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It’s easy to look at your whippet and wonder if they’re being fed enough given how skinny they are. Is it healthy for whippets to be so skinny? Or is something wrong?
Why Are Whippets So Skinny:
Whippets are descendents of greyhounds which are known for being a racing breed. In order for them to be fast they needed to be arrowdynamic and skinny. Which means after decades of conditioning whippets naturally developed a lean, more skinny body.
In this post you’ll discover:
- 8 reasons why whippets are so skinny
- How to tell if a whippet has become too skinny where it’s unhealthy
- 4 tips to help keep a whippet from becoming too skinny (Tip #2 is hands-down the most important!)
- And much, much more
Let’s jump right in.
Table of Contents
8 Reasons Whippets Are So Skinny
1) Genetics
Whippets came to be their own breed by crossing greyhounds with long legged terriers.
This is why whippets are smaller than greyhounds but have the same build.
They’re lean, skinny and very fast.
They also have high energy which helps maintain their low body fat percentage.
When whippets first became popular they were used to hunt rats and rabbits as well as race.
All of these activities require a lean body structure with minimal extra weight to allow them to be fast and able to run for long distances.
Their lineage is used to spending most of their time running and burning off any extra calories that would otherwise make them chubbier.
Which contributes to why whippets as a breed are generally so skinny.
2) Diet Change
Whenever changing up your whippet’s food, it can sometimes lead to them not eating as much until they get used to their new food.
This is because their body becomes so used to eating the same thing everyday for the majority of their meals.
When that food changes, it can be difficult for your pup’s body to adjust to the new food and sometimes make them not as hungry.
That’s why it’s recommended to gradually shift from their old food to a new food as opposed to changing it completely one day.
Whippets are supposed to weigh anywhere between 20-40 pounds but their weight largely depends on their age and sex.
On average a healthy adult male whippet will weigh 34 pounds.
And a healthy female adult whippet will weigh roughly 29 pounds.
If you think a diet change could be why your whippet has become too skinny here’s a simple guideline to help move your whippet from one dog food to another:
Day 1-2: 15% new food 85% old food.
Day 3-4: 25% new food 75% old food.
Day 5-6: 40% new food 60% old food.
Day 7-8: 60% new food 40% old food.
Day 9-10: 80% new food 20% old food.
Day 11 onward: 100% new food.
3) Food Allergies
If your whippet has a food allergy that you’re not aware of, it will cause them to have poor nutrient absorption which will also affect their weight.
If their body isn’t able to properly absorb their food’s nutrients, they’ll have diarrhea more often than normal and have troubles gaining or keeping weight on.
The challenge with food allergies is sometimes it can take 2-3 months for symptoms to show up.
A study done at LSU, a university of veterinary medicine, found that in some cases an allergic reaction wouldn’t present itself until 2 years after.
Which obviously makes it much more difficult to find the ingredient that’s negatively affecting your pup.
If you feel your whippet is so skinny because they’re not absorbing their food’s nutrients and having an allergic reaction it’s important to have a vet look at them.
4) Depression
There’s no doubt that dogs can develop a strong emotional bond with their family (canine or human).
And if that bond is broken by them not seeing a loved one anymore, because they moved away or passed away, it can cause a whippet to slip into depression.
A study done in 2016 found that after a dog’s canine companion passes away it significantly affects their eating.
On average for the dog’s in the study they found they were eating 35% less and 31% slower.
So if someone your pup loved recently passed away, they could be feeling depressed which is making them less hungry.
Which, depending on how long they’re depressed, can cause your whippet to lose weight and become more skinny.
Related Reading: 8 Real Reasons Whippets Look Sad & Depressed + 4 Tips
5) Dental Issues
Periodontal (gum) disease is much more common than dog owners think.
In fact, roughly 90% of all dogs will have some form of periodontal disease by the age of 2!
So if your whippet doesn’t have a good dental hygiene routine, their mouth could be sore and it’s causing them to not eat.
Which of course will eventually impact their weight.
Some signs of periodontal disease getting worse are bad breath, bloody gums, loose teeth, or discoloration of their teeth and/or gums.
