F is for Fat

Health

7 Feb

Yes, you can see their ribs. No, that's not a problem. Here's how to tell lean from thin, and why the extra sausage isn't kind.

You're in the vet's waiting room. A man with a round, happy Labrador looks at your greyhound, looks at the ribs, looks at you and says, very kindly, "Is he eating alright?"

He is. He ate his dinner, most of yours and a birthday card. He just doesn't show it.

Lean is the look

Sighthounds carry almost no fat under the skin. They were bred for speed, and the body hasn't noticed it's retired. So a healthy greyhound, whippet or lurcher looks lean compared with most dogs you'll meet in the park. Not scrawny. Athletic. Think sprinter, not sumo wrestler.

For a sense of scale, one large UK study of greyhounds under vet care found an average adult weight of 29.7kg, with males averaging 32.3kg and females 27.2kg. Your own hound's right weight depends on their frame, and a tall, rangy boy can be perfectly healthy well above the average.

Whippets look even more defined, because the same shape reads more sharply on a smaller hound. Lurchers vary with the mix, and some come with enough fluff to hide everything. Every hound is different, which is exactly why the number on the scales only tells half the story.

What healthy lean looks like

Stand your hound side on, then have a look from above. (Good luck getting them to stand still. A biscuit held at nose height usually helps.) In our experience, a hound in good nick has:

RibsThe last two or three faintly visible, or easy to feel under a thin layer. Guides differ a little on "see" versus "feel", which is why your vet's opinion on your own hound matters.
A waist and tuckA clear narrowing behind the ribcage from above, and that dramatic upward sweep of the belly from the side.
MuscleVisible tone through the thighs, shoulders and chest. Lean should look sculpted, not hollow.

We call the rib check a belly rub with purpose. Your hound will call it a belly rub, and expect another one in ten minutes.

Lean or too thin?

There's a real line between the two. Hip bones should be easy to feel but shouldn't jut out with no muscle around them. You should feel the spine with gentle pressure, not see it along the back. And if you can count every single rib from across the room, with hollows in between, that's not the breed standard any more.

Energy and coat tell you a lot too. A healthy lean hound is bright, glossy and prone to sudden zoomies. A too-thin one tends to look dull, flat and tired.

Some greyhounds from the racing industry arrive a little light and fill out over the first few months at home. In our experience, their coat often improves as they settle too, as if the shine arrives once they've realised the sofa isn't going anywhere.

Why kindness weight isn't kind

It's natural to want to fatten up a hound who looks this lean. An extra scoop at dinner. A corner of toast. The crust off your sandwich, because they're doing the face. It feels generous. It isn't.

Those long, fine legs and joints are built around a light frame, and extra weight puts them under strain. A heavier hound also struggles more in hot weather, with the same thin skin and nowhere to lose the heat. If your greyhound starts to look like a Labrador, that isn't them finally reaching a normal size. It's them carrying more than is good for them.

We know. We've all done it. One of us once realised the "occasional" cheese was happening four times a day. The hound was delighted. The vet was less so.

Keeping an eye on it

Ask your vet to weigh your hound at a check-up and agree an ideal range for their frame. Write it down somewhere you'll find it again. Then weigh them every so often, so you catch any creep in either direction.

No scales big enough? Stand on the bathroom scales, then stand on them again holding your hound, and do the maths. It's awkward. It's also hilarious for anyone watching, and your hound will make it very clear they did not consent to being lifted.

And when the comments come, and they will, our U is for Underweight (or Not) post has you covered with polite replies for every waiting room.

In the meantime, resist the extra sausage. They're always giving you those eyes. It's a trap.