# RSPCA too skinny what about Vs???



## born36 (Jun 28, 2011)

I was watching a show today on the RSPCA and while the camera was following around an RSPCA officer the officer went to a house where there were complaints of an under fed skinny dog. When the got there it was a V and the officer said clearly this dog is under weight because I can see their ribs. Also the officer gave the dog food and said clearly under fed as he is wolfing down the food. I am not being funny but maybe the dog was neglected in the way it was kept in an out door run but my Mac is has his ribs showing. and if you put a bowl of food down he wait for you to say good boy but he would it. Doesn't matter that he gets three meals a day plus chews and raw bones. He is spoiled yet if he was diagnosed under the same criteria that the RSPCA used in the show then.......


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## Kobi (Oct 26, 2010)

Under that criteria, Kobi is definitely "underfed". He would also wolf down the food. He loves the chance to eat the $13 Iams my GF feeds her puppy even though I feed him $70 bags of Evo Red Meat formula... it's just because it's not his that he thinks it's a treat. ****, he even eats the food that the cat drops out his bowl if he can reach it.

Not only can you see his ribs, but you can see the bumps from his spine. He looks like a stegosaurus


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

Riley FREE FEEDS all day (Taste of The Wild), plus she regularly gets sweet potatoes, green beans, & homemade banana/peanut butter frozen yogurt. Her ribs STILL show & if given the chance she will suck down my parent's chihuahua food like she's starving. :


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## Hbomb (Jan 24, 2012)

I thought vs were meant to be light and you are meant to see ribs? A lady who owns about 4 vs told me H was a bit on the tubby side because his ribs didn't show!


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## born36 (Jun 28, 2011)

Yes Hbomb just my point Vs ribs for the most part do show so I found it crazy that the RSPCA would define one with ribs showing that wants to eat when presented food as neglected.


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

I was told, an adult dog when standing straight and not moving, ribs are to barely seen, the outline is felt as we run our fingers along theirs sides. There should be a clear and visible waist.
The moment the V. turns, like to lick his behind, the ribs should be clearly visible. 
Skinny seems popular, but unless the dog is full of muscle (Arnold Vizsla), I don't subscribe to the skinny look.

My V would look skinny because he only eats kibble when starving. 
That is not good, IMO, so I feed him raw 1/2 chicken, and beef and turkey. True, I am lazy and don't know how to balance the diet so in goes some Bule Buffalo, grain free, as well. If raw did not work, I would gladly cook for him (and sometimes I do).


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## Kobi (Oct 26, 2010)

datacan said:


> Skinny seems popular, but unless the dog is full of muscle (Arnold Vizsla), I don't subscribe to the skinny look.


I would describe Kobi as very muscular... however I don't go to shows so I have an untrained eye.

For what it's worth, he free feeds. Right now he has Evo Red Meat and Blue Buffalo Salmon (a bowl upstairs and a bowl downstairs), doesn't seem to make a difference in the amount he eats. If I was actually concerned about his health, I know I could fatten him up with yummy treats... but he seems healthy and happy.


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

Nice picture. I don't see every rib on Kobi. Muscle galore - Arnold V. 
Where are spikes on his back?
Pretty much the look our breeder explained. Awesome tail position.


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

@Kobi: Kobi is so handsome! He has great muscle tone and looks very healthy to me.

I'll attach a current picture of Ri to show how thin she is... I swear, she actually gets skinnier on the weekends when we go hiking. :


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## Oquirrh the V (Jun 24, 2011)

So funny that Kobi would call his V a stegosaurus, because I can see Oquirrh's spine as well and I called him a stegosaurus just last week! I too consider Oquirrh to be healthy and muscular, especially large muscles on his hind legs compared to other V's that I've seen. Sometimes he can look extremely skinny (turned sideways, inhaling, etc.), but when he is standing and relaxed you can only see the outline of his ribs and maybe 2 or 3 bumps of his spine.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Some Vs are harder to keep weight on than others. I free feed mine, plus they get yogurt and cottage cheese. I have one that's thinner. In the winter I add chicken and satin balls to her food. It helps her stay warm with a little extra weight. The summers here are scorchers and you don't want extra weight dragging them down.

Dogs will normally eat something new, hungry or not. So giving a dog food to see if its underfed is not a true test. You would have to give them the kibble they are accustom to.


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## Kobi (Oct 26, 2010)

TexasRed said:


> Some Vs are harder to keep weight on than others. I free feed mine, plus they get yogurt and cottage cheese. I have one that's thinner. In the winter I add chicken and satin balls to her food. It helps her stay warm with a little extra weight. The summers here are scorchers and you don't want extra weight dragging them down.
> 
> Dogs will normally eat something new, hungry or not. So giving a dog food to see if its underfed is not a true test. You would have to give them the kibble they are accustom to.


I wonder what the RSPCA officer would say about Kobi wolfing down a used q-tip.... must be because he is hungry, right?


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## redrover (Mar 17, 2011)

The vet was so pleased to see Jasper, because he has such fantastic musculature. Said he was in perfect shape. Also, it's super easy for them to draw the blood for his heartworm test! Hahaha. Maybe that RSPCA just doesn't know what dogs like Vizslas are supposed to look like?

Kobi looks great! Such handsome dogs. And I've routinely been asked/gently lectured about Jasper's eating habits. A lot of people clearly think I starve my dog or something, when in fact I have found that he's better at regulating his food intake than I am. I'll put food in his bowl, but if he thinks he hasn't had enough exercise, he won't eat it. 

His favorite "weird" thing to eat is a used bandaid. I cut my arm pretty badly a few weeks ago and needed to keep it covered. I had to make sure I threw those things away immediately, otherwise he'd scarf it down the minute my back was turned. Clearly I'm depriving him of his daily nutrition.


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

As TR says, every dog is different. Last weekend at the Vizsla get together, there were Vizslas of all shapes and sizes. One was particularly skinny. Skinny like the first pic of Kobi. But, he was also the "zoomiest" of all the dogs there. He just didn't stop. So, temperament and metabolism play a large part in how they look. 

As to the OP, I think the RSPCA are treading on thin ice with a diagnosis based on "wolfing" food down and some ribs showing. Mine eat really well. Sometimes too well. But they could scoff another helping any time, even if they had just ate.


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## born36 (Jun 28, 2011)

Here is my boy. Skinny but muscles! Always on the move so could eat eat eat.


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