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Hey, New to the forum, Just wanted to introduce Loki!

LOKI-EFC

Well-Known Member
Hey Everyone,

I just signed up to the forum and thought I would introduce my new bullmastiff pup, her name is Loki, she is 8 weeks old.

A little bit about Loki, she's 8 weeks old and has her first vet check up and vaccinations in 2 weeks time.

I believe she may be underweight, at 8 weeks she only weighs 8.4lbs and she was the pick up the litter, and stands 9 1/2 inches from front toe to shoulder.

I seen both of her parents and they where huge bigger than most pictures I have found online typical of the bullmastiff breed, and she was the largest pup out of the litter.

I believe her weight issues are down to the food she had been given so I will be transitioning her onto high quality large breed puppy food.

I noticed the bullmastiff weight chart thread so will post in there regularly, please let me know if you think she is underweight it would be good to get a second opinion.

She seems pretty intelligent, I have taught her the sit command in half a day without the use of treats and seems eager to please.

That's all for now folks, let me know what you think.
 

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Loverboy Skyline

Well-Known Member
The best predictor of size is the parents and the grandparents. Look at human babies. Is a 15 pounds baby always going to be bigger than a 7 pound baby? My male BM puppy was only 11.5 pounds at 8 wks. When I took him to the vet last week he was 87 pounds at 6.5 months and I keep him lean. His dad weighed 130 (lean and muscular) and his mom was 125 (could maybe lose a few pounds but not fat). When I look at the weight charts he's on track to be as big as his parents. I've been experimenting with different high quality kibbles also. So far I got the best results with Acana and Fromm. I rotate between the different flavors of both brands.
 

LOKI-EFC

Well-Known Member
Hey Lover boy Skyline, thanks for the reply, yes, I suppose that makes a lot of sense, I was just concerned she may not have been on track due to the weight chart thread.

I am going to experiment with different foods also it seems to be a mine field selecting the correct food, virtually impossible to find a large breed puppy food that is grain and poultry free where I live so I have decided to give chicken a go to see how my puppy reacts.

I will be recording her growth weekly so time will tell if she will live up to her genetic potential.
 

Loverboy Skyline

Well-Known Member
Hey Lover boy Skyline, thanks for the reply, yes, I suppose that makes a lot of sense, I was just concerned she may not have been on track due to the weight chart thread.

I am going to experiment with different foods also it seems to be a mine field selecting the correct food, virtually impossible to find a large breed puppy food that is grain and poultry free where I live so I have decided to give chicken a go to see how my puppy reacts.

I will be recording her growth weekly so time will tell if she will live up to her genetic potential.
Personally, I think puppy food is marketing ploy. It usually has about 2% more protein than the adult version of the same food and that's the only difference. I can show you an adult food with 38% protein and a puppy food with 26% protein. Large breed puppy food has to meet the AAFCO requirements for growing puppies for calcium and phosphorous. Every adult high quality kibble I researched is within that range also, so I really don't care if it's puppy or adult food. I look for high quality ingredients that are fit for human consumption.
 

LOKI-EFC

Well-Known Member
Hmmm that's very interesting to know, out of interest do you know what the recommended protein, calcium levels are, etc. It would be handy to know so I can have a deeper look at the adult range.
 

Loverboy Skyline

Well-Known Member
Hmmm that's very interesting to know, out of interest do you know what the recommended protein, calcium levels are, etc. It would be handy to know so I can have a deeper look at the adult range.
You can use this online calculator:
https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/calcium-content-analyzer

The product websites usually give you all the numbers you need. I'll give 2 examples. Here is an All Life Stage product from Acana. If you enter the numbers you'll see it's within the acceptance range:
https://acana.com/en_US/for-dogs-1/feast-formula/ds-aca-feast.html

Here is a product from Fromm:
https://frommfamily.com/products/dog/gold/dry/#adult-gold
This product actually has wording to tell you that: "Fromm Family Adult Gold Food for Dogs is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for growth and maintenance, including growth of large size dogs (70 lb. or more as an adult)."
 

LOKI-EFC

Well-Known Member
Hey, thought I would post an update on the puppys progress, she has gained 3 pounds since last Thursday and she seemes to be being picky with food and was often only eating little bits and a time, although today I managed to get her to have a full portion. I was suspicious she may have worms and thats why she had no appetite and may have Ben's underweight so acquired some worming tablets immediately, low and behold 6 hours laters she's pooped out 2 Large round worms, I have posted a picture here for identification and an update picture of puppy.
 

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Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
Beautiful baby you have! I'd take a poo sample to the vet and let them know what wormer you used. Make sure it takes care of everything that may be in there. Not all wormers kill all worms.
 

LOKI-EFC

Well-Known Member
Beautiful baby you have! I'd take a poo sample to the vet and let them know what wormer you used. Make sure it takes care of everything that may be in there. Not all wormers kill all worms.

