My puppy isn't finishing his meals

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Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some help and answers to a few things that have been worrying me...

My puppy, who is nearly 5 months old, isn’t eating his full daily allowance... It happened a few times at first, but now he’s not finishing a single portion, every single day...

He started on Royal Canin and the vet advised me to switch dry food brands, while still sticking to a premium one. I’ve done that, but it hasn’t changed anything; he still won’t finish it all...

Other than that, he’s doing great – really lively, very bright, listens well and loves playing. I’m starting to wonder if the feeding guidelines on the bag just don’t suit him and if he’d rather have smaller portions...???

THANKS

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    • ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Up until they are 5 or 6 months old, you can still give them three meals a day.

    Yes and no; my dog only ever had two meals a day until a vet told me to try giving her three. I did it, but she wouldn't finish her portions anymore. I've gone back to two now—she doesn't always eat everything in the morning, but she finishes her whole meal in the evening. To make it a bit more appetising, I’ve been adding some wet food (1 tbsp), but you have to be careful to reduce the amount of kibble.

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    Jador
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    How exactly are you trying to force him? If you’ve got into the habit of adding tastier things to his bowl, like gravy, cheese, or table scraps, you run the risk of making him a fussy eater. How many meals a day are you giving him? Until they are about 6 months old, you can still give three meals a day. Just make sure you’re splitting the daily allowance into three and being careful not to overfeed him. You might need to try several different brands of dry food before finding the right one, and even then, some dogs get bored, so you have to switch it up by trying different flavours within the range. Finally, free-feeding isn’t a bad thing if you can see that your dog is able to self-regulate and eat consistently.
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    I’ve actually just switched his dry food... there’s much more meat in it than the others, but nothing will get him to come to his bowl anyway....

    Thanks

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    Blingbling
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    My Golden has never really been a fan of his dry food. To get him to eat, I switched to free-feeding. A lot of people advise against it, but he’s always been able to self-regulate that way and he’s always been in good health.

    Maybe try a different kibble (one with a higher meat content) or look into raw feeding...

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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Thanks for the info, but for example, if I put some dry food in his Kong, he’ll eat the lot... But if I put it in his bowl, he won’t touch a thing – he just sniffs it and walks away... Mind you, he’s never been much of an eater, except for right at the start when I first got him; I didn’t have any problems then... He’d quite happily go 3 or 4 days without eating if I didn’t force him... But I’m worried I’ve traumatised him by forcing him... Thanks
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    Jador
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    The pup has already done the bulk of his growing. His nutritional needs are decreasing, and it’s not unusual for many to go through a phase where they go off their food. As long as he doesn’t seem to be suffering (lethargy, weight loss, etc.), don’t be too alarmed. Things will get back to normal soon enough.

    Translated from French

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