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Question

My pup is about 7 months old. He is teething and I take him to training class and we give him treats when he is good and does well in class. I have a set schedule for morning breakfast and dinner...in between we play play play and train train train and rest too...He is very active...But when I feed him...I tried everything...I bought a huge bag of dry purina puppy chow and he wont eat it plain...so I tried putting a splash of water...he still wont eat it...So I decided to buy this purna moist and meaty dog food and he wont eat it...so I mixed the 2 foods and he still wont eat it...But he will eat everything else...What is wrong??? Am I feeding him too much?? Should I feed him once a day??? I am going to call my vet but since its labor day they wont be open...any ideas on what I can do to have him eat his meal??

Oh yeah this started on monday..He would eat little bit but spit most out...

Answer 1

If he is used to having table scraps or canned dog food, he will hold out for something better. My dogs do the same thing. I leave a bowl of food out for them constantly but they always think "something better" is going to come along so they don't eat their dry kibble. After 2 days if I don't feed them anything else, they will nibble on their kibble, but are not happy about it.

You can try cutting down on feeding him to once a day at dinner time. The snacks are probably enough for him so he isn't as hungry as he should be. It doesn't sound like any medical problem, as he eats everything else. I think he is just waiting for something better to come his way. And he may just not like Puppy Chow at all. You can try other brands. Many times if you go online, they will send you free samples of food. (Beneful, Science Diet, etc.)

Answer 2

You may be feeding him too much. He's getting older & his growing is slowing down so his appetite will slow down too. I live with 6 dogs & they all eat differently. The old chow mix will eat once a day & no more even if I split the amount into 2 meals. The diabetic will eat everything in sight if given the chance so we divide hers into several small meals. The yorkie mix is the most difficult. She was found in a dumpster & you'd think because she was starved she'd eat whatever she was given. But, if she's not in the mood she won't eat for a day or 2. The other 3 toy poodles are munchers. They eat a little at a time whenever they feel like it.
Your dog is probably just getting into a pattern. As long as his vet says he's healthy & his weight is good, there's not much you can do about how he wants to eat. You'll just have to watch & see how he wants to set his schedule. Your baby is growing up & just doesn't need as much fuel as he used to. It's good that you notice it so if something is wrong, you'll know right away & get him seen by his vet.

Answer 3

Sounds like a smart puppy. Why not try a healthier blend that doesn't have toxic preservatives and mystery meat? If you look at the ingredients and see any "meat meal" or "meat by product" (you will see some meal where the meat source is identified like "chicken meal" or "chicken by product") this could be from any source of meat and the fact that it is not described it could be something you would be very disgusted to know your dog was eating.
Further, I'll bet there is a lot of wheat and corn in it which are common allergens.
For preservatives, most likely the toxic BHA/BHT
You are saying he is spitting out his dog food but eating everything else. What is "everything else"? If it is tablescraps, it won't be balancing his nutritional needs, some people foods are toxic (like onions) and scraps often incl. gravies and fats which are bad for your dogs.
You could try raw feeding:
http://www.rawdogranch.com
Home-cooking: google Dr. Pitcairn
or get a higher end dog food that was not on any recall list and which has better product/content like Canidae All Life Stages, Wellness, Newman's Own Organics, to name some brands that are healthier.
If some of those are too expensive, a good brand that is median priced is Nature's Recipe and you can get a blend for puppy.
Research this site:
http://www.itchmo.com
Also, it would be good for your dog to eat at least twice a day. Divide the recommended amount between those two feedings. Give some healthy snacks in between, like Natural biscuits, Old Mother Hubbard biscuits, Bark Bars, Busy Bones, as long as he is eating his meals.
Put each meal down for fifteen minutes and what he doesn't eat, take the bowl up and don't feed again until the next feeding then do the same.
Something I do sometimes is boil chicken for chicken salad and then I take the chicken stock and pour some over my dogs food and they love that!

