Recently I took my dog in for his annual check up; it had been about 15 months since his last one (holding off on rabies vac as long as legally possible) At his last appointment (8yrs) my vet suggested he take off a few pounds as leaner was better for the joints and organs as he aged. He weighed 90lbs and the suggested weight was 85-87lbs.
I have been feeding him raw for about a year and noticed the more indented waistline and ribs which were easily felt as well as a myriad of other improvements.
I figured we were on the right course until he was weighed at this current appointment(9 yrs) and he tipped the scales at 96lbs (heaviest he has ever been). The vet tech had weighed him and was taking his history of the past year and noted the change in diet in her notes. When the vet came in he looked at him and said I thought for sure I was going to see a fat dog which can happen when you change their diet but he hides it well. He continued the exam without further mention of his diet and when he completed it he asked what I fed as part of his raw diet. He said whatever I was doing was working well for him; his range of motion, coordination, heart rate etc were great. He suggested he lose weight but said in the condition he was in he felt 92 or 93lbs would be a healthier weight; he thought the 85-87 would be a little thin.
I interpreted this to mean he has gained in muscle and lost fat; has anyone else experienced this with their dogs when they switched to a raw diet?
He only made one suggestion as far as his diet and said I might consider adding a multivitamin. It was a relief not to be lectured after reading some posts of vets reading others the riot act for feeding raw.
BTW the scale was right; I weighed myself as proof. You know now that I think about it...... maybe it was 10lbs off yay that must be it Though on second thought maybe it was off last year and he weighed more than 90lbs......
Hi Sheila,
From my understanding of how the raw diet works; which is good lean protein and without the presence of grains,that is exactly what happened with your dogs weight. He is lean and his weight went up from gaining more lean muscle weight. When I switched my female to all raw, I noticed that she lost that little bit of weight on her belly and how it indents and has more definition.
I think that as long as you feed the recommended amounts and are not over feeding, that most people will tell you that their dogs look exactly as you described.
Plus, I learned from Connie that dogs use fat, like humans use carbs. I used to trim all the fat off that i could, but now I just trim the excess globs, but leave the rest. Especially now that winter is coming. I don't live in a real cold climate, but for those that do, they add considerable calories so the dogs maintain there weight.
Isn't it just the best knowing that your dog is doing so well and to have the vet acknowledge it?
I could not be happier that I made the switch to all raw.
It sounds like your dog is doing great.
It would all depend on his physical condition pre-raw.
Maybe your guy could have stood to lose some fat. He also could've lacked a little in the muscle department. Then your awesome diet helped to fix those.
Your scenerio sounds familiar for other dogs I have heard.
There are also alot of scenerios like my dog. Mine was a little different. He lost weight, like yours, but already had the muscle there, so never really gained more "mass".
I had no idea I was keeping my dog so heavy. He was almost 20 lbs. pre-raw. Now that he has a waist, he is a much healthier looking dog at 13-14 lbs. That's over 25% of his weight that he lost! I had no idea until that extra weight was gone that I was keeping him so FAT.
Sounds like you are doing everything perfect. Keep goin!:smile:
I can't say enough about the benefits of a raw diet. What's nice is the proof is in the dog. So whenever people ask his age and are surprised expecting him to be younger; I immediately give credit to his raw diet. It usually is followed by questions and I am hoping some people walk away considering it as an option. I'd be happy to know just one person switched because of my dog.
Michael,
Can that baby get any cuter? If you and the missus ever decide to spend a romanctic weekend in Boston; I volunteer my services to babysit.
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Raw Diet Weight Gain
Though on second thought maybe it was off last year and he weighed more than 90lbs......
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