went to the vet today... is it really a healthy weight?

[hoppsmom]

took hopps to the vet today and finally found out the cause of his itching! he has a staph infection, so vet gave him some prednisone and antibiotics. i like this vet, and they got his eight, hopps now weighs 52 lbs! i asked the vet if he thought it was healthy, and he remarked that it was a perfect weight for him, which i agree. the thing that concerns me is that in january when i took hopps to get his annual shots, he weighed 46 lbs, and the vet (dif vet office) said he was at a healthy weight then. is it possible that this 6 lb increase is just b/c hopps filled out muscle-wise as he is nearing his 2nd birthday?

I know hopps remains really active, usually getting 2 30-45 min walks a day, and he is fed 1 cup dry purina dog chow twice a day. i dont give him any table scraps, and treats only for training. vet said that he was super healthy (aside from the staph infection), but gaining 6lbs in 2 months seems like a big jump to me.

[Lisa]

I rarely go by numbers, especially in young dogs that are still developing and filling out. An ideal weight for a dog is one in which you can feel the ribs and hipbones with just a tiny bit of pressure, and the dog, when observed from above, has a visible waist. If you can see the ribs or hips, the dog can probably gain a little weight. If you really have to press down to find the ribs or hips, the dog needs to drop some weight.