Hi my name is liz and I have a pure bred brindle boxer. As a puppy he was always rolly polly and within the past month he has gotten much bigger and all of sudden looks so thin its really scary for me. He has 3 ribs that you can see from side and when looking over 2 ribs show. His hip bones show really badly and sometimes his hind legs get shaking really badly when he is eating and drinking. I switched his food to nutro main ingredients are meats and we bought him a food water dish that is up high for him to stand instead of reaching down to eat or drink. We also bought balls to put into his food dish so he wouldn't devour it in 2 seconds as he was doing. Some people who know the boxer breed say he looks OK and other people think I am starving him! Please someone help me what should I do?

Hi Liz.

While bearing in mind that some animals, like some of us (well, not myself exactly), naturally tend to be thin no matter what their diet or activity level, still it's good to be concerned if you think he's a bit too thin.

What does your vet say about your dog's weight? A vet can determine at a glance whether your dog's weight is appropriate, and will help you monitor his weight in the future to make sure it stays within healthy boundaries. My first course of action, then, would be to consult a trusted vet.

Has he been checked for intestinal parasites by a vet?

How old is he now? When pups have a "growth spurt," they're gangly for a while, but they should fatten up again, once they've caught up to their new height. They sort of go from round to tall and lanky to their normal adult weight. SOMETIMES.

Is he otherwise happy and healthy, as far as you can tell? Does he run and play and expend a lot of energy during a typical day?

Have you checked the recommended feeding amounts on the food you're feeding? They're not absolutes, just averages. Feel free to give him a bit more if necessary.

And make sure the food is appropriate for his age. If he's a growing pup, he needs more calories and a different blend of vitamins, minerals, proteins and such, than an older dog does.

Does he seem satisfied after he eats? Does he gobble up his meals and clean his plate, or does he leave some behind? How many meals a day is he getting right now?

And what do his stools look like? Not a great topic of conversation, but a very useful tool to gauge how well he's processing the food he's taking in.

Just a few things for you to consider. The be-all of appropriate advice, of course, would come from your trusted vet. Hope this helps a bit. Best of luck to you both!