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boxer female and feeding??

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  • 10-08-2009 2:13pm
    #1
    upthedub
    Closed Accounts Posts: 305 ✭✭


    I have a 12 week old boxer.Im feeding her royal canin boxer junior as accordingly to the package.
    She gets 3 meals a day and most of the time she will eat all of her meals but yet she ""i think"" is quite thin.
    Should i introduce a thinned food??
    Im also going to start giving her sardines as i was told they are good for her.


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    #2
    andreac
    Registered Users Posts: 8,000 ✭✭✭andreac


    Personally i think she should be on 4 meals at the moment, esp if you think she is thin.

    Boxers can be a bit lean until they start to fill out. I wouldnt introduce tinned food as it is made up of mostly water and has no nutritional benefit whatsoever so i wouldnt start adding that.

    What you can do is just slightly increase the amount of food she is getting at her meal. She should be on puppy food and not junior as she is still a puppy and puppy would have more nutritional value and that to help her as she is growing.


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    #3
    kildara
    Registered Users Posts: 456 ✭✭kildara


    The mass indicated on the tables with dry foods are a guide. Different dogs even of the same breed, have different metabolisms - just like humans. If you think the dog is underweight increase the amount you give her a little. It takes a while to get to know how much your dog can handle without being under/over-weight.


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    #4
    upthedub
    Closed Accounts Posts: 305 ✭✭upthedub


    andreac wrote: »
    Personally i think she should be on 4 meals at the moment, esp if you think she is thin.

    Boxers can be a bit lean until they start to fill out. I wouldnt introduce tinned food as it is made up of mostly water and has no nutritional benefit whatsoever so i wouldnt start adding that.

    What you can do is just slightly increase the amount of food she is getting at her meal. She should be on puppy food and not junior as she is still a puppy and puppy would have more nutritional value and that to help her as she is growing.
    I asked the vet also about the food and they said the junior is ok as its ideal up to 15 months.


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    #5
    andreac
    Registered Users Posts: 8,000 ✭✭✭andreac


    Puppy food has more in it as they grow a lot in the first 6 - 8 months of their life. I would def have her on puppy, then move her to junior at 12 months then.
    Puppy food has more in it than junior so will benefit her more and help her grow and give her all the nutrients and that she will need in the first few months.

    Shes only 3 months old so needs a lot more from her food at this age than at 12-18 months (junior) so i would def change her onto the puppy version of what you are feeding her.

    Sorry, edited to say i looked up royal canin and that food you mention is suitable for boxers at any age to 15 months, so maybe just increase the amount of the food she is getting and give her 4 meals until shes 6 months and then bring it down to 3 meals then.
    I know boxers can have trouble getting weight on them so just increase the amount she is getting for now.
    Is she being wormed regularly too?


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    #6
    kildara
    Registered Users Posts: 456 ✭✭kildara


    Is it the breed specific food you are feeding or the Maxi sized food?
    We recently added in some potato in order to slightly increase our lads weight. You can also give them "Satin Balls" to increase the dogs weight quickly (google it for the ingredients).


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    #7
    Bluefrog
    Registered Users Posts: 1,045 ✭✭✭Bluefrog


    If the stools are firm, she's up to date on her worming and has plenty of energy I think you needn't worry to much about the weight. Boxers go through big growth spurts for periods and their weight can seem to diminish as they gain height. In fact I don't think its unusual to see a few ribs by times.

    Best of luck with her, they're a really great breed :)


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    #8
    MoonDancer256
    Closed Accounts Posts: 142 ✭✭MoonDancer256


    Boxers tend to be a bit on the skinny side when growing anyway. Unless your vet is worried, just keep feeding her a good amount and let her grow :)

    My own boxer pup is 4.5 months and is also currently on the Royal Canin Boxer puppy food (although I'm going back to Orijen Large Breed puppy food soon) and you can see her ribs clearly, but she's not underweight apparently. It just looks like it compared to some other breeds.


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    #9
    Cutie18Ireland
    Registered Users Posts: 1,600 ✭✭✭Cutie18Ireland


    We have our bichon on Royal Canin mini junio it is fed from 8 weeks until 10 months is no puppy one... just junior and adult


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    #10
    upthedub
    Closed Accounts Posts: 305 ✭✭upthedub


    andreac wrote: »
    Puppy food has more in it as they grow a lot in the first 6 - 8 months of their life. I would def have her on puppy, then move her to junior at 12 months then.
    Puppy food has more in it than junior so will benefit her more and help her grow and give her all the nutrients and that she will need in the first few months.

    Shes only 3 months old so needs a lot more from her food at this age than at 12-18 months (junior) so i would def change her onto the puppy version of what you are feeding her.

    Sorry, edited to say i looked up royal canin and that food you mention is suitable for boxers at any age to 15 months, so maybe just increase the amount of the food she is getting and give her 4 meals until shes 6 months and then bring it down to 3 meals then.
    I know boxers can have trouble getting weight on them so just increase the amount she is getting for now.
    Is she being wormed regularly too?

    No i wouldnt put her on it and keep her on it until she is 12months as th junior is only until there 15 months..


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    #11
    upthedub
    Closed Accounts Posts: 305 ✭✭upthedub


    Cutie18Ireland wrote: »
    We have our bichon on Royal Canin mini junio it is fed from 8 weeks until 10 months is no puppy one... just junior and adult
    Thats similar to the one im using 8 weeks until 15 months;)


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    #12
    upthedub
    Closed Accounts Posts: 305 ✭✭upthedub


    Ive being told to mix sardines in with the dry food,is this right to do??
    Or is there something else that is good for the boxer to mix?


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    #13
    MoonDancer256
    Closed Accounts Posts: 142 ✭✭MoonDancer256


    upthedub wrote: »
    Ive being told to mix sardines in with the dry food,is this right to do??
    Or is there something else that is good for the boxer to mix?

    It's a complete dried food, you shouldn't need to mix anything at all, and I wouldnt do unless its a vet telling you to do so ;)


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    #14
    andreac
    Registered Users Posts: 8,000 ✭✭✭andreac


    Theres no need to mix anything in as its a complete food, what can happen is if you start mixing in things it only causes the dog to get fussy then they end up only wanting to eat the food with the nice things mixed in with it.

    You can give it as a treat every now and again if you like, but i would give it only here and there, sardines are good for them and the oil would be good for their coat, just make sure its in sunflower oil and not brine as the brine isnt good for them.


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