Do you love your dog but not the shedding? Why isn’t my Vizsla fluffy? Can such a beautiful creature produce so much hair in its coat that it sticks to everything and makes life difficult for both of you? Are they be like other dogs who shed less than 10% of their body weight every year instead of over 100lbs annually? The answer is: because Vizslas are different.
There are many reasons why your Viszla isn’t fluffy. It could be due to aging, health condition, lack of grooming, inadequate exercise, dry weather, or genetics.
The article discusses the differences between Vizslas and other breeds when it comes to shedding and some tips on how to manage to shed with these unique animals.
How Much Should A Vizsla Weight?
A healthy adult male should weigh anywhere from 45 to 60 pounds, and a female is 35 to 50. However, a puppy should weigh between 17-25 pounds at six months old and up to 50% of their adult weight by the time they are two years old.
Moreover, the miniature Vizsla, according to AKC, weighs between 12-18 pounds. Vizslas are about 18 inches in length and 11 to 13 inches tall at the shoulder, with males weighing 50% more than females.
Why Is My Vizsla Not Fluffy?
The long and silky hair coat of Vizsla dogs generally steals the attention of everyone. A Vizsla puppy that suddenly starts to lose its hair will surely draw concern from owners.
Therefore, it’s a good idea for all pet owner’s to know why their dog may be losing its fur to figure out what grooming mistakes they are making. Consequently, here are the reasons that your Vizsla won’t have a fluffy coat:
Vizsla Might Not Be Fluffy Due To Aging
A young, healthy Vizsla will always be fluffy because they’re growing so fast. However, older dogs might not have enough energy left after a long day of exploring the wilderness or guarding their family’s home to keep their fur fluffy.
Puppies often grow out of their fuzzy coat within the first year, while adult dogs will stay a little on the skinny side as they are older and don’t have much time left in their life. So if your pup is two years old or younger, there’s no need to worry about your Vizsla not being fluffy.
Vizsla Might Not Be Fluffy Due To Genetics
Although many Vizslas are born with a fluffy coat, some might be born with short and coarse ones. And the condition is common during:
- Autosomal dominant: if your Vizsla has one fluffy parent and the other does not, their offspring will be more likely to have a lighter shedding rate.
- X-linked: this type of inheritance only occurs in females, so males cannot carry it. Female pups inherit X chromosomes from both parents, and male puppies inherit X chromosomes from their mother. If a female has one short-haired parent and the other is fluffy, she will have an increased risk of inheriting the genes that make her coat coarse like her mom.
Vizsla Might Not Be Fluffy Due To Dry Weather
When the weather changes to dry, your Vizsla will start shedding more. Why? One of the reasons is that when it’s dry outside, they lick themselves a lot, leading to hair coming off their skin.
Further, the lack of humidity in the atmosphere harms the essential oil present in the skin. This oil is what gives the hair a healthy coat, and when it’s dry, there is not enough of this natural coating to keep your dog from shedding more than usual.
Vizsla Might Not Be Fluffy Due To Lack Of Nutrition
Vizslas are generally not fluffy if they lack adequate nutrition. It would be best to keep them at a healthy weight as per their age and size so that the hair doesn’t fall out and new hair grows in its place. If your Vizsla is too skinny or has “ribbon” ribs, then this might be the issue.
In addition, an unhealthy diet, parasites, and other health problems could also be the reason for your Vizsla’s lack of fluffiness. If you have tried adjusting their diet to no avail, don’t hesitate to ask your vet about what else might be wrong.
Vizsla Might Not Be Fluffy Due To Health Issues
Vizsla breed has some dogs that are more prone to not being fluffy. It is because they might be going through a health issue like hypothyroidism, which can make it hard for the dog’s skin cells in their hair follicles to work properly and produce enough oils on their coat. This condition reduces the dog’s ability to make enough oils to be fluffy.
Similarly, other diseases that cause a dog not to be fluffy are:
- Skin conditions like mange or an allergy.
- Endocrine disorder (thyroid disorders and Cushing’s diseases)
- External parasites (fleas, mites)
- Infections (fungal and bacterial)
Why Is My Vizsla Puppy So Skinny?
Generally, Vizsla puppies are a little leaner than other breeds. But if your dog weighs lesser than 16 pounds, then you should be concerned.
So, your Vizsla puppy must grow at the rate of about a pound per week. A Vizslas weight should be at least 25% of its height, as per the standard for their size.
And If your dog is too thin, some of the reasons for this are:
Illness Or Diseases
Infections such as parvo, distemper, or worms can cause a loss of appetite and weight. In addition, when bacteria and viruses host in your Vizsla’s body, they can make your pup sick. The weight loss that comes from illness is often rapid and usually occurs in a short period.
A parasite infection may also cause vomiting or diarrhea, so your dog couldn’t get enough nutrients for growth. Further, diseases like cancer, kidney disease, or heart disease can also cause weight loss.
Eating Habits
Although most Vizslas love food and can eat any and everything yet, few of them refuse to eat a nutritional meal. Instead, they thrive on unhealthy and tasty treats.
For this reason, Vizslas will have an unhealthy weight, a decline in immunity that makes them more likely to fall sick. As a result, a Vizsla might be skinny.
Malnutrition
The Vizsla is a hunting dog, and they have an instinctual need to eat meat. That said, it’s typical for the breed as a whole to be on the skinny side because of their high metabolism.
