Skinny Aussi Bulldog

[princessbella]

Hi, I haven't posted here in a while, but seeing as you all helped me out so much with my dog Frodo (a now very happy poodle X Cav) I thought that this would be the best place to ask about my other dog

She's around 5-6 months old and is an Aussi bulldog. She's very beauitful and came from a registered breeder. I saw pics of her parents and they were both very heavily built like most Aussi bulldogs I've seen, but Bella is skinny.

My husband thinks she looks more like she's a boxer in the body, but I think there may be something wrong.

Her ribs are always sticking out even though she eats twice a day plus half of Frodo's food. Frodo is pretty chunky so he is getting plenty, but Bella seems like she's never getting enough.

I worm her every 6 weeks and it makes no difference.

I give her a bowl of Purina puppy formula dry food in the morning with a bowl of water and she has Optimum puppy canned food at night. I am still giving her puppy food because if it's high fat content.

I also give her treats, like kangaroo tails and pigs ears and raw chicken necks.

Please help me fatten up my pup!

[KitKat]

Ok...at 5-6 months she is still a baby and probably won't even start filling out until she is over 12 months old. How much do you actually feed her? as in what is a 'bowl' in regards to cups for example.

If you are going to give her tinned food i would mix it with kibble - tinned by itself will go thru her fairly quickly.

Do you feed her a large breed kibble? and which type of Purina puppy food do you feed her? (eg, Proplan, Beneful, PurinaOne etc)

For example...my GSD pup at that age was getting a couple of cups of large breed kibble in the morning, and a couple of cups of kibble with lamb pieces/chicken pieces/etc with dinner. Always made sure i could feel his ribs easily but not see them - increased or decreased his food accordingly. As in growth spurts would cause an increase in food...lol. He's now at a lean weight of 38kg's at nearly 9 months.

[princessbella]

Ok...at 5-6 months she is still a baby and probably won't even start filling out until she is over 12 months old. How much do you actually feed her? as in what is a 'bowl' in regards to cups for example.

If you are going to give her tinned food i would mix it with kibble - tinned by itself will go thru her fairly quickly.

Do you feed her a large breed kibble? and which type of Purina puppy food do you feed her? (eg, Proplan, Beneful, PurinaOne etc)

For example...my GSD pup at that age was getting a couple of cups of large breed kibble in the morning, and a couple of cups of kibble with lamb pieces/chicken pieces/etc with dinner. Always made sure i could feel his ribs easily but not see them - increased or decreased his food accordingly. As in growth spurts would cause an increase in food...lol. He's now at a lean weight of 38kg's at nearly 9 months.

Thanks for your reply KitKat

I am feeding her 4 cups of purinaOne plus a 750gm can of optimum, I'm not sure what kibble is though LOL please tell me!

[KitKat]

Kibble is just another term for dry dog food

If you do want to continue with the tinned food...i'd split it up to both meals and mix it with the kibble. I'd also up the amount of chicken pieces, necks, roo tails and lamb pieces.

If she's not had lamb before introduce it slowly as it can be rich for puppy tummies and give them the runs if you give them to much all at once...lol.

[princessbella]

Thanks for that

[Nekhbet]

What about the rest of her body? Is it just the ribs or is the shoulder/pelvis or spine showing a lot as well? If its just the ribs dont worry pups of these bulky breeds go through lanky stages and because of their width can look ribby. Its probably better beign underweight slightly then fat all its life, makes for less stress on the joints. I dont think Aussie Bulldogs are actually a recognised breed so when they are 'registered' it wouldnt be through the ANKC (They are British bulldog x pig dog x boxer) Have the parents or lines shown any thyroid/metabolism problems?

Get a vet check if you are worried but frankly the diet looks poor. Canned food is rubbish IMO. Save your money, your pup needs a diet made for large breeds to grow it slowly and more fresh ingredients like chicken necks, lamb flaps, meat offcuts etc. If you are feeding over a kilogram of food a day and your pup is thin then its not the correct quality. 4 cups is a LITRE of kibble then nearly a kilogram of canned food then the pup scrounges. Not even my 60kg Dogue eats that much dry in a day.

