Ace not eating well

416 Views 9 Replies 10 Participants Last post by NancyS, 14 d ago

Sdeek

Discussion Starter · 16 d ago

I’d like to get some thoughts from others. Ace is 5 months old and weighs 10.6 lbs. Ace eats at most 1/2 cup of Royal Canin puppy kibble a day. I’ve also tried Hill’s Science diet puppy kibble. I’ve talked to the vet who suggested that I leave food down for 10-15 minutes and pick it up whether he eats it or not. I’ve done that twice a day for two days and he just doesn’t seem to care much about eating. He’s definitely not eating more or even going right to his food when I put it down. When he has an upset stomach a week or so ago and I fed him chicken and rice, he ate it up very quickly. I’m not sure what I should try feeding him next. I don’t want to do a homemade diet. I’d appreciate any suggestions as to getting him to eat better or foods I can try that are good for puppies.

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krandall

· #2 · 16 d ago

A half cup of kibble sounds about right… what are the kcals of that amount of kibble. Of course he’ll eat the chicken and rice faster! LOL!

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limboaz

· #3 · 16 d ago (Edited)

I got played by my first Hav. There were times I thought for sure he was going to starve to death so I would eventually give him what he really wanted (roasted chicken). He would starve himself for days to get me to cave, and it worked.

In your case, he got you to give him chicken and rice and that is what he wants all the time now.

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Beny’s Mom

· #4 · 16 d ago

Sdeek said:
I’d appreciate any suggestions as to getting him to eat better or foods I can try that are good for puppies.

I, too, have a 5 month old Hav. We went through what you are going through but at an earlier point. I found myself cooking chicken to add to the kibble and changing brands of kibble, only to have Beny dig through the kibble, eat the chicken and leave the kibble untouched.

Right here in the forum I read a number of posts where picky eaters were eating Stella & Chewy freeze dried raw patties without any hesitation. So I tried the S&C puppy patties. Problem solved. Benny inhales those patties. They are very easy to feed and are actually a high quality product. Incidentally, Beny refused to eat the S&C kibble. So if you decide to try this brand, I would not bother with the kibble. Just try the puppy patties. I think S&C sends samples if you request them. I never requested the samples i buy them at PetSupernarket and Petco. I ordered from Amazon too, but the patties did not feel as fresh. Good luck!

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BoosDad

· #5 · 16 d ago (Edited)

Beny’s Mom said:
I, too, have a 5 month old Hav. We went through what you are going through but at an earlier point. I found myself cooking chicken to add to the kibble and changing brands of kibble, only to have Beny dig through the kibble, eat the chicken and leave the kibble untouched.

Right here in the forum I read a number of posts where picky eaters were eating Stella & Chewy freeze dried raw patties without any hesitation. So I tried the S&C puppy patties. Problem solved. Benny inhales those patties. They are very easy to feed and are actually a high quality product. Incidentally, Beny refused to eat the S&C kibble. So if you decide to try this brand, I would not bother with the kibble. Just try the puppy patties. I think S&C sends samples if you request them. I never requested the samples i buy them at PetSupernarket and Petco. I ordered from Amazon too, but the patties did not feel as fresh. Good luck!

I totally agree. Stella and Chewy freeze dried raw is a great food. You get all the benefits of a raw diet but dont have to freeze the patties. It also comes in a wide range of protein. Boo ate it for many years with good results. You just need to slowly transition from kibble to raw, per the manufacturers directions. Otherwise, your pup will have an upset tummy.

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mudpuppymama

· #6 · 16 d ago

I would try freeze dried or raw. I cannot really blame a dog for not wanting to eat kibble. It is like humans eating nothing but cheerios their entire life. Dogs want real food...not overly processed pellets.

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Pilar

· #7 · 16 d ago

Millie was doing the same at 5 months, my boss who owns border collies her entire life told me to wet her food. I soak the kibble in water 30 minutes before eating and she ate food.

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Newfie and Cally

· #8 · 15 d ago

Hi Ace! What a cutie! Maybe Ace is teething which would make eating painful. Cally stopped eating when she was teething. We soaked her kibble in water to soften. We even soaked their kibble in chicken broth for a while. It was giving them bad breath so we had to wean them off the broth kibble. For days they rejected their broth-less kibble but eventually they got hungry and gave in. Also, hot weather sometimes makes our pups skip meals! Cally is 11lbs and eats 1/2 dry kibble. So maybe a 1/2 cup is stuffing Ace to where he’s not hungry often. Newfie is 15lbs and eats 2/3 cup kibble. I hope some of this helps for you and Ace! Keep us posted! - Newfie and Cally

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Missy

· #9 · 14 d ago

I can’t believe I am about to give advice on this 😭 I just went through the same thing. Syd would eat something for two days and then fast. We did the pick up after 20/15 minutes but she didn’t care. I was given good advice and even admonished for being an enabler 🤣

As a puppy, I am sure you are giving Ace a lot of treats for training. That’s good and a 10 lb puppy doesn’t need much to not starve. (Those are the exact words my vet said to me.) so try cutting those treats into tiny tiny pieces, or skip them for a few days. Does Ace get bulky sticks (29 calories an inch)

Sydney was a Stella and Chewy failure (I had high hopes) she also hates frozen raw. She ate nom nom fresh food for a week and then quit. I am a believer that a dog should enjoy their food, so I kept trying. My Sydney cabinet looks like a pet food store shelf. We finally found a frieze dried brand 🤞she has eaten twice a day for a couple of months now. it is Steve’s Real Food, if you want to try. What I like about Steve’s there are no supplements in the ingredients it’s all from food.

Also, if you do find something Ace likes don’t feed him more because he hasn’t eaten in a few days… give him his portion or even a little less, so that when the next meal comes he’ll be a little hungry.

Good luck! If Sydney can become a stable eater (and I can stop enabling a picky eater) anyone can.

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NancyS

· #10 · 14 d ago

I feed Small Batch freeze-dried raw. I alternate among 5 of the 6 proteins. (Luna's not a lamb fan.) I've also heard good things about Steve's and Open Farm freeze dried. I used to feed Stella & Chewy's freeze dried but it has a lot of synthetic vitamins.

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