my puppy wont eat

[lilaclynda]

Hi i am new on here , i brought home our chocolate cockapoo on Saturday he is 11weeks old . i am feeding him on royal canin junior as advised by breeder however he has a few mouth fulls and walks off . i have done scrambled egg with it , wet it ,and he still licks at it and walks off . i am really worried because he is not nearly eating enough . he had a quick puppy check on Monday at the vets and she said he should be eating for 5 mins ,not very helpful. he is settling in lovely though i think ,i am just very worried .
thankyou lynda

[kendal]

dont pander to him. if he doesnt eat it then within 15 minutes then pick it up and give it next meal time. dont give him any treats, and try playing games with him so he burns off energy (will be easyer when you can take him out for a walk) the only time you i would worry to much about a puppy not eating is if they become lathargic. he will eat it when he is hungree the more you play about with his food the more he will mess you about. Gypsy was terable as a puppy for eatting.

what did you call your pup, would love to see photos.

[lilaclynda]

hi
thankyou , i called him ollie . when i load thewm up i will post photos , iam warn out its just like being a new mum again after 22 years x

[merry]

Oh yeah, Dexter used to worry me too. But seriously, as long as they eat some then it is ok. They aren't the type of breed that gulps down anything in front of them. Dex is still a picky eater. He is totally house trained now so we just leave a little food down and he eats when he wants to.

[Jerseypoo527]

Jersey is the same way. He only eats 1/4 of a cup and he's only four months. Don't be concerned unless he gets thin or seems sick. How many times do you feed him? If you feed him three times a day he may be ready to reduce it to only twice.

[Enneirda.]

I agree with the rest of them. As long as he eats, it's ok. Don't add extra's to entice him, it'll just backfire on you. I agree with the fifteen minutes four times a day feed schedule. I would though put him on a better food. Your food:http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showcat.php/cat/all/page/1/si/royal%20canin/perpage/12/sort/2 (Great reviews on the bottom!) If you click 'reviews' then '6 star foods' you can see better ones. =)

[lilaclynda]

Thankyou for your help everyone ,i am so pleased i have found this site its very helpful x

[Morph]

The breeder that I got Darla from gave me a bag of Hill's Science plan, really expensive and meant to be really good. Darla has always eaten ok so stuck with it. Recently she had a bad tummy, runny poo's, slimy poo's and trouble going. Took her down the vets, various drugs and no food for 24hrs then boiled chicken and rice which she ate for 5 days. Put her back on her normal food and almost instantly she had an upset stomach. Back to square one. Read what was in the food, full of wheat, soya, barley etc etc.
Have now got her on Nature's Harvest (70% meat content, no wheat, no barley etc etc) as a wet food and James Wellbeloved cereal free kibble (again no wheat, no barley etc etc) as a dry mixer. She now can't wait for meal times, sits watching whilst it's being put in her bowl, whines if you take too long and then licks the bowl clean every single time, she didn't do this with her old food. Can't believe the difference it has made to her eating habits and tummy.

[James Q]

Hi, think we've cracked it with the James Wellbeloved kibble. As some of you will know, Brontie went right off her dried biscuits almost within 3-4 of us changing to it (although at first she had seemed to really enjoy it). And she's a very slim puppy so not carrying any extra weight yet. Well, we've added a third of a packet of the JW wet food to it today and she loves it. Suppose eating all dried food must be really boring! Judging from the feeding amounts recommended for her current weight and age, this seems to be a good way forward for now. Will keep you posted.

[wilfiboy]

I think they are just a fussy breed .. Wilf probably only fed reasonably ok from being 2 ... we changed all different foods .. would think we'd cracked it but he would only be interested , say on the first day, bags would last months not the number of days it said on the bag... he'd go three days sometimes. As i've said before we used to pretend to eat his food to try to encourage him.Mabel on the hand is a right greedy .... thing... I dont think she got her share before we got her and would sqeel and panic when being fed...she'd eat til she was sick x

[Dylansmum]

Dylan is certainly not fussy - he has eaten immediately everything that has been put in front of him since the day we got him! The only thing he isn't keen on are raw carrots.

[parapluie]

Rufus is eating the food his breeder gave him and he was fine about eating, even very excited about eating for the first week or so, but the last few days he has been taking a bite and then just walking around like he doesn't even care or want to eat. I'm not sure if he's eating too often or what's the deal. I think he is just a little fussy-butt.