Answer 4

Did the person/place you got your puppy from have any suggestions? My dog went off the food he'd previously been accepting soon after he came to live with us (My mother say he saw 'MUG' written across her forehead!) It's just a case of finding something he will eat. Buy food one can/packet at a time and if he refuses it, you can always sell/give it to a friend or donate it to an animal shelter. It's a pain, I know, but it's necessary to try a few. There are many good brands out there, your vet can reccomend the best (in their opinion.)
Many people will say, 'Don't change the food...When he's hungry enough, he'll eat." etc... But how do you hold out when your little puppy has gone for 5 days without eating a morsel!?
Try warming the food up a little in the microwave, as some dogs don't like it if it's cold from being refridgerated. And try feeding him from a small plate or saucer. Some little dogs don't like sticking their head into a big bowl or getting their whiskers wet! All the best!

Answer 5

Are you feeding him lots of treats and people food? If so, he's holding out for more of that and refusing to eat his dog food. In other words, he's training you really well!

It's also VERY normal for a pup that is teething to refuse food, or just nibble and pick at it ... especially if he's got some loose ones in there. Mine lost 5 teeth in 3 days, and hardly ate at all during that time. It's nothing to worry about.

Another thing to consider is that by 7 months, his growth has slowed dramatically. He should still be eating twice a day, but smaller portions, and he's ready for adult food. Ask your vet to recommend one for you. Dog food manufacturers want you to believe that you need to use puppy-food for the first year, but you don't ... it's too rich. Once a pup's growth has slowed, he has no need for such a rich diet.

Hope this helps ... and Good Luck!

Answer 6

Usually puppies eat a lot. There are times dogs don’t eat, and we think they are going to die. We as good pet owners get worried sick. Dog do go through periods that they do not feel like eating for a day. If you have a book on dogs, it will explain it. Because they do not speak English, it is hard to tell. Once key is you dog acking normally.

We had a few concerns with our dog when she was young and call our breeder. A good breeder know your breed of dogs and my be able to answer your question. Our breeder was a big help us.

It is really you call on this. If you think you dog is sick, then you need to make the call. There should be an emergency vent hospital in your area. They are super vets who are open 24 hours a day, every day of the week, and this includes holidays. Along with your vets phone number in your address book, get one of these. Your vet will be able to refer you to one, but as your vet is closed you will find them listed in the phone book. You can call them and ask there opinion.

Answer 7

As they get older they don't eat as much as the smaller puppies. You mentioned the treats, maybe he is getting full on the treats. He could also be bored with the dog food flavor. If you have given him table food at any time, then he may have acquired a taste for that. You don't mention the size or type of dog, but the smaller ones eat alot less than the larger ones. Good Luck

Answer 8

Well, first off pick one food and stick with it. If the dog is hungery he'll eat it. Also instead of using treats try just using his food. I've fed my dog her entire meal while training her. That way she doesn't fill up on hotdog tidbits and ignore the good stuff. Other than that it sounds like you're doing an amazing job with your dog. Keep up the good work!

Answer 9

Have you tried the stuff with all the vegies in it.
It should have vegies all over the front of the bag on one side.
And just put it in his bowl and fill it when he empty's it.
Our dogs food seems to last him 2 to 3 days but he eats vegies and fruit from our hand during the day too so he's eating and saving his food for later.
No grapes, rasins or tomatos though, they are bad, bad, bad.

Answer 10

I agree with Katie and Theresa, and part of Kiss Me Deadly.

The little scutter is trying to hold out for special tidbits. Replace the treats with pieces of kibble, and don't give him any table scraps. He might hold out for a while, but I've never heard of a dog starving itself if food was available. You just have to hold out longer than the pup.

A seven month old puppy is still a puppy and needs puppy food for at least one year, so I disagree with Kiss Me Deadly on that. If your pup is a giant breed, such as Great Pyrnees, Saint Bernard, or Mastiff, they need puppy food for lots longer than one year. The giant breeds don't reach their full physical growth until they are around three years of age. I kept my Pyr on puppy food until she was 3.

Doc