I got a new dog today, a brindle boxer from the pound. Sweet girl, but she's got a weight problem. She is way too skinny. Does anyone know how to safely and quickly put some weight on a dog? She does NOT have worms, she was just hungry a long time before they found her.

We are feeding her a lot, and i will probably give her some eggs and or yogurt in with her kibble to beef her up.

pasta will work also in limited amounts

There's no need to rush and frankly, it's not advisable. If she was malnourished for a long time you don't want to tax her system. Feed her a bit more what you normally wood and just watch.

I know you say she doesn't have worms,lol, but if she hasn't been dewormed, do so. All my recues had worms, regardless of where they came from.

It would help if you could tell me how old she is and how much she currenlty weighs and what bones you can see.

Did your vet advise being in a rush to fatten her up?

I don't doubt she's underweight but my vet says we don't even know what a healthy dog looks like anymore, we're so used to fat dogs.

Your vet should examine the pup and advise on an optimal weight.

What are you feeding her?

I'd feed them whatever the food bag advised plus some percentage more. Make sure it's a good quality food. If you bought it in a grocery store or Petsmart I'd be dubious.

And by the way: congrats!! To you and the lucky pup.

I highly recommend subscribing to Whole Dog Journal. The authority on dog food and a terrific resource on training, health care, etc. Just $20 a year for the monthly (online).

www.whole-dog-journal.com


:)

Did your vet advise being in a rush to fatten her up?

I don't doubt she's underweight but my vet says we don't even know what a healthy dog looks like anymore, we're so used to fat dogs.

..........................

Sing it sister! I've yet to see a Lab around here that couldn't stand to lose a few.

Dog ribs are GOOD things. And yes, I'd ask the vet, that's an excellent suggestion. Both Kinley and Lida were very underweight and both had visible and non visible signs of malnutrition. Dry coat, brittle nails, dry nose, dull eyes, Kinley had the worst pancake feet, he was totallty down on his pasturns.

It took months to get them where they needed to be. I try very hard to keep all my pups at the low end. baxter is a keeper, Kinley and Lida need more to keep steady.

Boxers are high energy dogs and should be on the leaner side.

I appreciate that a boxer should be lean. I shouldn't see such deep grooves between her shoulders, hips, etc. She shouldn't be hourglass shaped (her belly is epically skinnier than her ribs) or be unable to run for thirty seconds. The going consensus is that she was dropped by her people when she got pregnant/ had puppies. She definitely had some. She also is very well mannered and clearly used to being in a house and among people. They found her running stray. Her age is uncertain, between 2 and 5 we guess.

I am in no huge hurry to get her up to weight, but I do want to be doing the right thing until I get her to the vet this weekend. The vet hasn't advised me to have her gain weight yet, but the shelter staff told me to wait to get her fixed until she put on some weight, so . . . yeah. The shelter staff advised against spaying her right away. That's a sign.

IIRC someone said in the pumpkin thread that it's also good (in moderation, of course) for weight gain.

IIRC someone said in the pumpkin thread that it's also good (in moderation, of course) for weight gain.

The pumpkin should have the opposite effect, fill her up and not really have her gain weight.

Kung, good luck with the pup! :)

Her lack of muscle mass is also a concern. Honestly, I am just sad to see her so underweight. She weighs only 35 lbs right now.:x

I am feeding the same stuff I give my (sensible sized) lab; Pedigree in the yellow bag. I am probably going to get flamed for that, so flame on.

I want to see her lean and muscled and able to play instead of being so lethargic. I want a running buddy, but I know that won't happen over night.

I used peanut butter and kibble stuffed Kongs I manage to put 30lb on Delilah

Yeah, I'll join the chorus!

Even if she is underweight it's not going to hurt her in the short term as long as what you do feed her is well balanced, easily digested and nutritious - avoid fats and fillers. Talk to your vet and, if necessary, slightly increase the amount of food you give her over time. If she really is malnourished she will have trouble digesting if you increase the quantity too fast.

Congrats on your new family member!