Brands like Eukanuba, Eagle Pack, Royal Canin, Nutrience etc are the things to aim for, and get to know your local butcher/meat wholesaler for bargains.

[princessbella]

I was wondering how she could eat so much. Seriously I've never seen any dog consume so much food so fast. She doesn't even take a breath. She looks like she's starving everytime I feed her.

It's just her ribs sticking out, her spine isn't showing at all, but she looks like she's sucking her tummy in all the time.

I was thinking it was the quality of the food, but have had Purina recommended before from someone here.

Soooo, I'll get some Eukanuba (sp?) and my local butcher is a really nice bloke, so she'll be spoilt with fresh meat

Is it ok to only give raw meat though?

[Teebs]

Can you get some photos?

[princessbella]

yep in around 20 mins I can

[KitKat]

No, just raw meat will unbalance the diet - meaty bones (including chook pieces, necks, turkey necks, pork bones, lamb pieces, etc) give a balance between protien/calcium etc - where as raw meat is just that...raw meat. I do occasionally give mince to the dogs but it's only a small portion mixed into their kibble. However if they are getting meaty bones then sometimes such is the entire meal, half the meal, a bit of the meal, etc depending on what i have. -Eg a large lamb neck would be an entire meal vs the uncooked bone from a TBone or two would be a bit of the meal...lol

Euk is a very good food - just make sure you go for the large breed puppy food.

PurinaOne is probably one of the better of the supermarket foods - however there is better out there. As like Nehkbet mentioned, Royal Canin, Proplan, Nutrience, Eagle Pack, Nutro, Advance etc - most available from your larger pet store/produce store. Each has a large breed puppy version and that will be the one to go with.

If you do wish to continue feeding some tinned food...the only one i would personally feed my dogs is Natures Gift. (Tho EaglePack and ZiwiPeak are also apparently good if you can find them) However it's not something they get with every meal, or as an entire meal.

Puppies do tend to try and eat you out of house and home...but that will slow down so keep an eye out for that so that you don't overfeed.

It does sound to me as if your pup is currently at a good weight, eg has a waist as well ...but a pic wouldn't be a bad idea

What do you currently feed your other dog?

[Nekhbet]

Sounds like a growing phase. My DDB boy was the same, vaccuumed the food and was still ribby. But as long as its just ribs and the rest is fine dont worry. Dont listen to people going 'oooh poor puppy needs fattening up', these people wont pay your vet bills when the pup gets joint problems from being too fat.

Like KitKat said you need to give a more 'complete' then just meat. A bit of skin, edible bones (thats why necks/lamb flaps/chicken wings are good) is a better package. Plus it encourages chewing, keeping the teeth clean and exercising the jaws.

Basically - There is a set Potassium/Calcium ratio that exists in our bodies. You and the dog. Meat - very high potassium, low calcium. Eating high meat floods the bloodstream with potassium. The body has to equalise that imbalance in the ration of potassium to calcium so leeches calcium from the bones. Also high protein encourages high muscle growth - but on weak, decalcified bones the pup develops structural problems.

Also, too much calcium in the diet (like putting powdered calcium on complete dry foods etc) throws this ration out. Body stores it in its custom made storage facility - our bones. A lot of calcium hardens and thickens the bones which again causes a whole different set of problems.

Not wanting to panic you, hard to get it THAT wrong but explains the importance of balance between protein and calcium in the diet. Plus they need other vitamins found in plant sources, plus a bit of fibre for their digestive system.

In other words ... got a good dry food Try 4 Paws and More pet store on Keilor Park Drive, they will help you.

Edited October 4, 2006 by Nekhbet

[princessbella]

OK lots of good advice here, thanks heaps

I have to show her off though cause I love her

She's not looking AS skinny right now, but in the morning she will be much worse, she's always skinniest in the morning.

[princessbella]

oh and here is he prrrrty face....brace yourselves

Edited October 4, 2006 by princessbella

[Nekhbet]

Needs quality not quantity. Could do with a tiny bit more condition for my liking definately swap over to something better and get her onto some fresh food too.

