Normal Boxer Weight??

Question
Hello, I just got a boxer from a friend and I am a little concerned about her weight. She turned 1 yr old on 12-6-08 and currently weighs about 32lbs. Is she underweight or not and if so, what can I do to help her. Thanks for your time.

Answer
It's hard to determine correct weight without actually seeing the dog, but 32 lbs. does seem very light for a year-old Boxer.  However, she may just be smaller than average.  It's  better to go by her condition - you should be able to just see the outline of the last 2-3 ribs, and when you feel her ribcage, it should feel like the back of your hand.  If her hips or spine are prominent, she's too thin.  Being a little lean is better than being a little heavy, but you don't want her to be too skinny.  If she does need to add weight, you can increase her food and add some healthy extras to her meals like cottage cheese, hamburger, fish oil, etc. to give her some extra calories and help her put on weight.  You want to give these in moderation, of course - too much at once can trigger a digestive upset or pancreatitis.  If she's not on a high-quality food already, slowly switching her over might be a good idea - the fewer fillers and 'junk' in a food, the more nutrition the dog gets from it.  A good site for evaluating foods is www.dogfoodanalysis.com

Good luck!!