[jmeezle]

(Brodie and Ben. Notice the size difference. Brodie is a *normal size* golden.)

Ben is now a year and 2 months old. From head to tail he is 58 inches long, stands 26 inches from the floor to the top of his back, and is 37 inches in diameter around his chest to his back.

For a golden, I think he is rather large. He's up to 115 lbs., and has a huge frame. I am concerned that his size is going to affect his joints in the future.

Should I start him on weight control food this early being that he's still a pup?

Any advice would be appreciated, especially owners of large goldens.

Thanks!!

 

[Golden Miles' Dad]

I've always strugled withy Miles' weight too since he's another GGR (Giant Golden Retriever). Every one has told me that it is best to keep them fit and trim, and that is the best theory to follow to ward off later issues.

http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/showthread.php?t=59642&highlight=miles+size

 

[jwemt81]

Are you able to easily feel his ribs? As long as you can feel them without pressing too hard, his weight should be fine, although 115 lbs is huge for a Golden at any age and I would be concerned about his hips and other joints. What does your vet say about his size?

 

[mylissyk]

I don't think diet food at is age is the best idea. Just feed him a moderate amount of food and as long as you can feel ribs but not see them you should be ok. He is going to be a big boy!

 

[jmeezle]

When I feel his sides I don't feel his ribs. The thing that is confusing is that he isn't really fat... He's just a giant, solid dog. Him and his brother get good exercise as well. I think portion control may be the way to go, although I've tried that and he likes to eat his brother's food too. lol!

I may have to resort to splitting them up when it comes to feeding time.

Like I said, he's only a year and two months old, but is 115 lbs. The vet said he should be around 80, but his frame doesn't seem like 80 pounds is a reasonable weight for him.

I'm confused! I don't want to starve him, he's still growing and all. :/

 

[Penny & Maggie's Mom]

Most people are not accustomed to seeing dogs at the proper weight. Just like with the human population, we've gotten used to seeing heavy as the norm. My advice would be to keep him on a regular, but moderate calorie food, but cut the amount some and up the exercise. Hank ( Ambika) posted this chart quite a while ago which really gives a good view of what normal really is.... and yes, you should feel ribs and see that tuck.
As an addition, our sweet puppers are experts at making us feel like we're starving them.... most would eat til they popped!! lol Work at finding the amount of calories he needs to lose weight, then maintain weight and go by that. Most feeding amounts listed on food bags are WAY more than what most dogs can eat and not gain.

Originally Posted by AmbikaGR
This one has the explanation of the views also. They are both from purina's website (Body Condition Chart)

Understanding Your Dog's Body Condition

Too Thin

1 Ribs, lumbar vertebrae, pelvic bones and all bony prominences evident from a distance. No discernible body fat. Obvious loss of muscle mass.
2 Ribs, lumbar vertebrae and pelvic bones easily visible. No palpable fat. Some evidence of other bony prominence. Minimal loss of muscle mass.
3 Ribs easily palpated and may be visible with no palpable fat. Tops of lumbar vertebrae visible. Pelvic bones becoming prominent. Obvious waist.

Ideal

4 Ribs easily palpable, with minimal fat covering. Waist easily noted, viewed from above. Abdominal tuck evident.
5 Ribs palpable without excess fat covering. Waist observed behind ribs when viewed from above. Abdomen tucked up when viewed.

Too Heavy

6 Ribs palpable with slight excess fat covering. Waist is discernible viewed from above but is not prominent. Abdominal tuck apparent.
7 Ribs palpable with difficulty; heavy fat cover. Noticeable fat deposits over lumbar area and base of tail. Waist absent or barely visible. Abdominal tuck may be present.
8 Ribs not palpable under very heavy fat cover, or palpable only with significant pressure. Heavy fat deposits over lumbar area and base of tail. Waist absent. No abdominal tuck. Obvious abdominal distension may be present.
9 Massive fat deposits over thorax, spine and base of tail. Waist and abdominal tuck absent. Fat deposits on neck and limbs. Obvious abdominal distention.

