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has anyones puppy just quit eating their puppy food?

Harley & Carley

Harley & Carley

Well-known member
My now 13 week old baby has been on Blackwood puppy food since weaning at the breeders. We got her from the breeder at 10 1/2 weeks. We have been giving her the same amount (1/3 cup) 3X/day. I mix it with warm water to soften it and add just a little goat milk. SHe has been eating most of it at each feeding.
A few days ago her appetite just plummeted. she would eat sometimes only half or less of her meal. I called the breeder and she had me try just the dry food - that isnt working either. She will eat it if I use it as a treat while teaching tricks/going potty, but just doesnt seem to have much of an appetite. I have also tried just warm water - no goat milk.
She is peeing/pooping like normal despite the small amount she is eating and is playful and sleeping well.
Any thoughts?
THanks
 
When we got Lily at 8 weeks she didn't eat that well, when we brought her home. The breeder was feeding her Science Diet puppy. I changed her to Royal Canine about 2 weeks after we had her. It took about a week to transition her, and she would eat breakfast and dinner, but was not that interested in lunch. After about 2 weeks I deleted lunch, and she began to scoff down breakfast and dinner, and now has an appetite like a little horse. She is now 4 months. I think it takes them time to get adjusted too.
 
A dog won't intentionally starve itself. We had issues with Jake eating as a puppy. I would get so upset when he wouldn't eat. Then I was told about the 15 minute rule...put the food down for 15 minutes, if he doesn't eat put it up until the next meal time. No treats in between, no coaxing to eat, no special service. He held out for about 3 mealtimes and then came around and we've never had an issue since. Sometimes they won't eat if they are teething or they just plain old aren't hungry. When a pup has an upset tummy you withhold food for 24 hours and it doesn't harm them. If you play into the stubborn game you are setting yourself up for a lot of headache. It's hard not to give in because you are afraid they are going to starve...they won't. If he will eat the food when given as a treat then there really isn't an issue with the food. Also if he is behaving normal in all other aspects...I wouldn't worry.
 
how much does she eat now/how old is she

i finally had to hand feed her this morning just to get a few pieces of food in her. how much did your puppy eat when you say she didnt eat well? did you remove the food after 15-20 minutes or leave it out for her. she did seem to like the food she is on, an occasionally will eat it all very quickly, but more often than not, she eats very little - maybe about 1/2 cup
total /day

I wonder if she is just "playing me" trying to get exrta attention??
 
I think most people who have this problem would agree that its a stressful time, you want to see your little pup eating its food.
I know when Marlon was small he was not interested in anything we gave him. (luckily we found a small kibble he liked topped it with chicken breast and he was ok from then onwards)
As long as she is pooping and peeing as normal I wouldn't worry.

The 15 minute rule is must its amazing how quickly they learn.

Hang on in there and Im sure she will eat....

Trust me when they get older they want to eat anything and everything !
 
so I should just let her have 15 minutes and then take it up - for several meals if necessary - and she should eventually get hungry enought to eat when she is given food?
Should I give her dry food now at 13 weeks, or continue to mix it with warm water or goat milk
 
I went to the ends of the earth when Dudley was a puppy, I swear he was the fussiest dog in the world. He refused to eat for days, I was worried sick. I soon learned to lift his food and if the ate he ate, it took a longtime before Dudley got the message but he eventually got it. :D

He was manipulating me, and I was letting him. I totally understand how heartbreaking it is when they don't eat. :(


Even today if I don't mix a bit of tuna, fish or chicken in with his food he will not eat. But when the above is mixed in his food is gone withing minutes.

Try not to worry yourself, my breeder used to soften Darby's food I did this intially when he came home but found he was able to eat the kibble it was'nt that big. The same rule for him 15 minutes and up, I have had both of them go into the kitchen and sit and look at the counter and cry for their food, as much as it killed me not to give in I didn't they learned.

I know others who have hand fed, sorry bad habit she will get used to it and want you to do it all the time. Just my opinion.
 
Linda - do you find you're much more relaxed with Darby than you were with Dudley as a puppy? I worried so much over Jake about every little thing and then when Miss Priss came along and the same things happened I just thought, well we went through that with Jake. If Jake threw up or didn't eat I was in a tizzy. I was so much more relaxed with Shelby. I think that's part of the reason she's a much more independent and self confident little dog.
 
Cathy T said:
Linda - do you find you're much more relaxed with Darby than you were with Dudley as a puppy? I worried so much over Jake about every little thing and then when Miss Priss came along and the same things happened I just thought, well we went through that with Jake. If Jake threw up or didn't eat I was in a tizzy. I was so much more relaxed with Shelby. I think that's part of the reason she's a much more independent and self confident little dog.
Click to expand...

