Is Your Pointer Overweight?

Probably not – in fact, there’s a great chance that your Pointer is just the right weight. If your dog is like a lot of Pointers, he’s a high-energy, active dog that pesters you for walks and other types of exercise. But, canine obesity is becoming very common, just like the “epidemic” of childhood obesity we’ve been hearing about. So, I thought I might write something quick about how you can tell whether your Pointer is overweight.

Here are two quick tests for possible obesity. Each one is easy to do and neither one requires a scale or any special equipment:

  1. The “rib test”. Can you feel your dog’s ribcage if you lightly run a hand along the side of his body? If you can count each rib as your hand passes over it, your dog is not overweight. If you can’t count his ribs, you need to put your Pointer on a diet and give him more exercise.
  2. The “waist test”. Run a hand down each side of your dog’s body. Can you feel a “waist” where his body tucks in just ahead of his hips? If there’s a discernible “waist”, your Pointer’s probably not overweight. If all you see and feel is a straight line leading back from his shoulders to his hips, well, he’s overweight. Once again, the fix involves a diet coupled with more exercise.

You probably don’t ever need to worry about your Pointer getting overweight. But bookmark this page in case you start wondering if your dog is joining the epidemic of canine obesity. If he does start gaining weight, take him to the vet just to make sure that it’s not being caused by some sort of health condition.

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