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Is Milk ok?

My puppy is nearly 5 months now and isn't too keen on his food (Eukanuba). I tried it with milk yesterday and he ate all three meals straight away.
Is it ok to give him milk regularly or should the dry food not be mixed with anything?

Thanks
Marie
 
i know that u are not meant to give ur puppies milk not sure why some one will advise u better!
 
Most dogs cannot digest the lactase in cow's milk and it will give them diarrhea and upset tummies. Some dogs are also allergic to dairy products. A very small amount now and then is OK (like a tablespoon) but really: much better to not start adding little things in to get the dog to eat. This is usually a game with puppies who quickly learn that they get lots of attention from their owner if they decide not to eat. Once you start trying to entice the pup they will eat the new item a couple days then stall again to see what you will do next. It is a good way to create ongoing feeding problems!

So follow the rules: :)lol:)

1) put food in bowl and place on floor. Make no big deal of it. Keep it there 15 minutes. Then lift the bowl with no comment, having ignored the dog completely during its 15 minute eating time.

2) No treats, nothing til the next *scheduled* meal.

3) Repeat above.

Puppies won't starve themselves and once they realise they get the food for a limited period they usually go back to normal eating patterns within a couple of days.

If you are feeding three meals he may simply be ready to go to 2 at this age. It is normal for them to start refusing a midday meal at around now.

PS Eukanuba isn't really a great food, especially for its price -- lots of fillers and additives. There are lots of threads here on what people feed and you can get some other suggestions if you want. As you are in Ireland I'd recommend James Wellbeloved, Burns, or Royal Canin 27 for small breeds (adult foods, not puppy foods). :)
 
Manual on feeding cavaliers:

http://www.roycroftcavaliers.com/manualfeeding.htm

Excerpt on puppies:

FEEDING DIRECTIONS
Whether you decide to feed a high quality kibble or a commercially prepared whole foods diet, the following directions will apply.

Puppies between 8 and 16 weeks of age do quite well on 3 meals a day. They start out with about a large handful of kibble for each meal or about 1/4 cup. At about 4 to 6 months of age you may begin feeding your puppy twice a day, about 1/2 cup or so each time. Somewhere between 10 and 18 months of age you may begin feeding just once a day--with some really good eaters you may need to feed just once a day by 6 or 7 months of age.

Each time you feed your puppy, put the food down for approximately 15 minutes. If the puppy hasn't finished it after 15 minutes, pick it up and put it away until the next feeding time. Do NOT try to feed in between. Refrigerate if you are feeding a commercially prepared whole foods diet. Do not worry if your puppy appears thin. Puppies are just like humans. Some are very thin while growing up and some are not. It is highly unlikely your puppy will starve itself unless it is already ill. A puppy that grows slowly is best--there is no first prize for gaining full size as early as possible! Puppies who grow slowly are more likely to be able to develop muscle and tissue at the correct rate to keep up the the bone development. Of course some puppies are gluttons! Be careful not to overfeed a glutton.

As adults some Cavaliers may only eat 1/2 cup of food per day, others may eat as much as 1 full cup of food per day. I do not suggest feeding an adult Cavalier twice a day even though it is best for the dog. Cavaliers do not eat much! Half of very little is almost nothing! Nearly every owner I've known who tried to feed an adult twice a day ended up with an overweight Cavalier. When they try to divide 1/2 or 2/3 cup of kibble into two servings the amount barely covers the bottom of the pan--so they add just a little bit more so they don't feel as though they are starving their Cavalier. A little bit more every meal eventually ends up being a lot more! And their Cavalier becomes overweight. With one meal a day the amount looks to our eyes as though it is a half way decent amount and we are much less likely to add just a little bit more each day.
 
I could be totally wrong about this, but I suspect that it is urban myth that most dogs have an intolerance to the lactose in cows milk. Cows milk does have a greater % of lactose than dogs milk and some dogs do have problems digesting this higher %. Cows milk is also richer & has a greater fat content & often when lactose has been blamed for the runs, it is really just the extra fat. Here in Australia most of us give our puppies cows milk, but watered down to start with. The puppies love it & they usually tolerate it very well. Indeed, some do not and in this case we then purchase something like Biolac or Prolac which is both lower in lactose & fat. It also is phenomenally more expensive. All of my dogs have tolerated cow milk well & even my senior citizens love a drink of warm milk or a warm egg-flip on a frosty morning or as a night-cap.

I agree that it is best not to start fiddling around with the puppy's meals in order to encourage him to eat, as this certainly can create a fussy eater.
 
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We feed our four small dogs (2 Cavs, one Cocker and Reba the Cav/Cocker?) twice a day. Measure up kibble, add in the 1/3 can of wet, mix it up, divide into four bowls and let them at it. All over in maybe 2 minutes, and they DO act like we're starving them to death. Without any question, they would eat twice as much as we give them if we put it down there... especially the Cavs and Reba. And it would probably still only take two minutes. :D

KC
 
Thanks a lot for all the info. I'll stick with the rules then plus keep him off milk. It's tempting to try new methods to get him to eat more but it sounds like I need not worry. The breeder had recommended Eukanuba but I'll certainly consider introducing one of the recommended brands.
Thanks
Marie
 
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