Expert: Liz Gregory - 8/26/2009

Question
QUESTION: I bought my cavalier king charles march 19 2009 he is now 23 weeks old I am wondering if its normal for a cavalier to be 16 pounds already.

ANSWER: Hi Melissa,
16 lbs is a little heavier than the average cavalier but not unheard of. There could be a few different reason's for this.  He could be overweight. You should be able to see his last rib easily, and there should be some 'tuck up' at that point, an indentation if you will. Or he could be larger than average or heavy-boned.
You will need to evaluate which is the cause of the weight. If you are overfeeding you will need to limit his food intake. I often give them cut green pepper strips or carrots. Also he is teething now so you need to provide lots of chew toys or bones, he could be overcompensating with food.
Good luck!
Liz

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Liz   

I feed King about 2 cups a day of orijen dry food. I think you may be right about him being big boneded. I can feel his rib very easily. So I was wondering how much you think King will be at full weight as an adult. When do cavaliers stop growing and gaining weight weight.

Answer
Hi Melissa,
Ok, you feed your 5 month old cavalier the same amount per day that I feed my 13 year old German Shepherd. I am not familiar with that food but I feed grain free which doesn't have as much carbs and so is lighter in calories. 2 cups is way too much, even for an active young cavalier. My 18lb. 3 year old male only eats 1 cup per day, half a cup in the morning and at night. Even my pregnant girls only eat about a cup and a half as well as a soft boiled egg per day and that isn't until the last three weeks. Another thing is, you may be able to FEEL his rib but I asked if you could SEE his last rib and the tuck up behind it. That is a big weight difference! So I think if you slowly cut back on the amount to one cup, he will be just fine.
Most breeds slow down in growth by six months, although not completely. I would guess that at this rate he will be between 20-24 lbs full grown. If you cut down on what he is eating it shouldn't be more than 20lbs. Take my tips on the veggies, they really love them and it won't put an ounce on them. Oh, and they LOVE ice cubes to chew on. They think it's a treat. Little distractions like ice cubes will help you reduce the amount of food without him noticing.
I love his name! How cute!
Good luck,
Liz