My 10 week old puppy has started not to eat his 3rd meal of the day?

Question

We feed him in the morning, at lunchtime and again at 9pm. For the last 3 nights he has left his last meal. He isnt ill, he still bounces around and eats all of his other meals. Is it too early to reduce his meals to 2 bigger ones and leave out the last meal? He is a chocolate labrador so usually eats anything in sight!

Answer 1

My pup did the same and vet said to give two larger meals so that he gets the same amount of food (if he wants it!) but in 2 goes. (It is actually a good sign if he doesnt eat it ifhe is not hungry as labs are notoriously greedy and can easily end up overweight!)
Enjoy your pup!

Answer 2

Dogs dont neef feeding 3 times a day. Twice is plenty. Once in the morning and once about tea time 5 pmish. Some people only feed dogs once a day. Just cut out the last meal.

Answer 3

Learn to read the language your dog is using to communicate with you.
By leaving his 3rd meal, he's telling you that it's too much for him.

It's also a good idea not to have regular mealtimes for your dogs. They wouldn't have regular mealtimes in the wild, and it helps to keep their minds active if the feeding time varies a little each day.

Try leaving a bowl of dry food out for him all day.
If he's peckish he can go and nibble at it.
He won't over-eat, as dogs are not like humans and goldfish. They won't eat until they explode. When they're full, they will simply walk away from their bowl and have a sleep or bark at a fly in next doors garden.

Answer 4

try cutting down the amount of feed that you feed him at the other 2 meals and put the extra in the 3rd meal. if he still does not want to eat the last meal then cut out the lunch meal and feed him morning and everning

Answer 5

I would not worry about it he might not need it..as long as he is eating his other meals he is OK. Try splitting the food as others suggested into 2 feedings a day.

Answer 6

You could try to cut his food down to smaller portions, and if you are going to cut out a meal it should be the dinner time one not evening meal. imagine going from dinnertime til breakfast the next day. but at 10 weeks old he should be on 3/4 meals a day. try different foods, such as scrambled egg and dry toast for breakfast (or weetabix/porridge with water never cows milk) then for dinner some meat (chicken/pet mince) then for tea time meat and dry dog biccies. (complete dog food)
also give lamb bones as this will help keep his teeth tip top, and strengthen his jaw muscles, and helps with teething. he will chew the bones rather than your favourite pair of shoes etc. good luck.

Answer 7

From my experiance, animals will eat when they are hungry. My sister-in-law got a puppy not long ago and the vet told her to leave a little food in the bowl and let her eat when she wanted, not on a schedule. I've had a few dogs myself and they would eat when they were hungry, even if we put the food in their bowl an hour before.

Answer 8

lol ive just got a yellow lab , i think 9 pm is too late i give mine last feed at about 7 that means less poops during night ,(sorry i mean hopefully his last poop is before you go to bed when he has been taken out )Have you a cage for him ive had one night he went to toilet and since then no accidents at all in house)
try early morning and lunch and after you have your dinner
mine is only 10 weeks and already knows the fridge can hold treats and sits waiting for food everytime i open it.

Answer 9

reduce him to two meals and see how he goes on. He reduced it himself by not eating it, better underfed than overfed especially with Labradors. Feed him morning and evening around 6pm or 7.

Answer 10

just cut him back to 2 meals a day, he obviously isnt needing the last feed;)