At our wits' end...sorry it's long!

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Sansal

Boxer Insane
That's good she's eating something appicon However I wouldn't feed pedigree. Especially with her possibly having allergies. Check out Dog Food Analysis - Reviews of kibble and choose a high quality food for her, grain free if possible. If you feed a high quality food you can feed a lot less, I don't know what you are feeding right now but more than 7 cups twice daily sounds like a lot!
 

darwinsmom

Super Boxer
I'm going to apologize up front for questioning this, but are you sure about her weight? And if you are, are you sure about her breed? Her weight sounds more like mastiff than boxer. I've known boxers over 100 lbs and they were fat. So 153 lbs. for a 2 year old female is somewhat incredible.

-Karlyn
 

LaylasHumans

Boxer Buddy
I'm going to apologize up front for questioning this, but are you sure about her weight? And if you are, are you sure about her breed? Her weight sounds more like mastiff than boxer. I've known boxers over 100 lbs and they were fat. So 153 lbs. for a 2 year old female is somewhat incredible.

-Karlyn

She's a LARGE Boxer. I can't pick her up at all. My bf says she's roughly 153lbs., but I'm hoping he takes her to a vet so we can know for sure. The animal shelter he adopted her from said she was a Boxer, and every vet she's been to has confirmed her breed. She does have a layer of fat under her skin, but she's also got quite a bit of muscle.
 

LaylasHumans

Boxer Buddy
That's good she's eating something appicon However I wouldn't feed pedigree. Especially with her possibly having allergies. Check out Dog Food Analysis - Reviews of kibble and choose a high quality food for her, grain free if possible. If you feed a high quality food you can feed a lot less, I don't know what you are feeding right now but more than 7 cups twice daily sounds like a lot!

We are just giving her the Pedigree in with her kibble, which is Kibbles 'n Bits Wholesome Medley until checks come in and we can buy something else. A lot of people are suggesting 5 or 6 star kibble, but the problem is that we are on a fixed income, and can't afford super expensive food, and a lot of the brands are ones I've never heard of. I think when he gets his money in, we are going to head for a feed store and check out what they have, plus I think I've about got him convinced to get her a large kong or two to play with. He thought about getting her one to see if she would like it, but didn't have the money after buying her a new harness...but I'm sure I can talk him into it!

As far as dog foods we've tried, here is a rough list of brands. We've tried different varieties of them all:

Dad's
Ol' Roy
Kibbles 'n Bits
Alpo
Eukanuba
Iams
Dog Chow/Puppy Chow
Gravy Train

There are others, but I can't remember them all. I don't think any stores near us sell brands like Royal Canin or others I've never heard of, and some may not be available in the US at all. I have no clue, which is why I'm going to check a farm feed store.
 

darwinsmom

Super Boxer
Well from your avatar she does look boxer but perhaps overweight (hard to tell but that looks like a massive neck). I would really get a true weight on her and then probably start a weight loss program - sounds like you may be feeding her too much. Also with a better food (with fewer carbs) it might also help her lose weight. Getting her weight down is really important for her overall health and mobility going forward. Being overweight can contribute to cruciate ligament injuries and osteoarthritis. Also would recommend thyroid testing as low thyroid can lead to weight gain. You will probably want to consult with a vet on a weight loss anyway - but you do not need to buy any prescription food ($$$ for mediocre to poor quality food).

You won't find any of the premium foods in the grocery store. Need to go to a pet store or feed store. Petco does now carry some of these brands (Wellness, Solid Gold for example).
 
