Puppy not eating enough

hmc

Hi all,
Ok Cody is now 14 wks and has never been a big eater, I'm so used to pups eating everything and being greedy and he's just not
I know it's hot at the moment
We have tried chudley puppy, which he was on at the breeders.
Wainrights ,2 different flavours, and am now on skinners, they kindly sent a sample which he devoured but as soon as I bought. A bag he lost interest
He has put on weight, but just through growing,he is very lean and has a very definite waist,energy,playing,walks,poos are all as they always have been
He is a English springer spaniel
I really don't want to add any wet food
We are going to the vets tomorrow just for a check up
Any thoughts please or any advice on tasty food lol, I don't know whether to stick to what I'm on now or try something else
I'm not going down the expensive route with the food

Celli

I'd stick to what your feeding, I've learnt from experience, that the more you chop and change, the fussier they get.
I know it's easier said than done, especially when they're wee, but if you can stick to your guns, he will eventually eat.
There are documented cases of anorexic dogs, but they're very rare, the vast majority are just chancers.

There's also been a long running study that found dogs underfed by 25%, actually lived longer, although I'm in no way advocating that anyone should try it, I think that would right rubbish for the dog.:)

lee111s

Is he not eating much at all or just not eating what the back of the dog food packet says? If so they're just guidelines and most dogs will only need 60-70% of the amounts quoted. After all, the more food you go through the more you buy and line their pockets so why wouldn't they put the maximum amount on it!

Keep tracking his weight, if he's gaining at a health amount then he's eating all he needs.

I've got a springer pup, he's 5 months now and he goes through periods of weeks where he can't eat the food quick enough to how he has been the past few days where he'a barely ate 1/3 of what he usually would. He's still drinking and runs around like a loon so I'm never worried. They aren't like us humans, they just eat when they're hungry.

Lenny is also very lean but bear in mind that spaniels should be! I don't like seeing chunky springers, that's now how the breed is supposed to be. Lenny is at the gangly phase now, his hind legs are getting really long but he's still slim as they don't really pack on muscle mass untill they're about a year old, that's when they'll fill out.

Keep feeding as you are and see how he goes, if it goes 3 days without really eating then a trip to the vet for a checkup may be needed but don't worry too much!

hmc

Thanks
He has never eaten his food in one go,just leaves it and goes and lays on his back looking at the other dog eat his!!!!
I put some in a kong and he does play with it during the day
On the back I think,from memory, it is between 250 and 375
The cup I use is 100 and we are lucky if he has one and half in a day some days barely 1
He is working bred so not going to be a chunky, mum and dad small and slim, he just looks leggy and skinny I can feel his spine and see his ribs when he moves

lee111s

Lenny is a workinf breed too and Yeah I can see ribs and muscle definition when he runs or twists his body, it's normal for working dogs to be very lean. DCan feel his spine too if you press down a little more firmly when stroking his back. Don't forget they'll fill out when the reach 10-14 months, they mostly grow their skeleton first! He was 11.6kilo's about 10 days ago when he was 19 weeks.

Does he get other treats like chews/dentastix? Do you train him using treats?

Lenny gets a kong filled with cheese/ham/kibble or sometimes berrys squashed in and frozen! I give him a whole raw egg to play with and eat a couple of times a week, he goes nuts for them now he's figured how to get in to the good stuff!

I used to worry when he didn't eat but I done quite a bit of reading about it and what might seem unusual to us humans and how we eat, it's different for dogs. I'm sure all will be well tomorrow at the vets for you both

lee111s

Even now at 5 months and probably 12 kilo's Lenny only gets 350g a day of food. Some dry foods are more calorie and nutrient dense than others so you have to feed less. How many times a day are you feeding him?

Brian8888

We had a similar issue and I noticed overtime that it can be related to heat, change of daily routine or not enough walks. I switched up the times to go outside for a walk, the route of the walk itself and walked for a longer period of time. Especially, when I do a long walk in the morning before work it helped a lot.
Another thing was that it improved when I actually stopped trying to convince him to eat something. I would just put it in his bowl and leave it there for him.
Good idea to go to the vet just to make sure that blood work etc is fine. All the best with your puppy. Hope it will be ok soon.

hmc

To be honest we just put it down when ever through the day,he gets 5 mins and we lift it because of other dog
If I'm out and my mum is on puppy watch then its put down every 2 hrs, other days I put it down every hr

meritaten

I had an English Springer Spaniel - she loved food - any food! she would eat anything and everything! she also liked variety in her diet, so if she had dog food at one meal her next meal would be whatever she could nick from the kids! a true glutton - we had to learn to not leave food within her reach and not to feed her treats.
I don't get this put down food every two hours or every hour. isn't dog fed at certain times - it scarfs down food then fed about four hours later? and a five minute limit? WHATS that about? and you wonder if pups eating enough?

lee111s

I'm down to 2 feeds a day now for Lenny, 10am then about 7 or 8 at night after our evening walk. I give him about 20 minutes and if there's anything left I take it away. Some days he wolfs it, others he'll have a mouthful then going for a sniff and come back a few minutes later for a bit more.

Perhaps the other dog being present when you're feeding him is the issue? Have you tried feeding him with just you in the room? Put the bowl down for 20-30 minutes and just leave hom to it, don't coax him into eating it.

Have you also considered the bowl he's eating out of? Lenny wouldn't go near the food in the metal one I bought for him when I first got him until just last week, however he was more than happy to drink from an identical bowl!!

hmc

Thank you,
I've tried a plate etc, no difference, other dog is fed separately in another room behind a gate
I also have never had a pup/dog that didn't scoff it's food down as soon as it saw it, hence I'm asking for advice
Because he doesn't eat one bit in 5 mins I lift it so other doesn't eat it and try him again later
Anyway I will see what the vet says tomorrow and will not be influenced to trying science plan from the vet lol