is my boston under weight??? please help

by Louise
(Edinburgh)

I have an 8 month old boston terrier, Sam. He is a lively wee lad who loves his food but doesnt seem to be putting on any weight. his spine is sticking out and his ribs are very visable, i'm worried folk think i'm starving him. He gets 3 wet feeds a day and also has full access to dry food all day. i dont know what i'm doing wrong and i'm worried there's something wrong with Sam, does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks a million

Louise

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is my boston under weight??? please help

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Jun 23, 2011
 weight
by: Linda Galway/TurnerME

Well, I had to Google a conversion because I don't do metric, but 11 pounds, depending upon his eventual weight, doesn't seem too small at 9 months. I have a girl who weighs 17, and she'll be 4 in August. My boy weighs 22, and he just turned 4, so there is a wide discrepancy even in their final weights and eventual sizes. Maybe he had a growth spurt and the weight just hasn't caught up. I don't know. Keep an eye on his weight and find another vet if you don't see him start to fill out by the time he's a year and a bit.
Jun 23, 2011
 Is my Boston underweight?
by: Anonymous

Have you had his stool checked for parasites? Even if it comes back negative one time that does not necessarily mean he is parasite free. Depending on what cycle the parasite is (especially with tapeworm) they may have missed it the first time it was checked. Is he on a monthly preventative, such as Sentinel? Also, tapeworm requires a different wormer, such as Panacur C. If you are certain he is parasite free and current on all vaccinations, then I would ask the vet for a high calorie food until he gains weight. Another trick, is to add cooked baked potato to his food. I have 7 Bostons and have been breeding and fostering rescues for quite some time. If he is eating good and not gaining, something is wrong and do not let the vet tell you otherwise because you know your dog and sometimes you have to really push to advocate for his health. Good luck!
Jun 06, 2011
 Thank You
by: Louise

thank you so much for your comments, i've taken him to the vet and the vet said he was fine and not to worry, she said depending on the breed you get bigger and smaller dogs, to be honest i'm not convinced but then again i'm not a professional. He's been wormed and doesnt tend to eat anything off the ground when we're out walking so i just cant figure it out? Roughly what weight should he be? he weighs 5kilo a the moment and he'a almost 9 months old?

Thanks again

Lou
May 27, 2011
 weight
by: Linda Galway/TurnerME

Well, it could be that he's just very busy, but you should probably take him to the vet's and get him tested, at least for parasites, to rule that out. Then they can move forward with a protocol for weight gain and monitor progress. More testing for other issues may be required. Are his BMs solid? Bring a sample with you.
May 27, 2011
 Skinny Boy
by: Mary

+
You should not be able to see the spine and ribs. When he breaths in they do show a little but at rest he should be smooth. If he really eats as much as you say then perhaps there is something wrong. Only a vet can tell you what it might be and it sounds like you should get him seen very very quickly! Perhaps he got into some chemicals while you weren't looking? Flea meds are especially harmful to a wee-lad like that.

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