# 5 month old puppy won't eat his kibble



## beautyofdreams (Apr 13, 2015)

I have a 5 month (6 months this Saturday) airedoodle (airedale terrior/poodle) puppy. He usually loves to eat! All of a sudden he has stopped eating his kibble. We usually wet it to make it softer for him then he stopped eating it. We stopped adding water to it to see if that would help, which worked for about a day or two. He has a ton of energy and loves to eat bacon treats, training treats, and lamb treats but no kibble. We tricked him by putting his kibble in the kong toy instead of bowl and he thought he was eating something special but after about five minutes he realized they were not treats. We give him his food and he just sniffs it and walks away. This morning he ate when i literally hand fed him each piece of kibble. I did this for about 15 pieces and stopped because I don't want to start that habit. He seems perfectly healthy. Not sluggish or slow. He usually eats 2 cups of kibble at every sitting which is about 20 minutes. Now he eats 1 cup in 30 minutes. I don't know whats going on. Like I said he is acting normal, eats treats, will eat out of my hand but not on his own. The trainer warned us that 6 months is around teenager time for dogs. Is my pup just being spoiled and holding out for treats? What do I do? I am thinking of mixing in a soft food but I don't want him to think if I hold out I can get the good stuff.


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## Elliriyanna (Nov 11, 2011)

I actually use a low sodium fat free chicken broth in Ry's food, He LOVES it. But I do this with every meal. Its a very simple addition to his routine and cheap. So I don't mind. Plus it adds almost no calories and lots of flavor. If you do this though Buy GOOD broth I buy the best the store has. 

Also is it possible he just has stopped liking his kibble?


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## Hiraeth (Aug 4, 2015)

Have you checked his mouth for sores or infected gums/teeth that may make it painful for him to eat out of a bowl? 

Barring that, I'd recommend not mixing in soft food or treats too often in order to get him to eat. I got stuck doing that with one of my dogs, and she would never eat again without something "special" on her food. For eleven years. It was awful and expensive.

Could be that he is developing more of a "grazing" type of eating habit. I had a dog that would slowly eat half of his dinner, lay down for a little while and then eat the other half a few hours later. No big deal as long as other pets won't eat the food. This type of eating schedule could be problematic if you have him on a regular potty schedule, though, as it will throw off his meal times. 

Personally, if it was my puppy, I've give it a few days, offer him the food, and if he doesn't eat, pick it back up and offer it again later. It will be hard to know that he may be hungry, but try not to give in. Eventually, he will get hungry and eat something. I'd also weigh him once a day to make sure I was aware of any weight loss patterns. IF he doesn't eat in a few days (which he most likely will), maybe try switching up kibble and go with a different brand with the same ingredients. If he goes more than three days without eating, I'd call the vet back, schedule a physical and take in a stool sample, just to make sure there weren't any underlying causes.

That's just me, though, and perhaps someone else will have some different advice


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## GHill762 (Jul 13, 2015)

our pup will sometimes turn his nose up at his kibble, but he's spoiled and knows that if he doesn't eat it I'll top it with a spoon full of canned merrick puppy food.. I will usually only top one meal a day, and some days not at all, but then there are days that I have to top both meals because I'd rather spoil him than have him not eat


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## beautyofdreams (Apr 13, 2015)

Thanks for the feedback. We just checked his mouth last night. A few days ago we found a stick that was stuck at the top of his gums and we had no idea. We was eating fine with it until we checked his mouth which we do once a week. I removed the stick and he seemed not to be phased by it so I think his mouth is ok. He also eats treats and ice just find so I don't think its a mouth problem. I think he may be waiting out for treats. He has not consistently skipped meals. He will eat 1 cup of food after skipping a meal instead of 2. so he will eat some just not to his normal amount. We also need him to be on a eating schedule because we don't leave food out when we are not home so he needs to eat when we give it to him. I hate to see him be hungry but I don't want to give into him.


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## beautyofdreams (Apr 13, 2015)

Great idea. I'm sure he would love the chicken broth. That maybe something i can try.


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## GHill762 (Jul 13, 2015)

I'll also say that in all my life having dogs that we've never taken uneaten food away, it stays in the bowl for the dog to eat when he/she is hungry. I've never really understood the reasoning, I mean would you like to eat only twice a day and not get to have lunch or a snack? IDK, just works best for us to leave the bowl there. the only situation I see that changing is with having mutliple dogs in the house.


