Dog People - Need Advice Pic Added

[helmstead]

I just 'rescued' an eldery (14 year old) dog from a family member. Don't want to get into the story.

She is a chow/terrier mix. She is 17 inches tall and weighs 21 pounds. She is emaciated. I can't find a height to weight chart for dogs.

What should she weigh?? She's eating like a horse, so I want to know where I should get her to. I'm guessing she needs another 9 pounds or so?

Here she is...the spot you see is a wound I found on her that might be a carcinoma.

 

[bantymum]

Sorry Im not sure on the weight issue, however thankyou for taking her in and looking after her. It sounds like she needs some real TLC.
Elderly dogs should have little and often, at least twice a day.
Im ready to sleep as its 12.58am but ill do some research for you.
Hugs

 

[s6bee]

Well, first get her checked for worms. All the food in the world will go away if she's full of them. She probably has many other simple/treatable health issues too ( check for heartworms )
Anyway, I would guess she needs to be around 30-35 lbs. I have Springers that at the withers are 19" and weight about 40 lbs. +. They are perfect in weight for thier size.

 

[arlee453]

For that size dog, I'd think somewhere between 30-45 pounds would be about right, depending on the breed/body build.

The general rule of thumb is that you should be able to feel the ribs through the skin, but not prominately. If you can feel the hip, spine and prominant ribs, then they need more weight. If you can't feel the ribs or have to really 'dig' in there to find them, the dog is overweight.

Other things than lack of food can cause weight loss, especially in an older dog. If the dog does not put on weight reasonably quickly with good nutrition, then a vet visit would definately be in order.

Kudos for rescuing this elderly dog. Hope he/she has a happier life for the remaining time he has left!

 

[hsm5grls]

Helmstead I read that a chow should weight between 45 and 65 lbs. Not sure if that is right or helpful but I am wishing you and the doggie good luck and hope all goes well. I also looked up terrier weight it seems there are many diff. kinds of terriers so it is hard to know. I would think as long as the dog looks healthy and active weight shouldn't really matter. Just keep feeding and loving her I am sure she will do fine in your care.

 

[helmstead]

That's one of those sad things - the owner keeps her UTD on Heartguard, Frontline & vet care, they just don't FEED her. They tell the vet she is skinny due to her age. Because of their social status, the vet buys it. The vet I worked for for 5 years wouldn't have!

I'll hit her with a broad spectrum dewormer anyway. Thanks. Good idea.

 

[nccatnip]

Purina has a good guide on dog weight on the bags and you can probably get it from the website.

 

[hensdeliverthegoods]

What a lovely girl, and bless you for rescuing her! She should be about 35-40 lbs. Worming was the first step, and it's good you did that. If indeed that is a carcinoma on her back, putting weight on her will be extra hard. You probably already know to feed her calorie-dense premium brand dog food, but often elderly dogs have bad teeth and it can be painful for her to chew. Malnutrition may have also made that worse. So I'd also suggest a soft diet. Cottage cheese and - happily - eggs make great high-proteing supplements. Keep us posted on her progress!

 

[domromer]

At that height I'd say 35-45 lbs. It was good of you to take her in.

 

[chickbea]

Thyroid issues in older animals can also cause weight problems one way or the other.
She's a cutie!