Is my 7-month-old pug puppy overweight? How do I manage his weight?

From the pictures and weight you described he seems pretty healthy, however your vet can help you monitor Murphy's weight to make sure he isn't gaining too much or becoming overweight. Most vets will use a body condition score to determine if the weight is appropriate (around 3 on a scale of 5 or 5 on a scale of 9 is good). Many vets will also let you bring your pup in for weighing without charge so you can track his weight as he grows.

If you can get him down to 18 pounds, that would be a good start. Most male Chugs weigh about 15 to 18 pounds. Monitor his weight as well as his BCS (body condition score). Your veterinarian can show you how to do this. You want Duke to lose weight but not too much. He should have a nice layer of fat over his ribs. He should also have a wait when viewed from above and a gentle abdominal tuck when viewed from the side. He shouldn't look like a square or a rectangle

It's difficult to judge body condition at two months, so I wouldn't be too concerned; but it's advised not to let them get too fat as a puppy, because he will eventually be a fat adult. You can avoid him getting too fat and growing too quickly (another concern for problems later on) by ensuring he's fed the correct amount of large breed puppy food. A quality dog food brand will be formulated for puppies and have specific feeding instructions to ensure they get adequate nutrients and not too much. Below is a link to more information about how to look for a good food. https://mobile.petcoach.co/amp/article/what-to-look-for-when-choosing-your-pet-s-food I hope that helps and all is well with Invictus.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Gizmo. Pugs can have very big appetites making it difficult to assess feeding. I usually start by feeding slightly less than what is recommended on the bag of your particular food. These recommendations tend to be too high for most pets. Then I assess the dog. He should have a thin covering over his ribs. You should be able to easily feel the individual ribs. Then he needs to have a defined waist from both the top and side views. If he does not have these criteria then, you are likely overfeeding him. If he you can see his spine or hip bones, you may need to up the food a bit. I hope this information helps!

You can try splitting his feedings into smaller more frequent meals. Another idea would be to get a slow feed food bowl to slow his eating down. I would also make sure that you are weighing him regularly and feeding according to the growth chart on the food. I would not recommend leaving the food down for him to eat all he wants. This could cause him bad GI upset or more serious issues like bloat. Hope this helps some. If you have any further questions or would like to discuss nutrition and feeding in more detail I am happy to provide consultation services.

Feeding homemade diets can be perfectly fine as long as the diet is very carefully balanced with appropriate vitamin and mineral supplements. Dogs can develop a variety of conditions related to different nutritional deficiencies. If you are considering a home cooked diet for Cowboy, look into balanceit.com. This website has a number of different recipes created by boarded veterinary nutritionists and they also sell the necessary supplements for each recipe. They are based out of the UC-Davis Veterinary School, so it is a reputable source. :-) Keep walking Cowboy and monitor his portions closely. It may take time, but he should be down to a healthy well-muscled body condition before you know it!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Love is adorable! She is also a very good body condition. I would NOT try to make her gain anymore weight. I would try to keep her the weight she is for the rest of her life. Obesity in pugs exacerbates their breathing problems and puts extra stress on bones and promotes arthritis. Obesity causes many health conditions and shortens the life of dogs. Being lean is a good thing. You just don't want to feel or see hip bones. I prefer Royal Canin. Have a great weekend!