Hey, boxer girl thanks for that, I will definitely do that as I see the vet next week, the wormer I administered says it takes care of tapeworm, roundworms, hookworm and whipworms, but I will be sure to find out if there is further steps I must take.
 

LOKI-EFC

Well-Known Member
Thought I would post an update,

8 weeks old - 8.4lbs
9 weeks old - 11.4
Current weight -12.6

Looking for some advice with feeding, Loki hates dry food just plain refuses to eat it even when mixed with wet food she was eating before I had acquired her, she will eat the wet food and leave the dry stufd.

I have tried to mix with warm water, gravy, and still she wiLl not eat it.

She will eat wet food but the wet food is no where near enough complete and although very slowly gaining weight she only weighs 12.6 pounds a couple of days short of being 10 weeks old, her ribs are visible by sight and touch and its becoming that she may never take to dry food, she shows no signs of any illness that would cause her to be underweight and is full of energy.

On another note I have noticed some white/yellow discharge and think she may have some form of uti, I have an appointment with the vet on Friday thankfully so will know if anything is wrong then.

Any advice on fussy eating mastiff puppys would be great, thanks.
 

Elizabeth Balcomb

Well-Known Member
It's always so worrying when ones dogs aren't tbe picture of health.. I feel for you. ! Are you trying a high quality kibble?
I feed my dogs (a cane corso and italian greyhound) a raw food diet. I can guarantee your little one would tuck in. There is a lot of stuff on tbe net and you may find somewhere which can tell you exactly what to give and how much, but I would recommend meeting with a specialist, a homeopathic vet, or a vet who is open to these ideas. Could be the best thing for her that you listen to her instincts about kibbles.
Many vaccines have mercury in them, many dewormers too, some kibbles, and candida can be an indication of mercury build up. I truly believe some things, like this eating preference and candida should be addressed holistically, and if possible by a holistic vet. But this is my background, and how I've raised my child and how we as a family function, I extend it to my animals too.. food is medicine.. for all of us... just my opinion..
 

Loverboy Skyline

Well-Known Member
It's always so worrying when ones dogs aren't tbe picture of health.. I feel for you. ! Are you trying a high quality kibble?
I feed my dogs (a cane corso and italian greyhound) a raw food diet. I can guarantee your little one would tuck in. There is a lot of stuff on tbe net and you may find somewhere which can tell you exactly what to give and how much, but I would recommend meeting with a specialist, a homeopathic vet, or a vet who is open to these ideas. Could be the best thing for her that you listen to her instincts about kibbles.
Many vaccines have mercury in them, many dewormers too, some kibbles, and candida can be an indication of mercury build up. I truly believe some things, like this eating preference and candida should be addressed holistically, and if possible by a holistic vet. But this is my background, and how I've raised my child and how we as a family function, I extend it to my animals too.. food is medicine.. for all of us... just my opinion..
I agree with everything here. My American Bulldog died because of his last vaccine. His immune system attacked his blood cells. Now I go to a holistic vet. She gets blood samples from my dog and send them out for titer testing. If he has the antibodies, he doesn't get the shots. He gets rabies shots because the state requires it, but for all other shots he will only get them if titers test negative. He hasn't had problems with worms, but for prevention he is taking safe non-drug holistic treatments. My vet highly recommends raw diets, but for a Bullmastiff I don't have the time or money for that, so I feed him very high quality kibbles that are only made with human grade ingredients. My dog so far has been very healthy, and I'm confident that I'm doing the best for him.
 

LOKI-EFC

Well-Known Member
Thought I'd post another update as she is 10 weeks old today, she now seems to be eating more when I mix 3/4 cup of dry food with half tray of wet food, so starting to steadily gain weight.

8 weeks old - 8.4lbs
9 weeks old - 11.4
10 weeks old -14.4

She went to the vets today and they said she seems healthy although a little underweight but not massively so nothing to worry about it sounds like she may just be a picky eater, she also said she was big for a puppy of 10 weeks.

Suspected there is a slight case of vaginitis so urine test is pending.

I may try Loki on a raw diet when she is older but if possible I would like to stay away from raw for now, I am feeding her good quality kibble that matches the correct protein and calcium requirements.
 

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Loverboy Skyline

Well-Known Member
Thought I'd post another update as she is 10 weeks old today, she now seems to be eating more when I mix 3/4 cup of dry food with half tray of wet food, so starting to steadily gain weight.

8 weeks old - 8.4lbs
9 weeks old - 11.4
10 weeks old -14.4

She went to the vets today and they said she seems healthy although a little underweight but not massively so nothing to worry about it sounds like she may just be a picky eater, she also said she was big for a puppy of 10 weeks.

Suspected there is a slight case of vaginitis so urine test is pending.

I may try Loki on a raw diet when she is older but if possible I would like to stay away from raw for now, I am feeding her good quality kibble that matches the correct protein and calcium requirements.
Just based on the weights I think she's doing fine. 3 pounds a week is a lot. My male BM was 11.5 pounds at 8 wks and 3 pounds a week was how fast he grew for the next 2 months. Recently at the vet he weighed 87 pounds at 6.5 month and when I look at the BM growth charts he's exactly where I want him. Your girl is only 3 pounds behind him and growing at the same rate.
 