It’s important to take your whippet to the vet if you think their oral health is in a bad spot.
Related Reading: Top 17 Teeth Cleaning Products for Dogs | Best Oral Health
6) Intestinal Worm Or Parasite
Just like a person can get an intestinal worm, so can your whippet.
And if they do unfortunately have a parasite like a tapeworm in them, this will cause them to become very skinny.
These worms or parasites are notorious for eating any food that your poor pup eats leaving them nothing for their body to use as fuel for themselves.
It’s not easy to spot if your whippet has a worm outside of losing weight, but you might also notice they have an itchy bum, loss of appetite, diarrhea, vomiting or blood in their stool.
It’s important to take your dog to the vet if you suspect they have a worm to get them the medication they need to fight it off.
7) Anxiety
Similar to depression, if your whippet often feels overly anxious, it may cause them to eat less which contributes to them becoming so skinny.
If your pup isn’t normally an anxious dog, recent changes in their life could have created this new behavior.
It could be a change in their schedule because you’ve recently had to be out of the house more for work.
Or if you’ve moved houses and your pup isn’t used to the new environment quite yet.
Or if the usual members of their home have changed. This could be someone new starting to live there full time, or as mentioned earlier, someone they love passing away.
Big changes in a whippet’s life can cause them to feel anxious which affects their desire to eat and can contribute to them becoming more skinny.
Related Reading: Is Separation Anxiety Common In Whippets? The Truth + Tips
8) Underlying Health Issue
An underlying health issue could also cause your whippet to be overly skinny.
If they have something going on internally not only can it make them uninterested in eating but also make them tired and lethargic.
Possible health related issues that could cause your pup to lose additional weight are:
- Kidney disease
- Heart disease
- Liver disease
- Gastrointestinal conditions
- Cancer
- Hyperthyroidism
- Diabetes
If you don’t see any more obvious reasons why your whippet is becoming so skinny it could be something to do with their health.
In which case, they should be looked at by a vet.
4 Tips To Help Keep Your Whippet At a Healthy Weight
1) Ensure They’re Getting Enough Exercise
While it might sound counterintuitive to help your whippet become less skinny by making sure they get enough exercise, it’s true.
Exercise is great for improving digestion and making them want to eat more.
If they’re active and burning calories they’ll be more interested in eating food to help them regain their energy.
Without exercise your pup’s digestion could get worse and they may be uninterested in eating because there’s no need for the extra fuel.
2) Food Test
Finding a food that agrees with your whippet is just as important as feeding them high quality dog food.
If you’re feeding them a meat-based food that doesn’t contain preservatives and says ‘highly digestible’ on the bag, it’s all for nothing if your pup is allergic to one of the ingredients.
Which is why you might have to do some testing of different foods if you find out your pup has a food sensitivity.
Take note of which dog foods you’ve given them that don’t seem to sit well with them and attempt to try foods with different ingredients.
Once you find a food that agrees with them you should notice they start to gain a bit of weight and aren’t nearly as skinny.
3) Find Their Stressor
While it can be challenging to identify what the root cause behind your whippet’s stress is, it’s important to try and find it in order to help them get back to normal.
Once you’ve found the trigger that’s causing their stress you can reduce how often they’re exposed to it.
And when you’re able to do this you should bring their appetite back to normal because they aren’t filled with so much nervous energy.
When you find what’s causing your whippet to feel depressed or anxious you can help them put on a healthy amount of weight and become less skinny.
4) Take Them To The Vet
Sometimes the best thing to do is simply take them to the vet.
It’s challenging to know exactly what’s going on inside their head which is why having a professional take a look at them is never a bad idea.
You either get peace of mind after they share with you that nothing appears to be wrong, or they get them the treatment/medicine they need to start feeling better again.
Other posts you might find interesting:
Can Whippets Be Service Dogs? 5 Ways They Can & Can’t
Can Whippets Be Left Alone? (9 Tips & Quick Answers)
Can Whippets Get Fat? The Truth + Reasons Why They May
Sources:
Canine Food Allergy
Owners’ Perceptions of Their Animal’s Behavioural Response to the Loss of an Animal Companion
