He...eats...everything!

[boxofrox]

Hey everyone!

This is my first post to BW (besides the intro!)

I was wondering if you all could give me some input into my 11 mo old boxer, Radar. He has an affinity for eating anything! But his favorite are ankle socks and thongs (he even goes into the hamper if I forget to put something on it to hold it closed!)

This of course worries me sick, because I'm terrified he's going to eat something fatal! I'm usually very good about keeping clothes up off the floor and out of reach, but we're in the middle of moving right now and he's so slick all it takes is a second of setting the laundry on the floor, or leaving the dryer open!

Anyways, he acts like he is completely healthy, and he was just fixed ten days ago. He is on Advantage Multi, so I know he doesn't have worms, but for some reason he just isn't gaining weight! I'm scared he may have something in his tummy, but he doesn't act like his stomach is upset. The only thing is that he has the runs a lot, and I have tried a couple of different foods.

I had him tested for all kinds of things because I was worried he had a bacterial infection or who knows what. It cost like $150 to have all these tests, and the vet said he is perfectly healthy! But obviously something is awry if he has the runs all the time!?

Sometimes he's fine, and a lot of times he will start off with a solid poop and then it will be runs at the end. I had started him on TOTW after switching him over from Iams (which is what the previous folks fed him) he was fine for awhile, and then started getting the runs, so I switched him to Loyall on the feed store's advice. He didn't care for that food, and he still didn't seem to gain weight, so we changed him to a hi-energy food (River run?) for awhile. He seemed to fill out a little bit, but I can still see his ribs a little when he is playing and running around. I am starting to switch him back to TOTW, but this time i'm trying the prairie formula instead of the bison, hoping that maybe it was just a bad bag I had him on. His coat is also shedding a lot more on this hi-energy stuff, so i don't care for it. At least TOTW he didn't shed and his eyes weren't all gunky (i guess from allergies?)

This is my first time having a purebred dog besides my husband's hunting lab. I'm quite obsessed over him and I'm worried i'm missing something, but my vet bill is outrageous right now, so if you guys think it might be something else i could try before going for x-rays, i'd appreciate any advice!

Sorry this is so long! Whew!

 

[johann]

Boxers are supposed to be a lean breed, so he'll look a lot different (even when full grown) than a lab will. Its good to be able to see the last few ribs, but you don't want his hips or backbone sticking out. Boxers aren't usually filled out until they're around 2...they seem to stay lanky for quite a while. Do you have any pictures of him?

One thing to do with him eating laundry is to teach him a strong "leave it".

How much do you feed him? Too much food can equal to loose stools for puppies. We overfed Johann for quite a while and ended up making seriously expensive poop and still had a skinny puppy. He's almost 2 now and has finally started to fill out a little....he had times of looking super scrawny until he was around 15 months.

 

[boxofrox]

that might be an issue

I may be overfeeding him...the food I have him on now says 2 1/2 - 3 1/4 cups a day, but I usually end up giving him like 4. Maybe I should cut it back to 3? He was weighed when he got the big snip and he was 54 pounds and he's eleven months old.

He's my first boxer, and really the first boxer I can remember being around, so this is all new territory for me.

We're mad at each other right now because he decided instead of telling me he had to go out to go potty like he usually does he figured the futon would be a good place to go so he didn't have to go out in the rain! So he's in his crate pouting because i caught him in the act and yelled at him...they are sooo like kids!

I'll try cutting back the food, and I'll add a picture too (when I can figure out how to do it!)

Thanks!

 

[Duke Lewis]

We are going through the same thing with my little man Duke. We found out through a fecal test (poop test) that he had beaver fever, the vet though it was strange, and the only symptoms for beaver fever is loss or not gaining any weight, diarrhea and tiredness. Duke is not really tired, but could see most of his ribs. Maybe it could be that? Duke seemed fine, and would also start out with a solid poop and it would turn super runny!

 

[boxofrox]

Picture

I couldn't figure out how to add a picture (I can be a little wols) but I changed my profile picture to one I took two nights ago.

 

[boxer17]

He look great! He is great looking boy! I agree with the others posters about the amount of food you are feeding him. I too did this with my rescue and it produced runny poop as well. Then I began to feed him to correct the amount and runs were gone!

Also like others have said Boxers do not fill out until about 2 years of age. My first boxer looks sooo skinny around 12 months. To me he looked like all bones and muscle. We at about 18 months or so the began to fill out and ended up being 82 lbs.

Keep us posted once you cut back on his food. Plus I bet he is full of energy and this too will keep him on the thin side. I know I wish I had this problem.

Also in regard to the eating of things he is not supposed to...teach the leave it command! It is great! Also just keep things out of his reach....easier said than done. Good luck!

 

[dmjp]

He looks like a very healthy weight for his age....

Like everyone before me said, just try to cut back a little on the feeding to see if that helps with the poops...

And the leave it command worked for us, but still every so often Zeus tries to run away with a pair of socks or winter gloves... They really are just a bundle of joy...

 

[boxofrox]

thanks!

Thanks for the reassurance ya'll! I sure wish I could eat that much and stay skinny just from being hyper! Of course the equivalent for us would probably give us a heart attack

So kinda icky but funny (and scary!) too...my husband and I visited family in MA this past summer and Radar stayed at a friends house. She called me two days after we left to inform me that Radar had just pooped out something pink and white...a pair of my underwear! Of course I was a nervous wreck thinking of all the possibilities ... "is something still in there?!"

The worst part is she said they were still intact (not sure how she figured this out..didn't ask )

So that means he is swallowing things whole...so now I am anal-retentive about anything that can fit in his mouth being on the ground because I'm so scared he's going to swallow something that will be fatal!

However, he's a little ninja and can swipe something before I know it!

Gotta love our kids!

 

[harleyboxer]

My doberman used to eat underwear too, she did grow out of it though. She however has not grown out of raiding the garbage can and she goes into stealth mode whenever she's getting into trouble. Sometimes I get out of the shower in the morning and she's standing in her crate punishing herself
Even if you are super diligent they will find a way.

 

[dmcmahan]

i have a 5 yr old female, lizzy, and she was a rescue. i have tried for over 2 years to figure out the whole poop thing, because she has always done that (eather full runs or solid first then runs). finally i just took my vets word that she is healthy and that is just part of her. boxers are known for super sensitive stomachs, so if that is her only fault, i"ll take it! for the eating of the underware, my 7 mth old boy is notorious for making socks "vanish". if you figure out something that works, let me know! right now we are crateing when we cant be on top of him, which breaks my heart because the other 2 are only crated at night, but it makes me feel much better than shelling out hundreds for a sock removal! LOL!!