Puppies wont eat?

[eric29]

For the last 4 days it has been a struggle to get my 2 puppies to eat. Since I got them bout 4 monthes ago ive fed them solid gold and they have seem to love it but not now. I went and bought a new kind today to give it a try(Eagle pack holistic select) and not to much luck with that either. I figured if i just leave it out they will eat it eventually but they dont. The only time they will eat it is if i hold it in my hand and that only last 4 bout two handfuls. Ive tried adding water and milk but doesnt help. If anyone has any advice it would be greatly appreciated.

[hartner62]

My pup did that years ago so I took one of those treats that look like little bones (they are about 1.5in. long) and crushed it up and mixed it up in the food. Every day I mixed less in and within 3 or 4 days he was fine with the new food.

Good luck and hopefully it works for you.

[ottertailguy]

Try puppy chow. Maybe your food is just to rich or something. I think the fancy food is over rated.

[LABS4ME]

Teething? If they were 7-8 weeks old when you got them, + 4 months, that'd put them at the age of teething.

Try mixing a little canned food in with their kibble, 1/2 cup kibble to a half can of canned food. Just to keep them eating... don't do it to long or you may end up with a bad habit.

Good Luck!

Ken

[Pyrex]

Try mixing their old food with the new food, I was always told its better to slowly ween a dog off of one food to another, if they like the solid gold mix it in and see if thats all they eat, you can usually tell if their picking out their favorite. My brit did the same thing she wouldnt touch the science diet, but she loves the cheap diamond brand.

[eric29]

I tried the treat thing and it seemed to work a lil bit but they still didnt finish all of it. Before they would sit and lick the bowl clean for 5 min after everything was gone. I have been mixing the old with the new but the only preference they have is the treat chunks over their food! For the past month ive been adding milk or water to help with the teething but i thought they were over that but i dont know. Maybe it is time to swith to the cheap stuff and try that.

[LABS4ME]

How old are the dogs? Boy, they'd be quick teethers if they are already done and they're 5-6 months old.

Going to a 'cheap' food and changing their diet constantly will not make them good eaters... stick to a food, feed it at a scheduled time each day and scheduled amounts and they will learn to eat what's put in front of them. I can almost 100% guarantee you they will not starve themselves to death. Never heard of a dog that died of starvation... especially a lab! Heck they'll usually eat rocks!

Good Luck!

Ken

[MNpurple]

I had the same issues when my Lab was 6-8 months, somewhere in there, didnt want to eat. I started buying the cheap canned pedigree stuff and mixed it in with her dry food. By mixing it in she cant pick around her dry stuff. She ate then and I just kind of phased the moist stuff out. She just kind of grew out of that phase and now dances all over the house until I set her dish down.

[eric29]

they are just over 6 months, switching to the cheap food is not what i want to do, maybe ill try the canned food. Thank you guys so much for the advice

[SoldierGirl]

Check to make sure they don't have a broken tooth. I couldn't get my puppy to eat and found out he had cracked a premolar and it was infected. I wouldn't want to eat either.

[MinnesotaMongo]

I have to agree with Labs4me. I feed mine at set times in the morning and afternoon. If they dink around and want to just nibble while messing at other things - I put the food away. They WON'T starve - and will learn that they had better eat when the food is out.

It will make your life AND theirs much easier.

[jigging-matt]

I agree also with the set feedings. If they don't want to eat, they won't. but once they realize that the food is only there at certain times they decide to eat rather quickly. Mine will let me know when it is time to eat. His internal clock reminds us everyday.

[eric29]

I do have set feeding times and amounts, same time every day. I guess ive just havent had to worry bout picking the leftover up bc there never was any. But its not like they nibble through out the day either. Once they have the tiny bit when i feed them it gets left alone all day, most the time not even a second look. I just thought of this, bout three day ago they both puked, is it possible that they could have some sort of flu. Its been five days now and im pretty sure they havent eaten a half a days serving yet all together.

[LABS4ME]

Well then, it sounds like they should be showing some large weight loss and with that comes a trip to the vet. If they truly have eaten only a half days amount of food in 5 days, it's time to quit guessing and go get a check-up.

Good Luck!

Ken

[primetime49]

If they are not eating I want to know if you have straw in kennel

Sometimes they get punctures inthem from ingesting straw,it irratates them so they dont want to eat food.

Get the vet check soon

[eric29]

Nope no straw. I got an appt for the vet tom. I just dont get it they dont seem weak at all, we still go for our 4 mi walk in the woods everyday and they havent missed a step yet. They still wrestle around with each other for hours at a time so they get plenty of excercise to work up an appitite. Gunna try feeding them here in a couple hours- hopefully they are over it now. Thanks for all ur help