My adopted dog's ribs show. Why isn't my boxer gaining weight?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would have his stool checked for intestinal parasites and be sure he has been dewormed a few times. You can increase the volume of food at each meal by 25%. And see if that improves his weight in 2 weeks. Be sure he is seeing a vet for vaccines. Good luck!

He is very under weight. While parasites may be compromising things, it is unlikely the source of his problems. His belly may be getting larger from accumulating fluid. Heart worms are common in the south and cause heart failure and liver congestion in severe cases. The fluid build up may be from an infection or tumor or an disease with his intestines. I am afraid he is to the point where he needs to be taken to a vet for further testing to find out the problem.

If her ribs are really sticking out and there is no fat or muscle, then see your vet. There could be a medical cause for her condition. If your vet clears her, increase the amount of food offered until she is at an appropriate weight. Ask your vet how to perform a Body Condition Score (BCS) on your dog using the 9 point scale. Ideally, she should have a waist when looked at from above. Her ribs should be seen and easily felt under a layer of fat/muscle. From the side, her chest should tuck up into her abdomen.

It sounds like she could be too thin. Here is a link to a body score chart so you can compare. You may need to increase her feeding to 1 cup each feeding and see if she puts on some weight. https://vet.osu.edu/vmc/sites/default/files/images/Body%20condition%20score%20chart%20dogs_0.pdf

Be sure that Enzo is on a high quality dog food, he may require a food for performance dogs or active dogs. Some dogs just have higher metabolism. I would also recommend having him checked and assessed for parasites as Paris citizen can certainly cause a dog to lose weight or prevent them from gaining enough weight. You may want to discuss running other bloodwork or diagnostic testing with Enzo’s veterinarian. Or see if they have any recommendations for diet changes that may help him put weight on. Good luck thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach

You should treat him for intestinal worms to start with as this condition can prevent him from gaining any weight, if this doesn't help try feeding him 3 times a day with a high quality food such as Acana for example.

I would agree that Thor is much thinner than he should be. There are many different reasons for weight loss and muscle wasting, including hormonal conditions, parasitic conditions, certain infectious / inflammatory conditions, simply not eating enough over a long period, and of course, certain cancers. My advise to you would be to have Thor examined by your regular veterinarian via physical exam. They will determine if there is a need for further diagnostic laboratory work or imaging. It is often very difficult to make a diagnosis via physical exam unless there is some obvious and palpable inside of or on the outside of the animal. Supportive information via lab work and imaging is very often needed. Hope this makes sense.