My Boxer puppy is a little skinny...

Question
We just got a new boxer puppy Maverick, he is 10weeks and he weighs 18lbs. We got him from a breeder, which we got all papers and vet papers on him. It said he had coccidia and had his shots, etc! He very active, and seems like nothing is wrong, but we worry because he is a little thin and he eats like he is starving. Is 18lbs right for his age? Should we worry about any other health issues? Pls help!

Answer
Hi Emalita,

It sounds like he's at a fine weight - in fact mine are usually not 18 lbs. until about 12 weeks or so.  Boxer puppies all grow at different rates, so it's difficult to say exactly where he should be - but a little thin is far better for him than a little fat.  He will go through some growth phases where he looks like a walking skeleton, and some where it looks like his skin is falling off of him - these are typical of Boxer puppies, and as long as they don't last more than a week or two, and his hips and spine don't become excessively prominent (and, of course, he's acting fine, eating well, eliminating normally, etc.), then he's right where he should be. :)

I've only met one Boxer in my life that wasn't *extremely* interested in food - most of them do seem to eat is if they haven't had food in a week and expect it to be taken away within a few seconds!  You don't want him to eat too quickly, though - aside from increasing his choking/asphyxiation risk, it also increases the risk of bloat.  If he's really scarfing down his food, you can put a large rock, ball, or soup can (unopened, without the label) in his bowl (large enough that he can't possibly swallow it, and he has to move it around to get to his food), or put his food on a cookie sheet rather than in a bowl - either will slow down his speed of eating.

As far as other health issues, just keep an eye on him and watch for lethargy, vomiting or diarrhea that last more than a day, fever, etc.  There are some genetic conditions common in Boxers - most are later-onset so not something you'd necessarily need to watch for right now, but some may develop early on.  More information on those are here:
http://www.americanboxerclub.org/genetic_diseases.html
http://www.americanboxerclub.org/health-screening.html

Good luck!!