks compared to a lot of Beagles

If I fed my dog (very active Toller) the recommended amount for his weight and size he’d be enormous. The amounts the food manufacturers put on packets are much much greater than most dogs need. You can cut down the amount you’re giving him gradually - drop it by 10% for a few weeks then if he’s still overweight, cut the amount again until he’s at the right weight. It’s very easy to get a dog to lose or gain weight as you’re in complete control of what they’re eating.

Can you reduce his food and add veggies? My ddogs have raw veg as treats. Nothing shop bought.

It's in the pet food company's interests to get you feeding your dog that bit more. Mine has about 2/3 of what they recommend, plus some treats etc.

Seems a bit odd if you can easily feel their ribs. We have a different breed but ours is unusually big for the breed so weighs a bit heavier but is lovely and slim avd the vets have all been super happy with her weight.

Just feed him less.