How can I control my Labrador weight

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated September 16, 2024

Contributions sourced from

Labrador Retriever Growth & Weight Chart: Everything You Need To Know

Labrador Retriever Veterinary Costs

Labrador Retrievers can be expensive pets given their propensity to health issues. For instance, if you need to go to the pet emergency room for a foreign object ingestion, the injury costs an average of $1,502 to $1,967 to treat. Hereditary conditions like hip dysplasia in Labs can range from $1,200 and $7,000 per hip, while the average surgery for a cruciate ligament tear costs$3,500 to $5,500.

Without treatment, dogs often experience pain, lameness, and significant arthritis. With treatment, however, the prognosis is favorable, and many dogs can return to their normal activities post-recovery.

Unfortunately, less than 20% of pet ownerssay they can afford a$5,000 veterinaryexpense out-of-pocket, which could leave many people in a pinch should their beloved pet require such care especially for an urgent emergency.

If you have a pet insurance policy for your Labrador Retriever, you'll always be able to focus on what's most important their health and well-being should a new injury or illness ever arise. Pet insurance offers you and your veterinarian the chance to focus on getting your pup the best treatment, rather than worrying about the finances.

It works byreimbursing you for up to 100% of out-of-pocket veterinary costs for services like surgery, hospitalization, lab work, diagnostics, and more. Find a great plan with customized recommendations based on your puppy's needs at Pawlicy Advisor to provide your pup with a long, vibrant life by your side.

How much should my Labrador weigh? Labrador weight charts

Lets face it:

Weight is one of the most overlooked and misunderstood topics concerning Labradors.

Not only is it difficult to find a good weight chart, but its also nearly impossible to know if your Labrador is the correct weight or not.

So how much should a Labrador actually weigh? On a very rough estimate, an average adult Labrador will weigh between 55-80 lbs. However, a Labrador can weigh over or under this range and still be of perfect weight. In order for a Labrador to be a perfect weight, they must also look physically fit and active both while theyre puppies and adults.

But how do you know if your Labrador can be considered as physically fit?

Watch this Highly Recommended Video:

Labrador weight chart

A weight chart illustrates how much weight is healthy for a Labrador at each stage of their life. The weight chart is compiled from the information received from multiple lab owners. And since each lab is different, the range is quite broad as well. Heres a chart to help you see whether your Labrador falls in the average healthy weight range or not:

Labrador Age	Female Avg. Weight	Male Avg. Weight
3 months	20-26 lb (9-12 kg)	22-26 lb (10-12 kg)
5 months	35-49 lb(16-19 kg)	33-49 lb(15-19 kg)
7 months	40-55 lb (20-25 kg)	51-59 lb (23-27 kg)
9 months	48-62 lb (22-28 kg)	57-68 lb(26-31 kg)
11 months	53-66 lb(24-30 kg)	62-75 lb (28-34 kg)
13 months	55-68 lb(25-31 kg)	64-77 lb(29-35 kg)
15 months	55-70 lb(25-32 kg)	64-77 lb (29-35 kg)

Read on below to find out exactly how you can calculate your Labradors actual weight:

How Much Should A Labrador Weigh?

Labradors fluctuate in weight throughout their growth and even adulthood. However, its important that at each of these stages, they maintain an optimal weight according to their age.

So whats the healthy weight for a Labrador?

Heres how much an average adult Labrador Retriever weighs:

Male Labradors weigh between 60 80 lbs or 27 34 kg
Female Labradors weigh between 55 75 lbs or 25 32 kg

However, its important to know that these range are influenced by multiple factors, including age, gender, breed, and even activity levels. If your Labrador falls within these ranges, then theyre most likely at a healthy weight.

But if theyre not, dont worry. Some labs can be over or under the average weight range and still be considered perfectly healthy. They might be taller, more active, or a different breed, all of which can impact the healthy weight mark.

The best way to recognize whether your Labrador has a healthy weight or not is to get them checked by a vet. A vet will follow proper procedures to check your labs weight taking all important factors into consideration before deciding whether theyre at a healthy weight or not.

But how do you check whether your Labrador has a healthy weight yourself?

How to weigh a Labrador?

If youve tried weighing your dog before, you know how difficult it can be. However, consistently weighing them over specific time periods is crucial to keep them at a healthy weight. So how do you weigh your Labrador at home?

The easiest and most basic way to do so would be to place them on a regular bathroom scale. However, this method is easier said than done. Dogs tend to move around a lot which makes it difficult to accurately note their weight.

