# low appetite?



## MomToFitz (Jan 30, 2014)

My 9-week-old puppy Fitz doesn't seem to have much of an appetite. He tends to get distracted when eating, and we have to hold him by his food for him to eat it. The food is the same kind he was eating at the breeder, so it's not that it's a new food for him. His energy is very high, so I'm not worried that he is sick. We've been feeding him 1/4 cup dry food 3 times a day, and he only eats about half of it each time. Is this normal? His food bowl is in his ex pen, which he hates (he managed to unlock it and escape this morning when he was home alone). We put the food bowl there as an enticement to get him to like his pen more- do you think that might be the reason he's not eating much? His water bowl is also there and he drinks out of it frequently.


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## DawnH (Jan 21, 2014)

How long have you had him? Manny was finicky when we first brought him home but otherwise seemed fine. I spent a couple of days hand feeding him to make sure he got enough to eat plus to give me some peace of mind that nothing else was going on. Now that he's acclimated he eats fine, tho he does get distracted if anything else is going on. Nine weeks is young and he's been thrown into totally new surroundings without him mom and littermates. If I were really concerned I'd call my vet and run it by him/her.


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## MomToFitz (Jan 30, 2014)

DawnH, I've had him for 8 days now. The one food I have found that he LOVES is rotisserie chicken (he's got good taste, what can I say?) I've been giving him small bits as a training reward, but now I'm wondering if I've spoiled him with that, as his kibble probably doesn't taste quite as good. Will puppies self-regulate the amount of food they need?


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## Gibbs Mom and Dad (Jun 3, 2013)

MomToFitz said:


> Will puppies self-regulate the amount of food they need?


Not usually.

The best advice I've heard is to determine the proper quantity based upon age, weight and consultations with your breeder, Vets and possibly a nutritionist.

Keep regular feeding times - 3 times a day for young puppies (breakfast, lunch and dinner) eventually weening to 2 times a day (breakfast and dinner) for older pups. You can guage when to eliminate the noon feeding by the fact that your pup will start eating less and less during it.

Keep the food down for only a set period of time. Many experts and a well respected member our community suggests keeping it down for only 5 minutes and to remove any uneaten food after the 5 minutes. This will train your pup to eat on schedule and to eat what (s)he needs.

Dana and I kept and keep the food down for an hour before removing it. It works for us and Gibbs.

As hard as it is sometimes, you should refrain from giving your puppy "the good people food" with his feedings. They do learn that if they hold out long enough for "the good stuff", you will eventually give in and feed the rotisserie chicken.

Gibbs has learned the word "chicken" and runs to the kitchen as soon as he hears it. We feed him one raw chicken wing with bone for dinner.


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## DawnH (Jan 21, 2014)

MomToFitz said:


> DawnH, I've had him for 8 days now. The one food I have found that he LOVES is rotisserie chicken (he's got good taste, what can I say?) I've been giving him small bits as a training reward, but now I'm wondering if I've spoiled him with that, as his kibble probably doesn't taste quite as good. Will puppies self-regulate the amount of food they need?


I'm new to Havanese but I bred Shelties many years ago. My experience with Shelties (and every other dog I've owned) has been that once they get a taste of the good stuff, dog food is just that...dog food. That may be your problem. I'm feeding kibble and haven't offered Manny anything human but I suspect that my breeder's children may have snuck him a few bites from the table. Everytime we sit down to eat he goes ballistic as soon as he smells it. He's getting better about it but still perks up when he smells human food.

As far as self-regulating amounts? I that found that some of my puppies were moderate eaters and others were pigs who would eat as long and as much as you left down for them. Once they got away from the pack and knew they wouldn't be shortchanged at the food bowl most self-regulated but there are some piggish puppies so you've gotta think about their weight. I feed the amounts recommended by the dog food manufacturer and find that Manny doesn't quite finish it so I feel ok with the amounts he's getting.

There are some interesting threads here on alternatives to kibble. You should check those out. I'm still not certain I'm ready to change from kibble but there's a wealth of information in the posts.


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## Pucks104 (Aug 16, 2012)

3/4 cup of kibble a day seems like a lot for a 9 week old puppy. Try cutting each meal in half 1/8 cup per meal and offer for 5-10 minutes at each meal then put the food away until the next meal. If he eats all the food you offer for one day increase the amount you offer the next day by a little bit. You can do some training with the meal to have the puppy work for his dinner. Some will do better this way. Do cut out the human food for now unless you need a really high value treat such as to reinforce coming when called.


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## Lillysmom (Oct 9, 2012)

I agree, 3/4 cup of kibble a day is alot of food for a little puppy. Lilly is almost 3 years old and weighs about 11 pounds and she only eats 1/4 cup of food twice a day (it is not kibble, but dehydrated raw). When she was eating kibble, I think she got less than 1/3 cup twice a day. Also, all treats and other goodies add up quickly.


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## SJ1998 (Feb 4, 2013)

If your budget will allow I would get rid of the kibble.

