My Puppy Won't Eat!
Hi!
I have him on Castor & Pullox's Natural Ultramix puppy food. I combined his old food with the new food for about 9 days - until I ran out of the old (he didn't really eat then, either). I have been mixing the food with water/chicken broth for about six days (per some suggestions on this site) and he has increased his eating a bit. He eats at 7am and 7pm, mostly because the breeder only fed him twice a day and the vet said to stick to it. I don't know if it would affect his eating - but he doesn't have worms, as I have been checking each time he goes to the bathroom.
I think its mostly that he is very easily distracted, but I am worried because I can tell he has lost a little weight since he has been with us. He isn't sluggish or anything, though. Still a bundle of energy!
Thanks for any advice.
Rachel
I have him on Castor & Pullox's Natural Ultramix puppy food. I combined his old food with the new food for about 9 days - until I ran out of the old (he didn't really eat then, either). I have been mixing the food with water/chicken broth for about six days (per some suggestions on this site) and he has increased his eating a bit. He eats at 7am and 7pm, mostly because the breeder only fed him twice a day and the vet said to stick to it. I don't know if it would affect his eating - but he doesn't have worms, as I have been checking each time he goes to the bathroom.
I think its mostly that he is very easily distracted, but I am worried because I can tell he has lost a little weight since he has been with us. He isn't sluggish or anything, though. Still a bundle of energy!
Thanks for any advice.
Rachel
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Sam Tsang on
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Sometimes you need to trust your dog as well, if he is not eating it about 9 days, there is a possibility that the bag is bad and is making him not comfortable. You can take your remaining bag back to the store for a credit or exchange. Let us know how it goes!
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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on
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How old is he? If he is teething he may be having a problem with the food being too hard. I just had this with my pup at around 3+ months. I would check her mouth ...if it is this I just warmed the water and put the food in and let it soak up...she ate fine when the food was soft! He is also growing so he may look thinner but not be, you might want to weigh him if you think he is loosing weight. Good Luck!
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Permalink Reply by Carla on
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If it's just distraction that's causing him to eat very little, you could try feeding him in his crate or a quiet area with little going on (like a bathroom or something).
When Casey was young, she was fed 3 times a day for her first few months and she would never finish what was put in the bowl. At some meals she would just grab a mouthful and then wander off and not eat any more until the next meal (her bowl was picked up after 15 minutes regardless of how much she ate). There was just better stuff going on that she would rather do and see. We tried to avoid walking around or doing anything "interesting" while she ate to encourage her for the first while. My husband and I would sit at the kitchen table and read flyers while her food was down so she didn't feel the need to leave the room and see what we were up to, or try to come play with us.
Now, at 11 months, not eating all her food is a foggy memory, lol. She races over the second she hears the sound of kibble and doesn't take her eye off the bowl until she's cleaned it out.
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I would also add, in terms of being distracted, that he might eat more if you use the kibble as training treats, and feed him his supper through training. He might be more interested in the food if he's working for it, and then he's doing something/engaged while eating and probably less inclined towards distractions (because he has to concentrate).
Obviously at that young age, he won't be able to concentrate for very long, but just small sessions might instill more interest in the food than before.
But definatley, as Sam says, trust the pup. Maybe he just feels he's had enough.
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Permalink Reply by Rachel & Baxter on
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He is about 14 weeks. I will try warming the food. I also thought about feeding him in his crate so I will give it a try. He does seem to eat better when I sit next to his bowl and eats less when I am moving around making coffee, etc. If none of these things work then I will definitely return the food. Thanks!
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Permalink Reply by Monica, Orion, and Laika on
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If you are only feeding him twice a day maybe try free feeding? As puppies free-feeding is totally healthy, they'll typically eat as much as they should. Once your dog gets to about 9 months or after he's neutered is usually when you should begin to limit intake to prevent them getting overweight but pups tend to monitor themselves well. If the problem persists I would consider taking him to the vet for a fecal analysis to see if there's any intestinal parasites causing him issues. Is he having normal looking, firm stool?
It could also be the food. I've never heard of a picky corgi but there are definitely dogs out there that are very picky eaters and only prefer certain foods. My brother's aussie is VERY picky. There are only certain foods and treats he'll eat, he also only likes his kibble with a touch of olive oil on it. (spoiled much?)
I know one way to get a kitten/puppy to eat if they are sick is to find the smelliest food you can and mix that with their kibble. Warming it up also makes it stink more so that helps. Sometimes if my foster kittens are sick and refuse to eat I give them baby food and they'll eat it, but be sure to check the ingredients before purchasing something like baby food. Lots of baby foods have onion powder which isn't good for dogs.
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Just a note on free-feeding: it has the possibility of making housebreaking more difficult. Unless you are paying close attention to the pup, constant access to food can also mean irregular bathroom needs. At 14 weeks, he doesn't have much by way of bladder/bowel control and when he's gotta go, he's gonna go. He also probably doesn't have a very good grasp on the concept of bathroom=outside; holding it=inside, and likely also doesn't have a clear understanding of the need to "tell you" that he needs to go outside. Regular feeding schedules can help create a routine for the pup, and give you a better sense of when he typically will have to go to the bathroom, which in turn will make housebreaking much easier for you.
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Oh yes, I totally forgot to mention that. I free feed Orion but there's always someone at least in the room with him so potty training was pretty easy for me. I had a long conversation with the veterinarians I work for and Orion's breeder which lead me to wanting to free feed but What works for some doesn't work for others. But yes, that's very true, with free feeding you do have to keep and eye on your dog a lot more. Orion will decide to eat and I'll hear him crunching for a few minutes and I know to take him out so we rarely ever have accidents now that he is 13 weeks. He was also crate trained so he learned how to hold it at night when he was in his crate 6-8 hours. If keeping an eye on your pup that much isn't a possibility and you have house training issues with that method I'd suggest keeping the food in his crate and putting him in there to eat.
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Permalink Reply by Jessica on
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Just as an aside, I started Murphy on the Ultramix food too and I can tell that it won't be his favorite food by a long shot. I'm feeding twice a day and there's always a little bit left in the bowl... :-D I'm planning on switching to something else for him once the bag is gone.
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For the past three meals I have warmed his food (which, unfortunately, creates a pungent smell that kind of makes me gag...) and fed him in his crate and he has already been eating much more than he was before! I am not sure which part is really helping, so I will probably continue to do both. I have a feeling this will not be his favorite food, either. Funny how things that sound good to humans ("real pieces of fruits and vegetables") are not attractive to pups!
Thanks for the suggestions.
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Good for him...I am still heating Sage's food also...seems like her teeth still are bothering her...maybe the smell helps also????
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