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## beautyofdreams (Apr 13, 2015)

I understand this. We take it away because we are still housetraining. If my pup was to eat throughout the day he wouldn't be able to go out until the dogwalker came and I'm not sure if he could hold it that long. I was told that the more you have a schedule the easier it is to housetrain your pup so thats why we are trying to stick to a eating and potty schedule which was going great until a 2 days ago unfortunately...


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## GHill762 (Jul 13, 2015)

beautyofdreams said:


> I understand this. We take it away because we are still housetraining. If my pup was to eat throughout the day he wouldn't be able to go out until the dogwalker came and I'm not sure if he could hold it that long. I was told that the more you have a schedule the easier it is to housetrain your pup so thats why we are trying to stick to a eating and potty schedule which was going great until a 2 days ago unfortunately...


I'm not knocking your choice to remove the food by any means, that's actually very common even with adult dogs. I just personally don't do it. and I really don't understand people feeding once a day vs. splitting the food up into 2 meals, poor dog would be starving IME. 

with a young pup there will be accidents, sure.. our pup is about 3 months, has access to food most of the day unless he's eaten his full meal (he usually leaves maybe 1/4 cup of food which he'll graze on throughout the day), and he has a pretty good potty schedule down. If we can get him to poo once in the morning, once at lunch, and once before bed (sometimes twice) he doesn't have accidents at all. pee on the other hand is much more unpredictable with a puppy bladder, but he's getting there and is having less accidents all the time.


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## beautyofdreams (Apr 13, 2015)

thats great to hear! Its nice to hear that there are alternatives and many ways to housetrain!


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## parus (Apr 10, 2014)

All other problems eliminated, you may just be overfeeding him, in which case, be grateful he doesn't stuff down unnecessary calories. My Giant Schnauzer/Great Pyr cross only eats 2.5 cups of kibble *total per day*, and he weighs about 120 lbs.


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## GHill762 (Jul 13, 2015)

parus said:


> All other problems eliminated, you may just be overfeeding him, in which case, be grateful he doesn't stuff down unnecessary calories. My Giant Schnauzer/Great Pyr cross only eats 2.5 cups of kibble *total per day*, and he weighs about 120 lbs.


what food do you feed?

not sure what puppy food the OP is feeding, but look at this feeding chart for my food:
https://www.iams.com/dog-food/proactive-health-smart-puppy-large-breeds

my 3 month old puppy should be eating about 3 cups according to my food bag. I've seen people say theat their 1XXlb dog only eats roughly 2 cups a day but you must be feeding really calorie dense food or something if my 3 mo pup is eating more that your adult 120lb dog. my dad's 70lb dog is getting like 3-4 cups per day and he is also following the bag feeding chart.


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## Hiraeth (Aug 4, 2015)

GHill762 said:


> what food do you feed?
> 
> not sure what puppy food the OP is feeding, but look at this feeding chart for my food:
> https://www.iams.com/dog-food/proactive-health-smart-puppy-large-breeds
> ...


Not to knock your food choice, but Iams is not considered to be the "best" dog food by many people. Personally, I would not feed it to my dogs. Also, Iams is owned by Procter and Gamble, who have done some massive dog food recalls in the past.  ETA: I did not realize Procter and Gamble had sold Iams (along with a few other brands) to Mars, Inc, so hopefully recalls won't be a concern in the future.

The ingredients: Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Meal, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Corn Grits. 

Chicken By-Product Meal is something you should *really* avoid in dog food. Also, corn isn't easily digested by dogs and provides almost no nutritional value, it just means you have to feed your dog more of the food. 

My 140 lb (or thereabouts) Shep/Mal gets 2.5 cups a day of this food. My 130 lb Shep/Dane got 3 cups, as well. My dad's 120 lb Shep/Lab gets 2 cups (she's on a diet) and his 90 lb Rott/Lab gets 1.75 cups. 

My food of choice isn't "the best, top of the line, going to cost $70.00 a bag" type stuff, but it is affordable and contains a solid list of healthy ingredients. It also means I feed less, there is less "leftover stuff" that my dogs can't digest, like corn, and therefore less poop in my yard. It also means that 80 lbs of my food last me twice as long (per dog) than someone feeding a cheaper food but a higher quantity.