I have been trying a failing to post a photo for reference. She doesn't look good, but I am given to understand that patience is the way to go. Patience, then.

http://www.heroswaggintrain.com/health/malnourished.htm

Somebody sent me this. I welcome comments ( I am NOT doing this diet right now)

I want to see her lean and muscled and able to play instead of being so lethargic. I want a running buddy, but I know that won't happen over night.

She is so blessed to now have such a caring and active owner.

Thank you for trusting us to share our experience and ideas.

Especially because you are looking for her to be athletic, I hope you'll subscribe to Whole Dog Journal. There's so much great info in there I take articles into vet visits to get their feedback.

By the way, yogurt is good for them -- plain with the active cultures. Probiotics. Gidget laps it up. Two or three tablespoons with her kibble would be good until she's at a healthy weight. Gidget gets a tablespoon on top of her breakfast but none for dinner.

You might also see if she likes Greenies. Some calories, great for their teeth and they are known as "Doggie Crack." My vet recommends them because they are designed for and are good for cleaning teeth.

Expensive habit, though. Gidget's addicted so I buy them bulk from www.carealotpets.com (a great pet supply, I comparison shop them and www.drsfosterandsmith.com)


:)

http://www.heroswaggintrain.com/health/malnourished.htm

Somebody sent me this. I welcome comments ( I am NOT doing this diet right now)


I'd print that out and ask your vet.

When my first Samoyed was 13 years old she was diagnosed with chronic active hepatitis and had lost 9 pounds. We had to minimize stress to her liver so no more processed dog kibble and I started cooking for her (getting advice from the vet on ingredients).

She loved it. I stir-fried her food twice a week, freezing half. It was an easy routine and it put several pounds on her within six weeks. I served the stir-fry over organic brown rice.

Stir-fry:

Safflower Oil (high in Omega 3s, high-temp cooking oil)

Organic chicken breasts (lean protein is easier on the liver than beef)

Carrots

squash (and I can't remember all the veggies, I varied them)


After this is stir-fried, chop the chicken up so it's no bigger than the carrots and can't easily be picked out by your pup.

I think it would be a great idea for you to augment her kibble with this stir-fry/brown rice combo. Healthy carbs and quality protein plus veggies. About the healthiest possible way to gain weight.

And she'd love you for it.

If I were a better, more organized person, I'd toss the processed kibble and cook all Gidget's meals.

:)

Cautionary note: onions are bad for dogs so don't throw any in the stir-fry.


By the way: what is her name?


:)

Her name is Leila, after Leila Ali (the only female boxer I could think of) I called her that ONCE. My daughter repeated it over and over and she started coming to it. Then my wife corrected me, that Muhammad Ali's daughter's name is Layla, but . . . Leila it is.

Currently sleeping on the couch with her head in my lap. It's like she lived here forever.

I am calling the vet tomorrow, so . . . yeah.

We love greenies, but she just ate the last one.

She also is into the Kong already, which I am told is a mandatory piece of equipment for such a mentally strong dog.

Currently sleeping on the couch with her head in my lap. It's like she lived here forever.



You saved her. She's in love.

Leila is a great name. A friend named their Sheltie "Layla" -- after the Eric Clapton song.

:)

http://www.heroswaggintrain.com/health/malnourished.htm

Somebody sent me this. I welcome comments ( I am NOT doing this diet right now)

This is one of the many satin ball recipes that are recommended for adding weight to dogs. It can put on weight in just a few days. I read where some use these on their dogs just before shows. Google "Satin Ball Recipes."

Congrats on the new addition to your family! We just adopted a sweet Basset Hound a couple of weeks ago and its as if she has been with us for ever!

Kung,

If you send the photo to me at animalrescueLB@aol.com, I'll post it for you.

Not wanting to be argumentative but Satin Balls are junk food.Meant for plumping show dogs. Way too much fat for this dog. Sugar, all really over the top.

She should have an hourglass, all dogs should, but yes at that weight and how you describe it she sounds too thin. Give her six months to get in good shape. If she's whelped she'll need a little more.

Expect her nails to be brittle and keep them short. All of Kinley's ended up breaking at the weak line, there was nothing we could do but trim them and practice benign neglect at that point. This may not happen with her, but just a head's up.

