My 17 week old boxer is a picky eater.

Question
I have a 30 LB 17 week old male boxer puppy that is very picky. I got him from a breeder in Montreal at 7 weeks.He was 6.9 LB. He has never been a great eater. He is up to date on all vaccinations and has had a fecal float done and is parasite free and has been given a clean bill of health from his vet. He was being fed Iam's large breed puppy by the breeder but I started him on Hill's P/D when I got him home because Iams is garbage food. 2 weeks later he refused to eat it anymore. He is now on Medi-Cal Adolecent formula (dry) mixed with Medi-Cal Development formula (wet). I attempt to give him 1 cup of dry mixed with 1/2 a cup wet 3 times a day. I've been having to add tuna or salmon or a bit of cheese to the food to get him to eat it. (that makes him gasey and gives him diarrhea and it hasn't been working lately. Sometimes I will sit and hand feed him so that he eats. I know he is not sick because he will eat treats and  the canned food no problem but I don't just want to feed him wet food because i know it's not good for his teeth. I'm running out of ideas. Everyone keeps telling me to let him miss a few meals and then he will be hungry but I feel very guilty doing that. What can I do?

Answer
Make him miss a few meals.  I think Boxers are one of the breeds that often it is hard to get them to eat enough to hide their ribs.  Even if it isn't typical of them, he could be one.  I actually had a Lab that was that way.  

If the dog never did eat very well, and has seen the vet since the problem existed, you may be over feeding it. A vet check still won't hurt. Many dogs will snarf 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. Some German Shepherds and other breeds may refuse to eat enough to completely hid their ribs. 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.

I would also go to an adult formula.  Puppy chow is formulated to maximize growth.  On adult chow it takes longer to reach their adult size giving th ejoints more time to develop.