# Help! puppy not eating



## Kiml3a (Jan 31, 2013)

Hi all, any advice will be gratefully received.

Cooper is 8 months old. he had been eating fine up to a couple of months ago. I thought he was just sick of the food I had been giving him (James Wellbeloved) so I changed him over gradually to Wainwrights. He only like this for probably about a month then went off it completely so I changed him again gradually to Arden Grange. He probably ate this for about 2 weeks then refused this. I then tried Hills Science Plan. He refused this also. He refuses all food but is then sick as there is nothing in his stomach. It got so bad that I took him to the vet as he wouldn't even eat chicken, rice or scrambled egg that I had left down for him. The vet did a whole lot of blood tests and X-rays which came back normal. They gave him a Zantac injection and seemed to get his sparkle back. That was on Tuesday but he is still not really eating. He is still on Zantac twice a day. I just wondered if anyone had the same experience and if there is anything I can try. I'm wondering if he should be on a special diet. I was looking at the barking heads grain free stuff and wondered whether I should try it or not.


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## Tinman (Apr 23, 2013)

Can't really give any advice, except you have nothing to lose by trying barking heads, get a small bag and see
I hope he gets his appetite back soon, maybe he's just a really fussy eater?
How often do you feed him?
Do you leave food down all day for him to pick at??
It may be worth trying putting his meal down, and if he chooses to leave it, then take it away again, Giving him a small feeding window of opportunity and putting a bowl down the following day and try again? Take it away if he leaves it. He may learn he has to eat it when it's down or it Will disappear?? 
Does he feed on treats and titbits?


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## Kiml3a (Jan 31, 2013)

Hi Tracey

He gets 2 meals a day. I have been taking the bowl away if he is not looking interested and putting another bowl down a couple of hours later but doesn't seem to be doing any good so today I tried leaving the bowl down, he went over a couple of times, had a sniff and walked off again. He doesnt get a lot of treats. We have taken to bringing his allocated food out on walks with us and giving him it like treats - this seems to be the only way to get him to eat and even then he doesn't get to finish it and he's regurgitating it


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## Tinman (Apr 23, 2013)

It must be very worrying for you that he's not getting enough nutrition.
Have you considered raw feeding? - it's favoured by many on here, and again worth a try. It's very healthy and nutritious. Worth looking into and considering. Will he eat wet food?
I give it my two as a treat about once or twice a week and they love it. 
My mum has 2 Yorkshire terriers, one of their eating habits is ridiculous - he will only eat off the floor, not out of a bowl, or he has to be hand fed - bizarre, but the things we do for our dogs eh??


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## Woo (Oct 5, 2011)

Hi, I have had exactly the same problem with noodle, it got so bad at one point that I was in tears over her not eating. I have been through every dry food, wet food, tried raw, tried that new food that you have to hydrate, I even tried cooking for her myself everyday. Nothing held her interest. She would go days at a time only eating the treats she would get for training. I'm happy to say that this has all changed just by chance. A friend gave me some food to try and now noodle laps up her breakfast and dinner. I have been waiting for her to go off it but so far so good. Maybe you could try it. It is called naturediet and I get it at pets at home. It has a good meat content and no rubbish added but to be honest I am just glad she is eating. I have tried various flavours but she will only eat the chicken and the turkey and rabbit flavours. It comes in a tray, it's not a dry food but also not a sloppy wet food and her poos have really improved since being on this food too. It's only 99p a tray so not too expensive to just buy one and give it a go.

I just 're-read your post and see that Cooper is 8 months old. I'm not sure if there is a puppy naturediet as noodle has the adult one as she is 15 months. But pop to you pets at home and check if you want to give it a go.


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## Lottierachel (Mar 3, 2013)

Woo said:


> It is called naturediet and I get it at pets at home. It has a good meat content and no rubbish added but to be honest I am just glad she is eating. I have tried various flavours but she will only eat the chicken and the turkey and rabbit flavours. It comes in a tray, it's not a dry food but also not a sloppy wet food and her poos have really improved since being on this food too. It's only 99p a tray so not too expensive to just buy one and give it a go.


Fortunately, Tilly has never been overly fussy, but shes never been very bothered by food either, so when she did start to go off her barking heads a couple of months ago, i decided to make it a bit more exciting and came across nature diet - she LOVES it. Really excited to get her breakfast and dinner and licks every last bit up! 

I really hope you find something that cooper likes, I can imagine it must be a real worry x


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## Lottierachel (Mar 3, 2013)

I didn't make that very clear - she still has barking heads, but a smaller portion with a bit of the naturediet mixed in too. The best of both worlds


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## Woo (Oct 5, 2011)

Lottierachel said:


> Fortunately, Tilly has never been overly fussy, but shes never been very bothered by food either, so when she did start to go off her barking heads a couple of months ago, i decided to make it a bit more exciting and came across nature diet - she LOVES it. Really excited to get her breakfast and dinner and licks every last bit up!
> 
> I really hope you find something that cooper likes, I can imagine it must be a real worry x


Noodle does the same, it still puts a smile on my face every meal time to see a completely licked clean bowl


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## Woo (Oct 5, 2011)

Lottierachel said:


> I didn't make that very clear - she still has barking heads, but a smaller portion with a bit of the naturediet mixed in too. The best of both worlds


I tried that, I would add her barking heads to the naturediet and she would pick the barking heads out and drop it on the floor and just eat the naturediet. So I just give her naturediet now.


