Food Again

Food seems to be the subject of the month so here goes. Max isn't eating all his food. I'm getting a little worried. He'll eat treats no problem but only a little of his regular food. He is on Blue Buffalo puppy. and he gets about 3/4 a cup 2a day. He's almost 4 mo and only weighs 8.8.suggestions?

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Permalink Reply by Cindi on December 13, 2008 at 9:24pm

Stop the treats. Cold turkey. None. He only gets his kibble. Are you leaving the bowl down or timing it? Put the bowl down for 20 minutes. At the end of 20 minutes, pick it up. He gets nothing else until it's feeding time again. Put the bowl down for 20 minutes and pick it up again. Period. No excuses.

I know it sounds harsh, but it's not. Gotta think like a dog! :-) So...no more treats. Only kibble. And on a timer.

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Permalink Reply by Renee on December 14, 2008 at 7:25am

He only gets treats when I'm doing traing. Ishould have made that cleear. And we do pick his bowl up after about 15min.

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Permalink Reply by Cindi on December 14, 2008 at 9:10am

Hi Renee,

Good! I'm glad to hear that. Those are usually the two most popular issues. So you're right on target! So...he may not be hungry enough for all of his food. Is he a good weight/size? Or is he underweight? You mention he's 4 mo and just under 9 lbs. Silly ? but is he a mini? Maddie is exceptionally small and bred down for size. Most think she's a 6 mo. old puppy and not almost 2. Also, depending on where you are, if it's warm dogs may not eat nearly as much as in cooler months. I know here we've had a couple of cool days where the kids ate more, but for the most part it's warm in south AL and their food eating can vary. If it's sporadic and his weight and stools are okay, could just be a hiccup. But if he regularly doesn't eat, he may just not like the food. Believe it or not, I have a number of clients whose dogs don't care for the small kibble in Blue Buff.

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Permalink Reply by Carmen on December 14, 2008 at 2:17pm

At that age, our pups only got about a 1/2 cup twice a day. They didn't always finish it. Pandora went through a no eating stage. She was a little older than Max is, but it can happen. She wouldn't touch her food at all. She still survived though and now eats all her food.

Is he teething? If he is, try wetting his food with warm water to soften it. Teething could make him not want to eat.

It is a little frustrating when they won't eat. Good luck.