Poor appertite

[Louby]

My lurcher pup is a real faddy eater. He is eating much less than he should, is a little lean but nothing seems to get him eating unless its not meant for dogs!! Any tips or advice as to how to get him interested in dog food or what to try.
We started on dry food, various ones, give in to tinned meat, tried them all and tonight I fed him off a fork just to get something in him. He is bright and healthy, wormed etc. Ive added cheese, ham, etc, he just picks it out and leaves the rest.

 

[Spot_the_Risk]

Difficult with pups, as you want to get the right nutrition into them on a regular basis.

Anyway, the basics are make sure you offering a quality puppy food (if he remains fussy all his life, he can stay on puppy food ad infinitum). If he is already too lean, the puppy food will give him nutrients, vitamins and minerals, and the right level of protein to help him grow. Titbits won't help at all, and may well upset his young (I assume he is a young pup?) digestive tract (ham will have added salt, whichis very bad for dogs). Put his food down, and if it's not gone in 20 minutes take it back up. No more food, and that's no titbits, until the next meal time. By feeding him off a fork/your hand/human food etc he is training you to pander to him. If he doesn't like his food dry, add warm water 20 minutes before feeding, this will release the flavour/smell, and/or add natural yogurt (aids the gut bacteria).

A decent pet shop will have small bags of puppy food, we sell mainly Oscar in our shop www.oscars.co.uk, also good are James Wellbeloved, Burns, Field and Trial, Royal Canin, Arden Grange, Hills... please steer away from the most popular brads, or at least read the ingredients and the feed levels first - you may be shocked by the colourants, E numbers and lack of meat in them!

 

[Louby]

Thanks for replying.
We started on Royal Canin, then James W etc etc, then mixed Butchers puppy food with it, loved it at first, then went off it, tried the other supermarket available brands and are now on Natures Own which he is now turning his nose up at. I will remove the food in future as I just leave it there hoping he will eat. Hes just not interested at all, sniffs it and walks away but sits with them puppy dog eyes looking at me when I go to the fridge.

Hes nearly 6 mths old now and apart from when he was tiny and still with his brothers and sisters has always been picky.
Thanks again.

 

[haycroft]

[ QUOTE ]
Difficult with pups, as you want to get the right nutrition into them on a regular basis.

Anyway, the basics are make sure you offering a quality puppy food (if he remains fussy all his life, he can stay on puppy food ad infinitum). If he is already too lean, the puppy food will give him nutrients, vitamins and minerals, and the right level of protein to help him grow. Titbits won't help at all, and may well upset his young (I assume he is a young pup?) digestive tract (ham will have added salt, whichis very bad for dogs). Put his food down, and if it's not gone in 20 minutes take it back up. No more food, and that's no titbits, until the next meal time. By feeding him off a fork/your hand/human food etc he is training you to pander to him. If he doesn't like his food dry, add warm water 20 minutes before feeding, this will release the flavour/smell, and/or add natural yogurt (aids the gut bacteria).

A decent pet shop will have small bags of puppy food, we sell mainly Oscar in our shop www.oscars.co.uk, also good are James Wellbeloved, Burns, Field and Trial, Royal Canin, Arden Grange, Hills... please steer away from the most popular brads, or at least read the ingredients and the feed levels first - you may be shocked by the colourants, E numbers and lack of meat in them!

[/ QUOTE ] i agree with you

sometimes its the owners that can make a dog fussy by offering too many different foods