Boxerlove123

Hi All Our wee boy is 10 weeks, the breeder had him on purina pro plan which we weaned off over a week onto an all stages grain free kibble. the transition went well at first, although he began only picking at his bowl and not eating a considerable amount. After recommendation from our vet, we have transitioned again (not ideal) on to a puppy specific large breed formula with lower protein levels which he seemed to like initially. 5 days in, he is again only picking at the kibble and not eating the full portion per meal (we are feeding him 3x a day at this stage). We are following the feeding amount guidelines although he seems disinterested. He was on the thin side when we got him, so my initial thoughts were to fatten him up a little bit. As we are actively training at the moment, so he does get a fair amount of treats to recognize the right behavior - could this be detrimental to his meal times? My partner thinks he is being 'fussy'. Any tips for us? Less treats? only allow the food bowl down for 10mins at meal time to encourage eating? Mix in warm water to soften the kibble? thoughts... thanks :)

I should have been more clear in my previous post. My first port of call was definitely the breeder, however that didn't go as well as I had hoped. I turned to NZKC and forums for guidance from those with more experience, as I felt in the dark in regard to where I stood etc. the intention wasn't to plaster stories over a forum, more just a 'can someone offer some advice'. thanks :)

i understand :) I had no intention of name dropping at all, just feel a little uneducated on this kind of situation so was more looking for guidance etc. I have taken the right steps to rectifying the situation, hopefully the result is positive for all. Thanks again

Flame suit on but i think you need to stop airing your issues on forums & simply talk with the breeder & sort it our privately . Asking what forums users interpret things as isn't going to help your cause nor give you any more ammo& to go in guns a blazing isn't going to help either . You need to get the facts from the vet & contact the breeder in a professional manner . You seem to be asking everyone for opinions well the only ones that matter is your vets & what they will put in writing,the way the dog arrived & the breeder.Keep it private it will not help your cause plastering it all over a forum Agree. Speak to the breeder with facts hopefully in writing from your vet. thanks for the feedback - sorry if i offended anyone, this was not my intention. i am new to this so apologies for perhaps disclosing too much. i was just hoping for a second opinion from those more experienced than i. i have had a professional opinion from a vet, as well as approached the breeder in a professional manner - to which i am awaiting a resolution. apologies again for the controversial post.

thank you for your response. i totally agree with you. i am questioning a breeder currently re her representation of a pup which she described as 'top quality' but turns out he may have 'carpel flexural deformity' which would have been apparent before i received him. i just wanted a second opinion on how 'top qulaity' in interpreted by others. thanks again for your thoughts

i was hoping to get some feedback in relation to personal interpretation of the statement 'Top quality male puppy' would this indicate top pet quality, or more than? very interested in feedback please :) thanks

Thanks anne he is booked in at vet for one week from today for another check up. if no improvement, we will get xrays done. i just need to find what food is best to be feeding him going forward as all the research i have done indicated that diet is a large factor to improvement. the kibble he is currently on may be too high in protein -thinking maybe an adult formula instead?

thank you for your reply :) yes it is very disappointing indeed. the vet was certain that based on the appearance of the pad on the effected paw, it has been present for a few weeks. this means the breeder would have been aware, and withheld this information from me. i have been in touch with the NZ kennel club, who have advised my rights under the consumer guarantees act, so it looks like i will have a few interesting conversations... i feel disappointed because this is supposed to be a time of happiness and joy celebrating our newest family member, but instead this is being clouded with worry for our wee pup. thanks for the link, i will certainly have a read. thanks Alicia

Hi there I will give you a bit of background...I have a 9 and a half week old boxer pup which i got one week ago today. when he arrived i noticed the claws on his right paw were completely work down. i assumed he may have been scratching at his crate over the 2 day trip travelling down to where we live. since then, we have noticed that the same paw knuckles over and he walks on its side. he is showing no signs of pain or discomfort, but visually it has become obvious. we took him to the vet last night for an examination, and they said it looks like he has 'flexural disformity'. the definition in a simplified way, is the bone is growing faster than the soft tissue around it. it is commonly seen ion staffies and dobermans, although they had never seen this on a boxer. usually is occurs in both paws - although with our little guy it is only effecting the right paw. it appears that in most cases, this is something that the pup will grow out of with the right diet, limited exercise, and grippy surfaces (not lino/tiles etc). has anyone experienced this before? or give any advice on what we can do to try and rectify the issue? diet suggestions? we live in New Zealand. we are booked in for another check up in a week to see if any progress has been made, but if there is anything we can be doing to help the situation, we are keen to hear any suggestions. thanks in advance, Alicia :)

Hi there I will give you a bit of background...I have a 9 and a half week old boxer pup which i got one week ago today. when he arrived i noticed the claws on his right paw were completely work down. i assumed he may have been scratching at his crate over the 2 day trip travelling down to where we live. since then, we have noticed that the same paw knuckles over and he walks on its side. he is showing no signs of pain or discomfort, but visually it has become obvious. we took him to the vet last night for an examination, and they said it looks like he has 'flexural disformity'. the definition in a simplified way, is the bone is growing faster than the soft tissue around it. it is commonly seen ion staffies and dobermans, although they had never seen this on a boxer. usually is occurs in both paws - although with our little guy it is only effecting the right paw. it appears that in most cases, this is something that the pup will grow out of with the right diet, limited exercise, and grippy surfaces (not lino/tiles etc). has anyone experienced this before? or give any advice on what we can do to try and rectify the issue? diet suggestions? we live in New Zealand. we are booked in for another check up in a week to see if any progress has been made, but if there is anything we can be doing to help the situation, we are keen to hear any suggestions. thanks in advance, Alicia :)