Bowpi could probably slap me with harassment charges for ogling her figure as much as I do. She has such interesting contours to me, I can’t help but stare. Lots of groping involved, too.
She’s not particularly wrinkled on her forehead, but she has very loose, soft folds in her skin all over her body. According to Robert Cole in The Basenji Stacked and Moving, “The degree that the skin is pliant can be readily appreciated in the manner that this owner [as illustrated on the page] has been able to gently lift his Basenji by the skin of its back” (p. 70, plate 98). I’m not about to attempt that most uncomfortable looking maneuver, but I can easily bunch up her fur into ripples and ridges.
I don’t think she’s fat… though I know she was pushing it at 24 pounds. Some of her previous veterinary records have listed her as heavy as 26.1 pounds, which boggles my imagination. I do try to watch it as I’ve been reminded that leaner is better, especially for “her kind,” as one of my vets said. But when my vet was probing her at 22.0 pounds and pointing out the puffy flesh around her ribcage as being a little too much (I could feel ribs, but not see them), I felt like she wasn’t picking on fat so much as rolls of skin…
When she was at 22.0 pounds four months ago (above), the vet said she could stand to lose about a pound… And I thought, really?? So I aimed to have her lose about half a pound.
On Monday, I weighed her at the vet and found her at 19.6 pounds. Well, okay then! Her coat looks quite healthy and her appetite has been normal, so we’re done with the incredible shrinking Basenji. Meanwhile, that loose skin doesn’t seem to have anywhere else to go…
No wonder she kind of looks like her pants are sitting a little loose on the hips these days.
I really like the way you can see Bowpi’s skin folds in the photo of her running. It’s neat!
We think she looks quite stunning.
She’s hot!
Oh wow, that is so strange looking when she runs and sits! She looks great, but the skin is odd in certain positions.
Conker’s got a ton of extra skin around his neck, and a good bit on his back as well. It doesn’t really show easily due to his fur type though. I could (and sometimes do…) pick him up by all that extra stuff.
Bowdu’s extra skin around his neck certain shows, hehe. He’s got quite a double chin… er, mane sometimes.
Saggy pajamas!
We just had a chat with the breeder we leave our Shibas with when we’re away. She thinks that Shio could stand to lose a few more pounds from where he is now, which is 5 lbs less than where he was the last time she commented. Shio definitely has the same “double chin” that Bowdu has, only we call his saggy neck skin his “shawl collar” instead!