[cockawho]

Pepper was given scrambled eggs every morning by the breeder which he loved .. he also had bakers complete ... we slowly weaned him off the eggs and moved him onto Arden Grange puppy food .. he has just moved onto the full adult food (he is now 11 months).. he has always been a bit picky and would never just pile in for his food .. I used to heat it up in the micro and that seemed to do the job .. or put a tiny bit of gravy or milk over it ... Just had him castrated and he now wants to eat everything within sight! Arden Grange seems to be very good food

[embee]

Same with Flo. A really picky eater when she was a puppy and tried everything. Put food on floor instead of in bowl, added warm water, mixed in extras (raw egg, goats milk, everything I could think of) but she always seemed reluctant/not bothered about eating - although she was very happy to get bits of steak from the BBQ. Since she was spayed she always seems hungry so I am very careful about giving her a precise weight of food each day to make sure she doesn't over eat. She still wouldn't tuck into a bowl of dry kibble though so I always add a tablespoon of something and stir it through - tuna, rice, egg, a small piece of Nature Diet, frozen peas, trimmings from green beans - whatever we happen to have to hand. I also brought a small bag of giant kibble (James Wellbeloved) which are really large pieces and add 3 or 4 to the bowl to work her jaws and clean her teeth.

[embee]

Hi, think we've cracked it with the James Wellbeloved kibble. As some of you will know, Brontie went right off her dried biscuits almost within 3-4 of us changing to it (although at first she had seemed to really enjoy it). And she's a very slim puppy so not carrying any extra weight yet. Well, we've added a third of a packet of the JW wet food to it today and she loves it. Suppose eating all dried food must be really boring! Judging from the feeding amounts recommended for her current weight and age, this seems to be a good way forward for now. Will keep you posted.

I think they sometimes just need a different taste to keep them interested. My vet suggested buying smaller bags then when you have used one bag change to a different flavour. So maybe stick with JW but when she finishes one bag buy a different flavour. Don't change the flavour every day otherwise she may get picky and if you put down a flavour she doesn't fancy that day she may wait it out till you give her a different one. :)

[rozagirl]

I'm having the same problem with Alfie , glad it's not just me ! He's on Wainwrights dry puppy food , he'll eat but not as much as states on the packet. The vet said he could do will a bit more weight on him !! but what can I do without spoiling him and making things worse. The advice I got from Pets at Home was "don't mess with his food , he'll eat when he's hungry". He's full of life , not lathargic at all but still can't help but worry, he'll be 13 weeks tomorrow :confused:

[embee]

I'm having the same problem with Alfie , glad it's not just me ! He's on Wainwrights dry puppy food , he'll eat but not as much as states on the packet. The vet said he could do will a bit more weight on him !! but what can I do without spoiling him and making things worse. The advice I got from Pets at Home was "don't mess with his food , he'll eat when he's hungry". He's full of life , not lathargic at all but still can't help but worry, he'll be 13 weeks tomorrow :confused:

Maybe mix a little wet food with the kibble. Nature Diet is really good quality and comes in a box which is one meal. I slice into 6 bits then mash a slice with Flo's kibble. Then keep the rest in fridge and take a slice out for each meal. I don't get this 'they'll eat if they are hungry' thing too much. It's a bit like serving up dry ryvitas to the family all the time, they'll eat them eventually but they won't like it. Flo has just settled now with JW kibble and a small slice of Nature Diet mixed in and it's not a big deal to do. Also I buy a small bag of kibble and when she has finisehd one flavour I switch to another flavour to keep her interested. She doesn't wolf it down but now enjoys her food.

[rozagirl]

Thanks Mandy, I think I'm more concerned because he so young, God it's as worrying as haveing kids Lol

[wilfiboy]

Gosh I'd forgotten not only did we pretend to eat out of Wilf s bowl to try to get him interested but we used ti finger feed him and like you said Mandy put it on the floor ... there was often a trail of food leading up to his bowl. Easiest thing to do is get another pup .. clean plates lol x

[rozagirl]

Gorden Bennet Karen , are you trying to give me grey hair Lol 1 pup is enough thankyou !:P

[wilfiboy]

Sorry Rachel .. lol .. Mabel is 18 weeks and its easier already honest. Those first few weeks are so tirering aren't they ? You go out looking like a new mum but alot older than one and without the baby sick lol x

[witchie5]

Hi my 6 month cockapoo was on hills science plan and she would pick at it.her poos were always slimy and she did about 5aday.i tried her on butchers which she wolfed down but threw straight back up.i tried it again the next day but same thing happened.i spoke to a lady in the pet shop And she directed me to wainwrights food which is natural.i have a much happier full up puppy who does 2 poops a day and has put on 3.2kgs since i changed it.

[witchie5]

Hi my 6 month cockapoo was on hills science plan and she would pick at it.her poos were always slimy and she did about 5aday.i tried her on butchers which she wolfed down but threw straight back up.i tried it again the next day but same thing happened.i spoke to a lady in the pet shop And she directed me to wainwrights food which is natural.i have a much happier full up puppy who does 2 poops a day and has put on 3.2kgs since i changed it.

[James Q]

Our breeder gave us Beta Purina puppy food and Brontie (a) didnt like it much and (b) poops not good! Changed to James Wellbeloved two thirds dry kibble with one third wet, and she now loves it Just got to keep trying until you find what they love. Mind you, think Brontie will be forever indebted to Kendal for the raw chicken wings as treats, lol!!

[rozagirl]

Thank god I think I've cracked it !! I stuck with the wainwrights dry food but added a very tiny amount of wainwrights wet puppy food = HAPPY ALFIE yay !!!!!!!!

