Boxer puppy not gaining weight??

Metallicababe

I recently purchased a boxer puppy. Presently bringing the pup to the vet (every 2 weeks) for her injections....Each time the vet says she is very under weight shes 5.8kg now and 10 weeks. Cos she is a boxer she should be gaining a lot more weight for her age....The vet gave me some catty remark on her diet....then pushing the sales pitch on buying "Good" quality food like Hills dry food. He burst himself laughin when I said Im giving her pedigree chum puppy dogfood with the dry. Does any1 out there got any advice on nutrition/am I being cruel feeding her non posh grub!!!!!!!

Our man in Havana

What you feed your pet is personal choice! I have tried some of the hills diets for the cats - they still prefer whiskers & omega biscuits! I have 9 doggies from terriers to our newest baby (old man) a very underweight male rotweiller (he is now gaining weight & has a lovely shiny coat) All my dogs are fed the same bakers complete with a 3rd of a tin of brandy - How many times a day do you feed your dog? Maybe it needs to be fed 2-3 times a day nice small meals??

I would also suggest finding a better vet! The vets main concern should have been that your puppy is not gaining weight NOT that you should feed it the diet THEY sell!

Keep us posted! If you need any more advice feel free to email me on perfectpets@eircom.net

Faye

Nala

I don't believe all that ****e about the more expensive brands being *the best*.
Maybe try a different vet. Having to buy food from your vet would be a pain once your pup's shots are finished. Maybe it's not what you;re feeding the pup, maybe she's sick.
Maybe ring the breeder and see what they say.

ramius

has your pup been wormed. if not this could make her under weight as the worms take the nutrition out of the food before the pup gets it. bond 007 is right try feeding the pup little and often. 3 times a day should do it

Jip

I've been through 2 boxer puppies in the last few years, by that I mean I've been around them, not eating them or anything ! They eat like horses when they're young so must be kept well fed, one of them ate almost 3 tins of Pedigre Chum a day and when they become adults cut them down to two. Boxers tend to grow upwards first rather than outwards, you see alot of them with long lanky legs compared to their bodies but start to fill out when they're a godo few months old, at 10 weeks the pup is still quite young.

Unless the puppy is unusually skinny I wouldn't worry too much about it. I have to disagree about people caying that all dog food is that same, it's not and you can tell that simply by looking at the food itself or the diarrhoea that some dogs get after eating the cheap stuff.

Metallicababe

well my baby boxer is now 12 weeks she is triving on a can of pedigree chum and some hills dry food.......Things seem great at the mo she is still small but the vet said she should sprout pretty soon!!!!!!!!

Doper Than U

I actually feed my dogs on Hills after my old dog delevoped a digestive condition that necessitated a specialist diet, the improvement was amazing, and since then it's my first choice of food...

I now have two jack russells, 7m/o. I feed them mainly Hills, but also other food for a change or if I run out of the Hills... one of them is a tubby little monster, the other is like a whippet, they are fed the same food, and although the skinny one is a fussy eater, he does eat all the food eventually... Incidentally they are littermates, both male...

The vet has checked her and has found nothing I assume. Is she still lively? Boxer pups are extremely boisterous... is she this way? Are her stools healthy? (ie, solid not loose, regular etc etc...) Is her bowl clean? Is she fussy with all food or just the one you are giving her? Does she prefer to eat in quiet or does she care? Is she distracted while eating? Do other animals in your house get to her food and take it from her? ... She's just a new pup, she might be stressed, and this could make her underweight.

As long as your dog is eating what you give her, and is regularly wormed, is bouncy and playful, she will be fine...

As for your vet, that was extremely rude.. and you might be more comfortable with a less snobby vet. Personally, I will always feed Hills as my first choice, the expense may seem alot, but you actually feed less of the food because the quality is better. It's just a matter of personal preference, for you and the dog...

depadz

i've two boxers (although only had one as a pup).

used to feed him creamed rice mixed with raw mince and an egg for one meal every day. dry chum the other two. he's a big lad now. did you see her mother? if she was small, then yours will be too.

i'd agree with the vet on the tinned chum. seems to be tough on the system. dried food is better (make sure always plenty of water).

as per previous posts, make sure she doesn't have worms. my boxers are always hungry (i think most dogs are just greedy!)

have fun...

lee_baby_simms

Originally posted by Metallicababe
He burst himself laughin when I said Im giving her pedigree chum puppy dogfood with the dry.

Hilarious.:rolleyes:

Boxers are super dogs however ive never owned one. I recommend you post your dogs next poo-poo in a jiffy bag to your vet. A good vet should get a few more clues to the problem by examining that.

Metallicababe

my boxer is so fussy................. I thought she was grand eating away hills and tinned food but now she wont touch the stuff.....Im getting so fustrated the vet said she is still quite small now ive bought burns dryed food (has any1 tried that??)

I saw her mother a gorgeous large boxer (I.K.C) I have cats they eat iamas dried and they love it (my puppy) loves them too if she could get her paws on it. I have had dogs b4 mostly yorkies they were no trouble but this puppy is so weird!!!

Jip

The other puppy boxer I know is quite fussy too, I was looking after him recently and bought dried food, can't remember what brand, and he wouldn't touch it if left in his bowl but would eat it if handed to him, so the cat ate everything left in the bowl