# Can you see your dogs ribs?



## Wendi (Jul 2, 2012)

Maybe I'm wrong, but today I got into a little difference of opinion with the receptionist at my Vets office.

Roxxi has put on some weight over the winter, my fault. Today she weighed 63 pounds and last summer she weighed 57 pounds.

I said today I knew she was carrying a some extra weight from the winter.

She said the Vet made a note that she needed to lose weight when she was 57 lbs. So she needed to lose quite a bit. I said there was no way she needed to lose weight when she was 57 pounds. We had won a free exam at a different Vet while at Petapalooza, so we used it. At that appt. she weighed 57 pounds and that Vet said she was perfect weight. And EVERYONE else said she was too skinny. (She wasn't)


She then said I should be able to SEE her ribs as well as feel them easily.
This was our disagreement. Can you SEE your dogs ribs, really?

I think of dogs with short coats as dogs you can see ribs, not long coated dogs.

She also said that exercise didn't make a difference it was all in what she was being fed. 

She gets two cups of food a day total. I am going to cut her back to 3/4 and add some green beans until she is down to 57 pounds.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

No.... you should not see ribs. You should be able to feel them easily, but that's not the same thing. 

It's easy to see with Bertie because he was mostly "naked" in this shot (he blew his coat and had it all blown out during the grooming session just before) - 

He has a typical young dog's body. He will get a little more bone as he matures and he will get more muscle filling in as well, but while you can see where his waist is and generally see _where_ his ribs are, you can't SEE them.


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## Max's Dad (Apr 23, 2012)

No, you should absolutely not be able to see your dog's ribs. I would suggest you refer the vet to the Purina weight chart.

How to Evaluate Your Dog's Weight - For Dummies

Note that the dog in the chart does not have fur.


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## Sarah~ (Sep 16, 2013)

It depends... in most long or double coated dogs I would say no, you should not be able to see ribs. There are some short coated breeds that are built to be naturally slender and you can see some ribs. In conditioned dogs with a short coat it looks like you can see all the ribs but the dog is fine. Dogs like bloodhounds, rotties, etc... The standard calls for a robust dog, you wouldn't see ribs on them. But Dobes, greyhounds, whippets, etc. have a much more defined tuck and are supposed to be very lean without being emaciated.

With a golden, I say no, you should not see ribs


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## CharlieBear80 (Oct 13, 2013)

On a dog with a coat like a GR, I'd say no. You can see Huck's, but he's a thin, short coated GSD!


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## Wendi (Jul 2, 2012)

That's what I said, not on a Golden. Breeds like Weimaraners you see their ribs when they move.

Why is it even though you're sure you are right, you want others to validate it...LOL

Thanks guys!


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## Reese9 (Jan 11, 2012)

Dogs should have an hourglass figure. You should not be able to see the ribs, but be able to feel them without prodding.


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