5 month old puppy wont play

by theresa
(baltimore, maryland)

I have a 5 month old puppy which lays around the house all the time and won't play. She may play for about 5 minutes and that's not everyday.

She also has been vomiting her food and then eats it. Her vomit looks like whole pieces of her food that she ate. My vet said I should be happy she is not hyper, but I believe she should be acting like a puppy. Could this be her personality as a puppy?

I haven't taken her to the vet about the vomiting yet. Was just going to change her food to a different brand.






Hi Theresa
At 5 months old your pup is more like a teenager than a toddler, and a drop in energy level isn't unusual. There are also often some challenging behaviors such as inattentiveness during training sessions, attempts at dominance or disobedience and so on.

You may simply have a 'laid-back' puppy, whose personality isn't the 'get up and go' kind, and this could be simply her own unique personality or it can be breed-specific. For example a Basset Hound or an English Bulldog is unlikely to be very energetic, especially if it's warm, whereas a Jack Russell Terrier or a Border Collie is going to be 'on the go' whenever, whererever!

But, if this is a big (or sudden) change in behavior for her then there could be an underlying health issue, and the vomiting could indicate a digestive upset or food intolerance.

I'd recommend putting her on a hypoallergenic dog food - but make the switch over slowly so as not to cause more problems. Also check out the Natural Remedies For Dogs page and take a look at the products under the 'Digestive Issues' category, you may find one of them will help settle her tummy down.

However, if she doesn't improve, or you are worried, I'd recommend having your vet give her a thorough exam so that you can be sure she's healthy.

Hope this helps some. Best of luck with your pup.