This website is pretty great for assessing the food you want to feed your dog and for learning what to avoid and what to look for: http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/


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## GHill762 (Jul 13, 2015)

Hiraeth said:


> Not to knock your food choice, but Iams is not considered to be the "best" dog food by many people. Personally, I would not feed it to my dogs. Also, Iams is owned by Procter and Gamble, who have done some massive dog food recalls in the past.
> 
> The ingredients: Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Meal, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Corn Grits.
> 
> ...


I'm not interested in people knocking my food choice, and I'm tired of hearing how bad chicken by-product meal is when in reality it's just a vague term for leftover chicken parts. the dog is doing great on Iams, we're leaning towards feeding merrick in the future but certainly NOT because iams is a bad food or because he isn't doing GREAT on it. there is also NOTHING wrong with corn or other grains for most dogs, if the dog is prone to yeast problems or has a sensativity then that's a different story, but most dogs should have no problem with corn or any other grain. 

to the "recall" comment, every food maker out there has had recalls, everything from high end boutique foods to tractor supply type foods and even raw foods. and sorry, I don't care one bit about "dog food advisor," some retired dentist who does nothing more than read the label and tell you how good/bad something is.

we had a lab live happily and healthily to 16/17 years old on the cheapest bulk food we could find. we also had one pass away at 9 that got better foods, like totw and similar.


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## Hiraeth (Aug 4, 2015)

GHill762 said:


> I'm not interested in people knocking my food choice, and I'm tired of hearing how bad chicken by-product meal is when in reality it's just a vague term for leftover chicken parts. the dog is doing great on Iams, we're leaning towards feeding merrick in the future but certainly NOT because iams is a bad food or because he isn't doing GREAT on it. there is also NOTHING wrong with corn or other grains for most dogs, if the dog is prone to yeast problems or has a sensativity then that's a different story, but most dogs should have no problem with corn or any other grain.
> 
> to the "recall" comment, every food maker out there has had recalls, everything from high end boutique foods to tractor supply type foods and even raw foods. and sorry, I don't care one bit about "dog food advisor," some retired dentist who does nothing more than read the label and tell you how good/bad something is.
> 
> we had a lab live happily and healthily to 16/17 years old on the cheapest bulk food we could find. we also had one pass away at 9 that got better foods, like totw and similar.


Isn't reading the label how you tell how good/bad something is? That's what I do with my own food, don't know why I wouldn't do it with my dog's food...

Right. Chicken by-product meal is leftover chicken parts and does NOT have to be USDA inspected, as it is only suitable for pet foods. Ingredients in dog foods that are also fit for human consumption, like chicken and chicken meal, DO have to be USDA inspected. I don't want my dogs eating leftover chicken parts like feet, heads, brains, spleens, intestines and stomachs, I want them eating meat and muscle matter, which is where most of the nutrition is. 

If dogs don't have a problem with corn, then why do corn kernels come out whole and undigested in their stool? It's because they can't digest it well. Corn is a filler. The fact that you have to feed your 3 month old puppy more than my 140 lb. Shep/Mal gets means that you're feeding more food to get the same nutritional and caloric value. 

You don't need to care about DogFoodAdvisor. There are plenty of other independent websites that aren't trying to sell you something that evaluate dog foods. They all pretty much relay the same information - avoid corn, avoid by-product meals. 

Everyone gets irritated when someone points out their dog food leaves something to be desired. I fed Science Diet for years and got really upset when someone told me it was "bad", as if they were accusing me of being a bad dog owner. I wasn't a bad dog owner, I was just one who hadn't done research. I've done the research now and moved on. 

If you're happy with Iams and your dog is doing really well on it, then that's great, stick with Iams. This is a forum, we're all allowed to have our opinions. You asked what other people are feeding and why your dog is eating twice as much as dogs twice its size, and I attempted to explain why.


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## GHill762 (Jul 13, 2015)

Hiraeth said:


> Isn't reading the label how you tell how good/bad something is? That's what I do with my own food, don't know why I wouldn't do it with my dog's food...
> 
> Right. Chicken by-product meal is leftover chicken parts and does NOT have to be USDA inspected, as it is only suitable for pet foods. Ingredients in dog foods that are also fit for human consumption, like chicken and chicken meal, DO have to be USDA inspected. I don't want my dogs eating leftover chicken parts like feet, heads, brains, spleens, intestines and stomachs, I want them eating meat and muscle matter, which is where most of the nutrition is.
> 
> ...


