Besides knowing how much your dog weighs, knowing what body conditioning means is important. This is a better barometer of whether on not Fido needs to lose weight. It lets you know how your dog should look and feel to you. When your dog is at his ideal-weight you should be able to feel his ribs through his coat. They shouldn’t stick out so that you can see their outline. When you look at your dog in sideways view, you should see a tuck in his abdomen. Don’t forget that weight can be more than in just the belly. If you see your dog start to develop jowls or fat underneath their chin, it might be time to make an appointment with your veterinarian.

You can find drawings online to help you understand what your dog’s body conditioning is and how he should look when his weight is ideal, not too thin, or too heavy. He could also begin to lose weight as he ages because of a change in his metabolism, though that is more unusual. His metabolism is related to more than how his body processes his food. You’ll want your vet to examine your dog concerning these health issues.

Weight as in humans depends on diet and exercise. In extreme cases a dog’s thyroid gland may be acting up. The vet can find out with a few blood tests. Medicines can be introduced into your dog’s diet to help control the thyroid and with proper diet and exercise your dog should be back to normal in no time