Ditto on that Cathy :D :D :D :D You remember the days with Dudley that I was going insane because he wouldn't eat, anything that happened to him I was going mad.

Darby is much more confident than Dudley and I am much much more relaxed with the exception of the neutering but that was the fault of the Vet Tech not my Vet.

Darby has healed nicely and is all over the place now.

My eating nightmares are over, if Dudley does'nt eat Darby will eat it for him so he has learned and so have I.

Having two sure makes a difference especially if they are spread out a bit.
I am the same for my human teenagers, I remember gonig nuts over Daniel, Derrick was a bit different due to being premature but by the time David arrived I knew all their tricks. :yikes :yikes :yikes
 
Cinders was a nightmare when a puppy - she would eat but it went straight through her - in the end gave her natural bio yoghurt and within 2 days everything settled down.
Minnie was on the barf diet with the breeder and only had 2 meals a day plus one day with nothing!!! He transferred her over to dry food just before I picked her up at 8 weeks. She continued on the 2 meals a day and never had any problems with her feeds.
Its easy to get very wound up about them not eating, but please heed advise already given - dont hand feed - they will become used to it really quickly.
 
To answer your question, when I said that Lily wasn't that interested in her food, I would put it down and she would sniff and walk away. I was like you and was coaxing and pleading and hand feeding too. The main reason I switched her from Science Diet to Royal Canine was because I don't really like SD. Too much corn and she was pooing 9 TIMES A DAY. After going on this site, I learned about the 15 min rule. I only had to do this for a few days, and she started eating all of her food. In the beginning she would eat a little and go play eat a little and go play. It would sometimes take her an hour to eat. Now, she does little dances an spins, eats all of her food in 5 mins, and is looking for more. She loves to eat. Don't worry, she will eat when she it hungry. Also, I never added any liquid to her puppy kibble. I am adding a little warm water now because she is teething.
 
when are they teething

is there a general age when they are teething? I am starting the 15 minute rule today and no more hand-feeding!! THanks for the support!
Also, I am getting another puppy Friday (I know, I am crazy but it jsut worked out that way)
Any advice from any that have been there, done that?
 
Wow Harley, you are a brave soul!! I can't imagine 2 puppies. I have my hands full with this one little baby. She keeps me running. Lily has probably been teething for a couple of weeks and she is 4 months tomorrow. I don't know what the average is, but I think 4 or 5 months. I'm sure some of the more experienced owners would know more.
 
my 15 week old puppy is fussy. He only seems to like Royal Canine ! It just looks so boring.

He doesnt seem to touch puppy canned food with mixer. It's so frustrating! I seem to remember my previous dog hated puppy canned food too and he was a canine dustbin!
 
My boy is nearly 10 months and nearly never eats breakast, even with the 15 minute rule :(
I used to change his food to try and encourage him to eat, even putting in meat or fish. Nothing worked now he only has tea :?
Makes me feel bloody awful, even took him to the vets to get him checked out. They said " a dog will not starve himself, and he's a good healthy size"
But saying that while Hammer stayed he didn't hesitate to eat :lol:
 
I'm a hand feeder on occasion. Maybe once every few days. Wesley tends to be napping before his meals, so he's just a lazy butt when it's time to eat. I should actually probably let him have a little more time to wake up. But I like to keep the schedule at 7am, noon, and 5pm.

And the few times I do have to hand feed, it's just to get him going. I have a 5 year old that's been a picky eater since the day he started solids, so he's literally just 30lbs. It kills me that he's so skinny, but his pediatrician says he's ok. So now with my younger daughter and the puppy, I make sure they get going on their meals.

I think Wesley is just bored with his food. He's on the Innova puppy, but I'm going to switch him to the Innova EVO when this bags is almost empty.

I'm sorry but I like the bonding of hand feeding! I know I may curse myself, but I make sure it's not that often. I guess I better start the 15 min rule myself.
 
Both my pups lost their first front tooth at 17 weeks.

They seemed to have all the teeth through, or part grown by 6 months.

Lucy's baby top canines did not come out even though the adult canines were fully out so we had them taken out when she was spayed.

Henry's baby top canines are still in place and if they are still not dropped out by the time he is 8 months or so we will have them removed. His adult canines are all through.

While Henry was teething he did find it difficult to eat kibble so we moistened it. Lucy had no such problem as she is a glutton!!!

We found that at about 3 months both pups started getting erratic with their eating and the solution we found was to give them 2 meals a day, not 3. That solved it for both of them. They ate heartily and seemed much better suited to it.

I agree with the 15 minute rule although we have not had a lot of opportunity to apply it as luckily both have been good eaters except for the above instances.
 
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