[rozagirl]

Sorry Rachel .. lol .. Mabel is 18 weeks and its easier already honest. Those first few weeks are so tirering aren't they ? You go out looking like a new mum but alot older than one and without the baby sick lol x

To be fair he's a very good puppy , house trained very easily too and now he's getting a full belly off food I can relax and enjoy

[wilfiboy]

Glad he's eating better Wilf had science plan .. as pushed by vets .. when he was little and he hated it !! but he's always been picky with food i think ther are quite a few references to cockapoos that are n't great eaters . Mabel on the other hand is down right greedy .. she cries for food and wolfs it down dont think she'd turn her nose up at much. x

[Stupidmia]

Our 9 month old Martha has always been fussy with her own food...she would happily eat our Labrador's Royal Canin...she will regularly dive in and fill her greedy little mouth with as many bits of kibble as she can fit...our lab Bailey just steps back and lets her do it!
Martha is currently on RC medium junior....which she wolfed down for the first few weeks having had James Wellbeloved up until then (which she wasn't keen on), then started turning her nose up at it. The problem is my wife gives treats and tit-bits regularly (she can't resist their poor little faces), so I think Martha is always looking for something else. Lately, she has started eating her 2 meals a day more regular...but...she has to have a few forkfulls of tuna stirred in (we have to buy the tuna in spring water). As wrong as I think it is, my wife doesn't mind as long as it means she eats all her food and I cant imagine a little tuna does any harm.
Both of them have beautiful coats and are in great condition...so we must be doing something right.
Funnily enough, out lab (who is now 28 months old) was fussy until a month or so after we got Martha, then she started cleaning her bowl every time....like a typical lab:rolleyes:

[weez74]

Funnily enough, out lab (who is now 28 months old) was fussy until a month or so after we got Martha, then she started cleaning her bowl every time....like a typical lab:rolleyes:

Ha, my little girl won't eat things until my son leans over and tries to get them, then she wolfs it down! A little bit of competition doesn't do any harm!

I'd be amazed if tuna was a bad thing to give a dog. It's probably the reason your dogs have such nice coats, isn't it? Isn't fish good for your hair?

[Dylansmum]

Tuna is very good for dogs and can also be included in a barf diet.

[caradunne]

Tuna is very good for dogs and can also be included in a barf diet.

Does the tuna have to be fresh and raw, or can it be tinned when used in a BARF diet?

[tessybear]

Hope the answer is tinned- fresh tuna costs a fortune!

[Dylansmum]

Does the tuna have to be fresh and raw, or can it be tinned when used in a BARF diet?

Tinned is fine - not in brine though. Would think spring water was the best - don't know about the ones in oils. But if you are using NI then you don't actually need it - they include salmon oil in their mix. Probably best to just stick to that Cara as Izzy has a sensitive tum. It's got everything she needs in it. The bones that we give are mainly for amusement and to keep the teeth clean, also to give a slight variation to chicken/turkey. If you are giving your own version of barf ie. chicken carcasses/wings then you need to give oily fish and other things to balance the diet, but NI do that for you.

[embee]

Tinned is fine - not in brine though. Would think spring water was the best - don't know about the ones in oils. But if you are using NI then you don't actually need it - they include salmon oil in their mix. Probably best to just stick to that Cara as Izzy has a sensitive tum. It's got everything she needs in it. The bones that we give are mainly for amusement and to keep the teeth clean, also to give a slight variation to chicken/turkey. If you are giving your own version of barf ie. chicken carcasses/wings then you need to give oily fish and other things to balance the diet, but NI do that for you.

I'm just sticking with NI with occasional chicken wing meals and bones for teeth cleaning and recreation. I may get NI tripe to vary things a bit but won't use anything else for the moment as, like Dylansmum says, NI is a complete, balanced feeding regime. I will probably give an Orijen kibble meal once in between each 1kg pack to keep her used to kibble (just in case) but I think she may turn her nose up after tucking into NI. I think I'll sometimes stuff her NI into a kong or a marrow bone she has 'emptied' to slow down her eating and give her some 'work' to do.

[Evie Wilson]

Gosh I'd forgotten not only did we pretend to eat out of Wilf s bowl to try to get him interested but we used ti finger feed him and like you said Mandy put it on the floor ... there was often a trail of food leading up to his bowl. Easiest thing to do is get another pup .. clean plates lol x

Hahaha! we have done this too! i often wander what the neighbours would think if they could see us on our hands and knees pretending to eat out of the dogs bowl!!

[Mez-UK]

If she is hungry she will eat and as long as she isn't being sick and is playing etc then she will be fine. Try not to mix special human foods otherwise you will make her even more fussy and I would mix a little of the new food in bit at a time otherwise you could end up giving her an upset tummy. good luck Harley (9.5 weeks) is on Purina its what the breeder had him on and I add a little water to make the kibble soft otherwise totally dry food at this age will make them very thirsty and that will not help with house training she will be peeing all the time! Would love to see some photos of her.