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weight

19 14:43:27

Question
I have a female aussie who is 10 months old.  She now weights 53 lbs.  I don't think she is overweight - but how can I tell if she really is overweight - she is very active, but with all that fur it is hard to tell! I feed her the recommended amount of good dog food (2 cups twice a day).  

Answer
53 pounds does sound very heavy for a purebred Aussie female, especially one so young.  But, the way you tell is to look at her from above.  She should have a defined waist (just behind the rib cage).  If you look at her from the side, she should have a "tuck up" and not a flat bottom line. If you feel her sides, you should be able to just feel her ribs (if she were a short coated dog, I would say you should not see the ribs), and you should not feel any "fat pads" over the ribs.  If you have recently switched to a premium food, be aware that the kCal/per cup is higher than that of supermarket brands, so you would want to feed a smaller amount.  I don't want to worry you, but some Aussies do gain weight due to thyroid imbalances.  There is a simple test (about $90-100) called a full thyroid panel that can determine if your dog has it, and if so, the medication is very inexpensive.