My dog seems to be gaining weight and shedding a lot. What's normal?

If you think he is too think you need to feed him better quality food or feed him more (maybe feed three times a day). If he has not been wormed recently you should also worm him. If he keeps losing weight even after worming and feeding him more food then you should take him to a veterinarian for an exam and blood tests. It is normal for a dog to shed in spring. Keep brushing him to help remove dead hair and to massage his skin with the brush. This will keep his fur in good condition.

I'm sorry but it is difficult to tell anything from the photo. If there are no bald spots present them I am guessing it is normal shedding for that breed of dog. We call it "blowing their coat". Here is a great article on this problem: http://www.wideopenpets.com/coat-blow-what-it-is-and-how-to-manage-it/ If this still doesn't answer your question feel free to post again. With photos take one far away and one close up if there is a bald spot or problem area. Hope this helps. Best wishes!

Thank you for your question. From the photo of Joshie it does not appear that she is overweight. It can definitely be difficult to evaluate based on a photo though, especially in a furry dog like Joshie. Putting your hands onto her body can help you determine her body condition. You should feel a waist/area where he trunk slenders around her abdomen. You should be able to feel her ribs when you run your hands over her chest but they should have a small/thin layer of fat over them. When you run your hands under her, her belly should narrow/have a tuck. You can read this article for more information on proper body condition scoring: https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-tell-if-your-pet-is-overweight/ If you are still concerned, a vet can examine Joshie and let you know for certain!

Bernie is very cute! From the photos he looks pretty normal but it is difficult to tell if a furry dog is a good weight or not without being able to put your hands on the pet. Run your fingers over Bernie’s rib cage. They should feel like the back of your own hand. If they feel more like the palm of your hand, he is probably carrying a little too much weight. If they feel more like running your fingers over your knuckles then he is likely too thin. Every pet has a different metabolism and all foods have different calorie content. When in doubt if his weight is good or not, have him checked out by his veterinarian. Congratulations on adding him to your family! I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

He actually doesn't appear to be underweight based on the pictures shown. I'd have to examine him to be sure, but the biggest indication that he is not underweight is the fact that he appears to have well-developed muscles. Dogs of this breed tend to be naturally lean and put more weight on their muscles rather than their ribs, or belly. If I was concerned that he was underweight, then I would first want to rule-out a disease, or parasite causing him to lose or not gain weight. It's best to have a veterinarian evaluate him, so you can ensure he's healthy and ensure that you are not going to feed him unnecessarily. Dog obesity is a big problem in the U.S., which means that the average person thinks a fat dog is at ideal weight; and a dog with an ideal body condition, or a lean body condition is thought to be starving. The truth is that the lean dogs are statistically healthier and live longer than overweight dogs. Some dogs (much like people) are able to naturally maintain a lean body condition. Leo is one of those dogs, but would urge you to have a veterinarian examine him to make that call. Below is a link to a body condition scoring guide. This is what veterinarians use when assessing whether a dog is overweight or underweight. We prefer them to be at a BCS of 4 or 5, but some are naturally at a 3. https://www.wsava.org/sites/default/files/Body%20condition%20score%20chart%20dogs.pdf At this time, I recommend feeding him normally and would not recommend a diet change until he can be evaluated by a veterinarian. I hope that helps and all is well with Leo.

Based on the pictures you provided, it appears that Alfie is starting to lose some of his "waist" when viewed from the side and the top which would indicate that he is heavier than an ideal body weight. I am attaching a link to a website that includes pictures and descriptions of an ideal body weight body. https://petobesityprevention.org/pet-weight-check/ An ideal body weight of 5/9 should gave a good tuck of the abdomen behind the ribs when viewed from the side which Alfie appears to be losing. I have often found that the amount of recommended food on the bag is more than the normal dog with average metabolism need to maintain weight, so they will gain weight. I will usually recommend a 10-20% decrease in total calories for the day for weight loss in dogs that are slightly overweight. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Yes, that is all normal. His weight appears fine in this photo. The biggest problem in pet dogs is obesity so it is preferable for them to be their ideal weight or just a bit underweight. I would not be worried. Great question!