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## Lottierachel (Mar 3, 2013)

Haha, clever noodle - she knows what she likes!! X


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## dmgalley (Aug 19, 2012)

I would talk to the vet again but I know that with willow we went through a period from four to six months that we had to either sit and hand feed her or dump her food on the ground. 
Jake had always been very picky. He went off several foods. We use to mix in chicken or cheese or you name it. Then someone told us about coconut oil (for a skin issue) I mix it in his food and I can't keep him from it. 

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

I agree that Naturediet is a good one to try as it's all natural, also Forthglade is very good. Mine are very fussy eaters but will always eat both.


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## wellerfeller (Jul 12, 2011)

There is a puppy nature diet version. I buy nature diet as a kong filler. Weller LOVES it. You can feed it cold or warm it in the microwave.
I know it's hard but try not to stress and worry about your dogs eating. He will pick up on that and it may make him worse around meal times. I know it seems that he is eating nothing but he is obviously eating enough to keep himself going. Is he very light in weight?
Feeding him by hand is also a good idea.


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## Woo (Oct 5, 2011)

dmgalley said:


> I would talk to the vet again but I know that with willow we went through a period from four to six months that we had to either sit and hand feed her or dump her food on the ground.
> Jake had always been very picky. He went off several foods. We use to mix in chicken or cheese or you name it. Then someone told us about coconut oil (for a skin issue) I mix it in his food and I can't keep him from it.
> 
> Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2


Donna is the coconut oil helping with the skin condition?
Does it have to be virgin coconut oil?


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## Kiml3a (Jan 31, 2013)

Thanks for all your replies. I've ordered the grain free barking heads to try and I will pop down to pets at home and get some of the natures diet stuff to try


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## Tinman (Apr 23, 2013)

Hope it works and he enjoys his food.


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## Kiml3a (Jan 31, 2013)

wellerfeller said:


> There is a puppy nature diet version. I buy nature diet as a kong filler. Weller LOVES it. You can feed it cold or warm it in the microwave.
> I know it's hard but try not to stress and worry about your dogs eating. He will pick up on that and it may make him worse around meal times. I know it seems that he is eating nothing but he is obviously eating enough to keep himself going. Is he very light in weight?
> Feeding him by hand is also a good idea.


Karen - when we had him at the vet last week he was 12.3kg, the vet didn't seem concerned about it so not sure if this is an average weight for his age or not. He'll eat the food outside like treats but just sniffs at it when it's in the bowl. I've even had some of the food in my hand for him to eat but he just sniffs and turns his head the other way. He really is a strange little thing  x


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## dmgalley (Aug 19, 2012)

Woo said:


> Donna is the coconut oil helping with the skin condition?
> Does it have to be virgin coconut oil?


I think it is helping. Their costs are shiny. Their breath is better for sure  Jake eats and he seems to have less digestive issues. 
You have to use virgin. Ruth and my other friend also cook with it got themselves. It is good stuff. 

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2


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## Woo (Oct 5, 2011)

dmgalley said:


> I think it is helping. Their costs are shiny. Their breath is better for sure  Jake eats and he seems to have less digestive issues.
> You have to use virgin. Ruth and my other friend also cook with it got themselves. It is good stuff.
> 
> Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2


Thanks for that, noodle is a bit of a smelly poo and I heard it can help with that so think I will get some to try.


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## wilfiboy (Sep 18, 2010)

Well his weight seems fine. Will he work for his food ? You could try feeding it him in a kong and not a bowl or one of those puzzle games, or just try throwing it on a patio area if you've got one if it's dry or your kitchen floor....make him feel like he's got to find it rather than have it given x


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## AliAlfie (Jul 29, 2013)

I can also recommend the Naturediet trays, our boys have some mixed with their Barking Heads at one of their meals and it goes down a storm! As Karen said, there is indeed a puppy one, and so far ours seem more than happy to eat it every time, even though there is only one flavour/variety in the puppy version.

We've just started giving ours the virgin coconut oil after hearing so many positive reports about it...they seemed to really enjoy it, and licked it straight from the spoon! 

Good luck, I can only imagine how stressful it is for you, as we all want the best for our poos. Let us know how you get on.


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## Kiml3a (Jan 31, 2013)

Well he scoffed nearly a whole tray of natures diet. He couldnt get enough of it plain. I tried to incorporate some of his hills dry food but wasn't interested so I just picked them out. Fingers crossed we have cracked it  x


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## Tinman (Apr 23, 2013)

kiml3a said:


> well he scoffed nearly a whole tray of natures diet. He couldnt get enough of it plain. I tried to incorporate some of his hills dry food but wasn't interested so i just picked them out. Fingers crossed we have cracked it  x


result! :d


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## Lottierachel (Mar 3, 2013)

Really pleased he likes it! Lets hope he keeps on munching it  x


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