[Dailydrool] Basset Size

[Jennifer Martin]

I may get myself flamed here, but this is just one of the topics that drives me nuts.  How much should a basset weigh?  Well how much should a human weigh?  Oh wait!  You mean it depends?  The dogs that come from those puppy mills are of very small build.  They can be kept in a smaller cage and fed less food.  Some of those show lines have HUGE shoulders, really heavy bone and little waists.  They weigh a lot more.  I am really a stickler on the weight of my bassets.  My husband thinks I obscess on it way to much and like to keep the guys to skinny.  Well, he isn't the one dragging them to the vet to treat them for the arthritis that I think most bassets gets if they live long enough.  Don't get me wrong.  I don't believe in any ribs showing or vertebrae stickout out, but if you feel for Fred's ribs, you ARE supposed to be able to tell they are there.  Here are the weights on all the bassets I have had in my adult life:
Bubbles, female, backyard breeder (yes I was stupid back then), 53 lbs, ATB
Bismark, male, medium sized show stock, 68lbs, ATB
Banshee, female, medium sized show stock, 55 lbs, ATB fluffiest of all bassets because she had serious food agression issues and it made life simpler to keep her a little heavier.
Elwood, male, rescue, looked like he came from very heavy boned show typed breeder--shoulders so big he had to side laod into his crate, was 93 lbs at time of rescue, I got him down to 72 lbs and kept him a little lighter because of serious arthritis. ATB
Blitzen, female, backyard breeder, 42 lbs., probably should have been 45lbs., but she couldn't stop bouncing off the walls to eat enough food to keep weight on, ATB
Beauford, male, rescue, 60lbs., he is the longest dog I have ever seen, medium boned.
Beaker, female, rescue, 42 lbs. ATB
Bugsey, male, show stock.  He is 55lbs right now, but only a year old and not through growing.
Louise, female, rescue, she had big shoulders like Elwood, definately not show stock but very heavy boned and 52 pounds.

So, how much should your basset weigh?  I don't have a clue without seeing your beloved boy or girl.  If you see the ribs, put on more weight.  If you can feel the rib bones, but you can't see them, you are probably on the mark.  If you can't destinctly feel each rib bone, you and the dog probably need to go on a diet and exercise plan.  One more note, as they get older, sometimes you can see the vertebrae and not the ribs.  That is the effects of gravity.  Ever noticed how little old people can be underweight and undernourished and still have a bit of a ponch.  Same thing.  It just looks different because we walk on two legs instead of 4.

Sorry this is so long.  I just see so many overweight bassets it makes me want to cry.  Their crooked little legs were never meant to carry the extra weight.  It absolutely breaks my heart to give all kinds of meds for arthritis, do PT and still have to eventually put a dog down because of arthritis when the heart, lungs and liver are still strong.  Guess which one this happened to?  I have no idea how long Elwood weighed 93 pounds.  I got him down to 72 pounds in 6 months with a little help from a life threatening encounter with carpet eating.  He lived to be 13.  It could have been longer, but he was in so much pain that could no longer be controlled that he didn't want to eat.  Off soap box.

Jennifer, Mom-slave to Beauford (oh great, mom is leaking again) and Bugsey (don't worry!  I will clean it up)

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