LOKI-EFC

Well-Known Member
Hey, little update for everyone.

8 weeks old - 8.4 lb
9 weeks old - 11.4 lb
10 weeks old -14.4 lb
11 weeks old - 17.2 lb

Loki seems to maintaining a healthy weight increase and is growing fast, very nippy at the moment, training going well so far.
 

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Dstack

Well-Known Member
Hey, little update for everyone.

8 weeks old - 8.4 lb
9 weeks old - 11.4 lb
10 weeks old -14.4 lb
11 weeks old - 17.2 lb

Loki seems to maintaining a healthy weight increase and is growing fast, very nippy at the moment, training going well so far.
Loki is adorable and she sure is getting big! Our Boerboel nipped terribly during the teething process. The backs of my hands and wrists were so cut up from those little razor sharp teeth. Redirecting with toys etc really helped. She’s almost 7 months now and we have entered the “ addiction to toilet paper rolls”. Always something. Puppy hood is exhausting but so worth it. Can’t wait to see more pics of Loki! What a cutie patootie!
 

Dstack

Well-Known Member
Loki is adorable and she sure is getting big! Our Boerboel nipped terribly during the teething process. The backs of my hands and wrists were so cut up from those little razor sharp teeth. Redirecting with toys etc really helped. She’s almost 7 months now and we have entered the “ addiction to toilet paper rolls”. Always something. Puppy hood is exhausting but so worth it. Can’t wait to see more pics of Loki! What a cutie patootie!
Pics of a few of Daisy’s obsession. Toilet paper! I have know idea why haven’t tossed these out. It’s not like we can use them. Ugh!
 

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LOKI-EFC

Well-Known Member
Loki is adorable and she sure is getting big! Our Boerboel nipped terribly during the teething process. The backs of my hands and wrists were so cut up from those little razor sharp teeth. Redirecting with toys etc really helped. She’s almost 7 months now and we have entered the “ addiction to toilet paper rolls”. Always something. Puppy hood is exhausting but so worth it. Can’t wait to see more pics of Loki! What a cutie patootie!

Hey thanks so much D-stack, yes I'm the same arms and legs are cut to bits she gets real over excited if I try and say ouch and if anything bites harder so as you said I am sticking to the redirection technique and hopefully it will pay off sooner rather than later, already 2 t shirts down .

Out of all the toys puppies have and they choose things to play with the likes of toilet rolls haha.

How have you found the temperament of your boerboel? Temperament was one of the reasons I chose bullmastiff over boerboel but I'm already debating whether to get a male bm or male bb in the not so distant future, to pair with loki.
 

Loverboy Skyline

Well-Known Member
Hey thanks so much D-stack, yes I'm the same arms and legs are cut to bits she gets real over excited if I try and say ouch and if anything bites harder so as you said I am sticking to the redirection technique and hopefully it will pay off sooner rather than later, already 2 t shirts down .

Out of all the toys puppies have and they choose things to play with the likes of toilet rolls haha.

How have you found the temperament of your boerboel? Temperament was one of the reasons I chose bullmastiff over boerboel but I'm already debating whether to get a male bm or male bb in the not so distant future, to pair with loki.
I also chose a Bullmastiff over a Boerboel. I have experience with large guard breeds but my wife doesn't and she has to get along with him. It just so happens my male puppy turned out to be super nippy and dominant. He was constantly nipping us and his teeth were really sharp. He was also destructive around the house. My American Bulldog was super easy compared to this guy. Luckily he's 7 months old now and getting better, enough that it's tolerable at least. So give it time. Still, I'm glad I chose a Bullmastiff. I don't have a big yard and I don't have time for anything more than a 1-2 mile walk on a daily basis. Still, my wife complains that he's too rambunctious. I imagine it would probably be worse with a Boerboel. I heard they should have a lot of open space to roam.
 

Dstack

Well-Known Member
Our Boerboel will be 7 Months old on the 14th. Her temperament (so far) has been very laid back. We walk/trot twice a day with lots of toy play and training throughout and she is content. She loves lounging on the porch and can be quite lazy and a bit stubborn. It takes her FOREVER to get out of her bed in the mornings and she does it in her own time. This is a bit annoying if we are in a rush. She does not like to be alone. Ever. Definitely Velcro. Her guard instinct is mostly in the back yard when she hears neighbors or other animals but otherwise is very sweet with the kids and all their friends who are forever coming in and out all day/evening. Walking on leash at the beach or in town is great fun for her. She makes friends very easily but tends to be cautious with other animals. I think it’s a leash thing tho. Off leash, she is much more at ease when socializing with dogs. Each dog is different. Our girl is sweet, curious and loyal but she is still young and I imagine we’ll see some changes as she matured. We’ll continue to socialize her and take her everywhere possible. I’m still trying to get used to the drool. Happy Friday!