People get a little carried away with malnourished dogs. They look pitiful and no on wants to deal with the 'why is your dog so skinny' looks either. But at the end of the day they need time more than anything else.

You can add a tablespoon (no more! you'll be sorry,lol) of lard, just plain old lard to her kibble. I'm not kibble commenting because i raw feed,lol. She needs a little more fat and protein, not sugar, no cream cheese, just plain old fat.

The lard will help with her coat. Also, if you haven't, have her ears scoped. I know vets look, but I learned the hard way to have the ears scoped to detect ear infections that are severe and not readily apparent.

What you want is to build her up from the inside out and that takes, well, time. And, thanks. Those of us who love dogs are always greateful to hear another one has been taken in.

I've heard warnings about salmonella, but our dogs love a raw egg mixed in with their dry dog food about every other night.

And, unless the vet says no, have her dewormed. I don't care what the pound says,lol. That's where a lot of them pick it up in the first place. We deworm all dogs after pulling them. If a pound does it, they might not be using the best quality simply because it's prohibitive.

And that's all I'll say on that, promise,lol.

I've heard warnings about salmonella, but our dogs love a raw egg mixed in with their dry dog food about every other night.


There's no danger there. Eggs are great for dogs, if they'll eat the shells it's a good source of calcium.

I've heard warnings about salmonella, but our dogs love a raw egg mixed in with their dry dog food about every other night.

If the dogs can stomach eating rotten animals of the ground, they can stomach a bit of salmonella :razz:

c0ngrats for a fellow boxer owner! i swear by royal canin boxer maxi, its specially formulated for their little tummies. the girls love it so much the vet said that our one boxers, abby needs to cut back. abby actually needed to gain about 15lbs when i first got her, she has surpassed that! but best of luck, can't wait to see pics!:D

If the dogs can stomach eating rotten animals of the ground, they can stomach a bit of salmonellaOnce I found a deer carcass on my lawn. I figured a hunter must have left it as a "gift".

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2802/4074256835_8f0d7c3caf_o.jpg

Using your logic, I let Jake (the possessive one, above, with a neighbor's dog, Pebbles) use it as a chew toy for a few days and he really enjoyed it!

Then it really started to stink and ended up on a burn pile.

I later heard this was a really bad idea - deer can be hosts to all sorts of nasty parasites. But, as you say, in nature they manage to handle it (for the most part!).

BTW, I used to put raw eggs in milkshakes every day, to no apparent ill effect.

I raw feed, but dead stuff like that is out. Tapeworms, my friend, tapeworms. Once you've seen one....

My Leo bitch was dewormed but your basic wormer does NOT kill tapeworms. Guess what she came with after eating road kill and what not?

Once I found a deer carcass on my lawn. I figured a hunter must have left it as a "gift".

Using your logic, I let Jake (the possessive one, above, with a neighbor's dog, Pebbles) use it as a chew toy for a few days and he really enjoyed it!

Then it really started to stink and ended up on a burn pile.

I later heard this was a really bad idea - deer can be hosts to all sorts of nasty parasites. But, as you say, in nature they manage to handle it (for the most part!).

BTW, I used to put raw eggs in milkshakes every day, to no apparent ill effect.

Dogs in the wild live how long? Pets rely on us to give them proper care and nutrition. I've nursed several strays back to health and adopted them out, it just takes time. I know first hand what parasites, heartworms and other conditions dogs get in the wild can do to them.

I am a track coach (and an english teacher) so I am applying some of my training skills to put some weight on her. This morning she got breakfast, a potty break, and some strenght work. Much to my wife and daughter's dismay, I had Leila running the stairs this morning while I was brushing my teeth, etc. Our bathroom is right at the top of the stairs. I would throw the kong down, Leila would get it and bring it.

Fun game. Wore her skinny but out after about five minutes.

I don't understand why. She's in a weakened state, she will run herself down rather than disappoint you. She is NOT ready to be an athletic partner. She is a dog. Would you run a weakened malnourished kid like that?

Have you checked her feet for starters? Is she down on her pasterns? With all due respect, I'm confused given the condition you describe her as being in and think that perhaps your wife and daughter should very well feel the way they do.

