8.5 month lab totally off breakfast, otherwise fit and well and 'woofs' down tea

[Avantia]

I posted on this a couple of weeks ago - that she had gone off breakfast but was ok with tea - we did think that she was coming into season but doesn't appear to be any other sign that she is.

She is not at all excited about breakfast but is ok with tea, we did change her food about a month ago - so was wondering whether this change has caused it and considering whether to go back .

I really want to keep her on two meals a day , even when she is fully grown and dont't want to go down to one - but I think she is too young at the moment anyway .

So advice please - she is otherwise fit and well -

Do I keep giving her breakfast but take it away after the recommended 20 mins ?

If she doesn't have breakfast - do I then give her her full daily amount of food at tea time or half as she usually would ?

Is this just an 'adolescence' stage and she is trying her luck or is she coming into season ?

Do I go back to her old food ? The new food is used also as training treats ( part of her daily food allowance) and she never turns her nose up at that .

bump

A bit unusual for a labrador to turn down food like that, but they aren't all going to be the same all of the time. If you are certain that she is otherwise totally well then worth looking at changing her feed times if you want to feed her twice a day still and maybe offer her a meal in the middle of the day and another in the evening. If you have any concerns about her health at all though then a trip to the vets to get her checked out would be a good idea just to be safe.

I can't see anything wrong with her - poo ok no sickness ,runs around like a looney and is quite frisky at the moment !

Is she too young to go to one meal a day ?

if my lab was off his food i would be concerned.

I am concerned and confused- otherwise I wouldn't post - I just need some of answers to my questions

I went and spoke with the vet nurse a couple of weeks ago and she said that it may be because she is coming into season - but doesn't appear to be any sign of it .

Is she being fussy ? should I give her her old food again and she how she gets on .

At the moment I have nothing to tell the vet - she is not fussed over breakfast but will eat her tea she is not sick and has normal poo .

sorry i meant i wd be concerned and maybe going to vets if not back to normal after a week or so - my lab is a dog so i know nothing about seasons.i can see that you have already spoken to vets and it has been going on for longer - 2nd opinion?

I'm just wondering whether I should go back to her old food - at least if it carries on I have more for the vet to go on .

Try giving her a small bite to eat at bedtime. Just a tiny handful of biscuits or something. This often helps these dogs - I think they get acidy in the mornings when they have an empty stomach and it puts them off eating or something. Worth a shot.

She does have a couple of dog biscuits at bed time - part of her bedtime routine - never knew about the acidity in the morning - will have a look into that - thanks.

Will perhaps give her a few more biscuits tonight and see what happens - just had a quick google about it - it makes sense actually because she went through a stage a week or so before this all started of being sick (hardly anything being brough up ) anytime between 4am and 7am .

I put that in my orginal post a few weeks ago it

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/the_doghouse/1155327-Why-8-month-old-off-her-breakfast-but-otherwise-ok

I do wonder whether then if it is still something to do with change of food .

How much food are you giving her each day? Is it possible she just needs a lot less of the new food? We are feeding Rory nowhere near the "recommended" amount on the food sack, and his body condition is fine.

I realise you are worried but do think it is funny that you are actually trying to get your lab to eat more!

Rory got very excited on Saturday evening when dp picked his bowl up and was about to give him his dinner.... until dd and I shouted that he had already had it... 20 minutes previously. I'm sure Rory would have wolfed down another helping without batting an eyelid.

She is having the recommended daily allowance for her age and weight for her new food - which is the same amount as her old food .

I am not getting her to eat more - but getting her to eat what she would normally . A lab refusing food is just odd

Anyway have made appointment for vet tomorrow , she turned her nose up at breakfast at 8am but then ate it around 9.30am .

What did the vet say?

any news??

Vets checked her out - no physical problems , wasn't too worried about it - said I could either cut down to one meal or leave the breakfast down ( tends to eat it after about 1.5hrs ).

He said that we could up her exercise levels now aswell.

But what he did do was empty one of her anal glands which was a bit full - last two mornings she ate her breakfast !

Maybe her anal glands ? who knows ?

thanks for checking in and asking x