A couple of days ago, I was in my park with my eight-month-old beagle, playing around. I got distracted from a text, and the next thing I see is my little pal playing with another beagle who happened to be much larger. I asked the owner the age of his beagle, and surprisingly, it was almost the same as mine. At first, I got worried. Am I not feeding my dog enough? Is my dog undernourished? Why is my Beagle smaller than other beagles?
Just like humans, not all beagles are of the same height and weight. Beagles vary a lot in size, some are big, and others are small. A small beagle is not at all a problem unless and until it’s healthy, fit, and not too skinny.
What is the average size of Beagles?
The average size depends on which type of beagle you have. There are two types of beagles:
- Those who stand less than 13inches at the shoulder
- Those who are between 13 to 15 inches at the shoulder
So measure your beagle when he is calm and categorize him in either group. And even if you find out that your beagle is smaller than 13 inches, do not worry; it’s not a big deal. But if you find that your beagle is less than 10 inches in his adulthood, then you can conclude that he has Beagle Drawfism.
You can refer to Beagle’s Growth Chart to check the average weight and height of a beagle.
Beagle Dwarfism: Is your Beagle small?
Chondrodystrophy, more commonly known as Beagle Dwarfism, is a rare condition in beagles that causes abnormal growth of legs and vertebrae. Chondrodystrophy could have a mild or severe deformity in the dog.
Symptoms of Beagle Dwarfism
Symptoms are noticeable after the beagle is three weeks old. Beagles suffering from Chondrodystrophy are abnormally small. Their legs tend to be smaller than usual and crooked. And you should consult the vet to find whether the deformity is mild or severe. Usually, the front legs are affected. However, there have been cases with effects on rare legs, the spine, to even skulls.
NOTE: Beagles diagnosed with dwarfism should not be bred as this condition can be passed down through genes.
What is the Average growth of Beagles?
Is your Beagle too Skinny?
Many beagle parents are concerned about their beagle’s weight. No one wants their beagle to be underweight. So let’s discuss more about this, from the beagle’s puppyhood to adulthood.
Usually, newborn beagles are very small and weigh less than a pound (less than 500 grams). A healthy newborn will grow and gain weight every day. From day one to 6 months beagle pup would have rapid growth. From 6 months to 18 months, your beagle’s growth rate will be slow but steady until he is 16 months old.
Just like humans, every dog’s size and growth rate varies. So it’s better not to compare their size and weight with other beagles. A 4-month-old beagle puppy could be of 10 pounds and be healthy, whereas another 4-month-old beagle could be 8 pounds and still be perfectly healthy. But the issue comes if your beagle is underweight.
The best way to find out if your beagle is too skinny for his age is to look at his ribs. If you can clearly see the ribs of your beagle when he is standing, then your dog is underweight and too thin, although it is highly recommended to confirm this from a vet.
How to find out the BMI of your Beagle?
The best way to find out if your dog is healthy, overweight, or underweight is by using the Weight to Height Ratio(WTH), or the Canine BMI. To calculate your beagle’s WTH, you will need his weight and height. The beagle’s height is measured from the ground to his withers. Withers is the highest point of your dog’s torso(base of their neck). You can easily calculate your beagle’s BMI and find out if your beagle is healthy, overweight, or underweight from this Online Beagle BMI Calculator.
- Open the website
- Select the breed of your dog, which would be a ‘Beagle.’
- Enter the gender of your dog
- Enter Weight (in lbs. or kg.)
- Enter Height (in inches, centimeters, or meters)
- Hit Calculate
It will calculate and tell you if your dog has a healthy weight-to-height ratio or not.
Reasons why your Beagle is small, skinny, and underweight.
Your beagle could be underweight for various reasons. The most common of them are unhealthy diet or low food consumption. Follow a proper and healthy beagle feeding guide.
Unhealthy Diet: An unhealthy diet can cause many health issues in your beagle. Your dog needs a proper intake of all the nutrients in his diet. Consult a vet and get a proper diet plan for your dog.
Low food consumption: Your dog might be refusing to take food. Your beagle might be burning more calories than he intakes. Try changing the food. You can even add supplements in your dog food to make it tastier. If it doesn’t help, consult a vet. Here are some of the best dry dog foods for beagles.
Intestinal parasites: Intestinal parasites could be the reason your beagle is not gaining enough weight. Parasites eat up all the nutrition from the food you are feeding your dog before your dog can process it. Visit a vet asap.
How to make your Beagle healthy and grow in size?
There are a few things you can try to help your beagle gain weight.
Step 1: Visit your Dog’s vet
If your beagle is underweight, the first thing you should do is consult a vet. It is necessary to verify that your dog does not have any severe health issues which is causing him to lose weight.
Step 2: Create a weight gain program
Once you have ruled out that your pooch does not have any health complications, find out what the ideal weight for your beagle is as per his height and age. You can refer to Beagle’s Growth Chart to find out an average healthy weight for your beagle. You can use the calculator mentioned above or talk to your vet regarding this too.
Now note down how much more weight your pet needs and create a proper weight gain diet program. For this, you can seek the help of the vet or even contact a dog nutritional specialist (Dog Dietician).
Step 3: Exercise
You might be wondering, ‘Won’t exercise cause more weight loss?’. Well, it won’t. Exercise and good health go hand in hand. Exercise will increase your beagle’s appetite, making him feel more hungry. Feed your pet a higher quantity than usual when he is on an exercise schedule. Don’t overdo and put them on an excessive exercise routine; start slow. Never push your dog’s limit.
Note: Make sure your beagle doesn’t overheat while exercising. So keep them hydrated.
Step 4: Add a meal
Add an extra meal to your beagle’s feeding schedule. If you have been feeding your dog twice a day, make it thrice. It is important that you stick to your exercise schedule when you add an extra meal. This will help your dog burn fat and gain muscles.
If possible, switch your beagle’s meal to high-quality commercial food, which is made for Puppies. Commercial food made for puppies has much higher calories than adult ones. I recommend Orijen Puppy food for your pup.
If your pet refuses to eat the routine food, try making the meal more delicious by adding some natural supplements like apples. You can even use vegetables. Here is a list of 32 vegetables that beagles can eat safely.
Step 5: The Quality of food
High-quality food offers all the nutrients and proteins that are required for a dog’s growth. Your beagle’s health depends on the quality of food that you feed him. It is highly advised to feed puppy food to your puppy. As I mentioned before, commercial puppy food has more calories than adult dog food. So feed your dog appropriately.
Frequently asked questions
Are pocket Beagles dwarf?
No, pocket beagles are not at all dwarfs. They have been bred specifically to create a miniature version of a beagle.
