no appetite, very little energy

by gary
(Adelaide)

I have a 5 mth old female shepherd. I have only had her a week (she came from interstate) She has had all the necesary injections and worm treatment. She eats very small amounts and irregularly. ie, yesterday 4 very small portions of eukanuba and cooked liver mixed. Today, just a half cup.

She lacks the normal puppy vitality, by that I mean she sleeps long hours and plays very little. Doesn't seem to be dehydrated, doesn't have a temperature, doesn't appear to have any discomforture. Doesn't like car travel and drools heavily whilst in travel, she appears to recover from this quite quickly.

I have only had shepherd pups that gorge their food if allowed and I find it worrying that this dog picks at her food very daintily and never quite finishes it. have tried her with different foods but all seem to have the same reaction. A vet has examined her and could find no problem.

Am I being paranoid? or does any of this ring alarm bells?



Hi Gary
I don't think you're being paranoid, but personally I don't think you need to be hearing alarm bells just yet either.

This pup is 5 months old, and she's made a long journey from the only home (and family) she's ever know, to a whole new environment. The things you mention sound stress-related to me and that's not really surprising. She is probably feeling anxious, lonely and homesick right now.

I'd recommend that you check out my Bringing Home A New Puppy page as it explains what often happens during this transition phase. Loss of appetite, lethargy and 'sadness' are common, and in an older pup they may be more pronounced as the change is a bigger one for them.

As she's had all her puppy shots, deworming etc. and the vet has given her a clean bill of health, I really suggest just giving her a bit of time to adjust and settle in. I'm pretty sure that within a week or so you will start to see her real personality shine through as she gains confidence and starts to feel at home.

Of course, if she shows any signs of canine illness, take her back to your vet as it's always better to be safe than sorry.

The drooling you mention when traveling in the car indicates that she gets very stressed and probably nauseous. She likely hasn't had much experience of car travel and will just need time to get comfortable with it. Once she starts to feel more at home with you I'd recommend taking her on short car rides fairly frequently to help her feel less anxious about it.

My Natural Health Products For Dogs page has some natural, herbal or homeopathic products that can help her feel less stressed and reduce her anxiety levels in this sort of situation. One of them may be worth a try.

I hope this helps some. Best of luck with your pup.