FEEDING YOUR GALGO
Good Galgo Weight
Written by Petra Postma
So, how is a galgo supposed to look?
Now, we don't have a race weight to go by and your galgo probably was underweight when it finally found the safety of a shelter. So how tempting it may be, fattening up a galgo. Do not fatten up your galgo too quickly because of health reasons. If they've endured long periods of starvation in Spain, their bodies need to learn how to digest food properly without causing problems.
If your galgo is really underweight, the best thing you can do is give it several small meals a day. And make that normal food. If you want to give treats, take a bit from their normal food and use this as treats. Peanut butter and other treats often contain too much fat, a galgos body is not used to it.
A galgos body is designed for endurance, their muscle build up is flatter than that of a greyhound, their deep chest is less wide, it is all designed to be able to run full speed for several miles. A healthy galgo will always look even thinner than a retired racing greyhound.
Now, how is a galgo supposed to look when it is at a good weight?
First, you need to be able to see 2 to 3 ribs or at least feel them when you put your hand flat on its side without any pressure. Galgos are supposed to have a waist when you peer down at them from above. If their ribcage and waist is evenly wide, it is work-out time.
You want a high tuck and a hint of hip bone and it is okay to be able to see a few vertebrae since the spine of a galgo often isn't as horizontal as it is with their cousin, the greyhound.
The stomach of a galgo should be flat, if a female galgo has something that looks like 2 boobies at the beginning of her stomach, that is excess fat she doesn't need. Another sure sign your galgo carries to much weight is a dimple on the back-end, just before the tail starts.
If you think your galgo might be on the chubby side, take a look at what you are feeding, not just their basic meal, but also the add ons, the treats you give through out the day and that denta stick you give to keep its teeth healthy.
I know not everyone has the time to exercise their dogs for several miles a day. But maybe you can add some playtime in the backyard, throwing a ball. Remember, their metabolism is that of an endurance runner. And what is not being used, is stored as fat.
Written by Petra Postma
So, how is a galgo supposed to look?
Now, we don't have a race weight to go by and your galgo probably was underweight when it finally found the safety of a shelter. So how tempting it may be, fattening up a galgo. Do not fatten up your galgo too quickly because of health reasons. If they've endured long periods of starvation in Spain, their bodies need to learn how to digest food properly without causing problems.
If your galgo is really underweight, the best thing you can do is give it several small meals a day. And make that normal food. If you want to give treats, take a bit from their normal food and use this as treats. Peanut butter and other treats often contain too much fat, a galgos body is not used to it.
A galgos body is designed for endurance, their muscle build up is flatter than that of a greyhound, their deep chest is less wide, it is all designed to be able to run full speed for several miles. A healthy galgo will always look even thinner than a retired racing greyhound.
Now, how is a galgo supposed to look when it is at a good weight?
First, you need to be able to see 2 to 3 ribs or at least feel them when you put your hand flat on its side without any pressure. Galgos are supposed to have a waist when you peer down at them from above. If their ribcage and waist is evenly wide, it is work-out time.
You want a high tuck and a hint of hip bone and it is okay to be able to see a few vertebrae since the spine of a galgo often isn't as horizontal as it is with their cousin, the greyhound.
The stomach of a galgo should be flat, if a female galgo has something that looks like 2 boobies at the beginning of her stomach, that is excess fat she doesn't need. Another sure sign your galgo carries to much weight is a dimple on the back-end, just before the tail starts.
If you think your galgo might be on the chubby side, take a look at what you are feeding, not just their basic meal, but also the add ons, the treats you give through out the day and that denta stick you give to keep its teeth healthy.
I know not everyone has the time to exercise their dogs for several miles a day. But maybe you can add some playtime in the backyard, throwing a ball. Remember, their metabolism is that of an endurance runner. And what is not being used, is stored as fat.
