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Is she too skinny?

15K views 12 replies 10 participants last post by  Blondie87 
#1 · (Edited)
Izzie has always been really thin. The vet has always just said she is *perfect* but any skinnier and she'd be underweight. But the vet doesn't see her more than every 6 months or less often, so it's hard to know if she is gone over the line into too skinny. She eats fine, I can't get her to eat anymore kibble, but she loves her breakfast of Stella and Chewy's, so I could always increase that. Please let me know and give me your input!

It's hard to tell in pics since she is black, but I tried my hardest to get good angles.









I can feel her spine super well, but her ribs seem covered, on the sides anyways, underneath is super boney, but I think that's okay right?

It's so hard cuz Bella is the COMPLETE opposite of her. She is so much thicker, I have no worries of her being underweight, if anything it's the opposite!
 
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#2 ·
She looks good to me. I don't think it would do her any harm to put on a few oz but...I think she's the body type that no matter what she'll always have a slim look. Kind of like my Matilda. She can get overweight (for her) and still LOOK slim. LOL Kind of weird. I'd not say Izzie is too skinny though...I tend to agree with your vet. She's perfect....but any thinner & she'd be too thin. :)
 
#3 ·
Yeah last time the vet saw her she said that she is like the perfect size for a Chi, like a nice size 3. But I just hate that I can feel her spine so well, and she just seems sooo skinny! But she always has been like that. She is so unlike her nice big sturdy sister, I just worry about her, lol.
 
#4 ·
Other things can contribute to you being able to feel her spine. Like...if her topline is at all curved...her spine will be more prominant & visible. I'd definitely not worry. As long as she has a bit of padding over her ribs & is eating...she'll be just fine. :) It's easy to worry though...especially when you have 2 sisters who have completely different shapes/builds. But they're both normal...just different. (obviously haha)
 
#5 ·
Looks spot on to me too. She is very pretty :) We don't see a lot of solid black Chis, it is such a gorgeous colour.
We had similar issues with Harley's weight. He wasn't desperately thin, but he had no spare fat for emergencies. All it took was one bout of vomitting or diarrhoea, or a couple of skipped meals and he would be properly skinny. We started feeding an extra meal every day and it has done the trick. He has put plenty of weight on, to the point where we actually have to control his portions now! he was always encouraged to eat his fill before. It has taken a while, but I don't worry about his weight any more.
 
#6 ·
She's about the same as my Edie; tall and lean. My vet said Edie was fine the last time we went, even though I was *convinced* she was wasting away and at death's door, etc etc (I'm such a hypochondriac when it comes to my dog!).

So I'd say it's probably all fine. She looks really shiny and alert, so I wouldn't worry too much.
 
#13 ·
Thanks everyone! Makes me feel a lot better! She is the one that always makes me worry about everything.. lol.

She is technically a black and brown, on her cheeks and legs she has some brown a little. When I first saw it on her legs it was almost like it was mud staining, but it's come out a lil more over this past 6 months to a year.

In this pic you can see it really well. The flash really brought out the brown.


Her legs-


Her cheeks-
 
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