You just got her. At least have a full check up done first. She needs nutrition first to build muscle mass. Have you worked will malnourished dogs before because a lot of us posting have.

edited to add: I don't mean to come off as harsh, I'm just not understanding your focus. If she's too weak to be spayed, this isn't the time for conditioning, this is the time for restoring and resting and settling in. She could have underlying health issues, and this is not how she should be using calories. You seem terribly rushed and without a full vet evaul I'd be concerned.

I don't think playing fetch with a willing dog seems rushed.

It's not like we ran a marathon. She climbed the steps a few times, which seems like a fun thing for a dog to do. The line about conditioning was tongue in cheek. My wife and daughter were upset because we were making too much noise.

Ah, see, all that gets lost online,lol. Thank you for taking my post in the spirit it was offered. Since written word is so literal what you described just now it totally not what I envisioned,lol.

I keep asking about her feet for a reason,lol. If she's down on her pasterns I can suggest really good methods for correcting that as much as possible.

Other than some grizzly claws (which we trimmed and she seemed to enjoy that), her feet are great. She moves well, but not for long. She just gets tired, but she's going to try, try, try. I took her out on a the fifty foot lead in the back yard today, and she ran HUGE circles before make her, um, deposit.

My plan is to let her eat and take her out to potty and explore a little. She won't be running this calender year, for sure, and probably not until next spring (because I am lazy).

One thing that worries me, is that I took her out yesterday after her bath, and it was fifty degrees, maybe, and just from being wet she was shivering. I felt so bad, but she HAD to go out.

Poor dear,lol. I think Spring is a timely goal for all kinds of reasons. Boxers are prone to bloat so other then meal timing I think she'll do great. What I'm talking about with the feet is, well, hmmm, the toes are splayed and the feet are kinda pancaked.

The feet should be nice and tight like cat feet. But often with malnourished (and in some poorly bred or caged) dogs their feet kind of collapse. Like if you put your palms on the table and lift up leaving your fingers flat but the heel of you palm in the air. That's a good dog foot, but in some dogs the 'heel' collapses.

I see it a lot of malnourished and breeding bitches that have been caged for pretty much the duration of thier lives. Sand, or other uneven areas are great for this, I took Kinley to the dog park that has a lot of mulch and water with pebbles.

You can see it here in Kinley's pound pic. It's one of those things that won't harm them if it's not fixed, but helps if it is. The next one is Baxter's pound pic because it's so cute, total arbitrary hijack there.

So PICS?!

Dogs in the wild live how long? Pets rely on us to give them proper care and nutrition. I've nursed several strays back to health and adopted them out, it just takes time. I know first hand what parasites, heartworms and other conditions dogs get in the wild can do to them.

Good advice here - just take it slow, and augment that diet with a little "real" meat, like cooked chicken, etc. Don't go overboard trying to fatten up the dog. If it was malnourished, just getting fed properly will do the trick. Go too fast, and you take the chance of making the dog sick, plugging up the digestive system not ready to handle all the new food. (and dogs in the wild rarely live 3 - 4 yrs at most).

I felt so bad, but she HAD to go out.

One of Gidget's buddies is an elderly lean Greyhound and he has a wardrobe of fleece and fleece-lined rain coats. They look rather dashing on him.

Especially since you are in Ohio, a fleece coat would be a great idea for Leila until she gets some natural insulation, and probably after.

If I had been collecting Gidget's shedding all these years I could have a business in extremely warm and luxurious dog coats for the underfurprivileged.

http://www.carealotpets.com/dog-pet-apparel-coats-jackets/

A groomer dryer would get that water off quick. Gidget likes the dryer, beats being wet (especially with her thick coat).


:smile:

Cheyenne hates dryers, she prefers to be wet and takes every opportunity to make herself that way :rolleyes:

Sorry Kung - your e-mail w/photo went to my junk mail. Here's Leila's picture. It might have been too big so I cropped and shrunk it down. She is definitely underweight. She's fortunate that you looked past that and are doing right by her.

