Please help me as I'm worrying about my boxer pup and the amount he eats?

He is now seven and a half months old. He has never been a dog that bolts his food down and he isn't at all interested when I'm getting it ready. When he was really little he had Beta and a bit of wet food added, butchers tripe mix. This is what the breeder had given us. He then became very disinterested in his food all together so I changed the wet food to another type and he started eating again. This has been repeated where I have changed the biscuits. Basically he will eat some then walk away. I have tried picking up his bowl and covering it and not giving him anymore until the next meal thinking he will be so hungry he will eat it but this doesn't really work as he just picks at it again. I don't overload him with treats so I know that's not the cause.

Don't panic, he does eat but just isn't really into it at all. He is 23kg/50 pounds and stands about 20 inches to the shoulder which I believe is ok for his age but he looks a bit skinny. I'm not sure if he's just going through a growth spurt which is why I'm suddenly noticing how much his ribs show or if he is underweight. You can't see his spine or anything like that except when he stretches.

I suppose the thing I'm asking is can anyone recommend a good puppy food (especially for Boxers) or have I just got a fussy dog and am going to need to keep trying different types until I get it right.

Just to add, he sleeps a lot in the mornings but the rest of the day he is a typically mad Boxer so I don't think ke's poorly and he seems a very happy boy. Am I worrying over nothing????

Rosie

> Am I worrying over nothing????
>

Yes you probably are :-)
If he's fit and healthy with just a lean look then he's fine and will pick up his appetite when he's finished growing.
If, however, you can see all his ribs or his 'pin-bones' ( the pointy bits on top of his hips before his tail) then a change to a more calorific diet may be needed. Royal Canin do a breed specific food called Boxer 26 which you can start him on when he nears 1 year, or if he doesn't want puppy food, a little earlier. It seems to be very good at fattening.

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=1023&cat=7     Try this link then you might see why he will not put on weight or enjoy his food it seems the tins or other wet food has probably pulled him through. You also do mention how much exercise he is getting take him out for an hour off his lead, give him 30 minutes to relax then feed him some quality kibble (Oregin, Jameswellbeloved cereal free) mixed with naturesdiet, menu or harvest and see what happens. Cereals in excessive amounts are no good for growing or lean dogs just my opinon.

Thanks Tooolz, I was hoping you'd read this as I know you have lots of experience with Boxers. I saw that Boxer 26 food but thought I'd have to wait until he's a bit older before trying it. I'll give it a go and see how it goes.

Thanks to Geordie too. In answer to your question re exercise, he gets a 40-50 minute walk off lead every day. I work shifts so walking him during the day is easy for me but if for any reason I can't, my OH takes him in the evening with a torch!

We returned from a walk a while ago (beautiful day for it). He flopped straight away and when he woke up just now I gave him some food as he wouldn't eat this morning. He had a nibble then went off and started playing with his toys! He had a couple of treats on the walk for sitting at junctions and good walking back from the forest on the lead but ony probably five or six little ones so he must be hungry surely!

I also have an extremely fussy dog but over the last few months she is eating whatever i put in front of her if she is hungry. Obviously you shouldnt be feeding him before you exercise, but a good run may leave him hungry. Instead of giving him his regular portions, give him a small amount (about the same as he would pick at) of something tasty like tripe! Carry on giving him like this for a few days then gradually SLOWLY start to increase the portions you are giving him, maybe adding his dry buscuits to the tripe. He isnt eating it all as he knows he can get some more if he wants and he is in control of his meal portions not you. He will be hungry and should eat it, He is now over 6 months so you should be feeding him 2 meals a day. If he starts to pick again go back to square one, reduce portions and remove straight away. If he eats it all a few meals in a row, then start to add more. Im sure he will love some raw tripe, not many dogs can resist it so give it a try, just defrost and put in his bowl.

Let us know how he gets on

Louise

p.s if him not eating is keeping control on his part thats what he maybe doing your worrying about him not eating therefore he is the boss and in charge. Dish it out put it down and walk away, dont stand over him saying 'come on' if he walks away dont make a fuss just pick it up and leave. no eye contact no words no touching him just pick it up and walk away.

Thanks for the advice. I have to confess he was eating his dinner last night and I stood there watching him like a neurotic mother!!! He does get distracted quite easily so I thought if I stood with him it might help!

OMG, tripe makes me heave but I'll give it a go if it gets him eating properly. Not being a expert on tripe, is it only available from a butcher?

I will be more strict with leaving it down for a few minutes then taking it away and hopefully he will learn that I control the food and not the other way around.

Lol now ive fed it to my dogs for over 2 years the stuff doesnt bother me at all! you can get it from pets at home which is your easiest place to get it or some animals feed stores in your area. Might be best to google it and then give them a ring and ask if the do the frozen blocks.

Louise

have I just got a fussy dog and am going to need to keep trying different types until I get it right.

just to add to the rest of comments, No No No, qiuckest way to make a small eater into a fussy eater is to do this.
Chris

Strange as it may seem,I have found boxers to be about the pickiest feeders when young (well mine certainly were) but suddenly switch to good eaters around 18months so dont worry.
The tripe refered to is Green tripe ( unwashed gut and contents) which smells awful ( a bit like pig slurry) but they do like it and it can be quite fatty depending on the source (the PAH stuff doesn't seem to be.)
Give this young one time and perhaps a little less exercise- he is only 7months and boxers play 'full on' for the entirety of the walk.