If youve already tried and failed at this attempt, follow these steps:

Take a bathroom scale and weigh yourself on it
Note your weight down on a piece of paper
Pick up your dog and stand on the scale again
Do the following calculation: Your weight with dog your own weight

The difference that you arrive at will be your Labradors weight. This is more accurate if you have a digital scale, but an analog one will do as well. For regular weighing on a weekly or daily basis, this method produces good enough results. If you can, buy a scale specifically made for weighing dogs.

Its always a good idea to weigh your dog on the vets scale too if you cant afford to buy one. Regularly weighing your dog can help determine whether your Labrador is overweight or underweight so you can adjust their diet accordingly.

Now that youve successfully obtained a rough estimate of your Labradors weight, its time to see whether they fall into the average weight range or not.

Optimal Weight For Labradors

Maintaining your Labradors healthy weight is of key importance. Not only does it cuts the risk of developing multiple health issues, but it can also increase your dogs life expectancy by up to 2 years.

However, weight alone is not a reliable measure of a dogs health. In fact, weight alone can often be very misleading. Why is that so?

Weight vs. Appearance

The body composition of a dog consists of two main components, namely Muscle and Fat. Muscle being less dense has a lower volume than fat.

Lets take the example of two dogs. Both of them have the exact same physical appearance. One dog has lots of muscle mass while the other has the same volume of fat.

However, the dog with more muscle will weigh more than the dog with more fat. Because considering a fixed amount of volume, muscle weighs more than fat since its denser.

This explains why weight figures can be misleading. Because even though a dog with more muscle might weigh more, theyll be considered physically healthy and active. While a dog with lots of fat might weigh less but will be considered as obese and unhealthy.

Thats why its important to take a dogs appearance into account when deciding whether theyre healthy or not. So how do you test your labs physical appearance?

Testing Physical Appearance

While testing physical appearance might seem like a difficult job, it isnt that tough and can be done on your own.

To determine whether your Labrador is under or overweight, well use a system known as Body Condition Scoring or BCS. This rating system is used by lots of vets to test the physical appearance of your dog and determine their current weight status.

The BCS consists of a table that provides rankings from level 1 to 9. Each level represents a different bodily appearance, level 1 being severely underweight, level 5 representing optimal weight, and level 9 being severely overweight.

To test your dogs body condition and level of fitness, you are provided with a visual guide and some guidelines you can follow to determine which level your dog stands at. Heres a quick description of all the 9 levels of the BCS:

Severely Underweight: Ribs and tail bones visible from far, extreme abdominal tuck, no fat or muscle mass
Very Thin: No visible fat cover, Ribs and vertebrae easily visible, little to no muscle mass
Thin: Visible ribs and pelvic bones, little to no fat cover, sharp abdominal tuck
Underweight: Little fat cover, ribs easily felt, noticeable waist, clear abdominal tuck
Ideal Weight: Ribs can be felt with slight fat cover, visible abdominal tuck behind ribs, good proportion of ribs and waist from above
Overweight: Slight excess of fat cover, waist not prominent from above, slight abdominal tuck.
Heavy: Ribs difficult to feel under fat cover, noticeable fat deposits, little to no abdominal tuck present.
Obese: No visible ribs under heavy fat cover, no waist, no abdominal tuck.
Severely Obese: Huge fat deposits on neck, spine and tail, hanging fat from abdomen, broad and undiscernible waist.

Note: You must conduct this test as honestly as possible. This will ensure that you get the most accurate results which is crucial to your Labradors health and well-being.

To get a full BCS chart, you can click here. Matching your dogs appearance with the full chart will help you more accurately determine at which level your Labrador stands at.

If your Labrador stands around levels 4 to 6, there isnt much to worry about. You can quickly get them at ideal weight by bringing a few simple changes to their diet.

However, if your dog was below level 4 or above level 6, it might be time to reconsider your labs diet and talk to your vet and discuss the next course of action with them.

Optimal Weight For Labrador Puppies

Since puppies have a lot of growing to do, its important to maintain their weight at a healthy level. However, many dog owners get confused during this stage as the weight of the puppy is rapidly changing.

One way to know if your puppy is at optimal weight would be to check the Labrador weight chart. But just like we mentioned before, relying on just weight isnt very sensible. You have to consistently test your puppys body condition to check if theyre at an optimal weight.

