Expert: Angela Donald - 4/9/2009

Question
My one year old boxer male seems to be getting thinner lately. He seems to be loosing a lot of muscle tone. We have not changed dog food. We did get a boston terrier puppy about 2 months ago.

Answer
Hi Dustin,
There are several conditions that could be causing the weight loss in your male boxer dog. A trip to the vet for your boxer would be advised to check him out. Boxers of his age do go through a skinny stage but shouldn't be loosing muscle mass. Hookworms and other parasites can cause this condition as well as some medical conditions. Also I'd suggest feeding the two dogs separate and measuring your boxers food to make sure he's eating 3-4 cups of food a day. Little puppies eat alot so maybe the boston terrier is actually eating alot of your boxers food. I recommend feeding your boxer once in the morning then again in the evening. Check the label on the dog food your feeding the boxer and see how many cups it says a 60-70 lb adult dog should be fed, that is the minimum recommended feeding amount.Add more food for awhile to get his weight back up.You could add can food to the dry kibble to stimulate his appetite if he's been a finicky eater lately.One other suggestion give the boxer more attention than the new puppy,your boxer may well be a bit jealous of the newcomer which could be having some pychological effect on your boxer. Please do seek your vet's advice as their could be a underlying medical issue with your boxer. I hope this information has been helpful to you and appreciate your question. Should you need additional help with your boxer please feel free to contact me again.