Most of the time, the owners fail to understand their nutritional needs and underfeed the Vizsla, resulting in malnutrition. So, Vizsla’s diet should have at least 30% protein and various food types to avoid this problem.
Inadequate Exercise
When it comes to a Vizsla, the breed is famous for its agility and energy. However, many novice dog owners often make common mistakes when caring for their pets, leading to health problems like being underweight and overweight.
The Vizsla is a high-energy dog, and if you’re not giving your pup enough exercise, he might be skinny. Dogs are straightforward creatures. They don’t need much to survive other than food, water, shelter, and love. But for optimum health and weight levels, dogs must get adequate exercise.
Environmental Stress
The Vizsla might be skinny because it’s living in an area that doesn’t have enough to eat. But, it could also mean the dog is under stress and thus, isn’t eating much.
Moreover, stress usually results from moving or the dog being around new people that it doesn’t know. Furthermore, like humans, an extreme environment can impact the dog’s weight and make them skinny.
Burning Too Many Calories
When the owners fail to balance the calories intake and calories burned by their Vizslas, the dog may have weight issues.
As these dogs are highly energetic, they usually burn a lot of calories than they intake. As a result, this can lead to a vicious cycle of weight loss and obesity.
Diabetes
Being a family dog, Vizsla loves to eat and will often take advantage of a moment’s inattention to sneak food.
Dwelling healthy human snacks and food might cause a problem because the dog’s pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin to process all of this sugar and food before it gets into his bloodstream, leading to diabetes. As a result, when your Vizsla suffers from diabetes, he cannot utilize the food he eats and loses weight.
In addition, diabetes might also cause your Vizsla’s teeth to rot by allowing bacteria from his mouth to travel into his bloodstream through leaks in the gums caused by inflammation of the tooth root surface (gingivitis). So, your dog will have difficulty and eating and chewing food and eats less.
How Do I Know If My Vizsla Is Too Skinny?
As the grooming and caring of every dog vary, you can find Vizsla in various shapes and sizes. You have nothing to worry about if your dog is in the “thin but not too skinny” category. “Too skinny,” if it applies to the Vizsla breed, may indicate an underlying health problem that needs diagnosis and treatment.
But how to know whether your dog is skinny or not. However, here are some tips that can help you clear your doubts:
- Look for the dog’s ribs. If you can see your Vizsla’s rib, it is not too skinny or unhealthy.
- How does the stomach look? Ideally, if you place one hand on your Vizslas back and touch their belly from above with your other hand, there should be a slight curve.
- How does your Vizsla move? A healthy dog will not have any difficulty with mobility.
- How is the coat and skin of your Vizsla looking? For a good indication, you can check if it has lost hair or its fur is thinning. If this applies to your dog, know that they are not feeling well.
- How is the appetite? A healthy Vizsla can constantly eat throughout the day without getting fat. But it doesn’t mean that you can serve anything kind of food to them.
How Can I Fatten Up My Vizsla?
Gaining healthy weight is essential for the qualitative lifespan of your Vizsla. So, if you notice your dog getting skin, it is your responsibility to fatten it up.
Usually, gaining weight is more accessible than losing eat. So, few tips to fatten up your Vizsla are :
- Feed a high-calorie food. High in fat content but low in fiber and carbs, these foods will help put on the pounds fast.
- Increase the frequency of meals.
- Give your dog a treat after every meal, especially if you are following a high-calorie diet.
- Increase the activity and exercise. So, that they strive for more food.
- Maintain a balance between calories intake and burned.
- Include lots of rest between activity periods so that they can recuperate from all the hard work.
Do Vizslas Get Fat?
Vizslas are usually indoor pets that enjoy having fun with your family members inside the house rather than going out to play and run. Thus, they are also a misconception that Vizslas are lazy.
But the metabolism of Vizslas is very high, so they eat a lot. Thus, they need more exercise to burn the calories they consume and use muscles. But as these breeds will less likely prefer intense physical activity, they will often be less active and have a higher risk of weight gain.
However, the maximum weight of Vizsla is 60 pounds (27 kg). Therefore, do not let your Vizsla get overweight to protect its health.
Should You See Vizslas Ribs?
Since Vizsla has a thinner skin coat, it isn’t unusual to see the dog’s ribs. Vizslas have a narrower chest, and their rib cage is more visible than on other breeds of dogs.
But the question is, how much should can you see in a healthy Vizsla. Usually, the ribs of a Vizsla must be visible but not too much. There should be a little bit of fat on the Vizsla’s body for it to appear healthy and robust, which means that you might not see them as clearly.
If your dog is an overweight Vizsla, you will notice the ribs more because of the excess fat. But if you see that your Vizsla’s rib cage is very visible even when it isn’t feeling well, then your dog might be underweight. So, make sure to talk to your vet in both situations.
Conclusion
So if your Vizsla is not fluffy, it might be too skinny. If you’ve been feeding your pup the same amount of food for a while and they are not gaining weight or getting fatter, then there may be something else going on that could lead to serious health problems like pancreatitis or Cushing’s Disease. It can also mean that their diet may need to change by adding more calories to meet their energy needs as a puppy grows into adulthood.
You should consult with your veterinarian about how much fat content your dog needs (at least 12%) and what foods will help them gain some pounds.