Awwwwwwwwww what a sweetie! Looks like all she needs is some love and steak, she'll be a wonderful addition to your family! :D

Here's Leila's picture. She is definitely underweight. She's fortunate that you looked past that and are doing right by her.

She is beautiful!

She is pretty, did you say she whelped a litter? That would explain a lot. She's not one of the worst cases I've seen, but she is terribly thin. *sigh* mutters expletives...

If most of her weight loss is due to whelping and not long term malnutrition you'll see a much sooner improvement. I can't wait to see her progress.

Thanks for the pic. Will be interesting to see a pic in a couple months and a couple months after that. Healthy meals will fill her out.

She's a lovely brindle.

I heartily recommend the stir-fry I outlined to augment her kibble.


:smile:

You can't see it in that picture, but her nipples are very prominent. She must have had some babies. Sad.

Energy is improved. She breached containment (the baby gate) while we were at the grocery store. Stir fry is on the menu one day this week. Yogurt is being very well received. Things are good.

She isn't as housebroken as advertised. I am really trying with that, but these aren't puppy messes she is making. I keep reminding myself she is nervous and she is learning.

She isn't as housebroken as advertised. I am really trying with that, but these aren't puppy messes she is making. I keep reminding myself she is nervous and she is learning.

Having the same issues with our new addition. She is an adult but lived in a crate her entire life before now. I've just been extremely consistent about potty time and still keep her crated at night. I'm kinda lucky in that I think she is getting good queues from my mastiff about when and where to go outside.

Good luck! Its a bit tougher with older dogs to house train than with the pups.

Train her the same way you would a pup. Take her out every hour at first. I know it seems weird. Good news is they usually cath on pretty quick, esp with another dog in the house. Nature's Miracle is your friend. Crates are fantastic for night.

I wouldn't be surprised if she was a backyard breeders bitch. Boxers are still not as common as other breeds that are all over. Such a lovely girl.

The only reason I believe she was a house dog at some point is that her manners are good. She won't go through a door until invited, she waits for permission to let strangers pet her (stays almost on point until I break her concentration - tense, but no growling or open aggression.) She only eats her food when it's pushed toward her. She eats treats from my hand and NEVER snaps or gobbles, very gentle.

Her nipples are already shrinking down . . .

Kung,

Please give her belly rubs from all of us and tell her she's got a whole lot of friends around the country who are thinking of her and sending good wishes her way.

HC


:smile:

Have you had her scanned? A lot of pounds don't have scanners, if you are in a rural area it's almost a given. It's quite possible she has a chip, if she came from a good breeder, was adopted previously or stolen. For us it was helpful, it may be of no interest to you. We had specific issues to address.

My Leo was chipped the chip was never registered but I was able to track down her vet and get her BD but no other info in regard to breeder.
I was able to get minimal medical info which was helpful, it was the BD that i really needed as we weren't sure and with giant breeds it can get tricky since size must be bred in. Turned out she was 18 not 8 months old. For us, it was important, but she's a uh, special case...

Besides, it's good to know she's been chipped before you pay to have one put in,lol. As it was Lida was spayed twice, or rather cut open. With strays the history is such a puzzle. I'm sure most people aren't as obsessive, lol. In your case, it would be nice to simply have to change the registration, if there is any, then pay for a chip.

Checking her for a chip is a good idea to try to get some history. If she came from a breeder, given her condition, I would have a hard time returning her and probably a harder time not turning said breeder in on a cruelity complaint. No excuse for a reputable breeder to have an emaciated dog in that condition. IMHO.

There is no obligation to return the dog, boy, did I agonize over all that. It concerning that she was found without her pups, sometimes pregnant bitches are stolen and in those cases the breeder isn't at fault regarding condition. Sometimes bitches serve their purpose and are dumped, sometimes dogs are the victims of domestic violence, so many, many reasons. Sometimes dogs just wander off.

Sometimes really far. A Husky owner can tell you some stories,lol.

But as you point out it is an opportunity to file a complaint if one is warranted. Sometimes the culmination of complaints is what closes a mill, breeder dumps tend to be consistent. The AC will have a file, if there is enough funding for an AC in the area.

