How much should Pomskies weigh?
There are:
1) Micro,
2) Mini
3) Standard
size categories for Pomskies, each with their own weight range. Weights can be between 5-40lbs. The best way to determine how much your Pomsky should weigh is by their Body Condition Index.
Why is this important?
Pomskies are bred to be athletic dogs. If you think they are a bit chunky, or if your vet says they are, then you need to take steps to ensure that your beloved pet gets back to a healthy weight. Overweight dogs experience far more health issues than ideal weight dogs. It can decrease your Pomsky’s life expectancy by up to 3 years! Some of these issues include:
· Type 2 diabetes
· Orthopaedic problems (hip/elbow dysplasia/osteoarthritis/patella problems)
· Skin disease (dry skin and alopecia in extremely rare cases)
· Heart and Respiratory Disease (collapsed trachea)
Ideal body condition, you should be able to lightly see your dog’s ribs. If they have a plush or wooly coat, you should be able to easily feel the ribs. Below is a graphic created specifically for Pomskies and ideal body condition:
If your Pomsky weighs more than the “ideal” condition above, we’ve gathered 9 things that you can do to help them manage their weight.
· Rule out any medical conditions with your vet, in the form of a check-up and/or blood test
· Work with your vet to put them on a reduced calorie diet
· Adding in low calorie high fibres items,
· Taking them on a longer walk,
· Teaching them fetch, using a flirt pole, dog park or doggie play dates for more exercise,
· Breaking up the 2 larger meals into smaller more frequent meals,
· Check the quality of your food: If it’s lower quality it will have more carbs and fillers,
· Treats do count and add up quickly, so using a soft treat that you can cut into smaller pieces will help reduce that caloric intake
· Peanut butter is also high calorie, so look into other options like no-sodium broth or plain puree pumpkin to freeze in Kongs instead.
Thanks to APKC association for the above image. Visit the website here for more info: www.americanpomskykennelclub.org