[kash]

My husband and I just bought a female brindle, she is absolutely gorgeous with beautiful white markings.  She was the runt of a litter of 9.  At 12 weeks old she was the size of her littermates when they were 6wks (5lbs).  She is now 14 weeks and weighs only 7.6lbs. She has been to the vet several times and they say she is very healthy but very tiny.  Her ribs are visible which is a concern for me.  She eats regularly, exercises, eliminates frequently but doesn't seem to be gaining any weight.  She has gotten longer and taller since we got her.  I just wanted to know if anyone has any advice about weight gain or if we should just be patient.

 

[JessiesMom]

puppy growth is very irregular... they grow in spurts... Its totally normal to see the ribs on boxers.  I suggest giving her plain yogart or peanut butter to possibly add lbs.

 

[summer]

when harley was a puppy she was tiny as well, although not that small, her ribs did show thru even though she was healthy..then one day BAM her muscles grew and so did she! she is still only 45 lbs at 3 yrs old, which is still a small boxer compared to others. i wouldnt worry to much if the vet says she is healthy, she is just a small one!

 

[jeanathanh2o]

Ginsy was the runt of he litter too.  Half the size of her littermates and still smaller than the others.

But she is growing strong and healthy.  Her fur is glossy and thick.  She is just smaller than than other boxers her age.  Still only 25 pounds or so at nearly 5 months.  Her littermate Bo is well over 30 pounds, and nearly two inches taller.

I am sure your puppy is fine.  she is still pretty young, and it is normal in every boxer I have seen for the ribs to show a bit.  They are suposed to be a trim elegant looking dog not thick and beefy like a rott.

 

[southerngirls]

I have two girls and both are a little under weight- i have been adding cottage cheese to their food for two weeks now. So far they have eached gained two pounds. i feel that they would have gained more but we went out of town one weekend and they wouldnt eat for my brother who was watching them. I would try that- also my girls get a pb sandwich in the afternoon as a snack maybe 3 times a week.

OH!!! and i made some muffins for them. I think it was lillyzmomma who posted a recipe and OMG!! my girls were jumping all oveer me trying to get just one more!! They will sit and stare at the treat holder- i think they think if they stare hard enough muffins will fall out!!! Silly girls

 

[lillyzmomma]

Chloesmom--I'm glad the girls liked the muffins...Lilly LOVES them too!!!  She will do spins, burns, woowoo's, anything...you name it...to get those muffins!!!  Actually...She's like that when any of my homemade treats are involved!!!  BOL (Bark Out Loud!!!)!!!!

kash--  Boxer have a tendency to be a bit skinny.  That is because they are the most elegant, beautifully muscled clowns in the dog world (I'm not biased...can you tell?)  Some ribs showing is normal, escpecially for a puppy.  To help add weight you can supplement with boiled or baked (unseasoned) chicken, hamburger, scrambled eggs, steamed veggies, white or brown rice, and cottage cheese.  A bit of peanut butter will not only make your pup VERY happy (and makes for hilarious pix) but can add weight.  When you add soemthing to their feed, you want to remove the same approximate amount of kibble.  You're adding nutrition, not overfeeding.  EXAMPLE:  So for a pup eating 1.5 cups of kibble at a meal that is going to be supplemented .5 cups of boiled chicken (your pp will go crazy for this)...1 cup kibble and .5 cup boiled chicken.

Hope this helps!!!

Liz and Lilly

 

[mybaddogs]

Haylee was the runt, she is 6 years now and weigh right around 50 pds.  I consider it a blessing when our 6 month old is pushing 60 pounds and is about 4 inches taller than her

 

[Diesel-and-Kira]

Diesel was the exact same way. I was always very concerned with his size.

2lbs when we brought him home, we kept a growth chart on the wall for him. He barely stood taller than the trim. lol

I took a lot of pictures by the week, so if you want to compare

http://s173.photobucket.com/albums/w60/DieselsMom_2007/

and click on the sub-albums.

Diesel now is 30 lbs and 5 months old.

I fed him every time we walked through the kitchen during the day. So about once every half hour I'd give him as much wet canned canidae as he would eat (like a tablespoon or 2)

Trust me when I say not to worry. As long as your pup is healthy, size really doesn't matter, I'm sure she'll catch up!


edit: btw, I updated the pics yesterday, so there's a 22 week album in there of him and my husband chasing each other around. lol

 

[mom2scoutandgunner]

Try giving her a kong filled with Peanut butter and kibble.  I melt the pb over the kibble in the micro and stir it together.  Stuff it in the kong and put a little pb over the large end and freeze it.  It will keep her occupied for hours and leave little mess anywhere.   Sometimes, I will line the inner part with sandwich cheese before stuffing or add in diced apples or bananas into the mix.

I used this for Scout when we got him.  He was the runt of his litter too and has always been on the skinny side.

 

[samsonsmom]

Yup my 2 just love their PB, as you can see in this pic....Liz, I totally forgot about those recipes...Bumping my head, got to pull them out and try them esp as Chloesmom says how much her 2 loved the muffins...
 
   

 

[lillyzmomma]

samsonsmom---If it weren't for Lilly pulling out a couple of the ingredients (think she was trying to tell me something???) I would have forgoten too!!!  Let me know what you think.  If you like them, I'll put some more up.

Liz and Lilly

 

[samsonsmom]

Lol Liz, I could see Angel trying something like that, she always has her head in the frig when I open it, same with the cupboards...Nosy girl, or just trying to help me?  :lol: I'll let you know, writing up a list of ingredients today...They need a change in treats anyways...

 

[Zhanna]

If you're going to give peanut butter, it should be the "natural" kind.  The regular Peter Pan or Jiff has too much added junk in it.

Henry doesn't care for p-nut butter, but will leave a puddle of drool on the floor at just the mention of cheese! :roll:

Good luck growing your pup!

Zhanna