For us, the Leo community is so small and tight knit that it was pretty much expected, sometimes you can chip a dog and the dog ends up in a facility with no scanner. But, I want to stress this was our case, I'm not suggesting anyone else is obligated or anything like that at all.

With my other two I simply made sure they were scanned to avoid a double procedure.

Have you had her scanned?

Yep. Watched 'em do it, so I know she is unchipped.

We had a good night with only one accident, but I have a plan. She sleeps on the foot of the bed, so I am going to leave her leash on her and loop in around my ankle. I figure when she gets up, I will, too, and then we can go out. She is doing really well about going when we go out, and is anxious to please, so I think if I can break the habit of going on my daughter's bedroom floor, we will be in business.

My crate is too small, and she freaks out when separated from us. I think eventually crate training is a good idea (with a new larger crate), right now I want her to feel like she is part of the pack, so to speak.

I just finished reading all several pages and i'll touch on a few things here I guess...

Leila is a beautiful brindle boxer. I'm sure she'll be healthy before you know it and you'll have a wonderful friend. It's funny to hear you talk about her quirks and mannerisms, it reminds me very much of my boxer.

As for most dogs being overweight these days... I get comments occasionally about how my dog needs to eat more, that he's too skinny, but I tend to laugh them off. Brutus weighs in right at 60lbs and is in perfect shape if you ask me. (Picture below)

About buying dog food in Petsmart... I think there are a few good foods to be found in similar stores, to blanket all of them as terrible is a bit much, but not a bad rule of thumb I guess. I currently feed Brutus Blue Buffalo dog food, found at Petsmart. I have seen it listed in several "whole/quality dog food" lists. I have also shopped for food at specialty type stores as well.

Enjoy the new addition to your family! I'll leave you with a picture of my little buddy. Its so hard to pick just one picture, i want to show him off any chance i get. :smile:

http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v166/48/89/12704322/n12704322_34793703_5264.jpg

OK, OK, just two more, i promise :)

http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v117/48/89/12704322/n12704322_33732936_4591.jpg

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v111/48/89/12704322/n12704322_33715467_1792.jpg

Gorgeous pup!


:-)

Two updates

1. She weighs in at 45 lbs today. Either I made a mistake weighing her before or she gained ten pounds in a week. I am leaning towards the first.

2. While she cannot outrun a deer, she can hang for a about 20 seconds. I took her down to our bottom land by the river just to run around and be a dog off leash (it's a huge hay field bordered by a river and a hill, hard to lose her there) She found two deer and ran with them for a few seconds. She seems to be improving VERY quickly. She had fun.

Did the vet suggest an optimal weight?

We had to move her appointment because our vet had an emergency, so she's going next week.

I really doubt she's picked up ten pounds.

Saw the vet today. She's good, needs to gain about 10-15 more pounds. She is clear to go with me on my morning run in a week.

Vet also said she was jealous that I got her first, even though she already has 15 dogs. LOL.

She will be getting fixed after the first of the year.

Good visit.

Awesome news, and more pics pleez :grin:

That's fantastic news!!


:-)

Here she is, living her hard knock life. My daughter LOVES this new dog, calls her wleila, in her toddler voice. It's cute. Maybe because I'm her dad, everything is cute, but still . . . best buddies forever.

(I am impressed by this dog's patience, I might add. I realize that what is going on there is a tricky thing for a dog, but she has really put up with my three year old like a champ.)

Sorry Kung - your e-mail w/photo went to my junk mail. Here's Leila's picture. It might have been too big so I cropped and shrunk it down. She is definitely underweight. She's fortunate that you looked past that and are doing right by her.


I hate to bring a thread back from the dead, actually I don't. I wanted to post an update on my Leila.

There she was a year ago. Here she is now. What a great year we've had together!

She looks fabulous, Kung! Gratz on the rescue!

Great to have an update.

Congrats to all of you, Kung. She is a beauty!


:-)

Lucky dog. What a great story and thanks for the updated pics.

Just read through the whole thread and didn't even notice it was last year until you posted the updates. WHat a great story...so glad you posted the updates. She looks simply awesome.