feeding puppy

Question
hi i have a 10 week old male black lab, and when i say hes not eating much i really mean hes not eating much, yesterday he ate 1 and a half chicken breasts and 50g royal canine puppy maxi breed dry, that is all, for the past 3 weeks i have tried putting down dry and leaving not eaten any, tried starving then offering, not eaten any, i have on two occasions tried diffrent dry food even boughts cans of wet, not interested, he will eat tripe but only 400g for whole day, he weighs 15 pounds, hes lively, been wormed and had first vaccination, i am at the end of the road i just dont know what to do anymore, if i keep giving him tripe i do add biscuit but he just eats round the biscuit, he is small and i dont think hes getting the right vitamins for growth, please help thanks

Answer
It is very unusual for any dog, let alone a Lab puppy not to eat all it needs.  What you need to do is pick a dry kibble and stick to it.  A vet check still won't hurt. Many dogs will wolf down more than is good for them and look for more. Others refuse to eat more than than they need. Evaluate the dog as illustrated in this link, http://www.longliveyourdog.com/twoplus/RateYourDog.aspx You may want the vet to confirm your judgment. Adjust the dogs food and exercise as needed to reach its ideal body condition. As long as you are feeding a concentrated, meat based chow, the best thing is to accept it.

The worst thing you can do is to bribe a dog with rich foods into eating more than it needs. Instead, Put down the dish with what the dog should eat, and give it 15 minutes to eat. Then take it up. Do not give it anything to eat until its next scheduled meal. In a few days, it should be eating what it needs. Continue to check its ribs and adjust the food as needed. This is not easy. I had a Shepherd go 3 days on a few nibbles. I was a wreck, but she was fine. It is almost unknown for a healthy dog not to eat what it needs. Unfortunately, in too many cases, it is less than the package says, and less than the owner thinks the dog should have. Many dogs are quite good at holding out for tastier chow. Like kids, sometimes it calls for tough love.

You may end up with a thinner puppy than you are used to seeing.  Unfortunately, far too many people shorten their dogs lives by over feeding. There was an extensive discussion of weight in a recent newsletter from a service dog school.

''Obesity is the number one nutritional disease affecting dogs. It's estimated that 25-45% of dogs in the US are obese. Studies have shown that joint and locomotive problems increase by 57%, circulatory problems by 74%, respiratory problems by 52%, skin problems by 40% and cancer by 50% in animals that are overweight.

Large breed dogs that are overweight also are more prone to developing hip dysplasia. Obesity is especially dangerous for young puppies, as their underdeveloped frame cannot support the extra poundage that it must carry.''

So please, before tempting your non eater with rich food, see the vet and evaluate it as in the link above.