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Beagles/Over Weight?
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Question
I have a 10 month old female beagle. She has been spay. Betty is approx 15 " tall and weighs 27 pounds. I know the chest of a beagle expands especially right after they have eaten but I don't know if Betty's chest just expands or is she over weight? Can you please tell me a good weight for a beagle? I hope this question is not too general.
Thank you
Betty sounds about right to me but here are guidelines for judging whether your dog is at a healthy weight. This is how the vet would assess her....
-- Emaciated
Ribs, backbone and pelvic bones easily seen, even from a distance; no body fat; obvious loss of muscle mass
-- Underweight
Ribs can be seen and easily felt; pelvic bones are prominent; obvious waist and abdominal tuck
-- Ideal
Ribs can be felt; waist obvious when viewed from above; abdominal tuck evident
-- Overweight
Ribs hard to feel, covered by fat; noticeable fat deposits over back and base of tail; waist and abdominal tuck barely discernible
-- Obese
Ribs cannot be felt, under heavy fat covering; massive fat deposits over back and base of tail; no waist or abdominal tuck .
Source: Veterinary Products Laboratories
Hope this helps!
Have4Paws
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| Rating(1-10) | Knowledgeability = 10 | Clarity of Response = 10 | Politeness = 10 |
| Comment | Thank you very much and you were right on. Since then, Betty has gone to see the vet who also agreed she is not over weight. I feel very confident about using yours services in the future. | ||
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Answers by Expert:
Have4Paws
Expertise
I am happy to answer BEAGLE BREED SPECIFIC behavioral questions. Please DO NOT ask CRATE TRAINING OR MEDICAL questions! I am not a vet nor an expert in the use of crates.
Experience
I currently have one beagle, a male age 5, an 12 month old Pit Bull, and a 8 year old min. poodle. I have had to let go of three of my dogs, 2 beagles and 1 whippet/rat terrier mix in the past 5 years, most recently my whippet mix. The two beagles lived to 15 and the whippet mix to 13.5, it has been hard to say goodbye to them. I have done rescue work on and off for years as well as fund-raising for the local animal shelter. I worked for a dog magazine in the past (Southern California Dog Magazine). Being a psychotherapist has encouraged me to do in depth studying of animal behavior as well. I have worked with many people to help curb undesirable behaviors in their dogs (or them!) or to form good behaviors. My life is devoted to and surrounded by my dogs........The picture you see here is Zeppelin but we also call him the "miracle dog". He was hit by a car April 2010 while out with the dog walker and had very serious injuries... 4 surgeries and $17,000 later my boy is whole again and back to loving life. He is so special to me and he weathered a lot of pain and trauma yet is still the sweet boy he always was! I also work to stop Breed Specific Legislation and help to get pit bulls adopted.
Organizations
HSUS, PETA, SPCA
DONT SHOP...ADOPT!!
Publications
Dog Fancy
Education/Credentials
I am a Marriage and Family Therapist licensed in the state of CA and am also credentialed as a Certified Addiction Treatment Specialist
Awards and Honors
Honored by the Agoura Animal Shelter for my volunteer work.
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