It can be difficult to determine whether your Vizsla is too skinny, especially since these dogs tend to be on the leaner side. However, there is certainly a point beyond which your Vizsla can be said to be too skinny.
Through this article, you can go through details about the Vizsla’s healthy weight, reasons for them being too skinny as well as ways in which you can help them gain weight.
Healthy Weight for a Vizsla
A Vizsla generally tends to have a weight between 50 and 60 pounds (for males) and between 40 and 60 pounds (for females). In terms of their height, the typical measurements are between 20 and 24 inches.
If your Vizsla happens to weigh any lesser than 40-45 pounds, then this might suggest that your dog is too skinny.
However, you should keep in mind that these figures are not absolute and that your Vizsla might have a different build while still being healthy. If you are in any doubt, you can simply ask your vet.
A good way to figure out if your Vizsla is too skinny can be to see if their ribs and other bones are too apparent.
When Do Vizslas Stop Gaining Weight?
You should expect your Vizslas to grow to their fullest extent by the time they are a year old. Of course, this is not absolute since it might take anywhere between six months and one year longer for the Vizsla to fully grow into their expected weight and height.
Overall, therefore, your Vizsla will more or less stop gaining weight by the time they are 1.5-2 years old, with 1 year being a standard timeframe.
By this time, however, if Vizslas have not grown into their expected weight, then they might be too skinny.
Reasons Your Vizsla Might Be Too Skinny
There are several reasons why your Vizsla might be too skinny. You can go through some of them below.
Poor Nutrition
If your Vizsla is not getting proper nutrition, then this might be the reason why they are underweight.
Dogs tend to require a balanced combination of protein, carbohydrates, fats, minerals and vitamins along with plenty of water so that their bodies can function properly.
In the absence of this kind of balanced nutrition, your Vizsla might end up becoming underweight.
Not giving your dog enough meals or enough portions in each meal can affect their healthy weight gain as well. It is important for you to ensure that you establish times for meals and figure out the portions so that your Vizsla can remain healthy and happy.
Refusal to Eat
In some cases, it is possible that your Vizsla might simply refuse to eat food. Consuming all the meals and portions is important for them to obtain the essential nutrients and maintain their levels of activity.
If your dogs refuse to eat, however, then this is a sure sign that they might become too skinny. The reason for this can vary since different dogs, even within the same breed, are bound to have different traits and habits.
Due to poor upbringing or prior neglect or even current fears and anxieties, this situation can arise.
Lack of Healthy Calories
You might sometimes think that your dog should not eat food with too many calories, but it is important to give them a sufficient amount of calories so that they have enough energy to carry out their activities, maintain their health and stay happy.
Even if you are giving them the right quantity of food, the quality itself might not be good enough or sufficient for your Vizsla, which can then directly lead to unhealthy weight loss or lack of healthy weight gain.
Determine how many calories your dog needs on a daily basis and make sure you provide food that helps meet these requirements.
Excessive Exercise
Vizslas are highly athletic and energetic dogs, requiring a bit more physical exercise as compared to several other dog breeds. However, even then, it might be possible that you are giving them excessive levels of exercise that are not proportionate to their requirements or even to the food that they are eating.
This might mean that they are burning too many calories while their calorie intake remains unchanged.
This could then result in them becoming underweight, which is why it is important to keep exercise levels as consistent as possible and in tune with the amount and kind of food that you are feeding your Vizsla.
Underlying Health Issues
If your Viszla happens to have any underlying health issues, then this can be a significant reason for them being too skinny or underweight.
Often, such health issues might result in weight loss due to the nature of the health issue, their body’s inability to absorb and maintain proper nutrients and calories, a major loss of appetite, impacts of treatment, a general sense of lethargy and depression, among others.
In many cases, the health issue might still be undiagnosed, so it is important for you to watch out for unusual behavior and weight loss so that you can get your Vizsla checked out.
Aging
Aging can be another reason that your Vizsla might be too skinny. As they go on aging, dogs begin to lose some of their weight and muscles since their bodies start becoming weaker.
Due to health concerns, lack of appetite and lower levels of energy, skinny physiques due to aging can be a common problem that your Vizsla might face.
It is, therefore, necessary to adjust your Vizsla’s routine so that it is more compatible with their age. For instance, you might have to change their diet along with how much exercise they can withstand.
Trauma
Some kind of past trauma that your Vizsla might have faced can be another contributor to skinniness.
For instance, if your dog has had a bad upbringing or breeding or if their previous owners were abusive or neglectful, then these can count as traumatic experiences for your dog.
This trauma can manifest itself in the form of fear and anxiety, which can then prevent your Vizsla from eating properly or going about their daily routines.
If there is a sudden change in the environment or if something triggers this trauma, then your dog might withdraw.
Genetics
Genetics can be another contributor to the weight of dogs, including a Vizsla. If their breeding patterns or their parents also exhibited this kind of weight, then it is possible for your Vizsla to end up becoming underweight as well.
The presence of certain kinds of genomes might be responsible for this, in which case it might actually prove to be difficult for your Vizsla to gain a considerable amount of weight.
Nonetheless, you should consult your vet to figure out how to proceed in such a case.
Ways to Help Your Vizsla Gain Weight
Now that you are aware of the potential reasons behind your Vizsla being too skinny, it is important for you to figure out which reason could be applicable to your own dog.
Based on this, you can then take measures to help your Vizsla gain weight, some of which include the following.
Improving Nutrition
Improve your Vizsla’s nutrition by figuring out the kind of food you should be feeding. This should include a good balance of different kinds of nutrients along with a sufficient intake of calories.
Reducing Physical Activity
If you are providing too much physical activity to your Vizsla, make it a point to bring this back down to a more stable level. More than two hours of exercise can be excessive, but if, on occasion, your dog ends up getting more exercise than this, make sure you also feed them more on that day.
Establishing Portions
Make sure you feed your Vizsla the right amount of food in their meal portions if you are feeding them too little. You can also set standard meal times and ensure that you always maintain these portions and meals every day unless a situation calls for you to make adjustments.
Improve Environment
If the issue lies with something in the environment that might be preventing your Vizsla from eating enough, you must make the effort to make changes in the environment to make your Vizsla feel safe again.
This can include improving affection levels and care conditions, gradually removing fear, dealing with their trauma, preventing abuse of any kind as well as providing proper playtime and stimulation.
Consult Your Vet
If you find that none of these methods work, then it might be best for you to consult your vet and figure out how to proceed. They might be able to detect or diagnose an underlying issue or, simply, they might be able to recommend some ways of improving the weight levels.
Also Read: How Fast Can a Vizsla Run?
Parting Thoughts
It is now clear that if your Vizsla weighs less than 40-45 pounds, this might indicate that they are underweight. You should then try to pinpoint the cause for this so that you can try to correct the issue and help your Vizsla get back to a healthy weight.