[Starr05]

We have had Gisselle a little over a month now and she is still very underweight, see her ribs,hip bones and back bone. I feed her 4 times aday and we add yogurt, chicken rice to her meals. She is eating Solid Gold Mellenium(sp). Sould I look for a dog food higher in protien and fat or higher in calories? Or just keep with the Solid Gold?

 

[nano]

I would say leave food as is. You could add a little extra protein by just supplementing some with ground chuck hamburger. How much are you feeding her?  Boxers take more food than other breeds to maintain weight due to their activeness.  Usually more than the recommended amounts.  Feeding her 4 times a day is good, better than once or twice.  She's beautiful.

Nano

 

[Starr05]

She gets 2 cups 4 times a day plus the yogurt and she gets chicken and rice with her dinner.

 

[OdinsDad]

She gets 2 cups 4 times a day plus the yogurt and she gets chicken and rice with her dinner.

2-cups over the course of four times a day for a total of 2-cups a day, or 2-cups each feeding four times a day for a total of 8-cups a day?!?!?

If you're feeding your puppy 8-cups of dog food a day, you're over-feeding (which isn't showing of-course).  If you have a skinny dog that is being over-fed, then either there is something wrong with your dog's digestive system, or the food they are getting isn't "sticking", and you might consider switching to a differant dog food.

If your puppy is getting 2-cups a day total, that's about right on amount, and I can't explain what the problem is, but remember a Boxer puppy isn't supposed to be a glutton or a mammoth.

 

[Starr05]

Gisselle is a little over 2 years old. She gets a total of 8 cups a day because when I adopted her she was emaciated(sp) She is still TOO skinny She eats a very good food Solid Gold plus I add in other stuff. If I need a different food..... What matters the most in weight gaining, Protien and fat or calories? I am not trying to sound dumb but this is the first very skinny dog I have had. I have tried our Boxer rescue out here for advice but noone replied back. Shes negative on parisites ect. No vomiting or loose stools. Maybe I just havent waited long enough for her to gain weight? Like I said this is the first dog I have had to try to put weight on. So any advice is graetly appreciated.

 

[OdinsDad]

Oops, my-bad... I was thinking she was still a pup...

If she is truly too lean, the concentrated, meat based products will help.  Get a dog food with at least two meat-products listed in the first four ingredients.

Still, 8-cups a day even for a full-grown dog is excessive... and no weight gain, there's something not right there.

Have you checked for tape-worms?  This almost sounds like a tape-worm problem.

 

[Flutterby]

I would get a stool sample.. She may have some kind of "bug" taking the nutrients away..

Toby use to eat like a hog, but he doesn't so much anymore.. You can try giving her some vitamins.. It wouldn't hurt.. And throw in a peanut butter sandwich every now and then. Its "healthy" fat compared to other foods out there..

 

[OdinsDad]

I would get a stool sample.. She may have some kind of "bug" taking the nutrients away..

Really sounds like tape-worms to me... OVER-eating (8-cups is over-eating regardless of age), and no weight gain sounds a lot like tape-worms.

This is a medical problem, not a diet problem.  No-way a dog eats 8-cups of ANYTHING a day and not gain weight.

 

[Flutterby]

Toby weighed 100lbs this past winter because he was trying to eat 8 cups a day. He beefed up real bad!! Then he started to slow down his eating again and he's healthy and at a steady weight of 90lbs.

 

[Newcastle]

How long have you had her, and how much has she gained in that time?  Eight cups a day does seem like a ton of food, but if she's gaining on that amount (even if it's not fast enough for your tastes), it may just be a matter of her needing more time.  If she hasn't been gaining on that amount for several weeks, then you want to do some more checking and consider a different food.  If a stool sample turns out OK, you might look at one of the grain-free kibbles; I think Solid Gold has one, Timberwolf Organics has at least one, and there's also Innova EVO and Nature's Variety Raw Instinct (and maybe others by now, as well).  These are typically high in protein and fat (like, around 42% and 24%, respectively), so I don't like them for puppies, but they should be fine for a two-year-old.

 

[zoezilla]

Wow!  8 cups is a lot!  Zoe is a year and a half and only eats 3 1/2 cups  day.  

I'd start looking in the direction of unwelcome digestive guests...tapeworm, roundworm, something eating the food before it's absorbed.

Good luck!!!

 

[Starr05]

She has had a stool check she doesn't have any type of worms, She only gained 1 1/2 lbs in a month. I had her on innova EVO in the begining but when I took her in to get spayed her liver count was HIGH and the vet said it COULD be from a high protien diet to take her off of it and get her checked again in another month.

 

[OdinsDad]

Dunno what to tell you... 8-cups a day is a TON of food for a Boxer of any age.  At that rate, you should have a very fat dog.  Every sign here screams intestinal parasite, but you say the vet says their isn't one... who am I to say otherwise (though if it was me I'd get a 2nd opinion on the tapeworm theory with the history you've told me).

If it ain't tapeworms, I'm at a loss... no way a boxer eats 8-cups a day and doesn't gain weight without something being wrong.

Sorry, I'm of no help.

 

[Starr05]

I will get another stool check done it wouldn't hurt.While I am at it I will suggest some blood work to see of there isn't some other thing going on. You are right 8 cups a day is A LOT!!! My other two only get 3 cups a day and are in great shape.

 

[PlaYtiMe24_7]

That is quite a bit of food to not be gaining weight. Xena eats maybe 4 cups a day and is slightly overweight. She's 68lbs and the vet said she could stand to lose a few (I guess she's short for a boxer.) Definitely go for the second opinion.

 

[nano]

I would recheck your blood work and see how the tests come back.  There is a great debate over the high protein diets really causing the problems they were blaming them with.  See how things come out.  You have had a lot of things going on with her lately such as a spay and the change to a new home.  If everything tests out well I might suggest a change of food to one of the ones that Newcastle mentioned.  If changing make sure to do it very slowly mixing some new in with the old.  Let us know how things come out.

Nano