You need to feed that dog

[Laura Poplin]

Chris, thanks, I will ask my vet about the excess protein this week, since I have an appt. for my Weimie to be spayed. He previously said he didn't see a problem, that I only need to watch her weight.

 

[Roxydog]

From the sound of it, people just dont know the body type of Boxers. I had my next-door neighbors threaten to call animal control on me for "starving" my poor dog. These neighbors surprisingly do own a Boxer boy, however if I do say so myself he's about 10 lbs overweight. Roxy has always been a very petite girl - she's 1 1/2 and weighs in at a whopping 45 lbs. My vet assures me that shes perfectly healthy. Just ignore people, they have no idea what they're talking about.

 

[CC]

Boxers go through a real phase of the ganglies from about 5 months to 1 1/2 years old. Of course the exact length of the phase varies from dog to dog, but typically sub-2 year-old Boxers have the long thin legs, the skinny little butt, and tiny waists...that's normal. You should be able to see the last couple of ribs. You should not be able to see all the ribs, or the spine or hipbones. North Americans are so accustomed to overweight dogs that they do not recognise a dog in good weight.

Titus is very scrawny right now...he is probably going to start filling out soon (I hope) - he's 9 months old. Xena has now gotten to an age (2 1/2) where she has to be careful how much she eats or she does start to chunk up.

I have to take exception to the BARF comment also...that woman does not sound like she knows enough about the diet. A raw diet is wonderful for easy maintenance of weight. Slight adjustments to amounts and content of meals can put on or take off weight in as little as a few days. It's much easier than regulating weight using kibble because dogs actually USE more of the food. Dogs definitely can get fat on any diet, if their calories taken in is greater than calories expended...just like people.

 

[lhsdavis]

My male boxer Noah weighs less than my female , because he is so hyper he cant sit still. When I take him anywhere I worry people think Im starving him, but all they have to do is see my female and they should know better. I have Ashley on a diet and Noah is getting 3x times the amount of treats and food, and still does not gain any. I did get Noah fixed a couple weeks ago, and the vet said that he should gain some weight, hopefully it will calm him down. But he said it takes about 6 months for their body to adjust to the change

 

[Jaelle]

As a counterpoint to the BARF comment, I have been feeding Lady and Rufus BARF for over a month now, and it is finally the first time Lady *isn't* skin and bones!

My Pénéloppe was very very thin with kibbles, even if she was eating at least 4 cups of Nutro puppy every day!!! She finally put some weight with a raw diet, and I have to watch her, because she now easily put weight, a little too much easily, but the steroids she have to take don't help... (she's almost 3 years old) Igor is still very thin, but since I put him back on 3 meals a day and more red meat like horse meat, he's starting to gain so weight too (he's 9 months old). My two cats, at 2 years old, were a lot too fat, but with a raw diet, they lost what they had too and are now perfect. I found it a lot easier to control their weight with a home made diet, you can not only control the amount of food, but the amount of fat too!

 

[Vela]

:( horsemeat. I realize different people feel differently about horsemeat. Being a horse lover and soon to be owner again it just makes me sad to see even though I know it happens. Thankfully mine will not end up in Igor's bowl! =)

 

[Jaelle]

I agree that for those who have horses it must seem a little rude... Feeding a pet with a pet...

But horsemeat is a specie appropriate meat for a carnivore. Herbivores are prey and carnivore eats them...

But I'm happy to know that the horsemeat I feed my dog is from meat not for human because it's from not nice parts or it's bruise, so I don't contribute to the horsemeat business, I just take what's left and what would be discard and throw away anyway.

 

[Vela]

Oh I wasn't saying anything bad about you using horsemeat, they will slaughter horses wether you use it or not, just makes me sad because to me they are companions like dogs =) There are probably people who love cows who don't like us to eat steak and hambruger=)

 

[Jaelle]

Oh I wasn't saying anything bad about you using horsemeat

Don't worry, I had understand that! But I know what you mean, it's a pet... When I had to put to sleep my little lizard, I ask the vet where he will go after, I didn't want him to be in any kibbles of any kind, and it was just a lizard!

 

[Boxerpal1]

When we first got Sampson from boxer rescue, we took him to our vet in Berkeley, CA who said he was in great condition (weight wise) but that we'd probably get some comments from, sa he coined it, "Berkeley liberals" who'd comment on his physique(spelling?).

Sure enough, as soon as we leave the vet office and are seated at an outdoor cafe with Sampson, two Berkelyites come up and start making negative comments about his weight and our lack of concern for his health. My fiance' was doing everything in his power to keep me from losing my temper. Good thing we were warned by our vet.:rolleyes: