Pomeranians are some of the cutest and puffiest dogs out there, which makes them an absolute joy to have. When it comes to their puffiness, it sometimes can be deceiving about how much weight they might be putting on. While having a beautiful, well-defined coat is a hallmark of the Pomeranian breed, it’s important not to be fooled about their weight.
Overweight Pomeranians are not uncommon because the size of their coat can keep their weight hidden. While they’re extremely cute dogs, we should make sure they live a happy and healthy life, which means keeping those pounds (or kilos) at a reasonable level. With that in mind, I decided to dig into what signs exist that indicate whether or not you have an overweight Pomeranian.
So what are the signs you have an overweight Pomeranian?
1. Above Average Weight
We all love our Pomeranians and want the best for them, but if you start noticing your Pomeranian’s weight increasing above their normal weight then you might have an overweight Pomeranian. Of course, this sign can only be noticed if your Pomeranian is an adult Pomeranian, meaning they’re no longer growing. Most Pomeranians stop growing after one-year-old, but it’s possible for them to continue to grow up until 15 months old.
The average weight of a Pomeranian is between 4 and 7.5 pounds (or 1.9 to 3.5 kilograms). Now your Pomeranian could be what’s colloquially called a “throwback” Pomeranian, meaning they take a lot of genes from their previous ancestors.
Pomeranians have come from a long lineage of Arctic work dogs from the regions around Poland and Germany. If you notice your Pomeranian is a bit bigger than your average Pomeranian, it’s likely they have these distant, strong genes.
2. Easily Tired
Dogs in general sleep quite a bit, especially when they’re newborns. When it comes to Pomeranians, there’s no difference when it comes to this. However, once Pomeranians are of adult age, they tend to sleep more regularly and less often. Similar to people, they transition into a regular sleeping pattern where they sleep mainly during the evening. However, like all dogs, they tend to take several afternoon naps. Oh, the life of a Pomeranian!
If your adult Pomeranian is sleeping between 12 and 14 hours per day, that’s a sign of a health Pomeranian. However, if you notice that they’re stealing more Zs than that and it becomes a regular occurrence, then it could be a sign that you have an overweight Pomeranian.
Of course, there could be periods in your Pomeranian’s life that they need to sleep more. They could’ve become more active lately and need their rest or they’re sick and simply need to recover a bit. However, if these and potentially other activities or causes aren’t the reason for them sleeping excessively, your Pomeranian could be overweight.
3. No Personal Grooming
All dogs get a little bit of time during the day to do some personal grooming, and Pomeranians are no different. While dogs definitely self groom far less than other pets, including cats, they still stay on top of their looks. You might have noticed your Pomeranian licking their paws, legs, or feet from time to time. Whenever you see this happening, they’re in the process of grooming themselves.
Personal grooming is a normal activity for Pomeranians. However, if you notice that your Pomeranian isn’t actively grooming themselves from time to time, then you might have an overweight Pomeranian. The reason this is a sign of an overweight Pomeranian is that it’s initially a sign of laziness.
Once you realize that dogs, including Pomeranians, aren’t like people in the sense that they get lazy, you should consider putting your Pomeranian on a diet. There’s no reason for Pomeranians (and dogs in general) to enter a state of laziness unless they’re genuinely tired, therefore the lack of personal grooming in a Pomeranian is definitely a sign you have an overweight Pomeranian.
4. Diagnosed with Diabetes
It’s not uncommon for dogs, including Pomeranians, to be diagnosed with diabetes. If your Pomeranian is diagnosed with diabetes, there’s a chance that they got it through the genes passed down from their parents and their parent’s parents. However, it’s more often the case that the main cause is due to an unbalance and unhealthy diet. Sadly, the lack of a healthy diet is known to cause diabetes in Pomeranians.
If your veterinarian diagnoses your Pomeranian with diabetes, you definitely want to change up the food your Pomeranian is consuming on a daily basis. While being diagnosed with diabetes can come from simply eating the wrong kind of food which doesn’t result in excessive weight gain, it’s much more likely that your Pomeranian is overweight as well as they have a bad diet.
