# Need help gaining weight



## yazijazz

Hi, I am having trouble putting weight on our 2nd rescue Boxer. He is roughly 1 1/2 year old & very active. I had him on Eukanuba puppy, no luck gaining weight. I have since switched to Blue Buffalo & he is still very thin. I brought him to the vet & his bloodwork came back normal. I wanted to rule out Diabetes. He weighs 55 lbs & eats twice the amount of our 75 lbs boxer (on purpose of course). He is happy and otherwise normal, just on the thin side. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I do give him plenty of treats as well. Thank you kindly!!


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## DaneMama

I would suggest feeding a raw diet. A friend of mine has a boxer that had a lot of trouble gaining weight and as soon as he was switched to raw he started to gain weight.

Head on over to the raw section if you're interested! Good luck!


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## 1605

yazijazz said:


> Hi, I am having trouble putting weight on our 2nd rescue Boxer. He is roughly 1 1/2 year old & very active. I had him on Eukanuba puppy, no luck gaining weight. I have since switched to Blue Buffalo & he is still very thin. I brought him to the vet & his bloodwork came back normal. I wanted to rule out Diabetes. He weighs 55 lbs & eats twice the amount of our 75 lbs boxer (on purpose of course). He is happy and otherwise normal, just on the thin side. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I do give him plenty of treats as well. Thank you kindly!!


When we couldn't put weight on our high-energy GSP, we switched to a better quality food: EVO Turkey/Chicken. It's grainless and has ~43% protein. He's now eating about 1/2 the amount of food he was with the lesser quality food, has put on muscle/weight, and has less "output" than he had with the other food. 

So I would suggest researching other foods for your dog. Also, watch those treats! If they are a constant thing, you need to decide how healthy they are for him and whether there are better alternatives. You'll also have to figure them into his normal everyday food allotment. Our dog gets treats occasionally, but we know how much we give him & how they impact his total diet.

Bonne chance,


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## Eurobox

I have the same problem with my European male, however he weighs about 68lbs. If you saw a picture of him you would think I don't feed him. I think it just depends on the bloodline they come from. He has a very active lifestyle with a high metabolism. Some just are skinny! 

Is he neutered? If not, he will gain weight once he is neutered. Also, some just take time to fill out. My male is not expected to "fill out" completely until he is three years of age.


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## yazijazz

Yes he is neutered, just 2 months ago though. I am sure people question when I walk the dogs why he is so skinny....


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## Eurobox

yazijazz said:


> Yes he is neutered, just 2 months ago though. I am sure people question when I walk the dogs why he is so skinny....


I personally would not worry too much. So many people want their dogs to be buff, that they over feed them and make them heavy. I see this all the time with boxers. Just try to remember that a skinny dog is usually less prone to joint issues, heart problems, diabetes, etc... He will probably gain weight after the hormones work out of his system. Can you post any pics? If he has a smaller frame I would keep him thin. 

I can see most of my dogs ribs, his spine, and his hip bones almost all of the time. And that is with feeding him 6 cups of food a day, tons of treats, and I even purchased a weight building supplement. Here are two pics that show how skinny he is. Keep in mind he still weighs about 68lbs, but you can tell how he could use more meat on his bones.


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## John Rambo

Wow he eats 6 cups of food a day...does this dog have diabetes or some thyroid issue? he doesnt look that bad IMO,..he could stand to gain about 5-6 pounds though. His coat is beautiful.


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## whiteleo

Wrong dog! LOL


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## Unosmom

It would help if you posted pictures, Boxers are naturally lean and muscular (at least they should be), a lot of people dont know what a healthy dog should look like and think its "too thin". 

The spine and hip bones should not portrude, but easily felt, with certain breeds, the last 2-3 ribs on the rib cage can be seen, which doesent mean the dog is underweight ( my friend was accused of starving her greyhounds because you can see their ribs). 

Anyways, if you feel like your dog is still underweight, you can make satin balls or put him on high calorie/protein diet like Evo, Orijen or Earthborn Holistic Primitive Natural (this has the most calories).


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## yazijazz

John Rambo said:


> Wow he eats 6 cups of food a day...does this dog have diabetes or some thyroid issue? he doesnt look that bad IMO,..he could stand to gain about 5-6 pounds though. His coat is beautiful.


the picture isn't my dog...in answer to your question, no he doesn't have any health issues. I guess he is just very active with a combination of high metabolism.


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## yazijazz

Unosmom said:


> It would help if you posted pictures, Boxers are naturally lean and muscular (at least they should be), a lot of people dont know what a healthy dog should look like and think its "too thin".
> 
> The spine and hip bones should not portrude, but easily felt, with certain breeds, the last 2-3 ribs on the rib cage can be seen, which doesent mean the dog is underweight ( my friend was accused of starving her greyhounds because you can see their ribs).
> 
> Anyways, if you feel like your dog is still underweight, you can make satin balls or put him on high calorie/protein diet like Evo, Orijen or Earthborn Holistic Primitive Natural (this has the most calories).


I will try to get some today, my dogs are so active..hard to get a good pic standing still! lol thanks!!


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## yazijazz

Eurobox said:


> I personally would not worry too much. So many people want their dogs to be buff, that they over feed them and make them heavy. I see this all the time with boxers. Just try to remember that a skinny dog is usually less prone to joint issues, heart problems, diabetes, etc... He will probably gain weight after the hormones work out of his system. Can you post any pics? If he has a smaller frame I would keep him thin.
> 
> I can see most of my dogs ribs, his spine, and his hip bones almost all of the time. And that is with feeding him 6 cups of food a day, tons of treats, and I even purchased a weight building supplement. Here are two pics that show how skinny he is. Keep in mind he still weighs about 68lbs, but you can tell how he could use more meat on his bones.


how do I post pictures???


