# 6 month year old puppy uninterested in food



## KME2014 (Jul 21, 2014)

Our puppy has never had a big appetite but recently he is showing very little interest in food.

We feed him a good quality dry food, recommended by the vet. He used to eat it fine.

He does eat but I don't think he eats enough for his age. He is teething at the moment - could this be making eating uncomfortable?

Nothing else has changed, he is a happy little dog who gets plenty of play and exercise on a daily basis.

Should I be worried?


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## newfiesmum (Apr 21, 2010)

KME2014 said:


> Our puppy has never had a big appetite but recently he is showing very little interest in food.
> 
> We feed him a good quality dry food, recommended by the vet. He used to eat it fine.
> 
> ...


Certainly teething can prevent him from eating. You know yourself, unless you are very lucky, how it hurts to eat with a sore tooth. Perhaps get the vet to check his teeth, just to be sure it is just teething, but as long as he appears healthy and energetic enough, it sounds like a temporary glitch.

What are you feeding him? I have known vets to recommend the worst food because they sell them themselves and want you to buy from them, so do be careful. In my opinion, a vet should advise on medical topics only, since anything else is just opinion.


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## smokeybear (Oct 19, 2011)

KME2014 said:


> Our puppy has never had a big appetite but recently he is showing very little interest in food.
> 
> We feed him a good quality dry food, recommended by the vet. He used to eat it fine.
> 
> ...


Dogs often go off their food when teething.

Nobody on this forum has a relevant recognised qualification in canine nutrition and, like vets, will only be giving an opinion.

Unqualified people should not advise on subjects they are not qualified for, but of course, like vets, you will get plenty of opinions on what is and what is not the "best" food for your dog.


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## lostbear (May 29, 2013)

KME2014 said:


> Our puppy has never had a big appetite but recently he is showing very little interest in food.
> 
> We feed him a good quality dry food, recommended by the vet. He used to eat it fine.
> 
> ...


I think this should be your main criterion at present - if he seems otherwise healthy, happy and energetic, I would just keep an eye on him and see how it goes.

Personally, I've never had a puppy stop eating when they were teething, but that isn't to say it doesn't happen.

Another thing is - he may just be bored with his food if he is getting the same dry mix day in day out, no matter how nutritionally sound it is. Is it one of these which have various flavours/varieties? And if it does, do you rotate them? On the rare occasion that I have had a dog lose a bit of interest in his dinner, I have found that something a bit different perks up the appetite. Might be worth trying. People recommend not to change food suddenly in case it upsets the dog's tummy, so I would offer maybe a small amount separate from the usual food at first, and if appropriate, move onto the new one. Or often adding just a couple of spoonfuls of wet food, or raw or fresh meat will stimulate a dog's appetite.

If you do this, be aware that there may be a change in his bowel movements for a short time until he adapts to his new diet. I tend to buy whatever decent food is on offer this month at Zooplus, and so my dogs get a pot-luck variety, and I have never had any problems with tummy/skin troubles at all, but some dogs might be more sensitive and you need to be aware of that and keep an eye on him if you do change or add to his food.

You also need to be aware that perhaps his growth rate has slowed - just like human children puppies have growth spurts, and when they are in one you just can't fill them up - all they want to do is eat! It may be that he has just finished a growth spurt, and his appetite will become ferocious again when he has his next one. You describe him as a happy LITTLE dog - small dogs mature a lot more quickly than large ones, so he may be over his fast growth period.

What breed is he, and how old?

(Hope this post helps)


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## Middleagedmum (Feb 4, 2014)

We had a very similar experience with our Border Terrier at 8 months. It turned out that she had a very bad dose of tonsilitis which took several weeks to clear up. During that time she had a very poor appetite and we began to despair of her ever eating properly again.
However, once the correct antibiotics were prescribed and she felt a bit better her appetite returned and we gradually reintroduced her normal meals.
She now eats really well, enjoys her food and training treats and thankfully have had no recurrence.
This taught us not to ignore these symptoms - teething did not seem to affect her appetite nor did her first season.
If you continue to be worried please see the vet. Pups are growing all the time and need their food.


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

A lot of puppies appear to go off their food at this age and it's probably a combination of teething, bored with the food or more interesting things to do.

I bought a few packs of natures menu wet pouches and added a teaspoon or so to the kibble, a little warm water and stirred madly. She then bolted it down.

To wean off the the wet food, I put less in with the water, but still stirred madly up to the point there was non wet food in there. By that time their appetite has usually returned. Still keep a couple of pouches of wet food just in case, but have not had to use them for nearly a year now.


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

KME2014 said:


> Our puppy has never had a big appetite but recently he is showing very little interest in food.
> 
> We feed him a good quality dry food, recommended by the vet. He used to eat it fine.
> 
> ...


It could be possible, all dogs are different, one of mine went through teething no problems the other one was totally miserable when cutting teeth and whined and it really seemed to bother him. It can sometimes cause discomfort and pain as the gums can get sore.

Often dogs don't need to eat as much as we think they do, the feeding guide on the bags tins etc, are just that a guide they may well be too much for some dogs, where others may even need a bit more.

If he is growing well, and putting on a nice steady amount of weight regularly, you can feel his ribs quite comfortably but not see them, and he has a waist when viewed from above then likely he is getting enough.

Sometimes they do get fed up with the same thing day in day out after awhile,
personally I give mine a bit of a variety.

Having said all this, from experience its not always safe to just assume anything with dogs, particularly if it continues, it certainly wouldn't hurt to get him a 6 month vet check, if nothing else for your own peace of mind, that's often better then sitting worrying and worth the cost of a consultation fee.


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## newfiesmum (Apr 21, 2010)

Siskin said:


> A lot of puppies appear to go off their food at this age and it's probably a combination of teething, bored with the food or more interesting things to do.
> 
> I bought a few packs of natures menu wet pouches and added a teaspoon or so to the kibble, a little warm water and stirred madly. She then bolted it down.
> 
> To wean off the the wet food, I put less in with the water, but still stirred madly up to the point there was non wet food in there. By that time their appetite has usually returned. Still keep a couple of pouches of wet food just in case, but have not had to use them for nearly a year now.


That is an excellent idea. If it is his teeth, soft, wet food would be much better for him. Wish I had thought of that :thumbup:


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## KME2014 (Jul 21, 2014)

Thank you all so much for your advice.

I think we will try adding a little wet food to his dry food, hopefully he won't be able to resist.


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## Bobbie (May 3, 2008)

When my rough went off his food as a pup I bought one of those treat balls and put some of his dry food in there so he ate it and enjoyed the game.


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## lostbear (May 29, 2013)

KME2014 said:


> Thank you all so much for your advice.
> 
> I think we will try adding a little wet food to his dry food, hopefully he won't be able to resist.


Let us know how things go, won't you?


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