 

[jmeezle]

Here are some recent pics of the monster:

 

[Penny & Maggie's Mom]

Yep... looks like he needs to diet. Cut back his food, up the exercise, and you can add some green beans to his food to help him feel full if you want. You can use frozen or fresh.... if frozen or canned just make sure there is not sodium added. I've found a 5 lb bag of frozen at Sam's for 5.99 that are really good.

 

[tippykayak]

It's tough love time. 115 pounds is 40 over the maximum weight allowed in the breed standard. Even if his frame is larger than normal, it's hard to believe that he could be so big that 115 would be ideal. Add to that the fact that you can't easily feel his ribs, and you certainly have an overweight dog. He looks, from the pictures, to be about a seven on that chart P&M's Mom posted.

Definitely don't switch to diet food. He should still be on puppy food, just less of it. More exercise is good, but given his weight, low impact stuff like swimming is probably best.

 

[Abbydabbydo]

No dear, don't worry, take action. Cut the food, more walks. Ben is a beautiful dog and deserves the right to lead a healthy life. I know they want to eat everything, but unless he is crossed with a great Pyr, he is way too big. I will look forward to his trip to goal weight.

Green beens, carrots and some fruit mght help. What are you feeding him?

 

[jmeezle]

Thanks for the help everyone!

I will include some vegetables in his food and increase exercise. He loves to run and swim (we have a pond in our back yard), so I will up the exercise for sure.

He's still a pup, but a giant pup (as you can see!) and I want him to be as healthy as possible.

Thanks again.

 

[goldhaven]

He is a big boy and he is beautiful. His pictures may be deceiving. I thought my golden was a little porker until I put her in the pool. Once you can actually see the dog through the hair they become a little thinner. I realize that his weight is 115 but he seems to have a big frame. He might stand to use a little weight loss but not by diet food. I recommend a high quality no grain dog food. Feed according to the recommendations for his size. Also, for treats, I give my dogs carrots or ice cubes. No one is safe when they are getting ice cubes out of the freezer. My dogs know the sound and they all come running. If I am training, I use training treats. They are very small so I don't worry about the weight.

 

[jmeezle]

Ben went to the Doc's for an xray on his left hind foot and hip. he has been favoring it and not able to walk on it for a few days. Sometimes he can, sometimes he can't.

$300 later the xrays were all negative (thank god) but I had the chance to speak with him about his size and potential health issues.

He said DO NOT put him back on puppy food at this point... just lost of low-impact exercise and a weight control food. He said he is one of the biggest Golden's he's seen, and if he drops around 15 pounds he'll be a "machine" lol!

this is Ben at 11 months, you can see that he is a mini-monster... and he likes to talk too.

 

[Our3dogs]

Ah, yes, we have all been there with the "doggie" diet. Since he is young, you will be surprised how quickly the weight will come off, and how great he will look when it does. As someone else posted, we get use to seeing them on the heavy side, and don't really realize how they should look. One really good thing about keeping them in shape, is if something does happen and they sprain a leg, pull a muscle, etc., having that extra weight off just helps them heal that much faster, and prevents some of those injuries from happening in the first place. I am sure he is going to love the extra swimming! I have never used weight management food for any of our dogs. Ben still is a young dog that needs the nutrients. Yes, if you have had him on puppy food, switch to a good quality adult food, reduce the quantity and supplement with green beans, veggies etc. Works like a charm. Once he is at a good weight, you can work at finding the right combination of dry food to veggies to maintain the weight. To this day, all our dogs get the veggies whether on a diet or not.

 

[LuckyPup]

I have the same problem! I got Lucky 5 weeks ago. He was 85 lbs! He does have a bigger frame BUT he is definitely overweight. Then I started exercising him more and we fed just a little less food than a regular diet. He lost 2 lbs in 1.5 weeks. Then I got him neutered and he gained his lost weight plus 2 more lbs! :doh:

I try to read as much as I can about nutrition but I still do not think I have a clue! I give Lucky California Natural. We are on click training so we have to give a lot of pea sized treats. I give him carrots, green beans, apples, and cheerios. Would I cut back his food even more since he gets those? I do not give him any other form of biscuits or treats.