weak immune system

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Ritzertboys

Boxer Booster
I currently feed Canidae and they think that Guinness may have a weak immune system and that is not helping with his poblems. he eats probably about 4 cups a day and more if he wants, but is gaining weight slow, and is fairly bony even though we feed him good food. if he recovers how can we help boost his immune system and help him put on weight.

IMHO, I think he was the runt of the littler, we got him out of state, he still hasn't lost all of his baby teeth and has seemed like a slow grower all his life!
 

dbetz

Completely Boxer Crazy
Hi There.

I also have pups with weakened immune systems. I also feed Canidae, but I add Supplements to help. I currently add 1.5 tsps per feeding of a powder supplement "Missing Link" (I am researching changing to different brand based on suggestions from this site - search by immune system) We also add to their food 1 tsp of raw unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar oer serving. Once a week we also give them 1 raw egg. We have seen some improvement in their health - but also notice they no longer have stinky gas and their coats are beautiful.

Others on the site greatly recommend a raw diet but I am not quite ready to do that yet.

Good luck with your pup.
 

gmacleod

Elusive Moderator
Staff member
There are two main factors that affect immune systems (well, three - but the last is genetics, and you can't influence that). Of the two that you can influence, one is good quality diet. Nutrition is the underpinner of health, so doing the best you can do there is important. Canidae is a good dry dog food, but it is still kibble (and kibble, by necessity of design, is rather light in meat content for a canine). So if you could add a bit of real food to his diet - be it raw or lightly cooked, that would be beneficial.

The second thing you can influence (a LOT) is stresses to the immune system. That's stress in general, but it is also things like vaccinations, de-worming, flea and tick treatments and so forth. Every one of those things is either live virus, or chemical insecticide. And whilst they can have their place and be useful - they can also do a lot of harm, especially to an immuno-suppressed individual. Certainly there are questions about whether a dog with immune system problems should receive vaccinations (which are intended for healthy animals only). And a lot of thought should be taken before assaulting the dog's immune system with pesticides also. Give only what is needed, based on specific risk (i.e. don't just throw on the flea repellent if you don't live in an area where fleas are actually a problem, or deworm the dog if he's not infected with worms) - and be sure not to give multiple treatments at the same time or close together. In this way, you can limit, if not largely eliminate, the stresses his immune system has to deal with, which in turn gives it more time to develop or recover.
 
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