Eating enough?

[Lucie75]

Please help. When we picked up our puppy from the breeder she told me that he should be eating 75g of dry dog food per meal, 3 times per day. She gave us a bag of the food that she used for them so I've continued with the same food. As expected he went off his food when we brought him home and barely touched anything for 2 or 3 days. We're now on day 5 and we're lucky if he eats 75g through the whole day, let alone 3 times per day. We're taking up the food instead of leaving it on the floor to avoid grazing but I'm quite worried.

He had his check up at the vet a couple of days ago and she said his weight seems okay (good coverage on ribs and good muscle definition), but I thought he would have started eating more by now. Maybe we just have a dog that's not that interested in food. I've also mixed in some semi-wet puppy food to try and tempt him but that hasn't worked either.

A dog will eat if he's hungry right? 75g per meal seems like a lot!

[Dinkum]

HI there

Yes, you seem to be doing all the right things to prevent a fussy eater. It is recommended to take up the food after 10 minutes, so that he gets the idea that he has to eat it or lose it. Make sure you are feeding at set times, so that he develops a routine. They won't starve themselves and will eat when necessary, although exercise caution with this as he is still a puppy. A serious lack of appetite could be an indicator of other problems and you don't want to stunt his growth.

Difficult to say whether 75g of food is enough, without knowing what food it is. Each food has its own recommended amounts to feed a growing pup. Have a look at the http://www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; website for the lowdown on the different foods available and see how yours rates. The feeding recommendation should be on the bag and it's pretty good until your pup has settled and you get an idea of how much he needs and how active he is.

Is he getting high-calorie training treats e.g. cheese, sausage, etc?

[Lucie75]

We're using Royal Canin Junior but we're keen to switch to something else in the next few weeks with a higher level of protein.

With regards to treats I've been using the dry dog food to get him to eat some of his daily quota. I've even been putting a trail of it around the house to try and make it more interesting. He is from a litter of 10 and I think they were all fed together from one large bowl so he might never have eaten as much as was recommended.

He's full of energy so I think he'll be OK.

[Robin black mini]

All my dogs have hated hills and Royal canin foods..they absolutely love the latest food we are giving however..by farmina...natural and delicious..chicken and pomegranate..it was recommended by my schnauzers breeder(30 yrs in the breed) and stools are firm and dogs are satisfied...we also give boiled chicken,,some veggies and fish or meat on occasion.
There are some grains in the food but of the ancient types..eg oats etc..not maize..
We tried arcana but it was too rich for my dogs and we changed to farmina.

[rich 40]

Hi our boy has the junior same thing happened but I picked up some lily s kitchen organic beef trays and the chicken one mix a bit in the food ,it soon dissappear s,we will be feeding Simpson's chicken and potatoe it has good reviews,our girl has the 80/20 but it's a bit too rich ,the chicken and potatoe is a lower protein level but it suits our two better,Simpson's are very good on delivery as well

[Cosmo]

My simple advice is not to worry and just use your common sense. This was the advice from my vet shortly after our pup came home. I'm sure he will be just fine. Too much rather than too little food at the moment is best, as he'll have lots of growth spurts and he will grow fast!

Also, we have treats for our pup. Goat's milk is good for him, as it's easily digestible and nutritious (never give cow's milk as that'll upset his stomach). Also, a small pot of chicken livers only costs 50p. Dry fried, cooled and chopped finely, it's very nutritious!