[cricket81]

Hello! I have 2 boxers that needs to gain weight! Doyle is almost 7 and is rated right in between too thin and ideal. Drake is 5 and he's rated the same as Doyle but he is shorter then Doyle. I can see their rib cage but not their hip bones. I hope I'm explaining this right! They don't really have a feeding time per say, I just leave food out for them. Once one bowls empty I refill it! I don't have a lot of money so I can't buy the real pricey brands but I really need some suggestions! I've found a site that told me to give them what was called fat balls that contained people food. Is that safe for them to eat and will that work? Plus we have a large fenced in yard that they run around in, should I limit that time as well?

Thanks for any of the help you can give me!

[shazamataz]

Don't limit their exercise time, exercise is healthy.

If just one of them was skinny then I would lean towards a medical problem, but seeing as how both of them are I would say it is dietary.

What food are you feeding at the moment and how much per day?

[shazamataz]

Oh and I have never heard of "fat balls" :confused:

Lamb flap is a fairly fatty meat that can aid in putting on weight though. It is a healthy fat as well, you just have to make sure you introduce it very slowly to their diet.

But it's no substitute for quality kibble.

[Lucky098]

I believe boxers are suppose to maintain the "hour glass" figure.

My breed, the German Shorthaired Pointer, is very similar. You should be able to feel their ribs and slightly their backbone but no hips.

You don't want your dogs to get fat. If they loose that hour glass figure, then they're fat. Its hard to determine if your dogs are too skinny, picture would definitely help :)

What are you feeding them now?

[Cat1864]

Who determined that they are under weight? Is this a recent development? How long have you had them and have they been through this before?

I don't like the idea of leaving food down when you have multiple animals because then you can't tell who is eating enough and who isn't.

It could also end up being cheaper to feed a better quality food in regular amounts at regular times.

Boxers are a lean muscular breed and need lots of exercise and to put on muscle not fat. How much time do you spend actually working them not just letting them run by themselves?

[cricket81]

Don't limit their exercise time, exercise is healthy.

If just one of them was skinny then I would lean towards a medical problem, but seeing as how both of them are I would say it is dietary.

What food are you feeding at the moment and how much per day?

Alpo and at least a few times a day

[cricket81]

Oh and I have never heard of "fat balls" :confused:

Lamb flap is a fairly fatty meat that can aid in putting on weight though. It is a healthy fat as well, you just have to make sure you introduce it very slowly to their diet.

But it's no substitute for quality kibble.

I agree... We wanted to find something that we could add to their diet already!

[cricket81]

I believe boxers are suppose to maintain the "hour glass" figure.

My breed, the German Shorthaired Pointer, is very similar. You should be able to feel their ribs and slightly their backbone but no hips.

You dont want your dogs to get fat. If they loose that hour glass figure, then they're fat. Its hard to determine if your dogs are too skinny, picture would definately help :)

What are you feeding them now?

Alpo... how do I upload a pic on here?

[cricket81]

Who determined that they are under weight? Is this a recent development? How long have you had them and have they been through this before?

I don't like the idea of leaving food down when you have multiple animals because then you can't tell who is eating enough and who isn't.

It could also end up being cheaper to feed a better quality food in regular amounts at regular times.

Boxers are a lean muscular breed and need lots of exercise and to put on muscle not fat. How much time do you spend actually working them not just letting them run by themselves?

I am a stay at home mom with 2 young children, so we play a lot outside with them. Plus we go on evening walks.

[Cat1864]

Alpo... how do i upload a pic on here?

When you quote someone or "go advanced" to reply, there is a paper clip icon (next to the smiley face). Click on it and follow instructions to upload your picture to the site. Then close it and open it again. This time it will have your picture as an attachment. Click to add it to your post. (Make sure you have the cursor where you want it in the post first.)

What does their vet say about their weight?

[shazamataz]

From what I have heard Alpo isn't a very good food.

While higher quality foods might be more expensive per bag they average out because you do not have to feed the dog as much as you would the lower quality food.

