Do puppies have "not hungry" days?

[Esaunders]

Silly question, but do puppies have days where they just aren't hungry?

I've increased my pup's food a bit and added in time with kongs filled with kibble and peanut butter. Between the growth and his activity level, he's still a little thinner than I'd like.

After a couple days of this, he's not really interested in his breakfast. Still his bright-eyed, energetic self.


I'm just being a silly mom right?

[shredy]

My dog has always been a picky eater. She will have a little in the morning, and might finish her food by the end of the day, or she might not. The important thing to do is establish what is regular behavior for your dog. If she is eating, not vomiting, not having diarrhea, has no stomach distention, and is energetic, it could be that she is just not hungry (or too busy playing to be bothered with food!!). How old is she? How much food is she eating? How much does she weigh? How thin is she (ribs showing etc)? How much food has your vet recommended for her size? What breed is she? How much is she suppossed to weigh? This can give a better idea if it is a problem.

[shredy]

Sorry, he, not she. How could I make such a silly mistake

[Esaunders]

Good point. Here's the checklist:
- breed: male English Setter
- age 6.5 months
- height at shoulders: 23 in
- normal adult height range: 25-27in
- normal weight range for 6 months: 30-45 lbs
- weight at 6 months 42.5
- body condition: ribs covered by thin fat layer, easily felt. spinal processes easily felt. On the the body condition scale 1-VERY thin 2-thin 3-ideal 4-overweight 5-VERY overweight, I'd say he's probably a 2.5
- Energy normal, play level normal
- Normal exercise level: 1-2 hours hard play at dog park

- no vomiting
- no diarrhea
- no distension

- food: 3 1/2 cups Solid gold Lamb puppy formula + training treats + 1 peanut butter+kibble kong

[shredy]

Sounds to me like he is doing fine. Is he neutered? Dogs will tend to be on the thinner side if they are not altered. ALso, just a thought, but he could be going through a growth spurt, which would contribute to his thin nature. All in all he sounds pretty normal to me. Some dogs will scarf their food down as soon as they have it, and some will just graze throughout the day, It may be good news, at least your won't have to worry about putting him on a diet!!!

[Esaunders]

I've had dogs before but not pups so sometimes I wonder...

He's not neutered yet. The 'bits' haven't emerged yet so I'm holding off before sending the vet on a fishing expedition.

At least he isn't a slave to his stomach. (unlike the rest of us in the household )

[rainbow]

Is the 3 1/2 cups Solid Gold the suggested feeding amount for him? Plus you are giving him extra treats and a Kong filled with kibble and peanut butter. IMO any kibble that is given in a kong should be part of his daily food amount not added as extra. Maybe your dog just knows when he's had enough. He sounds just fine to me but if you are really concerned ask your vet.

My husband says the same thing about our lab and wants me to feed him more which I will not do. Our lab is 10 months old and weighs 78lb. He gets 4 cups of Timberwolf Organics a day plus 3-4 dog cookies or salmon treats or whatever other treat I may have made. Occassionally he gets some left over chicken or fish or steak. He looks thin as well but the vet said he will fill out. It is alot better for a large dog to grow slowly until their bones are set.

[shredy]

At 6.5 months, his "bits" should probably have dropped, I might make a phone call to your vet and double check. They can cause some problems if they aren't dropping on their own. Don't panic, just make a phone call. Let me know what your vet says, I could be wrong??

[rainbow]

He's not neutered yet. The 'bits' haven't emerged yet so I'm holding off before sending the vet on a fishing expedition.

If his testicles haven't descended by now it's not likely they're going to. At four months of age my husky only had one that the vet could feel. At six months she could still only feel the one and she suggested that we neuter him then. She said we could wait but it wasn't likely that the other would drop and the longer we wait the harder the operation would be for him.

[Esaunders]

I did check the 'bits' issue with the vet. Joint decision was to hold off a while and check in again on the issue later on.

