# doesnt eat very good



## lcht2 (Jan 8, 2008)

my pup doesnt eat very well..he maybe eats 2-4 cups a day..MAYBE. he acts like himself though, a normal spaz.








he's not skin and bones either..he actually looks good

could it be that he's maybe too excited to eat sometimes? or that he's more interested in life than eating? im still experimenting on foods and he hasnt been consistant on anything yet...


----------



## pinkanml (Sep 3, 2007)

That sounds like he's eating enough, all dogs vary, and many won't go by the back of the bag recommendations. The only way to know how much is really enough is to look at him and feel him. If he looks good, then I wouldn't worry. Many people overfeed their puppies.

I think all pups go through picky phases, so I wouldn't worry as long as he's eating *something* everyday. One day he might pig out, the next he might skip a meal, but that's fine as long as overall he is getting enough nutrition. I miss those puppy days!


----------



## Natasha (Apr 12, 2006)

Try a Probiotic, it helped Tash loads as she'd never eat and was skin and bones at one point just about. Ever since she was on a kibble with a probiotic she now eats like she's never been fed, she's gained the much needed weight -and some lol- along with being a lot less sick.

Hope he starts eatting well soon


----------



## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

at some point you have to select a food for him/her. they'll let you know if they like it. we use a dry with chicken added. we use boneless and skinless chicken breast and thighs. sometimes we cook them some groung beef and add it to there food. we have a Grey Hound and a GSD.


----------



## MikeB06 (Mar 12, 2006)

What brands of puppy foods have you tried? 

When you are constant with his diet then he will be consistant about eating it. Pick something and stick to it. 

It helps to feed him in a quiet place with out much going on so he can concentrate on eating. Have you tried feeding him in his crate?

A great choice is CANIDAE All Life Stage 4 meat protein formula. Most dogs love it. Adding a powerded food supplement like Prozyme (helps digestion), Nupro, K9 Show Stopper can really help the taste of some dry foods. If you are using a Lamb/Rice only food many pups don't like the taste of Lamb only. Try a chicken based food. 

Prozyme - http://www.prozymeproducts.com

NUPRO - http://www.nuprosupplements.com

K9 Show Stopper 
http://www.an-nat.com/endurancebooster_showstop.html


----------



## scannergirl (Feb 17, 2008)

My pup eats less than that- Just over two cups a day of Pro Plan large breed puppy. That keeps her lean like the vet wants.
She'd eat much more if I let her. But I go by what she looks and feels like, not how hungry she acts, or what the bag says (but it just so happens the bag is right on for her)


----------



## kelso (Jan 22, 2007)

i am not sure if this was mentioned, but are you free feeding your pup? If I left puppies bowl out to long (as I was thinking hey buddy come on ya need to eat) he would eat a few pieces, walk away, ect.

We learned pretty quick we just needed to give him a few minutes to eat, and if he didnt we picked up the bowl. He learned really quickly as well when feeding time was, and there hasnt been a problem since. Plus it helps as you can see the exact amount they are eating so you can change it up if you need to.

Another thing is training treats, i remember using so many treats those first few puppy months for constant training that I had to remember that as well at mealtime and modify meals accordingly.


----------



## ldpeterson (Feb 13, 2005)

Annabelle never had a ravenous appetite either. Sometimes she would skip meals entirely. She grew up fine. As long as a vet check rules out any disease then I wouldn't worry about it. Sounds like he's doing fine!


----------



## lcht2 (Jan 8, 2008)

na i dont leave food out freely..i have him on science diet, i've tried nutro ultra holistic but he wasnt a big fan of that, also purina, which i got that when we first got him and i learned more about nutrition so i switched to science diet...now that i've learned even more i am switching to eagle pack

i have changed the amounts i give him at a time and it has seemed to help..i did start putting it in his crate and he seems to relax more while eating. i still feed him the same amount of food a day but just in different sizes and its 3 times a day..


----------



## WiscTiger (Sep 25, 2002)

Everyone has their opinion but I would not give Prozyme unless the pup has EPI. To me Probioitics are a much better choice.


----------