My hav is from time to time a finicky eater. Some days he wolfs his food down and looks at me for more. Other days he will leave some. I realize now it is normal for him. I do take the food away though if he doesnt eat it after a few minutes.


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## Ruthiec (Jun 18, 2013)

Ooh I sympathise. I stressed over Charlie's eating as he was a very picky eater when we first got him. I tried being strict and taking it away after 30 mins but he just didn't eat. Tried various different kibble which he would eat initially but seemed to get bored with very soon. I made the mistake of dressing it up with grated cheese so then he wouldn't eat anything without cheese. 

We struggled on like this for a couple of months and then I tried the freeze-dried raw food called Ziwipeak which he loved and ate every scrap within 5 minutes. It's more expensive but as easy as kibble to feed and is much higher quality. 

Have a look at their website online and I think a few people on here have asked for and received samples to try with their Havs.


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## MomToFitz (Jan 30, 2014)

Thank you for all of the advice, everyone! Tonight he ate some of his dinner, and the rest I used as training "treats." He ended up eating it all! I haven't been able to find any treats that he loves. I have Blue Bits right now, which he seems okay with, but he doesn't really get excited with them. That will be trial and error, I guess.


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## Gibbs Mom and Dad (Jun 3, 2013)

MomToFitz said:


> Thank you for all of the advice, everyone! Tonight he ate some of his dinner, and the rest I used as training "treats." He ended up eating it all! I haven't been able to find any treats that he loves. I have Blue Bits right now, which he seems okay with, but he doesn't really get excited with them. That will be trial and error, I guess.


This should be easy:

String Cheese
Chicken
Liver Treats

http://www.dogguide.net/seven-dog-treats.php

http://top5-reviews.com/best-dog-treat-reviews/

I have not researched all the treats in these links. I posted for ideas.


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## Pucks104 (Aug 16, 2012)

My Leo was a VERY inconsistent eater until at 7 months we switched him to Ziwipeak. He loved it and ate like a real dog for a change. At 11.5 months we feed Ziwipeak in the morning (1.25 oz) and Primal Frozen Raw (2.5 thawed rectangles of food) at night. He loves his food and licks his bowl clean at each meal.


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## MarinaGirl (Mar 25, 2012)

DawnH said:


> I feed the amounts recommended by the dog food manufacturer and find that Manny doesn't quite finish it so I feel ok with the amounts he's getting.


Please don't automatically assume the amount of food that a dog food manufacturer recommends is correct. Many of us on the forum feel that what is listed on a bag/can of dog food is more than what our Havs require.


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## DawnH (Jan 21, 2014)

MarinaGirl said:


> Please don't automatically assume the amount of food that a dog food manufacturer recommends is correct. Many of us on the forum feel that what is listed on a bag/can of dog food is more than what our Havs require.


I don't, but I'm feeding Blue Buffalo Freedom (grain free) and the amounts listed seem to work for him.


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## DawnH (Jan 21, 2014)

Ok, I was in a hurry and did a quick post on my last one re: manufacturers recommendations. When I got Manny his breeder was feeding him 1/4 cup 2 times per day. I'm not sure how she knew for sure as there were 3 puppies and all ate from the same dish. Manny seemed to be the alpha dog so I'm sure he got more than his smaller brothers. Anyway, I don't agree with feeding a puppy twice a day. Their tummies are too small to hold much and they burn a lot of calories puppy playing so I used the bag as a guide and the recommended 1/4 c. 3 times a day seems to work for him. He doesn't actually eat the entire 1/4 but I throw it in anyway.

I've been researching the frozen raw foods but can't find anyone locally who carries the Kiwipeak. I found an independent pet shop that will order the Primal Raw but it's a new shop and I'm afraid to start him on something that may not be available if this shop folds. I don't see where either ship to individuals and according to their websites the larger pet stores don't carry them.


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## Lillysmom (Oct 9, 2012)

How about The Honest Kitchen? They ship and you can order samples to see if you like it first.


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## Pucks104 (Aug 16, 2012)

DawnH said:


> Ok, I was in a hurry and did a quick post on my last one re: manufacturers recommendations. When I got Manny his breeder was feeding him 1/4 cup 2 times per day. I'm not sure how she knew for sure as there were 3 puppies and all ate from the same dish. Manny seemed to be the alpha dog so I'm sure he got more than his smaller brothers. Anyway, I don't agree with feeding a puppy twice a day. Their tummies are too small to hold much and they burn a lot of calories puppy playing so I used the bag as a guide and the recommended 1/4 c. 3 times a day seems to work for him. He doesn't actually eat the entire 1/4 but I throw it in anyway.
> 
> I've been researching the frozen raw foods but can't find anyone locally who carries the Kiwipeak. I found an independent pet shop that will order the Primal Raw but it's a new shop and I'm afraid to start him on something that may not be available if this shop folds. I don't see where either ship to individuals and according to their websites the larger pet stores don't carry them.