Low quality food is full of fillers which do little in giving a dog nutrition, it just fills up their bellies.
Higher quality food is almost all good nutrients plus it seems to make them feel full on less.

I nearly died when I had to shell out nearly $50 for a medium bag of food but it was worth it in the long run, my dogs all have healthy skin and coats and are a good weight on much less food than I was giving them before.

Apparently Blue Buffalo is one of the cheaper brands in the 'good' category. Unfortunately the best thing we have in Australia is Royal Canin, but mine do quite well on that.

[Lucky098]

Alpo is a bad dog food... That food has no nutritional value to it... Its not uncommon for this food to have actual sawdust in it either. The "flavor" comes from blood that is mixed into the meal. Any type of food that doesn't list MEAT as it first ingredient, has very little... or none.. into it.

A good food that won't bust the bank is Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul: Adult. Its about $30 a bag. This brand has a very good source of meat with no fillers. Check them out! They should list all the ingredients... Compare to the food you have now.. Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul : Products : Dogs : Dry Food

Also.. If you believe your dogs are not gaining proper weight, you might want to take them in for a worming. Dogs that don't put weight on and seem to gobble down massive amounts of food, could very well have worms.

[Aurora_Bell]

I agree, with Alpo not being the best food choice. Your dog will not gain weight in a healthy manner with that brand. If you are going to stick to commercial food, try Iams or Eukanuba. They aren't the best either but far better than Alpo.
Boxers are supposed to stay lean. You should be able to see her hips, and even a tiny glimps of her ribs, of course too much is a sign of being under weight.

Here is the Fat Ball recipe I use

FAT BALLS
... for weight gain...

10 lb (4.53kg) Hamburger
10 oz (.28kg) Oats
6 Egg Yolks
10 oz (.28kg) Wheat Germ
10 oz (.28kg) Molasses

Put in a big bowl and mix.
Roll into one inch balls and freeze.


Pint whole fat Cottage Cheese
1 lb turkey (or any other ground meat) burger (raw)
2-3 eggs - boiled in the shell for 30 seconds*
2 tablespoons Flax Seed or Olive oil
1 can sardines or tuna fish

It is full of protein, essential fatty acids and digestive enzymes.

*Boiling the eggs for 30 seconds denature the whites and leave the benefits of the yolks intact.




FATTENING TREATS

Doggie Peanut Cheese Balls

1 dozen hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 lb jar crunchy peanut butter
1 container of Quaker Oatmeal
2 cups of evaporated milk, (Don't dilute! )
1 jar wheat germ
1 lb hamburger
8oz. Package cream cheese
1 envelope Knox Gelatin Joint Complex, (unflavoured)

In one bowl, pour the evaporated milk over the oatmeal and put aside. Go have a cup of coffee, while you wait for oats to absorb the liquid!

In a second Large Bowl, place all the other ingredients. Start mixing together, hands work best. Add the oatmeal and evaporated milk mixture, and mix again. When thoroughly blended, form into meatball sized treats, layering in a plastic freezer container. Freeze until needed. Remove a few at a time, allow to thaw, and feed as fattening snacks!

Of course you need to use and feed these in moderation. Sudden weight gain can cause far more problems than being a little bit under weight.

[Aurora_Bell]

Thanks Shaz, I forgot to mention that!

[Emily94]

A lot of people think there dog is to thin when doing a "test" (Where you look at pictures and compare them to your dog, or answer questions, etc), you should weigh your dogs and then look up the ideal weight, looking at them might not be enough.

[shazamataz]

A lot of people think there dog is to thin when doing a "test" (Where you look at pictures and compare them to your dog, or answer questions, etc), you should weigh your dogs and then look up the ideal weight, looking at them might not be enough.

Problem with this is you can get under and oversized dogs in any breed so unless it is a show dog and needs to be within a set weight range I ignore what breed standards recommend.

Judging a dogs weight by sight and feel is much more accurate to determine a healthy weight.

For example, the average Great Dane is around 65 -70 kilograms... my parents Dane is nearly 80kg and he is actually quite thin.