I'll give the tripe a go and will be stricter about leaving his food down.

Had to share this with you guys.........I was putting washing away upstairs and it was all a bit quiet downstairs which always makes me suspicious......When I went down I found a very proud pup with an apple in his mouth (taken out of the fruit bowl) it was almost like he was saying "oh well I'll forage for my own food if you're not putting mine back down!" Little pickle!

I've found Arden Grange to be good with Boxers, got my crew on this now.
Also Wainwrights is a good food that you can buy from Pets At Home (It's their own brand food)
One of my Boxers didn't really like the lamb and rice & chicken and rice varieties as a youngster and preferred the fish variety
now she will eat all varieties.

How many meals a day are you feeding him at the moment?

Hi tooolz, I also found this with Floyd, he was a terrible eater from when we got him at 8 weeks old till about 14 months old, now he eats both breakfast and tea without any problem, usually if he is turning his nose up at his food that is a sign for us that his tummy is playing up, so we then put him on mashed potato and salmon for the day and then he is back to normal.

I have bought him the white fish frozen block from PAH (first time I have used it), which he had last night, while I was cooking it, he was like the bisto kid stood in the kitchen and actually started making funny talky noises, needless to say, it didn't last very long in his bowl.

Jane

I try and feed him in the morning and evening but it's been a bit all over the place due to him only picking at it.

As I said yesterday, an hour or so after his walk I gave him food and he had a nibble and then left it. On advice from the forum I picked it up and covered it. My OH gave it back to him at 6pm and he scoffed the lot. I think I just need to be really strict with putting it down at meal times only and if he doesn't eat it within ten mins then pick it up again and wait until next meal time. It might mean he goes a bit hungry until he realises what is happening but at least then he will be in a proper pattern and hopefully it will sort itself out.

I'm still going to try the tripe and see if he likes it. The trainer at my puppy class sells Arden Grange so I will speak to him about that too.

Thanks to you all for your help.

Rosie

My boy loves tripe and scoffs it the minute I put it down. HOORAY

He will also eat the original food as well as long as it has a bit of tripe mixed in too.

Thanks everyone

In most cases, fussy eaters are dogs that don't consider themselves to be at the bottom of the pack.
One thing to never do is watch your dog when he's eating. I know everybody's said it before, but it's really important. If he's not the leader, he's got to eat quick before it can be taken away from him. Because you worry about him and keep changing his food, you might be re-inforcing a bad behaviour without meaning it. I'm no expert but from my experience, this is often the case.
I find that now I've got 2 dogs, they both eat like their lives depend on it! When my boy was on his own, he would go through periods hen he'd be fussy and wouldn't eat all his food in one go. My approach was just : 'tough'. But having competition has been the best way to solve the problem! Also, i don't change their food all the time, dogs don't need variety and I believe it only causes problems, whether it makes them fussy or disturbs their delicate GI balance.
I would recommend you give your pup a good quality puppy food as it's richer than the adult one, mixed with a bit of tripe to help him put weight on. But don't worry if he doesn't eat, stick to the regime no matter what and don't forget the importance of the feeding ritual in pack animals like dogs. Feed him after yourself (when he's been watching you eat) and don't watch him while he eats. If he's not finished within 10 minutes, take the bowl away without a word or a glance.
Good luck!

Hi

No dog can really resist tripe, i bet your a happy mummy. But remember to still be strict with the rules if hes not eating it, pick it over cover it and with tripe i put it in the fridge. Your the boss be firm and he will love you more for it.

Louise

I have been staying really strict with him and even when he looks at me with those big sopppy eyes I haven't given in.

The last couple of days I haven't had to pick his bowl up at all as I've never known him to eat so quickly and all of it in one go. His last four dinners he has left the bowl completely clean which I don't think he's ever done since we got him at 8wks old.

I'm hoping we've cracked it but I shall remain strict just in case we have a relapse!

Just thought I would add.......I have a picky, fussy eater too, a terrier who was eating about 3 to 4 teaspoons of complete food a day!!!  I tried EVERYTHING and she thwarted us at every turn.  She was - and still is - very ribby.

Finally I got a block of tripe from Pets at Home (oh man yes, it is gross - I can just about handle it frozen, but once its room temperature - BORK!!) - she scoffs it up, and for the first time ever, she actually cleans up all the complete food along with it (normally she spits it out)!!

She too has been cleaning the bowl morning and night for 6 days now - I'm a happy mummy!  Even if it does stink like heaven knows what!!

Hi Susie, I've been following your thread about the PAH frozen tripe as well. Have you found that your dog has been a bit nuts on it???

Not sure if it's because Nero is eating more than he ever has or if there is something in the tripe that makes him more mad and bouncy that usual. He was full on all day yesterday, not that I mind as long as he's eating!

My experience was exactly the same--a pup that lost most of his interest in food (if he ever had any) when he came to us and left the company of his siblings. He got very skinny, to the point where I felt very embarrassed, guilty and upset whenever we met up with his breeder--I just couldn't get him to eat anything consistently and he point blank refused to eat the Beta complete food he'd been on before I got him. I changed his diet and started him on PAH tripe and tripe mixes, and he is now a totally different dog. It stinks and it makes me heave, but if he likes it that's all that matters.

I also cook him beef skirt, lamb or chicken from time to time--throw in a few roast veg and mix this in with his usual dinner and it's like his birthday!