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## yazijazz

Unosmom said:


> It would help if you posted pictures, Boxers are naturally lean and muscular (at least they should be), a lot of people dont know what a healthy dog should look like and think its "too thin".
> 
> The spine and hip bones should not portrude, but easily felt, with certain breeds, the last 2-3 ribs on the rib cage can be seen, which doesent mean the dog is underweight ( my friend was accused of starving her greyhounds because you can see their ribs).
> 
> Anyways, if you feel like your dog is still underweight, you can make satin balls or put him on high calorie/protein diet like Evo, Orijen or Earthborn Holistic Primitive Natural (this has the most calories).


I posted some pictures, not sure how to make them bigger... you can see his hip bones for sure...


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## DaneMama

yazijazz said:


> I posted some pictures, not sure how to make them bigger... you can see his hip bones for sure...


Do you have online picture hosting someplace? Like picasa or photobucket or facebook? If so, copy the picture URL address. The bar of icons at the top of a reply box there's one that is a yellow box with mountains and a sun. Click on that, and paste the URL address in there. Hit ok, then preview your post to see if it works.


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## yazijazz

danemama08 said:


> Do you have online picture hosting someplace? Like picasa or photobucket or facebook? If so, copy the picture URL address. The bar of icons at the top of a reply box there's one that is a yellow box with mountains and a sun. Click on that, and paste the URL address in there. Hit ok, then preview your post to see if it works.


Thank you, I was able to get 2 uploaded...so small though. 
I tried to copy & past the URL, no luck..


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## Ania's Mommy

Oh I see! You edited your original post to add pictures. THought I was loosing my mind. :biggrin:

I think your dog looks awesome. Remember, we are in America. Land of lardos. We are accustomed to seeing overweight dogs. Your dog looks fantastic to me.

I would follow Submariner's advice and maybe get him on a richer food such as Evo. Then you wouldn't have to feed as much because he will utilize more of it than he would a lesser quality food containing lots of fillers.


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## yazijazz

Ania's Mommy said:


> Oh I see! You edited your original post to add pictures. THought I was loosing my mind. :biggrin:
> 
> I think your dog looks awesome. Remember, we are in America. Land of lardos. We are accustomed to seeing overweight dogs. Your dog looks fantastic to me.
> 
> I would follow Submariner's advice and maybe get him on a richer food such as Evo. Then you wouldn't have to feed as much because he will utilize more of it than he would a lesser quality food containing lots of fillers.


LOL!!! Thank you! Yes, better quality food is on my list for tonight.


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## Eurobox

I think he looks great! He could stand to gain a couple of pounds, but even if he doesn't he still looks well muscled and healthy. I agree with Ania's mommy, we do live in the land of lardos, lol!


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## Eurobox

John Rambo said:


> Wow he eats 6 cups of food a day...does this dog have diabetes or some thyroid issue? he doesn't look that bad IMO,..he could stand to gain about 5-6 pounds though. His coat is beautiful.


No health issues, he just has a very high metabolism! I hunt with him, so there are days where he will run up to six hours a day. The dog never stops I tell you! He comes from a long line of working dogs and has a very high prey drive, so I keep him busy.


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## yazijazz

Eurobox said:


> No health issues, he just has a very high metabolism! I hunt with him, so there are days where he will run up to six hours a day. The dog never stops I tell you! He comes from a long line of working dogs and has a very high prey drive, so I keep him busy.


Beuatiful!!!


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## Jgk2383

Google the recipe for Satin balls but be careful they do add weight on very quickly.


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## 1605

Eurobox said:


> No health issues, he just has a very high metabolism! I hunt with him, so there are days where he will run up to six hours a day. The dog never stops I tell you! He comes from a long line of working dogs and has a very high prey drive, so I keep him busy.


Our GSP is also very lean compared to most of his non-field peers. When we are in obedience trials I am constantly amazed at how flabby the conformation/obedience GSPs are compared to those who are properly exercised or do what they were bred to do: field work. By the end of the field season Zio will be even more muscular & lean than he is now.

OTOH, some of the dogs from the field side look emaciated compared to ours. Not only can you see their ribs, but their spines & hips. Personally, I think they are TOO skinny, but that may well be JMHO. But man, do they have muscles!

Enjoy your "huntin' dawg"... we do. :smile:


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## ann g

yazijazz said:


> Hi, I am having trouble putting weight on our 2nd rescue Boxer. He is roughly 1 1/2 year old & very active. I had him on Eukanuba puppy, no luck gaining weight. I have since switched to Blue Buffalo & he is still very thin. I brought him to the vet & his bloodwork came back normal. I wanted to rule out Diabetes. He weighs 55 lbs & eats twice the amount of our 75 lbs boxer (on purpose of course). He is happy and otherwise normal, just on the thin side. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I do give him plenty of treats as well. Thank you kindly!!


Have you tried a grain free food? My gsd was on the thin side til he tried Wellness Core, after 6 wks on that food, he began to put on good weight. He tends to keep it on with grain free. I agree with some other posts, so many dogs are overweight that people see an in shape dog and think their to skinny. I think your dogs look fine. Good luck


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