Puppy fussing over food

[Givemeallthewine]

Our puppy (Lab Retriever) is 11 weeks old.

He is peeing and pooing regularly, but is getting fussy with his food. He’s never wolfed a meal speedily (like our old family terrier used to inhale food!), but eats much slower and takes bits of food off to different parts of the room to chew it.

Today and yesterday he hasn’t eaten a full meal at any sitting (he’s on 4 meals a day but barely touches his 4th meal at 10pm as I have to wake him up for it & to take him out for final wee & he really isn’t interested in eating food that late).

He’s happy enough during the day - he does start eating, but never finishes the full dish. He poos after most meals, but according to the food guidance on the packaging (he has kibble, which I add a little water to to make a gravy) he’s probably only consuming 60-75% of his recommended food allowance.

How do you make a puppy eat more? It’s impossible! But I know it’s an important growth stage so I don’t want him undereating.

Oh and he is putting on weight - 4.6kg to 5.9kg to 6.7kg week on week since we’ve had him.

[MummyOf1LO]

I wouldn't worry to much, maybe he just sometimes doesn't have an big appetite ( bit like toddlers who refuse nearly everything 😂) If it persists maybe talk to a vet if is concerning you too much ! 😊

[Givemeallthewine]

Thank you - you’re right, it’s similar to when one of my kids survived on 2 petit filous a day for what felt like weeks when he was a baby . We have final vaccs next week so I’ll chat to vet then. He’ll happily have treats (which I’m now limiting incase they are affecting his appetite) so he does want to eat, just not his mealtime kibble

[vanillandhoney]

Can you drop it to 3 meals a day?

At that age ours was on three meals each day - he didn't want the fourth so we just dropped it. He's two now and it's had no ill-effects!

[MummyOf1LO]

Oh tell me about it mine was the exact same just milk and yogurts, your mind just goes in overdrive with things like this ! Well that's like all of us really haha we will do anything for a treat haha ! Hope everything goes okay!

[Givemeallthewine]

@mummyOf1LO thank you! He has just gone and eaten 95% of his tea so maybe I’m fretting over nothing!

@vanillandhoney - yes I’ll try that tonight

[vanillandhoney]

Good luck!

Ours had three meals (so breakfast, lunch and dinner) until about 20 weeks when he started leaving his lunch, so we dropped to two meals. He only eats one meal a day now as he was never interested in his breakfast so we just gave up.

He has one meal at 4pm plus a chew or some biscuits in a snuffle mat after his walk and he never leaves anything! Some dogs just don't need loads of meals, I guess.

[Givemeallthewine]

@vanillaandhoney ah ok interesting, I’ll bear that in mind as he gets older. Maybe things will shift once he starts going out for walks - we’re doing lots of playing in the garden but it can’t exhaust him too much. Maybe the stimulation of walkies will make him hungrier / less fussy x

[vanillandhoney]

Yeah, walks may make a difference.

Maybe ours is just weird

[MummyOf1LO]

@Givemeallthewine there we go!! It might just be a case of whether he is in the mood to have it all! Hope that puts your mind at rest ! X