[Dailydrool] Basset weights & chests

[dpmcquade at verizon.net]

<<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.>>

There's another really good reason to keep a basset trim, no matter how much it wants to chow down: Those delicate backs. Too much weight can put a strain on the back and increase the chance of disk disease. That's part of why so many people have to consider surgery or putting their hound in a cart. And I'd guess that with the dwarf bone structure of a basset, it is good not to put too much strain on those joints either. Better a bit too thin (but not painfully so) than overweight, I think. 

I am wondering about chest size in bassets. I know it probably varies from breeder to breeder, but is there a standard that is considered good? How can you tell what's too much? I think of this because both our Alexis (ATB) and Abner were obviously bred by someone who liked massive chests. But they were only 14" tall, which seems short to me, for a basset with a huge chest. I am wondering if this conformation puts a lot more strain on the back and could be part of why Abner got back problems. (Alexis never had such a problem though, perhaps becasue she was never overweight.)
Pam, food slave to the Dashing Bassets