I can read the label myself, I don't need to go to a website and see what someone else thinks it says. 

those "parts" are all just fine, organ meat is great and so are feet and all that other stuff. heck, chicken feet are given as treats to many dogs (it's even a human-grade food in asian cultures). the only thing questionable about it is how much of that content is feather, outside of that it's all good stuff.

I can tell you that no full grown lab (my breed) I've been around would be happy eating that little in a day, they are bottomless pits for food. 2 cups of anything would not satisfy their hunger. 

sorry, didn't mean to take the thread off course OP.


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## ireth0 (Feb 11, 2013)

So, yea. The brand you feed and quality of the food -does- impact how much you need to feed. I'm sorry but it just does. 

Luna ate 3cups/day of Iams at the shelter, at home on Acana she eats less than 2cups/day and maintains a good weight.


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## Hiraeth (Aug 4, 2015)

GHill762 said:


> I can read the label myself, I don't need to go to a website and see what someone else thinks it says.
> 
> those "parts" are all just fine, organ meat is great and so are feet and all that other stuff. heck, chicken feet are given as treats to many dogs (it's even a human-grade food in asian cultures). the only thing questionable about it is how much of that content is feather, outside of that it's all good stuff.
> 
> ...


Those "parts" are lacking in protein, which is the point of the meat being included in the food in the first place. Also, again, those parts are not monitored by the USDA. If I wouldn't eat it, I'm not feeding it to my dog. 

I don't feed my dogs to make them "feel full". I feed them to keep them healthy. I can make a dog feel full by feeding it bread. 

At the end of the day, it's just two different viewpoints on how to feed dogs. What works for you is great, and what works for me is great. Some people swear by a completely raw diet and think anyone who does anything else is crazy and they'd tell me that the food I feed is terrible for my dogs! 



ireth0 said:


> So, yea. The brand you feed and quality of the food -does- impact how much you need to feed. I'm sorry but it just does.
> 
> Luna ate 3cups/day of Iams at the shelter, at home on Acana she eats less than 2cups/day and maintains a good weight.


Indeed. Atlas is supposed to eat over 5 cups a day of Iams, according to their posted information. That's a horrendously large amount of food - over a pound a day. At that rate, between my dad's dogs and my own, I'd be feeding them a 40 lb. bag of dog food every 11 days.

I, too, apologize to you, OP, however hopefully our conversation gave you some insights as to calculating the quantity of food you feed your pup a day and the fact that daily portions are totally variable based on the brand and nutritional value of the food you feed, as well as your particular dog


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## OwnedbyACDs (Jun 22, 2013)

Luckily my current dog is a pretty good eater, but our older one is not and we had to play tough love with her. Of course you should rule any health issues out before doing this approach, but if the puppy is playing you. 

I do have some questions, though:

Have you changed kibble?
What brand is it? Kibble companies are bad about changing ingredients and formulas without telling anyone, it's possible that might have happened with yours.

If none of these apply then this puppy is probably playing you : stop adding water or anything to the food and just set it down for 15 minutes in the puppies usual eating place, leave and return and take the food away regardless if he is done or not. Soon he should get the idea that if he doesn't eat he will have to wait, also no more treats unless you need them for training.


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## beautyofdreams (Apr 13, 2015)

Thanks everyone! Puppy is doing great. We did end up switching his food. He now is eating Ideal Balance which he seems to love and it has much more protein. I think this is a good balance for us! Hopefully he keeps it up!


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## FaithFurMom09 (Oct 24, 2009)

I have a lab and she gets 1-2c of kibble and is satisfied. Not sure why youre lumping labs in there with your food opinions?? 

According to Iams, id have to feed my 8lb puppy almost 2c a day when my food bag said 1/4-3/4c...a HUGE difference! Shed be overweight if i followed Iams guidelines!


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## seaboxador (Sep 23, 2012)

You could possibly be creating your own issue here. Treats should be for training. Wetting food, giving lots of treats for no reason, etc, are just making the dog overly food motivated and leading to the food issues you're experiencing now. If the dog doesn't like it's kibble, you can wean it to something different. Pandering to its every whim is just well, when parents do that with a kid they end up with a spoiled brat.

It's essential that the dog learns to eat its kibble. The dog will eat when its hungry. If it doesn't like its kibble, you can try a different one with maybe a different protein source. Other than that, just leave it be. It will eat when its hungry.


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