She looks to be a fine dog anyway and being a bitch she will not neccesarily be solid as a dog would. Like I said Aussie's have many breeds in there she could be a throwback depending what went into the lines. Dont look at the tummy size because they stretch like balloons! Her body just looks like it needs that little bit more, go straight for a large breed formula as the base of her diet. She will not be mature till about 18 - 24 months at least so keep the puppy formula going till about 9-12 and then reassess her dietary needs then.

[princessbella]

Needs quality not quantity. Could do with a tiny bit more condition for my liking definately swap over to something better and get her onto some fresh food too.

She looks to be a fine dog anyway and being a bitch she will not neccesarily be solid as a dog would. Like I said Aussie's have many breeds in there she could be a throwback depending what went into the lines. Dont look at the tummy size because they stretch like balloons! Her body just looks like it needs that little bit more, go straight for a large breed formula as the base of her diet. She will not be mature till about 18 - 24 months at least so keep the puppy formula going till about 9-12 and then reassess her dietary needs then.

So which is the large breed puppy formula? is there one? And I will go for fresh foods too ahhhh ok saw it's the Eukanuba will get it tomorrow

Do you think she has a boxer body? My husband says boxers are thin, but like you said, she's does look a little on the thin side

Edited October 4, 2006 by princessbella

[princessbella]

oh and can I get this 4 paws stuff more localy, I'm in the Croydon area?

[Nekhbet]

aah croydon ... 4 paws is a pet store Sagittarius here on DOL owns it.

What a beauuuuuuuuuuutiful face!!!! love that grin!

There is a difference between 'thin' as in condition (fat and muscle coating on the dog) and 'fine' as in build. She is still a baby and will not even begin to 'bulk out' until well after 12 months old. Many of these breeds start out like this as the soft baby bones could not support a big stocky frame yet. You will see as the dog matures, her body shape will become more 'set' as the puppy stage ends, the bone structure will become more solid and the muscles will develop when they have a more solid skeleton to support them. Always look at the overall condition (ie fat layer, muscles, coat and skin quality) to judge how your dog is going. Dont look at the shape or the various puppy stages will drive you mad! And like I said, bitches are usually smaller in frame size and more 'feminine' (thinner bones, smaller heads etc) due to the female hormones. If she is not desexed and you have no entire male dogs in the house (plus are willing to crate her completely during season and you have to be VERY VERY responsible) it may pay to desex her at 18 months instead of now. Those extra hormones can help the dogs body shape up better.

Many brands of food are available in Large Breed Puppy formulas. Its usually written on the packet and has a lower protein level then regular food to keep the pup growing slowly.

I will put a couple of photos up to show you how bulky dogs have their 'stages'

This is at 7 1/2 Months old

And this is at just over 12 months

This is around 18 months

I keep him lean, but you can see more muscle definition builds up, the puppy fat starts going away and the skeleton bulks out. He still has a lot of filling out to do, he is nearly 60kg now but that is with little fat on him.

Give it time and just worry whether your dog is getting the right nutrition rather then shape at the moment. If your dog is 2 years old and looking like a boxer I would be having words to the breeder, but like I said there is boxer in this breed so they can swing to any type.

[princessbella]

Oh thankyou so much, you are so patient. I need a lesson in doggy terminology

I was planning on breeding her when I got her, but my plans are on hold for now.

Frodo has been desexed and they are both enclosed at night (crate in the house most nights, but in Summer they use a kennel outside), I don't think I will have her desexed until she has developed more (after 12 months) so hopefully she will start to be in better condition for it.

The photos of your dog are lovely, he's a very healthy looking dog with a beautiful shiny coat. I think he looked a little better than Bella in the first shot though, cause even though he is lean, he doesn't have bones sticking out.

I saw a thread on silk balls, I think they were called, which are used for fattening dogs up, so I was thinking I may do that for a week to catch her up.

LOL Frodo's "hairdresser" has just arrived...

Thanks again

[Teebs]

Can i ask where you got her (pm if you like)

My brothers girl is 4 months old and FAT, i hate it

[Nekhbet]

Just be careful, silk balls are rich and can give her the runs. Unless a pup is emaciated or very underweight dont try and overfeed rich food. She doesnt need them, just a better diet. Anything with puppies needs to be done gradually.

If you go to far and make her too heavy she can develop growing pains in her joints. I would reserve mega calorie foods for more adult dogs, never healthy growing puppies.