@NEPatsGirl , I have two Main Coons…one is a 14 year old male. People look at him and think he is large ( ut he is lanky and looking pretty rough in his old age. My female is really large…her weight isn’t high, I think only 17 lbs but she has a huge frame, head , paws and her coat is heavy so it makes her look monstrous.
@MomofWildChild , I have had several Maine Coons for the last 20 years…only two of them ( one being the large female I currently have ) are really interested / obsessed with food.
@MaterS , Corgis are notorious for being food obsessed so I don’t think it is anything medical with her…I just have to be really careful to measure her food intake because she did gain weight when we first got her as a young adult
@lje62, our Maine Coon wasn’t a huge eater, just a huge cat and a darling. The little pipsqueak that adopted us lived in the wild his first 6 months and bites to get his way. He doesn’t hurt (or break the skin) but we can’t seem to train him to meow to get what he wants. He doesn’t usually bite unless we walk right past him standing at the treats and then he gets your ankle. Sometimes he gets me if I’m going down the stairs and he wants water from the bathroom sink and I pass by without noticing lol.
@pizzagirl, nor would I. I detest dogs that bite or that show any aggression at all towards humans. I’ve always had dogs, well-trained I might add, and not one ever even growled at me. I treasure the memories of my toddler son riding my 100# golden retriever around the yard like a horse, kerchief and all (on both of them lol).
Having just finished reading an obituary for one of my daughter’s 21 year old classmates who died of anorexia last week, I think the last thing any man or beast needs is weight shaming.
Regarding people: I’ve been working on losing weight for almost four years and I am now quite close to a “normal” weight–and my friends are starting to ask if I’m anorexic. (No, I’m not, thank you.) I think we (as a society) have lost track of what “normal” is.
Regarding students: many years ago I had a student who’d lost a good bit of weight rather abruptly. I asked her what she’d had for lunch one day and was reassured by her “hamburger, fries, milk, apple.” I said “oh, how’s lacrosse?” She’d given up lacrosse, she wasn’t feeling well, always hungry but never satisfied. I suggested talking to her family doctor; she had Graves’ disease (overactive thyroid).
Teenagers have no idea what “normal” is. They don’t know they shouldn’t feel exhausted at the end of the day. “Health” classes teach no nutrition. It’s no longer acceptable to tell anyone that they are thin or fat and we’re supposed to accept it all as “normal.” It may be “normal” but that doesn’t make it healthy. Or a good idea. I think it’s appropriate for schools to help out with vision testing, scoliosis testing, and yes, BMI testing. If schools are offering healthy food and some nutrition education, why not?
Regarding dogs: I compete in dog agility, where dogs perform obstacle course as their handler (owner) instructs. Many novice dogs–dogs with handlers that are just starting to compete–are overweight, and yes, someone always tells the handler if the dog needs to lose a few pounds. Why? Because overweight dogs should not be jumping obstacles–it’s not kind. You can also hear when a dog is overweight–they make that “hunh” sound when landing after a jump.
As a result, I am keenly aware of the differences between how an overweight dog and a normal weight dog move. I see many overweight dogs as I go about my daily routine; I don’t mention it outside the context of agility.
This vet’s blog has a nice set of charts for judging dog and cat weight. https://caringhandstopics.■■■■■■■■■■■■■/2013/05/23/body-condition-score/
As for the correct weight for a puppy, many vets advocate for keeping a puppy on the lean side and making them work for their daily meals by using their food as a reward for training.
My vet–also an agility competitor–tells me that most of her clients have overweight dogs and that she finds it disheartening to tell them again and again that they are shortening their dog’s life by allowing them to be overweight. She has said that it’s more effective to tell them that they are wasting money.
There have actually been a number of studies on how weight perception has become skewed, so you’re absolutely correct. It’s a little bit disturbing to realize it’s a generational shift in perception that will likely continue given current trends.