Luckily, the major fluctuations are over by the time a Labrador celebrates its first birthday. But until that time, heres how the weight of lab puppies changes:

Growth during the first 6 months

The first 6 months of a Labradors life is the time when their weight rapidly increases. During this period, a Labrador will gain 2 pounds for each week of their life on average. So by those calculations, a 5 weeks old puppy will weigh around 10 lbs and a 13-week puppy will weigh 26 pounds on average.

But one thing you should keep in mind is that these are very rough estimates. In fact, a puppy could weigh several pounds over or under this estimate and still be considered healthy.

So, if you really want to know if your puppy is at an optimal weight, you should take a body condition scoring test each time you weigh them. Ideally, a healthy lab puppy should have a slight waistline and be active and energetic.

By the time, your puppy is 6 months old, its weight should be somewhere around 50 pounds. But apart from that, they should also have a body condition score of 4 to 5. At this weight, you should be able to easily feel their ribs with minimal pressure.

Growth after first 6 months

After the initial 6 months have passed, a Labrador puppy will start increasing in weight very rapidly. This is because they have almost reached their final height and their bones have stopped growing. From then onwards, theyll very gradually increase their weight for the next 4 to 6 months which is when they reach physical maturity.

If your Labrador isnt falling into the average weight range even after a year, dont worry since theyre not done growing until they are 2 years old. Some breed might not even reach the expected weight if they to a leaner breed or petite parents.

Factors Affecting Average Weight In Labradors

Each Labrador is different in their own way, whether its by age, size, gender, breed, activeness, or color. With all these differences, its only natural that every Labrador has a different optimal weight level as well.

But how do these factors impact the weight of a Labrador? Lets find out:

Breed

The two common breeds of Labrador retrievers are the English Labs and the American Labs. Although both are almost similar in appearance, theyre bred very differently. English labs usually tend to show breeds, so they naturally have a stocky appearance and can weigh around 60-70 lbs for females and 70-80 lbs for males.

Meanwhile, American Labradors are working dogs and are field bred. They tend to have a naturally leaner body that increases their agility and speed. Because of this, American labs tend to weigh on the lower end of the spectrum but are still considered as healthy.

Colour

Although color doesnt seem like a particularly important factor, it could give you a hint about your Labradors lineage. Colors that originate from England include chocolate and white. Labradors of both these colors are likely to be show-bred rather than field-bred dogs and so will usually have a higher than average weight.

On the other hand, fox red labs usually belong to the American category and tend to be leaner. Yellow and black Labradors, which are the two most basic colors of this breed, can be either field bred or show-bred. So, if you want to confirm your pups lineage, youd be better off contacting your breeder.

Obesity In Labradors

Canine obesity is a quite common and rather troublesome matter in Labradors. In fact, Labradors are amongst the breeds with the highest obesity rate. But why is that so?

Causes of obesity in Labradors

According to a study conducted by the University of Cambridge, the seemingly never-ending appetite of Labradors might be a result of a change in their POMC gene. Since this gene is responsible for signaling the dog when theyve eaten enough, any change might cause them to eat continuously and ask for more food and treats, even if theyre full.

Since labs are always so greedy, most owners overfeed them either due to sympathy or confusion as to whether their dog is full or not.

But if youve been maintaining a strict diet for your dog, a rapid gain in weight could be caused by health issues such as hyperthyroidism and insulinoma. If you notice a sudden gain in weight, it would be best to consult your vet to diagnose any underlying health issues.

But despite of what caused the weight gain, obesity can create a plethora of health issues for your Labrador.

Health issues caused by obesity

Some people tend to find chubby and obese dogs cute. But what you dont know is that your dog is the one suffering from the inside due to your lack of care.

Obesity in dogs can lead to a ton of medical health problems. Not only do these significantly reduce your pets quality of life, but they also cost you thousands of dollars in medical procedures and veterinary bills. Here are a few examples of issues that can be caused by obesity in dogs:

Joint and Bone Health Issues: All the extra pounds that your lab is putting on is exerting unnecessary pressure on their skeleton. Lots of body fat can not only make it difficult for your dog to move around or play, but it can also worsen existing bone and joint issues like arthritis and hip dysplasia. Not only are these complications painful, they get worse with age and can significantly reduce your labs quality of life.

Respiratory and heart diseases: All the excess fat can negatively impact your dogs heart and respiratory health. This makes it difficult for them to breathe, make them lazy, and reduce prevent them from getting good physical exercise.

Cancer: Yes, obesity can also increase the chances of developing a tumor. This tumor could become cancerous and significantly reduce their life expectancy in worst-case scenarios.

