My puppy is not eating is food anymore need help!

[cheriehenlow]

Hi there    

Ever since Archie has been able to eat he has been on dry food Hills Science plan puppy food.
Archie is seven months old and has always loved his food, he used to wag his tail, spin in circles and get so excited!
and what amazed me most was he would eat his bowl of food in seconds!
For the past two weeks he has stopped eating his food! he will look at it and walk away.
so yesterday I got so fed up with him not eating and brought a tin of dog food and mixed a little bit with his food, Archie looked at it and picked at it and didn't eat a lot! thought this would do the trick.  He seems normal in his self and his poop is normal.
I rang the vets last week and they just seem to think he is a fussy eater and if he is to continue doing this, then bring him in.
I don't really want to change his food as he loved his food so much before, he finished a 15kg bag of Hills which is £50 and 3 and a half weeks ago I have just gone out and brought and opened another bag!

Really need your advice on this.

Thanks

Cherie

[yogesh]

Well i read ur concern.....i am not well aware of the situation but yes before going to Vet give your dog a good exercixe and also give him liver tonic......to confirm he not have any liver problem because of any infection ......however i am also new ...pet owner ,people who own pet from longer duration will suggest u better....however same situation was happned with my dog jade.i did the above procedure and she strated eating well...so described u the situation as she started eating after that.

Thank u

yogesh

[Sheepscheeks]

Is his behaviour otherwise normal? Could he be smelling a bitch in season?? I don't know when males get interested in that sort of thing but it could be that? Other threads on fussy eating suggest putting food down for 10 mins then picking it up until next meal time. If he is hungry and there is nothing wrong with him he will eat, I would have thought. If everything else is normal and he is drinking, I would leave it a couple of days then take a trip to the vet so he can have a good look at him and advise you further.

[oscars mum]

Oscar was just the same as a puppy he would eat anything very quickly he was really gready. then he just stopped liking what I gave him we swapped foods and he enjoyed his food for a while then the same thing would happen now he has two diffent foods in the same bowl this seems to be working for now. If I just give him the Burns on its own he sniffs and walks away.
I never leave his food down I pick it up and try again later untill he has a bit.

[Karma]

Is he eating a small amount or none at all?
If he has not eaten anything for 2 weeks, I think a trip to the vet might be in order.  However is he is just picking at his food, eating a little and leaving the rest, I think he is just trying to be fussy, and having added something yummy he will probably hold out more in the hopes of having the yummy extras... There's nothing wrong with adding a little meat to a kibble, but do be aware clever dogs will end up just eating the yummy extra and leaving the kibble!!!  

At 7 months he could be going through his secondary teething, which might make it a little more uncomfortable to eat.  But in general, as long as he is drinking (and is eating some of his food), is not losing excessive amounts of weight and looks in good condition, I wouldn't worry...    

[Lucianne]

How worrying for you. 

Bella (5 months) wolfs down her wet food (Nature's Harvest), but only really likes her kibble (she gets one meal per day of James Wellbeloved as well) if it's mixed with a little chicken stock to moisten it a bit. We make our own stock so don't have to worry about salt/additives etc, but you could maybe try soaking it in a little warm milk or something?

I agree with other posters that any health reasons for the change need to be investigated by your vet, but that having been done, there's a book by Dima Yeremenko you might find useful. It's called Dima's Dog School, and the book is based on hand feeding your dog for a period of time. He talks a lot about 'fussy eaters'.

Good luck! 

[Ninasmum]

Do you put water on his dry food & leave for a few mins?  This could help if he is teething. 

Which tinned food did you buy?  I would try adding a little Butchers Tripe or Nature Diet with his kibble.  You could also try adding a little fish/meat.    Perhaps when he has finished the Hills Science you could always try a different kibble.    Ours love the Arden Grange Lamb/Rice. 

I presume he is still eating something because if not its advisable to take him to the vets. 

[jennyspin]

Hi there, I would agree with the others. If he is just being fussy then try adding something tasty into his dry food. Our Ebony ( 5 months old) has chicken some days and cooked mince another, etc. When they all have mince I also add in an Oxo cube (in water) to add moisture and give more taste to the dry food. I know some people say to watch Oxos due to the salt content but the odd one really doesn't hurt and certainly hasn't harmed my lot ( my eldest is 11 years old and fighting fit!). If it is a case of him completely going off his food then that is a different matter and the vets might be a good idea. Best wishes

[jennyspin]

Fogot to say! If you are adding other things into the diet you need to reduce the amount of dry food that you are giving. x

[mooching]

If he doesn't have an upset stomach at all (ie if his stools are normal), then it could just be that he's refusing it to see what else you offer him! He might have become more aware that you have other food, and might be trying it on to see if he gets something else!

You've said in the other thread that you've offered him meat and vegetables which he ate. Be careful about the veg, as I understand that dogs can't digest cellulose (which is in veg) and it might pass through him undigested. (Veg are ok in small quantities but it's best not to give a lot).

Since you still have a bag of Hills, I'd suggest perhaps giving him something plain like chicken and rice, or fish and rice, for a day or two, but then adding a little Hills to it in a slowly increasing measure. You could also use the Hills as treats/rewards when training - pop a few in your pocket when you take him for a walk and see if he'll take them then.