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samsons

Boxer Insane
taste of the wild

i feed TOTW as many do on this forum .. its a 6 star food

sam weighs in at 72 lbs he is 2 YO and at a perfect weight. i feed 3 3/4 cups a day. a $ 22 bag last me 2 weeks with a extra day. i also "supplement " canned, wellness 95% at $ 2.20 a can - i feed 1/4 a day. so u see a good diet is not that expensive and is well worth the cost to have a healthy active dog !

the better the food the less u have to feed !!!!

and some of the brands u listed - i could feed my horses ( all corn ) :)

good luck ~
 

LaylasHumans

Boxer Buddy
Well from your avatar she does look boxer but perhaps overweight (hard to tell but that looks like a massive neck). I would really get a true weight on her and then probably start a weight loss program - sounds like you may be feeding her too much. Also with a better food (with fewer carbs) it might also help her lose weight. Getting her weight down is really important for her overall health and mobility going forward. Being overweight can contribute to cruciate ligament injuries and osteoarthritis. Also would recommend thyroid testing as low thyroid can lead to weight gain. You will probably want to consult with a vet on a weight loss anyway - but you do not need to buy any prescription food ($$$ for mediocre to poor quality food).

You won't find any of the premium foods in the grocery store. Need to go to a pet store or feed store. Petco does now carry some of these brands (Wellness, Solid Gold for example).

According to the dog food bag, for a 90lb. dog, we should feed 5 3/4 cups of food twice a day, and add an addition 1/2 cup of food for each additional 15lbs of weight. If that's the case, we would have to feed her roughly 7 cups of food twice per day, which is WAY too much. We feed her 2-3 cups of kibble twice per day with half a packet of wet food. Her ribcage is pretty large, but I think she's gained a lot of weight because of people feeding her no-no foods in the middle of the night. We've asked the ones doing it to stop, but I doubt they are. Bad thing is, they live with us.

I hope the foods you're suggesting aren't outrageously expensive and come in large bags...IF Layla will bother to eat it!
 

LaylasHumans

Boxer Buddy
i feed TOTW as many do on this forum .. its a 6 star food

sam weighs in at 72 lbs he is 2 YO and at a perfect weight. i feed 3 3/4 cups a day. a $ 22 bag last me 2 weeks with a extra day. i also "supplement " canned, wellness 95% at $ 2.20 a can - i feed 1/4 a day. so u see a good diet is not that expensive and is well worth the cost to have a healthy active dog !

the better the food the less u have to feed !!!!

and some of the brands u listed - i could feed my horses ( all corn ) :)

good luck ~

Sounds like a good diet...but expensive. Income is monthly, and to buy enough of both to feed Layla (she gets smaller portions, but twice a day) would run more than $70 a month, something we definitely cannot afford. I'll go to the feed store and see what they might have.
 

LaylasHumans

Boxer Buddy
In one of your other posts you mentioned that she weighs about 150 lbs. Have you had her thyroid checked?


Okay...everything I know is what my bf has told me.

Thyroid check - unknown
Mange - Inconclusive scraping result (I was present)
Actual weight - unknown (we don't own a scale, so can't weigh her at home)
Food allergies - possibly corn, wheat

I honestly am about to hand the reins over on Layla to her Daddy. I was only present during one vet visit. That vet said it's possible she has mange, but couldn't tell from the scraping. Gave two pills. Treatment didn't work, and moved away from the vet's office shortly after.

We will be looking for a vet closer to us who accepts a payment plan...wish us luck on finding one!
 

djheitz

Boxer Insane
If she hasn't been tested, I would absolutely do that. My youngest was diagnosed just before his second birthday. He was putting on a lot of weight, but not eating much more than our other boxer. Skin conditions are also an indicator of a thyroid imbalance.

The test may be more than you can comfortably afford (based on your comments), but the medication runs about $10/month if she ends up needing it.

Other symptoms of hypo-thyroid include:
Lethargic behavior such as a lack of interest in play, frequent napping, tiring out on long walks
Weight gain, sometimes without an apparent gain in appetite
Bacterial infections of the skin
Dry skin
Hair loss, especially on the trunk or tail (“rat’s tail”)
Discoloration or thickening of the skin where hair loss has occurred
Cold intolerance/seeking out warm places to lie down
Slow heart rate
Chronic ear infections
Severe behavioral changes such as unprovoked aggression, head tilt, seizures, anxiety and/or compulsivity
Depression
 
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