My almost 4 month old puppy appetite has changed?

Question

Instead of chowing down on is food really quickly, he's eating over an hour or so. The only reason it concerns me is that last week he had some diaherra and threw up once. I figured it was just something he ate. Then yesterday his diaherra came back. I'm taking him to the vet on Friday...Should I hurry up and take him in sooner? He's a border collie/pit bull. 20 lbs. I feed him purina one puppy 2 cups a day. no human but I have been giving him some rice along with his pup chow for the diaherra. hes acting normal.

hes had his first 3 shots. because hes gonna grow to be a lot bigger hes getting an additional parvo shot

no changes in food

hes been on purina since the beginng. everyone got their own pet food preference. so far hes done very well on purina one i believe

Answer 1

If he has all his vaccines, wait 'till Friday to take him.
If he hasn't had all the vaccines (3 doses of the 6 in 1 shot), take him to the vet as soon as you can.
Make sure he has lots of water available.

Answer 2

There is no single best food, but you can find lots of foods that are better than what you're currently feeding. Look at the ingredient list for any food that you're interested in. You want a food that's corn-free and has high quality meat sources (no meat by-products). There are lots of great brands out there, though some are harder to find than others. Petsmart carries Blue Buffalo which is an excellent food. I'd also recommend Merrick, Wellness, Canidae, Solid Gold, Natural Balance, Innova, and Timberwolf. Those are generally found in independent pet stores. Diarrhea isn't uncommon among puppies but it can be serious. Dehydration is very dangerous. If he hasn't already been to the vet for his shots, you should do so as soon as possible, as diarrhea is a symptom of the parvo virus.

Answer 3

I'd say take him to the Vet, but I would also say that I have a Pit mix and she has a sensitive stomach so I feed her Nature's Recipe Venison and Rice dog food. She does not tolerate chicken or lamb well. Also, that food has NO WHEAT and wheat is a major allergen for sensitive dogs. If her problem is diet related this will probably help her a lot.
Ask your Vet about 3V Skin Caps which is an oil capsule with Omega 3, Vit A, D and E which is excellent supplement for skin and coat.
Venison is an atypical meat source and works well for sensitive dogs. Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance dog food has a Venison and Potato brand that is also an excellent choice.
In the meantime, get some pumpkin pie filling and add that to the food when your dog is having diarrhea.
Run all this by a Vet before doing it. He may not be tolerating the Purina One well.
My Pit mix also eats some Pet Botanics Beef Log which is an excellent food I add to her Venison and Rice. They make a Lamb log too but she just doesn't do well with LAMB.
If you decide to change her food, do it gradually over about a week and a half.
Also watch the treats you give to your dog and any bushes or plants she may be eating.

Answer 4

Have you changed his food recently? Make sure you stick with one, and only one, high quality puppy food. Do not change his food just because he won't eat it. This will cause picky eating habits. Or he may have some kind of an illness, which needs to be seen by a vet ASAP. Friday should work, as long as his symptoms don't get worse.

Answer 5

I'm glad your taking your pup to the vet on Friday. He should be fine until then as long as he's drinking water. You don't want him to dehydrate. If the diarrhea is really bad, the best cure is to fast him for 24 hours. Another thing you could do is boil some ground beef and mix it with the rice instead of the puppy chow. The beef & rice should be about a half & half combination. I worked for a vet and that's what we did. On Friday ask you vet's opinion in regards to the beef & rice.

Answer 6

I agree with the vaccines comment....also you might notice that from time to time your dog will get like that my pup went thru something like that every couple of months...he's nose was warm and he was very testy....took him to the vet the first time (he did have all the shots) and vet said that his bones are growing and he's in pain so just take it easy on him. Let him rest and don't force food he'll go back to chowing down everything in sight soon enough. Again, there is no sub for a vet but with all shots and heart worm prevention it's probably nerves or growth spurts.

Answer 7

This may be weird sounding or over dramatic but get him tested for puppy diseases and vaccinated especially Parvo, in which will kill him in a matter of weeks even days.

If he's acting normal he may just have a little flu or maybe the food your feeding him isn't going over well with him anymore and you need to switch it up. Try to steer clear of anything lamb I found this irritates dogs' digestive systems and they get nasty nasty runs and puke

Answer 8

Sometimes they just do not agree with a particular type of dry dog food. I had the same problem. The puppy eventually settled with the premium type of a lamb and rice variety. I wont mention brands anymore.

Answer 9

As long as he is eating and drinking, he's probably ok to wait until friday. But if he should stop either, become unable to keep any down, or have signs of blood in either stool or vomit you will need to see them sooner.

Answer 10

he def needs to go to the vet, but as for now give him a bland diet. broiled chicken and white rice to ease his stomach and give him lots of water so he won't get dehydrated.
good luck