# My pup doesnt want to eat, HELP!



## afo1201 (Aug 14, 2015)

Any suggestions? I have had him for a week now, have tried blue buffalo LBP, merricks, and wellness LBP and he does not eat it! He ate the merricks the first day only after i wet it a bit, i am afraid that if i try another low end brand like purina or equivalent he will eat it right away! what should I do? I was thinking of possibly fidning the best lower end kibble plus giving him vitamins/supplements to compliment the cheaper food? I rather him eat somthing that nothing, i have tried not giving him anythign else for 2 days and he still WONT eat the kibble. What do you think? I was thinking of getting him the RC puppy GSD and if he likes it leave him on that and buy fish/salmon oil, and other supplements? thoughts?


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## The Wild Bunch (Jun 17, 2015)

Have you tried mixing it with a quality wet food from one of your listed companies?

How old is your pup?

I would not suggest using low quality food. If you are that up against it to get him to eat I would say a homemade diet would be a better choice.


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## afo1201 (Aug 14, 2015)

He is 9 weeks old, I would do the homemade diet but isint that expensive compared to dog food? what would this diet consist of?


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## The Wild Bunch (Jun 17, 2015)

I would start by mixing your high quality kibble with a high quality wet food and maybe top with a little dollop of probiotic yogurt or organic canned pumkin to make it more appealing and palatable. (use these items with caution because they can cause tummy upset or diarrhea if used too much or too quickly)

If you choose to do a home made diet it can be quite comparable financially and nutrition wise to buying kibble and wet foods. If you google it or even go to the forums here (use the sites search engine) you can find tons of recipes. 

The most important thing is that the diet be balanced with all the recommended daily allowances. 

What did the breeder or foster feed before you got the dog?


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## Backwoods_Shepherd (Aug 11, 2015)

I had the same problem with my 9 week old pup. He wasn't getting much dry food before I brought him home and was still on the mother. After about 7 days at our house his eating has picked up pretty well. It also helped when he was around our other dogs and he saw them eating.

Kevin


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## afo1201 (Aug 14, 2015)

I ended up buying a bag of the Kirkland Super Premium Puppy Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Formula http://www.kirklandsignaturepetsupplies.com/kirkland-brand-pet-food andso far so good, he ate 2 cups yesterday when I added some water and today he ate 1 cup dry...I will see tonight if he continues eating it and I will have to stay with it, I guess he doesnt like better quality food? I know the Kirkland brand is not the worst out there but not the best, I feel its somwhere in between but as long as the little guy eats, I can always transition him to a better quality one when i move him over to regular kibble vs puppy when he turns 1.


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## katieliz (Mar 29, 2007)

My dogs would go on a hunger strike if I tried the dry kibble route. Little bita water, and get some kefir probiotic add maybe a quarter cup, your dog and his GI tract will love you.


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## Amshru (Aug 7, 2015)

Seems to me that, much like with humans, the first year or two is the most important. So better to invest in good nutrition while they're growing, then have to spend massive amounts at the vet later. My vet's suggestion of trying wet food when I needed Elva to put on weight really worked, but was easy to transition her off to a dry food with toppings. Eventually I'm hoping (local butcher seems to be enthusiastic) to move her to a raw diet, but for now it's complete dry food with raw toppings (and a few other things for interest).


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## 4loveofadog (Mar 3, 2010)

i hope your pup is eating better. believe they can be a problem about food, especially when it's hot out. 

what food was he on when you got him? he is probably use to eating that. see what happens with eating what he started with.

if what he ate dry also comes in can, add a little of that to the kibble. you can also add a little water to kibble. don't keep switching his food not good for him.

wish you luck and enjoy him


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## afo1201 (Aug 14, 2015)

Ok, so it looks like the dry food he is going to stay on for now is the FROMM Gold Large Breed puppy, I see its very healthy and I can already tell its doing well for him as his coat looks shiny and healthy. What do you guys think about this dry food?


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## MishkasMom (Aug 20, 2015)

My pup was very picky from the beginning, I've tried most of the dry available to me and finally settled on Orijen 6 fish, it stinks but its the only one that he will eat without added extras. FROMM is supposed to be really good from the research I've done and I might try it since Orijen is so expensive and not sold in many stores where I live. I used to boil chicken breasts and some organ meats and shredded it before mixing with dry just so he will get his recommended amount.


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## afo1201 (Aug 14, 2015)

Right now, he is eating 3 cups a day of the FROMM Gold LBP kibble, on 2 of those servings i mix in a boiled egg, chicken broth, peas and green beans, what do you guys think?


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## Galathiel (Nov 30, 2012)

That's quite a bit of food. Be sure to watch his weight.


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## afo1201 (Aug 14, 2015)

thanks, I actually think he can look fuller. He sometimes looks too skinny IMO


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## afo1201 (Aug 14, 2015)

Took him to the vet yesterday for his shots and he weighed in at 22lbs, he is 11 weeks old. What do you guys think about his weight?