One is thinking about appearing but it keeps changing its mind Its kind of like a disturbing variation of "Where's Waldo" (i know, i know, too much information)

[shredy]

As long as your vet is aware. I have heard that they can become cancerous if they don't drop, so don't wait too long. Sounds like you are a great parent, and that you have a sweet pup. Enjoy him!!!

[Esaunders]

Thanks. I'm pretty vigilant on the day to day details and keeping him on a routine. (that reminds me, I need to do a week long temp. study with him so that I know what normal is for him) He is sweet and I enjoy being around him immensely. He's also stubborn and manipulative, but it's part of his charm.

Thankfully I'm familiar with the issues of chryptochordism from the horse world, where the same issue can manifest.

The increased testicular cancer risk isn't immediate but long-term. (thank heavens) The biggest problem is that it can mean sterility but is a transmissible trait if they do manage to breed another dog. Hence the reason it is a disqualifying trait in the show ring.

Since I have no interest in breeding and plan on getting him fixed anyway it renders the cancer issue moot. Besides, my insurance will add in a bunch of limiting clauses if he isn't neutered before his first birthday. (like I'd give an insurance company any weasel room...)

The bigger problem is that I keep inspecting him and poking around to see if they're emerging. Thank god my bf understands what I'm doing, or he might REALLY start to wonder about my sanity.

[phoenix]

Hi Esaunders,
Your puppy might just have had enough food. 3 1/2 c plus a kong plus treats is lots, IMO, especially of a high quality kibble. My puppy Maia (6.5 month old boxer, 41 lbs and a bit ribby but very muscular) gets 2 1/2 c of Canidae plus some raw (chicken backs, that sort of thing).
At 6 months, you can switch to an adult food... there will be new feeding guidelines. Canidae is an all stages food and at 6 months, we've started to decrease the amount she gets since her growth is slowing.

[Esaunders]

Phoenix...

Good point. 3 1/2 is just over the recommended amount of 3 that he was getting previously. Although his growth doesn't seem to have slowed much yet. His balance is still changing all over the place and he doesn't know where his feet are every few days. He keeps finding them and loosing them. Considering his weight/age/height I'd say he's likely going to end up closer to the upper hight limit than the lower one.

Part of the reason I'd increased the food a bit was that:
a) I was getting a few "Is he supposed to be that thin?" comments
b) due to a growth spurt this past week and some extra exercise he was looking a little tucked up in my opinion and feeling a little thinner than before

Probably gave him more than he needed and he's just taking a break on his own. A little ribby but muscular is a good description for him too.


So you can successfully feed a combination of high quality kibble and raw? I thought that you had to pretty much do one or the other. (I'm interested in the raw theory but haven't yet been able to put anything into practise) Is there anything I should be careful of with the combination? I'd happily substitute his kong with a better alternative.

[JessXx]

Hello,
if you are concerned AT ALL about your pets health, weather it be throwing up, eating, peeing... whatever, there should be a check in with the vet.
I would reccomend you go see your vet if you don't think your pup is eating right...
Theres lots of good suggestions though-

[Esaunders]

Paranoia reigns ....
My bf just reported in that he's devoured his food like normal now. Guess he just wasn't hungry.

lol ... I worry too much.

[phoenix]

Glad to hear it!! We always worry...
About the raw, they digest kibble and raw foods at different speeds, so they shouldn't be fed together... but you can do breakfast as raw and night as kibble or vice versa... I've never had a problem. I buy chicken backs, chicken legs when they are cheap. What I've read is that if you feed kibble then raw, the kibble goes through slower and so it keeps the raw food in the dog longer than it should be... which may lead to digestive upset. As I said, I've never had an issue.
With Maia, we find one day she looks a little chunky and the next she looks skeletal!! She definitely puts on a little weight and then has a growth spurt.

[JessXx]

I'm glad your puppy is doing well and eating like all pups should!
Its a great thing to worry and you never can worry too much!!!
Thanks for posting!