Supplements and Table Scraps
Most vets recommend that you do not feed puppies under a year any supplements other than vitamin C unless specifically recommended or prescribed by your vet. Most vets feel that if you feed your boxer a high-quality dog food, he will receive all his vitamins that way. Other vets are beginning to carry vitamin/mineral formulas. Supplements such as glucosamine/chondroitin, MSM (methylsulfonylmethane, the body), and mussel-shell capsules are often recommended for older, arthritic dogs, for instance.
It is generally not advised to overdose puppies on vitamins and minerals because it can cause bone overgrowth diseases like panosteitis. You are best off using supplements recommended by your vet or checking to see if she recommends anything at all. Do not just randomly supplement your puppy's food.
Most vets discourage owners from offering table scraps to their dogs. Most people think that they are doing their dogs a favor by giving them fat or other treats, but this is not a good idea. Many boxers are prone to pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), which is very painful and can be life-threatening to your boxer, and concentrated cooked fat often causes the pancreas to become inflamed.
Furthermore, by giving table scraps, you could be creating a weight problem for your boxer. This won't be much of an issue while your boxer is a puppy, but it might become one as your boxer gets older. Under no circumstances should you let your boxer get fat. Many people love to indulge their boxers, but between bouts of pancreatitis, colitis, and the strain on your boxer's heart and joints from carrying excess weight, all you are doing by encouraging your boxer to be fat is shortening his or her life span. This is an active, naturally athletic, vigorous breed that should never be allowed to become overweight.
Cooked bones become brittle and splinter. They can cause choking if they get stuck in your boxer's throat or mouth. If a broken bone lodges in your boxer's intestines, it may cause perforation, a serious condition that requires immediate veterinary care. Uncooked bones, such as chicken necks, wings, or backs, are much softer, and dogs can crunch them down and eat them safely. These are a good natural source of calcium.