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## amburger16 (May 22, 2015)

afo1201 said:


> Took him to the vet yesterday for his shots and he weighed in at 22lbs, he is 11 weeks old. What do you guys think about his weight?



Can't tell just by weight, would need pictures. You should be able to easily feel his ribs but not see them unless he is turning.


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## afo1201 (Aug 14, 2015)

*Re:*

It's hard to get good shots of him at this age, haha. Here are a few recent ones, you can tell much


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## XmikeX (Jul 30, 2015)

Hey guys/gals 

I am in the same boat, I just brought home our little guy and he is eight weeks old. From all the research we have decided to go with fromm LBP. The first night he loved it and are it right away and quickly. Now he doesn't seem like he is interested in eating. We have tried to wet the food and soften it up but he didn't eat that, and we have been feeding him next to our other german shepherd. He will eat a couple pieces of kibble then walk away. 

Any suggestions that might make him want to eat more? Saw the recommendations on the wet food mixture and yogurt. Would it be ok to add no/low sodium chicken stock to his food? I don't want to give him something bad since he is still young and growing.


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

XmikeX said:


> Hey guys/gals
> 
> I am in the same boat, I just brought home our little guy and he is eight weeks old. From all the research we have decided to go with fromm LBP. The first night he loved it and are it right away and quickly. Now he doesn't seem like he is interested in eating. We have tried to wet the food and soften it up but he didn't eat that, and we have been feeding him next to our other german shepherd. He will eat a couple pieces of kibble then walk away.
> 
> Any suggestions that might make him want to eat more? Saw the recommendations on the wet food mixture and yogurt. Would it be ok to add no/low sodium chicken stock to his food? I don't want to give him something bad since he is still young and growing.


Hi xmikex!

Don't forget that your baby has just been taken away from everything he's known. His Mommy is gone, his siblings are gone, the sounds he is use to hearing is gone. He is now with strangers, strange house, strange yard, strange sounds! It would be like dropping you off in a foreign country, all by yourself!
In about a week, you'll start to see the real him!

Yes, the chicken stock would be fine. Mix it with some warm water, add kibble, mix, let soak a while and feed!

The unsweetened natural yogurt or keifer is fine too. 

Another thing you can try is to take some raw* lean *ground beef or turkey (1/4th cup), mix with warm water and make a "soup". Add the kibble to this, mix and let set, then feed. If any food remains, put in fridge until next meal to keep from spoiling.

Keep us posted and we LOVE pictures!

Good luck!
Moms


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## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

XmikeX said:


> Hey guys/gals
> 
> I am in the same boat, I just brought home our little guy and he is eight weeks old. From all the research we have decided to go with fromm LBP. The first night he loved it and are it right away and quickly. Now he doesn't seem like he is interested in eating. We have tried to wet the food and soften it up but he didn't eat that, and we have been feeding him next to our other german shepherd. He will eat a couple pieces of kibble then walk away.
> 
> Any suggestions that might make him want to eat more? Saw the recommendations on the wet food mixture and yogurt. Would it be ok to add no/low sodium chicken stock to his food? I don't want to give him something bad since he is still young and growing.


Wet topping is good. The no/low sodium chicken stock makes me think that your talking about a manufactured product (canned). It's easy enough to make the real thing with real #'s and real nutrition. IMO, you just have to strain off the fat - the meat and water that you simmer the chicken in are all good - but the fat will give them the runs My vet had my pup on 2 tablespoons of yogurt on her topping every morning. It's easy to freeze into 3 day portions). 

Some would say, tough it out and they will eat the dry food but my concern is it's so vital to provide what they need when they're young - why screw around with establishing a certain brand of food at this point in their development? Check out petfoodadvisor.com - pick an B or better grade and add toppings


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## XmikeX (Jul 30, 2015)

Thank you guys/gals I will try the topping to try and get him to eat more. 

I'm not trying to make him eat only one brand of food but we can't afford to spend a bunch of money on different bags of dog food. 

I will get some yogurt and maybe some lean ground meat and try that. I will be sure to post pictures of the little guy ASAP!!

Thank you and more advice will be awesome.


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## afo1201 (Aug 14, 2015)

Your situation sounds very similar to mine, this is what I do now. 

Mornings 
Fromm LBP mixed with either, yogurt, pure canned pumpkin, raw, boiled or scrambled eggs, sweet peas, carrots, green beans, or some pet fresh select roll the one for puppy or the adult beef.

During the day he free eats just dry kibble while we are not at home

Evenings 
Same as morning...

I feel he is getting good nutrient since he is eating the Fromm LBP kibble plus all the other stuff I am mixing with the food

This is working well for us


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## Iowafisher (Sep 8, 2015)

A egg over the food works for me


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## danica (May 26, 2015)

afo1201 said:


> I ended up buying a bag of the Kirkland Super Premium Puppy Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Formula Kirkland Signature Pet Food and Pet Supplies > Kirkland Brand Pet Food andso far so good, he ate 2 cups yesterday when I added some water and today he ate 1 cup dry...I will see tonight if he continues eating it and I will have to stay with it, I guess he doesnt like better quality food? I know the Kirkland brand is not the worst out there but not the best, I feel its somwhere in between but as long as the little guy eats, I can always transition him to a better quality one when i move him over to regular kibble vs puppy when he turns 1.


