stopped eating AM

by April
(NY)

My 7 month old GSP stopped eating from his dish in the AM. He will eat if you give it to him by hand but other than that, no eating.

He eats during the evening but just sniffs the AM food and lies down! He was ran hard just two days ago and spent time with another dog.

Any suggestions?





Hi April
A lot depends on whether your dog seems happy and healthy apart from losing interest in his breakfast!

If he's active, drinking normally, eating normally at supper time, doesn't have diarrhea or vomiting and seems otherwise 'normal', then I wouldn't worry about this too much just yet.

Puppies are like children and they go through 'phases and stages' in the same way. Their growth and development tends to come in bursts, and their appetite often fluctuates in tandem with this.

At 7 months his growth is probably slowing down, and if he's eating enough in the evening, he may simply not be hungry in the morning. You could try just feeding him once a day, or splitting his dinner in half and giving him half in the morning and half in the evening.

Although it's tempting to hand-feed or take trouble to encourage a pup to eat when you're worried that he's not getting enough nutrition, if he's healthy in every other way then it's not a good idea. Puppies are quick learners, and if he thinks he can get all your attention, or some tasty 'additions' to his food etc., if he acts as though he's not hungry, he'll soon be 'playing you' very effectively :o)

The only other thing I'd recommend is to make sure that you're using a premium puppy food, as that way he will get the maximum nutritional benefit out of every bite he eats. Check out my Puppy Kibble page to learn more about feeding your pup, and this page has some great information on premium puppy foods ... Best Puppy Food.

BUT.. if your pup seems unwell in any other way, or if he starts to refuse his dinner as well, and you notice other changes in his behavior, then it's important to take him to a vet right away to make sure there's no underlying health issues.

Best of luck with your puppy.