Boxer questions - bad gas, lack of energy?

Question

My 6 1/2 month female boxer has the worst gas. I am currently using "Stool Deodorizer Plus" made by NaturVet I bought at Petco. She was eating her poop but that has stopped. The last few days, especially today, her gas is horrible. She is eating fine, peeing & pooping fine, but she seemed a little run down today. Should I be worried? I read stuff online about bloat but how could I tell with a boxer, they are shaped different from other dogs. Also, what kind of dogfood is the best? All brands say they are, but how can I tell?


I would love for the Yahoo user "A Veterinarian" to contact me.. I have a few other questions I would like answered...

Answer 1

I haven't seen 'A veterinarian' on tonight. However, any kibble containing corn, (doesn't fully digest) soy (beans! ) beet pulp (pushes food through without complete digestion) will cause more gas..Also, you can put a little plain yogurt over her kibble to aid complete digestion..So, read the labels, and get a kibble without any of the above, add yogurt if still needed..I like Innova Dog Food for a gassy dog, as it has extra digestive enzymes..but other BEST brands are Solid Gold, Wysong, Canidae, Wellness, Natural Balance, and Purina Pro Plan..
Here is a good site to help you learn about bloat and how to prevent it> http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1571&articleid=402
and another for boxers> http://www.boxerrescuelist.com/InfoPages/Bloat.html

Have you had her checked for worms lately? this is also often a cause of really smelly gas..

Answer 2

On a boxer they are a good shape if you can see their back three ribs. I've always had boxers and so have my family, but have never known them to eat their own poop. I wish I could help you more because they are such a wonderful breed, and personally I would be worried. I was told by a breeder to never give them canned dog food. I gave mine a mixture of fresh mince rice and cooked veges. I used to do up a heap at a time and freeze it up. I hope someone can help you more then I can. I'd advise you to take her to the vet

Answer 3

How to grade your dog's food: Start with a grade of 100:
1) For every listing of "by-product" , subtract 10 points
2) For every non-specific animal source ("meat" or "poultry", meat, meal or
fat) reference, subtract 10 points
3) If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points
4) For every grain "mill run" or non-specific grain source, subtract 5 points
5) If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first five ingredients (I.e. "ground brown rice", "brewers rice", "rice flour" are all the same grain), subtract 5 points
6) If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2 meats in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points
7) If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points
8 ) If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3points
9) If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points
10) If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2 points
11) If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic to other protein sources), subtract 2 points
12) If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points
13) If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog is not allergic to wheat), subtract 2 points
14) If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog is not allergic to beef), subtract 1 point
15) If it contains salt, subtract 1 point>
Extra Credit:
1) If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points
2) If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or nutritionist, add 5 points
3) If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points
4) If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points
5) If the food contains fruit, add 3 points
6) If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3 points
7) If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 2 points
8 ) If the food contains barley, add 2 points
9) If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds), add 2 points
10) If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point
11) If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point
12) For every different specific animal protein source (other than the first one; count "chicken" and "chicken meal" as only one protein source, but "chicken" and "" as 2 different sources), add 1 point
13) If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point
14) If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are pesticide-free, add 1 point

Score:
94-100+ = A 86-93 = B 78-85 = C 70-77 = D 69 and below = F>
Here are some foods that have already been scored.

Dog Food scores:
Authority Harvest Baked / Score 116 A+
Bil-Jac Select / Score 68 F
Canidae / Score 112 A+
Chicken Soup Senior / Score 115 A+
Diamond Maintenance / Score 64 F
Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice / Score 92 B
Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula / Score 99 A
Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+
Dick Van Patten's Duck and Potato / Score 106 A+
Foundations / Score 106 A+
Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold / Score 93 B
Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium / Score 73 D
Innova Dog / Score 114 A+
Innova Evo / Score 114 A+
Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables / Score 110 A+
Nutrisource Lamb and Rice / Score 87 B
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy / Score 87 B
Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice / Score 23 F
ProPlan Natural Turkey & Barley / Score 103 A+
Purina Beneful / Score 17 F
Purina Dog / Score 62 F
Purina Come-n-Get It / Score 16 F
Royal Canin Bulldog / Score 100 A+
Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult / Score 106 A+
Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice / Score 97 A
Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ / Score 63 F
Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies / Score 69 F
Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken / Score 110 A+
Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold / Score 97 A

Answer 4

I had 2 boxers growing up and yeah their farts were pretty bad,
I remeber my mother going to the vet's to find out what we could give our dogs to reduce their farts, the vet suggested us to cook for the dog rather than tinned food.. So my mother would just cook a very large pot of rice up every week through in a bag of frozen veggies, and keep a Jug of gravy and and raw chicken wings in the fridge for the dog and feed him that every night, It worked out cheaper than tinned food, took her 20 mins to prepare every week and stopped our dogs farting so much.. also rather than dog bickies for breaky give them a bowel of muesli or wheetbix and mix with warm water till just soggy.. they love it!!

but if your dog seems out of character I'd check with a vet straight away..

Answer 5

You could also try 'charcoal' dog treats. They aid in digestion and reducing smell of doggie farts. I have found them at IGA grocery stores and ACE hardware stores. They help.

Answer 6

Change his diet !