 I have a 2.5 year old GS and he has a super sensitive stomach, after several trials with other food I also found Kirkland dog food was the easiest on his tummy, I started with the lamb and then to the chicken/veg and did encounter less rejection but I noticed him still eating grass. I was thinking after a while it may be the vegetables, so once again back to Costco and now he is doing great and eating, we have the Chicken/egg formula [they will refer to this as Mature formula] but it is just fine for any age as its very mild, I use it mixed with lamb/rice [only kirkland, dry kibble] GSD's have a super sensitive tummy, my boy eats grass less now than ever, his nose and paw pads are healthy, so I think maybe your little guy may be the same [tender tummy], I did a lot of research by reading all reviews and formulas, Kirkland is top rated for nutritional value and ease on digestion and it does have a wet formula if you mix, the nutrients also help their joints and its loaded with probiotics and is easy to digest. Hope this helps in some way, he's a doll!!


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## danica (May 26, 2015)

afo1201 said:


> It's hard to get good shots of him at this age, haha. Here are a few recent ones, you can tell much


awe!! lol those ears are awesome! what a beautiful dog!


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

I know it is hard but don't offer too much variety. It is like a child wanting only dessert for dinner. 

My 20 month old is in need of some tough love. We do the high quality kibble with high quality canned. I add just a few heaping spoonfuls to mix with the kibble for moisture and taste. And sometimes a bit of water helps it mix together better. If he turns his nose up to it for breakfast I put it into the fridge and he gets if for dinner. 

I still spoil my dog but I've cut way back on the variety of his meals now. If he had his way I'd be getting home prepared chicken and rice and bully stick every meal.


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## ablack74 (Jun 5, 2015)

Tucker was/is the same....we got him at 13 weeks and he's never ate well. I've spent a small fortune in foods he won't eat. He will "kinda" eat blue buffalo with bison, but only if we add cooked low fat hamburger to the mix. I have to cook 1lb hamburger or chicken, drain any then add 1 cup blue buffalo kibble and he will eat it that way. We have tried everything to avoid having to use hamburger or chicken...even withholding hamburger/chicken for 5 days...but he starts crying and limping and I can't stand it so we break down and get the hamburger /chicken cookin! He is now 1year and 8 months old and its still this way....it has become our way of life. I just don't think he liked kibble and he probably was still nursing from his mom whom he was kenneled with when we picked him up. I feel like we are tricking him into eating the kibble and getting nutrician this way....otherwise he would be completely happy eating hamburger and chicken (unseasoned) for ever but he would get no other essential nutrician. I guess some GS just like what they like. I'm just happy I don't have to put his food in a blender any more! (Yes....that is how we got him to eat the meat and kibble together.....stuck it in a ninja therefore he couldn't separate kibble from the meat.) Now he will eat the meat and kibble as long as the kibble is cooked with the meat after the meat has been drained...luv our Tucker!


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## lilcezar (Feb 5, 2011)

afo1201 said:


> Any suggestions? I have had him for a week now, have tried blue buffalo LBP, merricks, and wellness LBP and he does not eat it! He ate the merricks the first day only after i wet it a bit, i am afraid that if i try another low end brand like purina or equivalent he will eat it right away! what should I do? I was thinking of possibly fidning the best lower end kibble plus giving him vitamins/supplements to compliment the cheaper food? I rather him eat somthing that nothing, i have tried not giving him anythign else for 2 days and he still WONT eat the kibble. What do you think? I was thinking of getting him the RC puppy GSD and if he likes it leave him on that and buy fish/salmon oil, and other supplements? thoughts?


-----As GSD are already prone to GI issues as a breed, I opted straight away with my rescued "Friday" at age 18 months to use prescription Purina "EN" dry kibble (looks and smells like corn pops) -3 parts and Natures Choice chicken, pumpkin & sweet potato -2 parts. This mix is tasty and still gives consistent solid stools. Don't go straight "EN" as it creates painful hard stools. Also, try to stir in half cup water into the kibble as it will enhance the scent. Dogs are driven more by scent than taste..They other item I always use at least once per week is Purina "Fortiflora" probiotic powder on his kibble. Good luck!


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## unicorn4Jaci (Apr 16, 2015)

My dog loves Fromm. They make small batches and it is fresh. Google a carrier.
I swear by it. You could try a little coconut oil on his food as well. Just a teaspoon, the smell will enhance the kibble and the oil is good for his coat. My shepherd loves it and he is shiny. Trooper is 11 but looks much younger. I have raised 5 and Trooper is my 6th shepherd. He was a rescue when I got him at two. Off of Craig's List. He looked awful. Now he is a champion.


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## zyppi (Jun 2, 2006)

GSDs are notoriously finicky eaters, but, believe me, they will not starve themselves... cats might, but not a dog.

find a healthy kibble or good diet and offer. If pup turns away, pick it up and wait until the next 'meal time.'


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