At Sundays Beagle Club Barbeque several people said they thought Beanie was too thin (I started frantically asking everyone after someone looked at her as if she’d crawled out from under a stone and asked “what’s wrong with her – won’t she eat?” :) ). This was a bit of a shock to us as we think she’s in superb condition – something we’ve always been quite proud of! Now there’s certainly no disputing the fact that Beanie doesn’t look like the other Beagles – she’s much more leggy and finely built. At a previous Beagle club event someone mentioned that this thin, leggyness was because we exercised her too much. And of course you always bump into people in the park that tell you that you’re condemning your pup to life as a cripple by letting her play vigorously off-lead when she’s so young. Now all our instincts tell us Beanie is just fine, but when so many people tell you otherwise it’s only responsible to re-evaluate the situation. Beanie only has a very short time as a puppy and it’s important to get her off to the very best start in life.
We talked it over with a lady we meet up with in the park that used to breed Beagles. She’s always been fond of Beanie and says she reminds her of her very first Beagle – 40 years ago! She said that in her opinion Beanie was fine and perhaps a throwback to an earlier, more functional Beagle. Her first Beagle was only a generation or two away from a working beagle. Nowadays, chunky bodies and short legs are the order of the day. I found this picture of a Beagle on wikipedia and think that this is similar to what Beanie will develop into – and I’m VERY happy about that. A fit, lean, functional dog:
The example of the Beagle breed given in Wikipedia
Here are some photos we took of Beanie in the park today (still only 9 months old):
But even if we didn’t like Beanie’s build and appearance we couldn’t change her genetic make up. Our role is to make her the happiest, healthiest Beagle that she can be. She’s done her bit by being the perfect pet and companion so we plan to do our bit by finding ways to let her lead a life that is as close as possible to what a Beagle was bred for. So running, tracking, highly active, being with other dogs. When it comes to speed, stamina, agility and determination Beanie has bucket loads. Her tracking ability is coming along beautifully. A superb example of a functional Beagle. If she needs more food or less exercise to develop as a functional Beagle then so be it. But we don’t want to fatten her up or cut her exercise simply so that she appears to conform to the way people like Beagles to look. Fashion is fickle.
We took her into the vets yesterday to talk it over. According to the vet (in fact ALL of the vets and nurses in the practice), Beanie is in perfect condition. Her weight is ideal and the vets said this was lovely to see as most Beagles are far too fat. She listened to Beanie’s heart and just sighed and said “perfect”! She said by all means feed Beanie a little more if she has a growth spurt or increases her exercise levels, but we don’t want her fat levels to increase any. The muscle bulk will come in it’s own good time through exercise and healthy diet.
Apparently, the issue surrounding exercising of pups is connected with hip dysplasia. Hip dysplasia is entirely hereditary, and can’t be caused by excessive exercise. However, if your pup has it then the type of exercise that’s good for normal pups will worsen it’s condition. Avoiding the type of exercise that’s good for normal dogs won’t make the condition go away – it will simply lessen the damage to the joints.
Hip dysplasia is extremely common in certain large breed dogs. This, coupled with the fact that you can’t really screen for it until the pup is older, has lead most professionals to advise against letting these breeds exercise as much as they want. The risk is too high. In the natural world I guess the pups would run free and exercise to their hearts content. The ones with the genetic defect would be crippled at a young age and less likely to reproduce and the breed would be improved. The ones without the genetic defect would thrive on the exercise.
Hip dysplasia can occur in any breed of dog, but it is less common in small/medium breeds – although it does occur in Beagles. It’s possible that Beanie has this genetic disorder, but statistically unlikely. If she does have it then yes, her active lifestyle is making her condition worse, although her low weight, good muscle tone and healthy diet will give her some degree of protection. And you know, if she was unlucky enough to have the disorder she would never get the chance to run and play vigorously as an adult. And seeing how much she enjoys her active life I’d hate to deprive her of the experience.
Obesity and lack of fitness is a big problem in Beagles so on balance we feel that it’s better to let her run and play as much as she wants as it seems to us that she’s got a bigger chance of developing health and joint problems through obesity and lack of exercise. We are taking her for regular swimming lessons at the pets A&E with a view to burning up some of her energy with low impact exercise. This is great for dogs with hip dysplasia as it builds up protective muscsle around the hip joints without damaging them.
Beagles with hip dysplasia tend to live full and active lives and aren’t plagued with the severe symptoms suffered by large breed dogs. Apparantly hip dysplasia is almost non-existent in greyhounds and one theory is that it’s because of their huge muscle bulk around the hips in relation to slight bone structure. Beanie’s off to a head start with her light bone structure and low body weight, and her muscle around her hips is building up nicely.
