4 month old american bulldog has lost his appetite?

by christian
(manchester england)

I've had him since he was 6 weeks old and have never had a problem with him at feeding time. He is not ill as he is still very active and a happy puppy but seems to be loosing muscle mass and his stomach and waist are getting more defined by the day.

We haven't changed his food or feeding pattern. He will sniff and have a lick and a couple of bites a day but that's as far as it goes...he will eat treats as normal though and still drinks as normal. what can i do?





Hi Christian
Any sudden change in behavior should be evaluated by a veterinarian and I'd recommend having your pup given a check up by your vet to make sure that he's healthy. It's possible that an mild infection, parasites, or a number of other conditions could be causing his lack of interest in his food.

However, as long as he checks out 100% healthy, then I wouldn't worry about this too much. Most puppies go through 'phases and stages' in terms of appetite - one week being starving hungry all the time, the next barely noticing their food dish. It's pretty normal.

Generally as long as you're feeding a premium puppy food (see my Best Puppy Food and Puppy Kibble pages for help and advice on feeding your pup correctly) then just let him choose how much he wants to eat for now.

At 4 months old he will also be looking leaner and leggier because he's lost his baby fat and is turning into a teenager. BUT he shouldn't be losing weigh, just sort of 'stretching' out a bit so that it's an optical illusion rather than a physical loss of weight.

As he seems happy and healthy otherwise I doubt you need to panic about this right now, but definitely have your vet check him out to make sure he's okay physically.

Best of luck, hope he's doing much better soon.