Why is my puppy not eating what she's supposed to??

Question

I got a Jack russel terrier for christmas and she is 9 weeks old. She has been to the vet, and has recieved all of her shots. Our vet told us to feed her Iams Puppy Chow, so that she maintains a helathy life. So we bought the Iams and on the side of the bag it says to feed 3 lb. puppies 1 cup a day, but to split that cup between the amount of times you feed them. Well we feed her twice a day ( once at 4 a.m. so that she has enough time to go to the bathroom before i leave for school at 7 a.m.,, and at 3:30 p.m. which is the time that i get home from school) so i feed her a 1/2 a cup both of those times. Now she is a very energetic puppy and she loves to play and run around and snuggle up on you chest at night so its not like she's sick. But when i feed her in the morning and the afternoon she's not eating the full 1/2 cup either of the times. the vet also told me to give her 15 mins. to let her finish but she still doesn't eat it.she eats 1/2 of the 1/2 cup.does anyone know why?thanks

Answer 1

She's not eating the whole amount because she doesn't need it. Bags give guidelines only. EAch puppy is different. Monitor her weight and you'll see that she's gaining appropriately. By the way, if you feed her a puppy food thats actually GOOD QUALITY, she'll need to eat less. Iams is not good quality, nor is anything the vet sells or recommends. (Everything is full of fillers/grains/indigestible ingredients)
Research brands like Natural Balance, Nutro, Innova, Solid Gold etc. and see how much better your JRT can be!

Answer 2

One possibility, she may not like the food. There are other puppy food. Iams, though is a good brand and my very picky dogs will ONLY eat Iams (sheesh).

Now here is a pre-warning to what I'm about to say: Once you do this, you may be stuck doing it for life ;-)

You add certain things to the food, not only for taste to help her eat it, but for her health benefits too.
Things like:
- over-cooked rice (mmm best cooked in some chicken broth)
- peanut butter
- spraying some pam on
- ground beef
- ground turkey
- boneless chicken
- plain yogurt

These all add flavor and health benefits to the food. Do some research on it and 1. make sure they are Ok for puppies (my dogs are grownn) and 2. find out what health benefits it has (hint: yogurt cuts back on gas! :-) and 3. how much to feed her.

Also, she may just want to take her sweet time ... some dogs over-eat and will actually eat themselves "to death", but it sounds like your are lucky and don't have that problem! Consider putting the remainder of the food in her crate with her (or wherever she is during the day) and see if she eats it over the course of the day. Maybe her little tummy just isn't big enough yet! She is a girl, and girls generally eat less then males.

AND (I know, I talk a lot) my sister has a 5 month old puppy right now and his eating DOUBLED when he was about 12 weeks old. He went from eating so little we were worried like you (we added Pam spray and yogurt and he loves them by the way) to eating SO MUCH we were worried :-) Maybe she hasn't had her growth spert yet!

Since she IS eating some and is healthy, nothing to panic about yet!

Answer 3

I just got a chihuahua for christmas and was told to feed her 1/4 cup 3x a day. It seems like she doesnt eat enough either...but she too has a bunch of energy. I was also given a tube of Nutri-Cal. It looks like a toothpaste tube with a thick dark "gel" that I also give to her 5x a day. It is just a nutrient supplement in case she isnt getting enough nutrients for her food. She loves the stuff and I feel a bit better about her if she doesnt eat all her food. If your puppy seems healthy and energetic, I would not worry too much. My puppy was just over a pound when I got her and a week and a half later, she weighed in at 2 pounds....obviously she is growing despite not finishing her food. Maybe your puppy's tummy is just too tiny for more food right now. Try the nutri-Cal if you are concerned...most pet stores carry it. Good Luck....and have fun:)

Answer 4

If you are feeding grain free kibble, the protein content is not an issue. We now know that it is CALCIUM/PHOSPHOROUS levels that affect bone growth, as well as fat and calorie content, not protein as was origonally believed. Protein builds muscle mass. There are only a few puppy foods on market that are suitable for a growing GD pup, which have already been mentioned. Innova large breed puppy is one, but due to the issues going on right now with Natura, I wouldn't recommend going with that. A high quality grain free kibble that is within the range of calcium and fat is perfectly fine for a dane pup. Taste of the wild IS one of those and is widely used in by GD owners and breeders around the globe. HOWEVER...if you are going with a GRAIN INCLUSIVE food, then yes, we want to watch those protein amounts. It's confusing and hard to explain but basically it boils down to this: Protein that comes from real meat sources is utilized and digested properly by dogs. Protein that comes from grains, fillers, bi products, especially that found in lower quality brands, is NOT utilized the same way. Dogs are carnivores. They do not need grains. While there are some pretty high quality grain inclusive brands out there right now that are just fine for a Great Dane, a good Grain Free kibble is always going to be the better choice. Just be careful of those calcium and fat levels until the age of two.

Answer 5

The chart on the bag is only a guideline. Some dogs will eat that much, some less, some more. As long as your puppy is maintaining a nice even weight not ot fat or thin, has good energy and normal stools, no vomiting, etc I wouldn't worry.

Answer 6

She is a small breed. The time at which you feed her may have something to do with it her not wanting so much. 4am is rather early. However, I wouldn't worry about it too much. It's when she's not eating at all is when to worry. The best way to see if there might be something wrong is to check her stools. Firm? She's fine Loose? Off to the vet...

Answer 7

it might be that because she is so young that she doesn't need a whole 1/2 of a cup. it should be fine, but you should call your vet to make sure. puppies tummies are very tiny and she just might be getting full before she eats the entire amount you are giving her.

Answer 8

I have a chihuahua puppy who is 3 months old. he doesn't always eat a lot of food. hes still pretty small, when hes hungry he'll eat it. like others have said, the bag is only a guideline, if hes only l9 weeks old, he doesn't have a big stomach, and will eat til hes full. as long as his ribs aren't showing but you can still feel each individual rib, hes getting enough food. its when his ribs start to show that you should up his portion. but if he looks good and gaining weight, i would worry about it, its when he doesn't eat is when you should start to worry.