# Nature Diet - puppy not eating enough?



## loopyloo (Aug 18, 2012)

I wonder if someone could give some advice please. Rafferty is eating Nature Diet puppy food at the moment but we find it hard to persuade him to eat the recommended amount for his weight. He is 25 weeks old and weighs about 8.5 kg and is about 14 inches to the shoulder. Some days he will eat over 600g over his 3 meals, other times we struggle to get him to eat 250g over 3 meals - the recommended amount for his weight is between 870 and 950g, though I know this is purely a guide. His poo is mostly firm but we have stages of it being sloppy. The meal he is most reluctant to eat is breakfast, a bit iffy about lunch but will sometimes eat lots at dinner. His build seems OK at present, not too ribby.
I know he's about the age to go onto 2 meals. Should I just stop his lunch or reduce gradually? This will be difficult if he hasn't eaten any breakfast and rarely eats the full amount over 3 meals, let alone 2. He doesn't have very many treats and couldn't get on with dried food at all-even Barking Heads.
Also should I look to intruducing adult food yet? My personal thought is that he's a bit young yet as he probably has a bit more growing to do.
I would be grateful for any comments on how we might proceed. I must admit this is becoming a worry. On the whole he is a lovely chap with plenty of energy, though quite wilfull when it comes to training !! He seems to have an almost full set of adult teeth and a soft coat with ringlets at the moment. He's probably due a trim in the very near future. Will try to attach a photo on Tapatalk


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## loopyloo (Aug 18, 2012)

Rafferty on the doormat. Sorry not very good definition, always a problem with black dogs, and no flash on phone


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## Cat 53 (Aug 26, 2012)

I think the amount they give as a guideline to feed dogs is very much on the generous side. I would look at stopping one of his meals and maybe adjust the times so that rather than breakfast and lunch he has brunch. That might suit him better. Not sure what age to start feeding adult. Max has raw so it's not an issue for me. Sorry.


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## Lozzie (Apr 1, 2012)

I know it's different food but Bracken eats 150g of her dried Green Dog puppy a day and she is also smaller than Raff but definately growing steadily- she's 5kg and 11 inches to the shoulder. From memory that's not far off how Willow grew. I would suggest that Cat's advice is probably good but as I say I don't knwo anything about feeding Nature's Diet. I wouldn't worry though if he is happy and healthy in himself!


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## wiz1908 (Apr 19, 2012)

Hi
I wouldn't worry too much, Enzo is just over 9 months now & had a really worrying time over his eating. He was on Arden Grange puppy kibble from a pup & always gulped it down, but all of a sudden he stopped, some days he would barely eat anything, also his poo’s were hit & miss sometimes good sometimes sloppy or very sloppy. They say not to put them on adult food till 9 months but I contacted Arden Grange when Enzo was 7 months for some advise & they said it was ok to put him on the adult one so I did & he’s been great – poo’s great too now which is very good!. I give him less that the pack says as he does have quite a few treats during the day (he comes to work with me so has lots of rewards for training) He has 80g for brekki which he generally doesn’t eat but I leave it out & after our walk & a bit of a rest he'll eat about a third of it or sometimes all of it then for dinner he gets 60-70g with a third of a tub of Nature Diet (I alternate the tubs flavor) which he gobbles down, so my point is (I get there in the end!) is he doesn’t really eat anywhere near what they say he should, but he’s not underweight & he’s healthy with lots of energy so I think every dog is different, you know if he’s under or overweight & the poo’s are a good indication if they are getting enough food or too much – sloppy = too much, they should be small-ish & firm. It takes a while to get it right & I think he’s telling you that he’s ready to go on 2 meals now, I know it’s worrying but he won’t starve so maybe take it right down & try to introduce some good quality kibble with it then gradually increase it till he’s not leaving any & you should get to the point where he’s getting what he needs, just trust your instincts & what his body is telling you & just use the pack guidelines as a very rough guide, hope that helps a bit


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## Kody&Beau (Aug 18, 2012)

Both of mine at around 5 months either didn't eat breakfast or the lunch so I would say cut out one or the other, lunch is probably the best one to cut out although of a weekend when everyone is up a little later mine have brunch as suggested above. Mine are on kibble in the morning so I put that down and they tend to have some first thing but don't eat it all then a little more later, evening meal I have just started giving them a moist food they are having Lilly's kitchen and they absolutely love it...bowls licked clean  don't worry too much about the amount he's eating dogs never starve themselves and if he's active and playing he's fine, as mentioned food manufacturers always give maximum amounts in my experience with other pets you can practically half the amount they suggest.


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## loopyloo (Aug 18, 2012)

Thanks for the helpful replies. Raffy is now on 2 meals a day, he still eats less in the morning but averages about 500-600g of natures diet per day and treats. This is well below the amount the makers suggest but he doesn't seem to want any more and he's growing and is getting steady weight gains. He is energetic and happy with generally firm poos so we seem to have got it right in the end  all we need to do now is get him to do as he's told 90% of the time and we'll have the perfect dog


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

I changed mine from 3 meals to 2 at about that age. They eat at 8 and 4 and they love nature diet which I combine successfully with raw. I often feed nature diet for breakfast and 2 chicken wings for tea.


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