# Too Skinny?



## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

He looks fine to me  Goldens are best kept lean and Sam looks great!


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

dog weight chart - The Purina Body Condition System

This may help you decide, but your dog's veterinarian can help you determine the best weight for Sam. Our Toby's weight fluctuates between the seasons and depends a lot on his thyroid levels. He tends to get thinner in the winter and heavier in the summer, which is the opposite of what you would expect. Like you we can feel his ribs but they aren't visible unless wet. During cooler months we feed him a little more and lower it a little in the summer. 

Like Sunrise mentioned, it's healthier to keep them lean, because it helps their joints so much, among other benefits.


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## magiclover (Apr 22, 2008)

I think he looks very healthy and fit. I agree a little leaner is better.


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## Karen2 (Jan 5, 2009)

Sam is beautiful, I think people are just so used to seeing overweight dogs that have no waist, why they are commenting.
He looks to be in great shape. Some dogs are built different, Sierra is wide chested and Lance is narrow chested.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

He looks fine to me. He might gain a little more weight in the next year as he settles down and stops filling out, which case you might need to cut back on the food a little. 

Very pretty guy.


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## C's Mom (Dec 7, 2009)

He looks fine and super handsome to me.


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## rhondas (Sep 10, 2010)

I think Sam is handsome and looks perfect. Don't let people make you think otherwise.
My male 3.5 year old Golden weighs between 58lbs and 60lbs and is 24.5 inches at the withers. He's very active, swims and does agility weekly, takes longs walks etc and eats more than most goldens who weigh 30 lbs more than he does - he just has a good metabolism and active lifestyle that burns up his food. 

My vet and everyone who know what a fit golden should look like thinks he's perfect but I also get strangers who have overweight goldens say he needs to gain weight. I normally smile at them but a few persistant ones got to me and I told them they should look up the the GR standards and they will see that my GR is what they should be like.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Technically, the standard says -



> Weight for dogs 65-75 pounds; bitches 55-65 pounds.


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## CarolinaCasey (Jun 1, 2007)

He looks a little thin from the pic showing his back. It's hard to tell. If your vet doesn't think he's underweight, and you've looked at the weight chart and feel he's healthy. It should be fine. Gibbs was pretty thin until now when we had him on the slow growth diet. I would prefer a dog on the thin side than rolly polly.


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

CarolinaCasey said:


> He looks a little thin from the pic showing his back. It's hard to tell.


I thought that too, but to be honest, until Danny filled out at 2 1/2, he was super lean, too. He ate a LOT but stayed quite thin. He is still somewhat lean, but he weighs 77 lbs and is as solid as a brick wall.


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## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

Remember too, the average person (dog park people) are used to seeing the average dog who is OVERWEIGHT!!!

I agree with all statements about Sam. He looks good, perhaps a tiny bit thin from the back shot but better on the skinny side of normal than the other way. Let your vet be the best judge.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Sam*

I think you Sam looks wonderful!!

I took our adopted Golden Ret. Tucker to vet and told him I thought he was too skinny and the vet who also has a Golden Retriever vehemently disagreed with me and told me Tucker is the perfect weight & size. Tucker weighed about 57-59 Lbs. and I think he is about 24 inches tall. He also told me people are used to seeing overweight dogs.

Tucker is also lean in the hip area.


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## sarahdove (Feb 27, 2011)

*For being 1 year old, I think Sam looks great. Wow, 4 1/2 cups a day? *
*My Kynkade was super skinny as a pup and youngster. Everyone always made a comment how thin he was. Finally at 2 1/2 years he filled in. He is now 3 1/2 years old and weighs 99Lbs :doh:. He only eats 1 cup kibble with a spoon of wet in the morning and 1 cup kibble for dinner.*

*I'm sure Sam will fill in. Also.........is he neutered? After my dogs got fixed they seem to put on weight.*

*Sam is a gorgeous boy~~~~~~~~~~*


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

A lean dog lives, on average, almost two years longer than a dog who's even moderately overweight. A lean dog also experiences many geriatric problems (like arthritis) almost two years later, on average, than a moderately overweight dog. That's two healthy years you can have with your dog if you keep him at a healthy weight.

Sam looks great to me. I don't think looking at the waist tells you what you need to know. Some dogs have a pretty pronounced waist no matter what, and some don't, even when they're quite lean. I prefer to do a hands-on check of the ribs and hips to feel for the appropriate amount of fat (very little on the ribs, but not none; moderate pad on top of the hips, but hipbones easily felt).


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## patmcd44 (Oct 28, 2009)

Thank you for all of the replies. Sam hasn't been neutered yet and gets a ton of exercise. He has lost 2 pounds since his last vet visit and I think that he may need to gain back those couple of pounds. It's amazing how a few pounds can be very noticeable.


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