9 1/2 wk old low appetite - Page 1

We have a male, he weighs 20lbs.  He seems to have a very low appetite.  He is only eating approx 1.5 cups of food per day.  He will usually wait a couple of hours in the morning before even showing any interest in his food.  My wife figured out that if you put a couple of pieces of food on the floor in front of his dish, he will eat those then usually go to his bowl and eat some food.  She doesn't do this regularily and I never have, but it does seem to get his appetite going. *shrug*

I have been giving him 1/2 cup at all 3 "feedings"  and he rarely finishes that in one sitting.  I take the food up between feedings, thinking that he will be extra hungry for the next feeding and so he doesn't get to piece between meals. 

I tried offering him food 4x per day and that didn't help a bit. 

For the most part he shows a near total indifference for his food.  I can't remember even one time that he just went over and started eating when we put his food in his bowl.  He just just walks over, sniffs it and walks away. 

The breeder had him on pro-plan.  I (slowly) switched to Canidae all life stages which i felt was good quality especially for the price.  He showed the same indifference to that so i thought I would try something different.  I was thinking maybe he just didn't like the Canidae.  I switched (slowly again) to Innova Large breed puppy which is a little higher quality and a ton more expensive but it's not really about the money anyway.  Same results.

We are very careful about the quantity of treats given throughout the day.  Only during training, (sit, down, stay, shake) that kind of thing.  We wanted to make sure he isn't full enough so as not to have much of an appetite. 

He looks, and acts very healthy.  He is very thin but not emaciated.  You can easily feel all of his ribs but not see them. 

His stools seem OK, wet but not runny.  3x per day usually.

Part of me says he will self-regulate his intake but man, it just seems like he should eat more and more enthusiastically.  The other breeds we have had (rotties mainly) in the past couldn't wait for meal time, especially in the morning. 

We have a vet visit in the next couple of days.  I'm taking a stool sample in then. 

Any suggestions?

Thanks

How long have you had this puppy. He could be still feeling stress from leaving his littermates and breeder. My puppies probably eat about 3/4 to 1 cup of food 3 x's a day at that age. His weight sounds about right too, you should be able to easily feel his ribs, not see them. It is better to grow a puppy lean then grow one over weight. You might try skipping the middle meal and see if that helps. Also add warm water to it, that enhances the flavor. I would not make a big deal out of him not eating, if he is hungrey he will eat, as long as he is other wise healthy. I would give him 20 minutes to eat and then remove then food wether he has eaten or not, and do not offer him any more food until the next meal time.  Norma

I agree with Norma, put his food down for him to eat and if he shows no interest or walks away that is it until the next feeding.  I personally would not give him any treats until he was eating better on a schedule.  Any vomiting at all?  Still active and wanting to play?  Once he learns if he doesn't eat right away his food dissapears that should cure him

I have had him for 2 1/2 weeks. 

No vomiting at all.

Very active and playful.

I'll try that and see how it goes.

Thanks for the suggestions!

No problem, good luck!

Vitamins brought my girl up. She hit 2and 1/2 and bang, she's eatinf so much I fear that I will have to give her some serious work outs to keep her in shape.