Pup Doesn't Have As Much Of An Appetite

[Rottnlove]

I'm just curious if a 5 month old puppy would go through a phase where she wouldn't be as interested in eating all her food at mealtime? I give her about 1.5 cups per feeding and I'm going to be cutting that back a bit, since she's just not as interested in eating it all. We feed 3 times dailey. Is it normal for a pups appetite to drop during slower growth stages?

Also, when she eats, I don't think she's chewing the food very well, because she has thrown it up once in a while and the food looks to be unchewed. My guess is she is eating too fast without chewing. Could this cause her to throw it up later? Someone told me to add just a little water to the kibble to soften it up a bit. Is this a good idea?

FYI, she's being fed Canidae.

Thanks. :)

[spidey]

Dogs don't chew. What looks like chewing is just breaking the food into chunks they can swallow, unlike us, they don't need to start their digestion in their mouths. Eating too quickly can cause vomiting because of air swallowing (a brick or something like that in the bowl will slow them down). How often does she vomit? If it's very occasional, it's likely no big deal, but if it's more than once a month or so, you may want to get the vet to have a look.

At her age, you could probably cut back to two meals a day. Leave it down for 20 minutes, then take it up until the next meal. You're right that their appetites do change when they're not growing as quickly (but this usually happens most noticeably when the dog's a bit older than yours). If she's otherwise normal and healthy, try giving her the same amount as you are now, but in two meals instead of three. Adding water is fine, too. Dogs do sometimes just go off food, but before I started switching around, I'd try fewer meals, and limited mealtimes. Enjoy!

[poohbearsmom]

with Attila.....put his breakfast down... wouldn't touch it. Laid there looking all sad and everything... even with yogurt, a tad bit of oil... nada...

Or, he'd eat, and immediately barf it back up... then try to re eat it...

I chalked it up to teething... it lasted about a week or so... just don't think he was feeling too good because the molars were breaking through.

When he started eating more again, I did put him down to 2 x a day feeding (he's almost 5mos old now), and he's a lot more interested in the food bowl now.

Good luck.
Elisabeth

p.s. there also seemed to be a doggy tummy virus flying through our area a few weeks ago... seemed everybody I knew had sickly dogs for a few days... my big ones never got sick, so I doubt that was my problem.

[Sharon Marples]

I agree, at this age two meals a day should do her just fine. I would keep it at 1.5 cups per meal and when she starts eating it all, then bump it up a bit (as long as she doesnt' get too heavy). Pups go through growing stages and when they are at a standstill for a while, their appetites slow down as well.

We add water to our dogs food all the time, actually we add enough so that the food is "floating" in the water. It's not so much to soften the kibble as it is used as a bloat prevention.

She sounds just fine, just normal. Cut her food back, go to twice a day and I'm sure things will smoothe out soon.

Sharon Marples

[Rottnlove]

Thanks for the informative replies! I greatly appreciate it and I feel relieved. I worry a lot. Always thinking the worse, LOL. :p

I've just began to add water to her food. I appreciate that tip. I think it will be a useful one. :) I'll also feed her twice a day as said.

Thanks again!