I order Ziwipeak from their website usually 4 of the 2.2 bags at a time. It took about 7 days for the order to arrives but the food was in good condition. If you order 3-4 bags at once you don't pay for shipping. I live in NC and that closest store that kept Ziwipeak stocked was 1.5 hours away.


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## Colbie (Feb 9, 2013)

To give you a different point of view from the "you should switch to raw crowd"

Colbie was the same way when I brought her home at ten weeks. Her breeder recommended 1/4 cup , 3 times a day of at the time Earthborn Holistic Grain Free Great Plains Feast. (kibble). She didn't seem interested in eating all her food. She would pick and taking the food up after 5 minutes just had the result of eating less. I started leaving t down for longer periods and she ate more. I eliminated the afternoon feeding and she wound up eating the same amount at breakfast and dinner. Her activity was still high, she was pooping and peeing fine.

Then a week or so later she decided she wanted more and she would voraciously eat everything. I added the lunch meal back and she was eating 3 times a day, 1/4 cup.
I also started adding "people" foods occasionally: sweet potatoes, banana, apple, yogurt, cheese etc. She loved it all and still wolfed down her 3 meals a day.

The other day she turned 6 months old, she still eats 3x a day 1/4 cup at a time plus some treats. I've since switched her to Orijen six fish kibble. She loves this as well.

The problem with determining the "correct" amount of food to give is that it is so variable. Activity level, amount of exercise, genetics, etc. are so variable from dog to dog that there is no "correct" amount. You can look at the many online food calculators and you get widely different amounts of calories/day. With my dog. I know I can't go by how hungry she is as she is always willing to eat. I know she is lean, I can feel her ribs with no fat layer, she has tons of energy, has well formed poop, a soft silky coat.

You really need to just experiment and see what is right for YOUR dog. There is no one answer.


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## Gibbs Mom and Dad (Jun 3, 2013)

Colbie said:


> To give you a different point of view from the "you should switch to raw crowd" ...


Thank you for this post. Although I feed raw, I don't believe it to be the "be all end all". I also don't believe that feeding Kibble is bad, and I don't believe that those that choose to feed Kibble aren't doing right by their dog.

Despite what the expert nutritionists may say, and despite the general "heirarchy" food types, there is definitely quality Kibble available, and most dogs do quite well on it.

The problem with generalities is that they fail to acknowledge that every situation is different, every dog is different, every owner is different and every home situation is different. Therefore, what works well for some or most, does not necessarily mean it works well for all.

When taking advice, the most important question to ask yourself is:

Does this work for ME THE OWNER? Anything that does not work for the owner or household can't be best for the dog.


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## DawnH (Jan 21, 2014)

Thank you Ron and John for your thoughts. Both of you are spot on as far as doing what's right for your dog AND yourself. I enjoy learning as much as I can from other pet parents and am willing to try new things if I think they'll benefit both of us, but what's right for us may not be right for everyone else.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Havanese are such finicky eaters..

I will say, I have noticed that Gucci doesn't eat as much in the Winter months, the cold weather does seem to suppress her appetite a bit, or maybe she just doesn't need as much fuel, since we find ourselves laying around bundled in blankets rather than taking her on walks on these cold winter days.

But, she will eventually eat..I"ve seen her go 2 days without eating and then inhales a plate of food, which is what happened today. Never longer than 2 days though.

Kara


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## DawnH (Jan 21, 2014)

The only treats that Manny seems to love are the Kong sweet potato sticks. Yesterday we went out for pizza and he got a small bite of cheese but it didn't seem to affect him eating his dinner last night. Yea, I swore I wasn't going to feed anything human but he did ok. Also got his first taste of peanut butter in his Kong today and he loved it.


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

My picky Bella loves Orijens treats! She can't get enough!


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## MomToFitz (Jan 30, 2014)

Thanks for all the great suggestions, everyone! I have found the magic ingredient...Fitz absolutely LOVES chicken! He'll do anything for it. He's eating a bit more kibble now too. I often have to carry him and place him at his bowl to remind him to eat, because there are just so many other interesting things to do. Fitz is quite a curious little pup. He doesn't seem to be getting thinner, though, so I'm not worried. We go back to the vet next week for his second shot, so we'll see what she says.

He's also doing better in his ex pen. I've found that he'll settle down in it after a few minutes, especially if I'm in the room with him, and especially when he's had a lot of exercise beforehand. I've been leaving him there for progressively longer intervals, and he seems to be doing okay. Consistency and positive training are hopefully paying off!


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## DawnH (Jan 21, 2014)

Glad he's doing better and that you found his favorite treat! I'll bet as he gets older and realizes that all those fun activities will still be there when he finishes his meal that he'll adjust.


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## raeshan (Nov 18, 2013)

Well Said!!

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## Carli (Nov 5, 2013)

Milo is the same with the fussy eating, kibble alone isnt exciting enough! I am going to change his food.

But i find when i mix something in with his kibble ie: chicken, tuna or egg, then it ALL gets eaten and bowl licked clean

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