We are what we eat, so making sure your Pomeranian eats healthy, high-quality dog food is of the utmost importance. As Pomeranian parents, we should really be limiting the amount of people food our Pomeranians consume. We also need to make sure they eat all of their food so they don’t think they’re getting food from anywhere else.
5. Overeating
Sometimes, dogs are known for eating in excess due to overtime developing a bad habit of having too many meals per day. While it’s important to make sure our Pomeranians eat enough so they’re healthy and energetic enough to take on the day, it’s not good if they’re overeating. Making sure they’re getting at most two meals per day as well a very limited amount of doggie treats is the responsibility of every Pomeranian parent.
Pomeranian’s aren’t big dogs and that should be reflected in the amount of dog food they should be eating. Generally, Pomeranians only need to eat two meals per day when they enter adulthood. When it’s time to reward them for good behavior, it’s definitely encouraged to give them treats so they know what makes a good dog and what makes a bad dog.
It’s important to only feed your Pomeranian maximum twice a day when they’re adults and to limit the number of treats they get. I personally only give them treats after doing something good, but, of course, that’s different for every Pomeranian parent. If you notice your Pomeranian is overeating, then you might be witnessing a sign that you have an overweight Pomeranian.
6. No Definition
When I see a Pomeranian standing up straight with their bodies elongated, I automatically think “that’s a healthy looking Pomeranian”. The physique of a Pomeranian should include standing up straight with their chests sticking out. However, some Pomerians start to lose their definition when they start adding on weight.
If you notice your Pomeranian is starting to lose body definition, then it’s likely you have an overweight Pomeranian. The most common sign of loss of definition in a Pomeranian is when their waist is no longer visible. Of course, Pomeranians have a lot of hair that blocks a lot their physique, so you’ll have to sometimes feel their bodies.
However, if you notice a loss of definition in your Pomeranian’s body, then you want to consider improving their diet and increasing the amount of exercise they get.
7. Picky Eater
Pomeranians from all walks of life sometimes enter a stage of picky eating. Maybe it started after the holidays when they got a lot of scrap people food and grew accustomed to this. Maybe they got used to eating more treats throughout the day, so eating their normal meals has become a bore. Either way, a sign of a picky eater is a sign of a potentially overweight Pomeranian.
The most common reason a Pomeranian becomes a picky eater is that they get used to eating other food apart from their normal dog food. I’ve for sure noticed this with my Pomeranians, especially after Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and the Fourth of July. They get their pick of the food since everyone around wants to see them happy, so they give them people food. And hopefully it’s healthy human food for Pomeranians.
Honestly, this is hard to avoid during the holiday seasons, but if you notice your Pomeranian becoming a picky eater outside of these times then you probably have an overweight Pomeranian. For one, it’s not healthy to consistently give Pomeranians people food since it’s generally not healthy for them. Second, it will almost guarantee them entering a stage in their lives when they become overweight, which is most definitely not healthy.
8. Sitting Around Too Much
Wouldn’t it be nice to live like a dog for just one day? I mean my Pomeranians lounge around and enjoy the fruits of… their labor? When it comes to Pomeranians relaxing and basking in the life of being a dog, sitting around too much can be a sign of an overweight Pomeranian.
When Pomeranians start gaining excess weight, they often don’t have the same amount of energy they once had. As a result, you’ll start to notice that they sit around far more often then they used to. In general, adult Pomeranians should get anywhere between 12 and 14 hours of sleep a day, which should be sufficient enough for them to avoid lounging excessively.
They may have a lack of interest in participating in activities in general. Maybe your Pomeranian doesn’t jump at the opportunity to “greet” guests as often as they used to. Maybe they’re not as quickly running over to get one of their daily meals. If you notice your Pomeranian is lacking the amount of energy they once had and they’re sitting around too much, then you might have an overweight Pomeranian.
9. Not Walking up Stairs
Healthy Pomeranians should have a lot of energy to let out into the world. This is a big part of what makes a Pomeranian who they are and is a hallmark of the character a Pomeranian is known for. I’ve noticed as my Pomeranians enter their senior years, they generally don’t have the energy to walk up the stairs, so they get some help from us. However, an adult Pomeranian without any health issues should be able to walk upstairs.
