Puppies, growth and appetite?

[airyfairy76]

I've been getting slightly twitchy over the last couple of days, as Lottie suddenly is not so interested in her food. She is eating about 1/2 of her breakfast and 2/3 of her dinner, so she has some appetite but doesn't finish her food.   She is drinking normally and has plenty of energy.

Being a fretty kind of person, I have been doing a bit of reading and found a few references to puppies suddenly eating somewhat less at around six months onwards, due to growth slowing down and the energy not being required.

Obviously I am keeping an eye on her (when do I not!) and would take her to the vets if it gets worse, but wondered if other owners had had similar experiences with their doglets?

She is on two meals a day of Eden Holistic with a bit of NatureDiet chucked in.

[lesley3165]

I have just (yesterday) gone from 3 meals a day to 2 meals for meg. She is having the same amount but split between the 2 meals instead of 3. I thought she would be begging for food at the missing lunchtime meal but she hasn't which has really surprised me as she is a real gannet!

She does get quite a few treats though as we are treat training so we are having to be very careful not to give her too much.

I've also slightly altered the timings of the meals 8am for breakfast (instead of 7) and 5pm for tea (instead of 6)

Hope lottie settles with her food for you, I fret all the time with meg!

[airyfairy76]

Hope lottie settles with her food for you, I fret all the time with meg!

I'm constantly fretting about something!

She is VERY interested when I'm cooking and I know she would eat whatever she could get off my plate.  Treats still being wolfed down as well when training, or bedtime biccies.

It's almost like she's holding out for something better - she'll eat some and then keep going up to her bowl, sniffing it and looks like the little minx is turning her nose up at it, before wandering away again!

[butterflywings21]

With Tilly I have the opposite, I have to stuff half into a kong or some other treat toy to make her slow down when eating 

[lesley3165]

I scrunch a towel up on the floor and hide the food in there as well as in various kong toys, lasts a little longer than in her dish 

[airyfairy76]

I would rather be worried about her gobbling her food, than being a picky little madam. Hoping some owners out there have had similar experiences as their puppy grew up!

Makes sense about growth slowing down so energy requirements less, but can't help worrying - Lottie is such a little thing anyway, though petite in build, not skinny.  Been weighing her the last couple of days as well - relieved she hasn't lost any weight.

[butterflywings21]

on Tilly's kibble around 6-9 months I have to start reducing the amount she needs and then at 9 months she will start to be weaned onto adult kibble. Try not to worry to much, as long as she isn't losing weight she'll be fine. sending 

[airyfairy76]

on Tilly's kibble around 6-9 months I have to start reducing the amount she needs and then at 9 months she will start to be weaned onto adult kibble. Try not to worry to much, as long as she isn't losing weight she'll be fine. sending 

That's really interesting - thank you.  I've not seen that on guidelines before - in fact, Eden do suggest what I think is a marked difference between puppy and adult portions (they say up to a year for puppies, but then I guess some breeds grow slower than others).

I was a bit confused about their guideline differences for adults and puppies, but then in a bit more research this evening, weight for weight, puppies require anything from 2-4 times the energy requirements of adults, so if Lottie is on Eden, an all life stages food, the quantity is going to have to drop a fair whack - potentially more than if moving from a high energy puppy food to a lower energy adult food of another brand. 

So hopefully Lottie is just self regulating!!!

[airyfairy76]

Update on yesterday - well, this morning, she ate absolutely ZILCH of her breakfast and wouldn't even have a treat.  Just sniffed all of them and walked off.   Still drinking and playing as normal (was dragging her around the house on the end of her metre long snake), just refusing to eat (at least she had about 3/4 of her dinner last night). 

I have left a bit of food out for daycare to see if she'll eat some after having had a run around.  But I also emailed her breeder with a theory....

There have been a few other things I have noticed - slightly lethargic, whingy when I put her in her crate this morning and then suddenly having a big dig around in her blankets.  All signs of an impending first season (potentially) - early, but having checked with the breeder, Lottie's mum was similar.  She said that their hormones can start causing these symptoms up to a month before the first season and she thinks that I might well be spot on with my theory.  Will wait and see - I will take her to the vets Saturday if it carries on, but could be a reason why.  Daycare's own dog is also currently in season, and although not present at the moment, is normally around Lottie, and I know they can influence each others seasons (just like humans!).

I want my little gannet back!

[butterflywings21]

When we got Tilly her breeder says that most of hers have their season around 10 months of age. Fingers crossed that's Lottie's reason.

[airyfairy76]

Emailed the breeder this morning to see what her relatives have been like with coming into season - the solids she breeds tend to be 7-9 months (with the roans about a year), so potentially it could be that.

However, after not eating for 24 hours and then having the runs, it looks like it was after all a bit of a tummy upset. 

The good news is that after a few days of bleurgh, when daycare dropped her off this evening, she came bouncing through the door, immediately went to her crate to find the gravy bone that I had tried to tempt her with this morning, and then bounced around the kitchen like Zebedee while I cooked her some chicken which I had bought as it would be gentle on her tum.  Which she ate in one minute flat.

I've been fretting all day as well!!!

 

[lesley3165]

So glad that lottie has eaten putting your mind at rest

[airyfairy76]

So glad that lottie has eaten putting your mind at rest

Amazing how much we worry - couldn't think of anything else while I was at work today!

Am guessing it is something that started a couple of days ago when her appetite started declining, and then just had to clear its way through her system.

And it's so lovely when they suddenly perk up again!   

[butterflywings21]

I'm so glad she's better, Tilly now has the runs and as she coming up for 6 months i'm going to reduce feeding to twice a day, and reduced food amount as I think i'm over feeding her. She's nearly 10kg   all well in her self just I feel like she is eating all day long. I weigh out the food for the day then divide by 3 meals then take out a small amount from each meal for training treats.

[airyfairy76]

I read today on another forum that appears to be a lot of upset tummies around at the moment - might be something that passes in a couple of days as it seems to be doing with Lottie?