Overweight Show Cocker

[Milliemitz]

Daisy, an overweight Show Cocker, is staying with me and my 2 Springer Spaniels.  She is 2y old and weighs 16kg.  My dogs are fed following the raw prey model of feeding.  I give my dogs raw meaty bones weighing about 2-3% of their body weight for a meal each night, ie 1/2 a chicken or a turkey drumstick.  Daisy's vet has said she needs to lose weight & her owners have agreed that she can be fed raw.  Daisy is getting exercise with my dogs.
What weight should a healthy 2y Show Cocker bitch be?
What weight loss per week is good to achieve?
Thank you

[Nicola]

It depends what height and build she is, for some big framed Cockers 16kg could be a healthy weight and then you get tiny framed dogs with fighting weights of less than 10kg. Rather than getting hung up on actual kilo weight I'd look at her shape; you want to be able to see a clearly defined waist when you look down on the dog from above, and be able to easily feel the ribs without having to press through a layer of fat.

[LynneB]

I have a cocker who weighs 18kl but he is fine as he is a big boy and not overweight at all. Weight is by proportion, small frame,  low weight. etc

[elaine.e]

Hi and welcome to COL

I'm a raw feeder, although not prey model, and feed my two Cockers about 2.5% of their bodyweight, but that includes some blitzed raw veggies and fruit, so the meat and bone content is actually more like 2.1 or 2.2%. I feed around 80% muscle meat, 10% offal and 10% bone using a variety of meats and some fish.

My two are both show type males, both up to height for the breed standard and each weigh about 13.5 kg. They are active, slim and fit. The breed standard for Cocker bitches states shoulder height 15 - 15.5 inches and weight (dogs and bitches) 13 - 14.5 kg. So if Daisy is the breed standard height and average build I think I'd be aiming for around 13 kg. That's only a guess though, not knowing how tall Daisy is or what sort of build. There are plenty of show type Cockers around that are smaller than standard and a few that are larger too.

But if Daisy is breed standard height and build I think I'd start her off on 2.5% of 13 kg and see how she goes. Steady weight loss is better than rapid and I'm assuming that the vet has given Daisy a clean bill of health apart from her weight?

Have you switched an adult kibble fed dog to raw before? Apologies if you have and already know how to. My older Cocker made the transition by having 1 kibble meal and 1 raw meal a day for a while, but some just make the switch in one go. I think if I were to do it again with an adult I'd do it in one go but still stick to two meals per day.

Hope this helps

[Milliemitz]

Hi All

Thank you so much for replying.
Daisy is about 14" at shoulder height and hasn't got a clearly defined waist.  My 2 Springers have lovely profiles, especially the Springer/Sprocker who was raw fed from a pup.  Yes I have switched an adult kibble fed dog to raw before.  I did it in 1 go successfully so I'm doing the same for Daisy.

Thanks again

[Bev]

my arnie is a show cocker and is 18 kgs but he is tall the vet said he is fine x