The dog is, without a doubt, the king of companion animals. His loyalty, joy and company make him the best friend of millions of people. But, like any living being, these animals need specific care to maintain a good health and one feeding Adequate is key to achieving it. However, the overweight and the extreme thinness They are common problems that affect both your well-being and your quality of life. Aware of this reality, a veterinarian known on social media as ‘María VetiCan’ has shared a video on TikTok in which she explains how to detect if our dog is overweight or if, on the contrary, he is too thin.
The importance of observing the silhouette
According to Maria, a visual analysis It is the first step to determine if a dog has an adequate weight: “One of the simplest things is to look at the silhouette, the shape of its body.” In this sense, the expert points out that, in profile, the animal’s belly should not be prominent: «From the profile, there should be no belly here. This has to go very close from the thorax through the belly to the groin.
Furthermore, by observing the dog from above, it should be possible distinguish the waist: “We should notice a curvature in the chest, then a slight tuck in the waist and then a widening again at the hips.”
However, if the bones are too visiblethe problem may be the thinness: “If the bones are visible here and this curvature is too extreme, your dog is too thin.” On the other hand, if the waist is not visible or the body flares outwardsthe dog probably has overweight: “If your dog does not have even this slight curvature and is completely straight or even curves outward, your dog is overweight.”
Palpate the bones
In addition to observation, María recommends palpating the animal’s body to obtain more information. The bones such as the ribs, spine and hip are a good indicator: “They should not be seen with the naked eye, and second, when you palpate them, you should notice it but when apply light pressure. If you already notice it by simply touching it, your dog is probably too thin. Although “if you have to apply a lot of pressure to feel the bones, your dog is probably overweight,” he says.
More than a question of aesthetics
Finally, the veterinarian emphasizes that maintaining an adequate weight is not just an aesthetic issue: «It is important to take care of it and it is also your responsibility because you are the one who feeds him, who chooses the quantity, who chooses the quality and, “Not just for aesthetics, which doesn’t matter to them, it’s for health.” As revealed, the inappropriate weight may be an indication of serious problemswhether it is too thin or overweight: «If it is too thin there is either malnutrition or a disease that is consuming that animal. And if you are overweight it can promote diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, joint problems and pain.
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