Now, if your Pomeranian has a luxating patella and, at the same time, they’re having difficulty walking up the stairs, that should be less of a concern that they’re overweight. A luxating patella is when a dog’s kneecap goes in and out of the socket, which can cause discomfort and lack of mobility in Pomeranians.
However, if your Pomeranian doesn’t have a luxating patella and they can’t get up the stairs, you most likely have an overweight Pomeranian. There’s really no excuse for them to not be able to make an easy climb like stairs in a house, so make sure they can do this whenever they want to go upstairs.
10. Trouble Breathing
Some dogs who gain are overweight have trouble breathing, and that’s no different with Pomeranians. When it comes to Pomeranians, they are prone to certain breathing problems which are often passed down through their genes. It’s important to take your Pomeranian to the vet if you ever notice them having trouble with their breathing.
If you find out your Pomeranian has a collapsed trachea, then this is the reason they’re having trouble breathing. A collapsed trachea is when a dog’s windpipe cartilage breaks down followed by their windpipe collapsing on itself. While this sounds rather disturbing, it doesn’t hurt Pomeranians but may add a bit discomfort in their everyday lives.
If your Pomeranian doesn’t have a collapsed trachea and is having trouble breathing, then you might have an overweight Pomeranian. There’s no reason for your Pomeranian to have trouble breathing if they don’t have a collapsed trachea, so make sure they start a diet as soon as possible if you notice this.
11. Can’t Feel Their Ribs
Have you ever picked up your Pomeranian and felt their ribs? Some might think that this is a sign of an unhealthy Pomeranian, but that’s most definitely not the case. You want to make sure you can feel your Pomeranian’s ribs whenever you pick them up as it’s a sign of a healthy, lean Pomeranian. If you can’t easily feel their ribs, it’s likely you have an overweight Pomeranian.
When it comes to being able to feel your Pomeranians ribs, it’s sufficient that you’re able to feel them even with the slightest feeling. If it’s hard to tell they’re there, that’s not good. However, don’t mistake this for being able to visually see your Pomeranian’s ribs. That would be unhealthy and a sign your Pomeranian needs to eat more.
12. Constipation
There’s no doubt that there are times in my Pomeranian’s life that they eat something that doesn’t play well in their stomach. Whether it’s due to post-holiday people food eating or they ate something way out of the ordinary, constipation and gas are a common result. However, if you notice your Pomeranian having constipation often, then your Pomeranian could be overweight.
The food your Pomeranian eats should be healthy and eaten at regular times throughout the day. However, whenever a Pomeranian eats in excess or they consume people food too often, they’ll start to stink up the place. Just like us humans, constipation and gas are a sign of our bodies having a tough time digesting what we’ve consumed, and that’s no different than Pomeranians.
Making sure our Pomeranians eat healthy, high-quality foods during normal times of the day is an important step in ensuring they live long and healthy lives. There are a lot of great foods out there, so make sure they get the very best!
Feed Your Pomeranian Good Food
The most important aspect of ensuring your Pomeranian doesn’t become overweight is to feed them the right kinds of food. The best food out there for Pomeranians are dog foods that are aimed at small breeds and contain natural, organic ingredients. We are what we eat, and that’s no different for Pomeranians.
Pomeranians are also prone to certain food allergies, so you want to have a watchful eye on how your Pomeranian reacts to certain foods. Talk with your local veterinarian to find out if your Pomeranian has allergies to certain foods so you can avoid feeding them those ingredients. All Pomeranians deserve to live long, happy, and healthy lives, so picking the right kind of food for Pomeranians is of the utmost importance.
Related Questions
What is a healthy weight for a Pomeranian? A healthy weight for a Pomeranian that’s between 7 and 12 inches in length is between 4 and 7 pounds. If your Pomeranian is bigger than an average Pomeranian, they can weigh more.
Can Pomeranians eat human food? Pomeranians, and dogs in general shouldn’t eat human food at all. The reason being is that their digestive system can’t handle the same kinds of food that humans are used to, so it will be more difficult for Pomeranians to process them.