Lower life expectancy: As per a study conducted by Purina PetCare, the life expectancy of obese and overweight Labradors can be decreased by up to 2 years!

Now that youre familiar with the health risks associated with obesity in Labradors, its time to learn how to fight these issues and maintain a healthy weight for your dog.

How to help your Labrador lose weight?

Keeping your labs health in check and taking necessary measures is one of the best things you can do as a dog owner. Although it may take some time and patience before you can see results, you must be persistent throughout the process for their betterment.

Here are a few steps you can take right now to start your labs weight loss journey:

1. Cut any extra treats or food from their diet

Since the main cause of obesity in labs is overfeeding, the very first step you must take is to cut down any excess food or treats youre giving them. Most dog owners are guilty of giving in to the puppy eyes their dog makes and overfeeding them with treats and food scrapes.

But because some labs cant differentiate from when theyre hungry or full, its your responsibility to keep them on their recommended diet. Dont feed them leftover scraps from your meals and dont give them an excessive amount of treats, no matter how much they beg.

2. Give them more exercise

Like humans, Labradors can also lose some extra pounds through physical activity. If your dog is currently getting little to no exercise, you need to start taking them to walks or the park. Giving your dog regular exercise can improve their cardiovascular health and build muscle and bone strength.

However, exercise isnt enough to help your Labrador lose weight. Youll also need to stop feeding them treats and food scrapes. Otherwise, youre just helping them regain the weight theyre losing through exercise.

3. Change their diet

A change in diet is probably the most important step to helping your Labrador maintain an optimal weight. But before reducing your labs intake, you need to consult your vet. A vet will take into account your dogs overall health and physical activity, and then decide how much food will help them lose weight while still receiving the essential nutrition.

But if you want to reduce their intake yourself, cut out only a third to a fourth of their total daily intake quantity for 3-4 days. During this time, try to keep their treats to a minimum and give them the normal daily exercise. After this duration, check to see if your dog has lost any weight or is looking physically slimmer. You can use the BCS chart for this.

If your Labrador successfully lost a few pounds and feels just as active as before, you can continue the same diet for another 3 to 4 days and see the results. However, if you see any weakness or no change in weight, youd be better of consulting your vet.

Underweight Labradors

Being too much underweight is just as dangerous for Labradors as being obese is. Not only can it drastically reduce their quality of life, but in some situations, it might be caused by an underlying health problem that needs an immediate overlook.

Here are some of the common reasons why a Labrador might be underweight:

Reasons why Labradors are underweight

1. Low food consumption

To maintain a healthy weight, a Labrador needs to consume as many calories as it burns in a day. But if you have a highly active dog and they arent getting enough nutrition, theyre likely to lose weight with time. Another error some dog owners make is purchasing the wrong dog food. It can either be of poor quality or not suitable for their size and breed, which could lead to a loss in weight.

2. Intestinal worms or parasites

Intestinal worms and parasites can cause havoc on a dogs digestive system and overall health. Because they feed on whatever your dog eats, they can starve your dog of nutrients and dramatically reduce their weight. These worms and parasites can also cause a host of other problems like skin, coat, and digestive issues.

3. Sickness or illness

If your lab gets sick, it could affect their appetite and will likely reduce their consumption. This can cause them to lose both muscle mass and fat. But since illness usually fix themselves within a few weeks, your dog will likely regain their appetite. If the loss of appetite continues, it could signal a bigger problem such as a tumor that needs to get checked as soon as possible.

Helping your Labrador gain weight

Luckily, helping a Labrador gain weight is easier than getting them to lose it. By simply bringing a few simple changes to their diet, you can easily get them to put on some extra pounds in a few weeks. Here are a few ways to do so:

1. Increase their dietary intake

The first and very obvious way to help your lab put on weight is to increase their intake. Since most people are feeding their dogs kibbles and packaged dog food, you can add an extra half to cup to an extra cup of kibbles to their total daily intake and divide this over their total meals.

If you feed them raw food, you could increase the quantity of carbs since they contain more calories, along with some proteins to help them pack on muscle. Some great ingredients for homemade dog food include sweet potatoes and pumpkins. Not only do they help increase the carbohydrate content of your dog food, but the pumpkin also helps soothe their stomach and promotes digestive health.

2. Feed them more treats

Apart from their increasing their regular diet, you can also feed them more treats. You could feed them more of their regular treats, but we would recommend making some of your own. Peanut butter is a great ingredient that you can add to your homemade treats that will help your lab quickly put on weight.