Female Boxer Heat/Gas

Question
Hello Patti,

I have recently purchased a female Boxer puppy that is 6 months old.  I have never owned this breed of dog, and would like to know what is the average age in which they go into heat?  I have also noticed that she passes alot of gas.  I feed her Pedigree for Puppies, should I change what I feed her or is the gas normal for her age?

Answer
Hi Blanca,

Most dogs (no matter the breed) begin their heat cycles anytime from 6 months of age, to 12 months of age. Since a female dog can have some significant health benefits from being spayed before the onset of her first heat cycle, now is the time to spay your dog!

Excess gas isn't "normal" for dogs at any age. It could be a reaction to the food you're feeding, though if your puppy eats very quickly, the gas can be due to her swallowing too much air when she eats. You can try either scattering the food on the floor so she takes more time eating, or you can put a large (clean) rock or a soft ball in her food bowl. Whatever object you use, it should be too large for your dog to swallow! The point of this is, the object will slow down your puppy's eating, she will need to work around the object that's in her bowl. There are also special bowls made for this purpose, such as this one:

http://www.brake-fast.net

If you think the culprit is your puppy's food, look for a diet that has a named source of meat (such as chicken, beef, pork) as the first ingredient listed on the package, rather than using a food who's main ingredient is a grain. You probably won't find these premium dog/puppy foods at a supermarket, you'd need to go to a larger pet store, like Petsmart.  A couple of really good brands to consider are:  Wellness Super5Mix Just for Puppy,  Blue Buffalo Puppy Food,   Royal Canin Puppy food, and Eagle Pack Dry Puppy Food. Though more expensive than the supermarket brands, you probably will need to feed less of a quality dog and puppy food because they're more nutritionally dense. If you decide to switch your puppy's food, do so gradually over a period of about 5 days. Changing a dog or puppy's food too quickly can cause an upset stomach or diarrhea.

I hope I've been a help.
Best of luck,

Patti