Hi all,
My SBTs and Irish Setter are all eating fine, no problems at all.  Nor is our boxer, she's 4 months old.  However despite eating more than the other dogs we can still see her ribs to a certain extent.  She stops eating when she's full so I don't think it's like we aren't feeding her enough, and spoke to one of my boyfriend's friends who has a boxer and he said they are just like that as they run around all the time.  Didn't know if there's anything else we can give her to help to bulk her out?  She's on Purina puppy three times a day and in the evening she gets a half size puppy can of royal canin meat added in.  Took her to vet and they said just increase her food but that doesn't seem to have done anything.  Any ideas boxer owners?

sorry not a boxer owner but own 2 large working breeds and personally i would not be trying to 'bulk her out' at 4 months old, as long as she is happy and healthy and eating the amount she wants i would leave her well alone, she is growing at a very rapid rate now and her body will burn off everything you put in, she will gain weight in her own time.
The only thing you can do is to maybe add meat in another of her meals and see if that helps a little, but lean at that age is better than being to heavy.
Good luck

Some Boxers can take 2-3 years to fully mature and body up.
Also some bloodlines are slower to mature too so just because one
is nice and 'chunky' doesn't mean to say the next one you meet in the street will be.

I wouldn't be worrying at this stage so much if she's just 'lean' however if her pin bones
(hip bones) are protruding on her back then I would be getting concerned.

The feeding amounts on the dog food bags are 'averages' they aren't stuck in stone.
Some dogs require more than the advised amount others less.

Some dogs can benefit from a change in completes. Others benefit from say tripe being added to the food.
Normally the 'old fashioned' way of feeding - meat and biscuit diet - they used to up and down the biscuit for weight loss/gain.
The meat content would always be the same.

How much exercise are you giving Nor?
As sometimes without realising it, some can be over doing the exercise and just need to reduce it.

The other thing is that if you are intending to show Nor, the Boxer dogs that are shown are on the leaner side.
If you are around towards the end of March, you can see the Essex and Eastern Boxer Club's champ show and you'll see
all the different types and weights throughout the classes.
Here's the club website
http://www.essexandeasterncountiesboxerclub.co.uk/

Hi there,

I'm no expert but I do have a Boxer who is lean too.

Initially he was a very fussy eater and I was really worried that he looked so ribby. I reached out to the forum for help and people advised feeding him tripe. He now eats twice a day either tripe or mince beef from PAH mixed with Wainwrights salmon and potato biscuits but at 9 months old he is still pretty lean. I have checked numerous websites and he is within the weight ranges for his age so I have stopped worrying about it now. He doesn't stop running about like a loony when we go out for walks so i figure he's ok and he's just burning up what he gets to eat.

Having spoken to other Boxer owners they have all told me he will bulk up as he gets older so I'm sure your girl will do the same. As long as she's eating regularly and has energy I wouldn't worry too much but like I said I'm no expert.

Aren't they just the loveliest dogs to own though???

Rosie

We have a 10 ½ month old boxer at the moment. We have had him on Pro Plan Puppy protection and he has kept his weight really well - may be worth trying some

I have a 7 month old boxer pup. He was really thin when we got him and struggled to put weight on so i changed him to raw feeding. He looks fab now. He is lean but just right and his coat is fab!!

i have a 4 yr old boxer who i thought was thin but the vet said wasnt. so stop worrying boxers are late developers but i would recomend raw tripe in its food as tripe helps the digestive system

Hi, I wouldnot worry about trying to get her to "Meaty" at this stage, she is still growing and will stretch and look skinny for a time to come.
We feed all 9 of our Boxers on Royal Canin, we use the breed specific food but I am sure the version you can buy in pets at home is just as good, at her age she should be eating the Maxi Junior, one cup in the morning and one at night, we suppliment the "Leaner" dogs with half a block of tripe at each meal, she can eat the Junior up until she is 15 month though she may get sick of it earlier and she can move on to the adult food.

Don't be misguided by thinking she needs to carry a lot of weight, you should be able to see her ribs and her coat should look taught over her body.

If you need any advice pm me and we can steer you in the right direction.

Richard

All breeds grow at different rates and mature at different times; as do individuals within the breed.

Bear in mind that IF you wanted her to put on weight just giving MORE food is pointless, you will just decrease the time it goes through the digestive system thereby interfering with absorption and also increase the risk of bloat/GDV/

What you are looking for is a food with a higher calorific density; hence why you cannot compare Brand A with Brand B in terms of expense unless you know this information.

One brand may be cheaper than the other, but you may have to feed twice as much of the former therby negating any cost savings; if on top of that the calorific density is the same it is not worthwhile.

Legally pet foods are not obliged to put this information on their labelling but the manufacturer will tell you if you ask.