My Puppys not eating

Question
I have a 14 week old boxer puppy and a 5 year old bull mastiff/ boxer. My puppy is not eating and it's slowly getting worse. We feed him breakfast between 6-7am lunch 11-12 and dinner 4-5 pm and in the last few days we are lucky if he eats 2/3 of his daily requirement for his age and weight. according to our vet he doesn't have worms and she has been doing a monthly fecal exam. The thing that concerns me is I don't think he doesn't eat because he isn't hungry. He is more than willing to sneak off and eat the older dogs food but lately we've been keeping that locked up as well so he's not eating it. What else can i try?

Answer

Hi Lorien,

If your puppy isn't acting ill, isn't loosing weight, has regular normal looking bowel movements, and has a normal energy level, the cause for your puppy's lack of an appetite may be that he's teething. A puppy will begin to get its permanent teeth around 4-5 months of age. It's not uncommon for a puppy to become a finicky eater or lose his appetite during this time. Offer your puppy chewable toys to address his teething discomfort. A clean, wet wash cloth that's tied into knots and then frozen, makes a really good teething toy.

Another cause for your puppy's lack of appetite may be that your puppy has developed a preference for foods. You didn't say if you allow your dogs to eat "free-range" rather than having a feeding time. Free-feeding can tend to make a dog a picky eater over time, having set meal times is a better way of going. Cut out between meal snacks, which may be taking away your puppy's appetite.

If your puppy is losing weight, or seems not as active as he should be, it's time for a vet exam, even though you've had your puppy checked for worms in the past. Other problems (too numerous to guess at) besides parasites can cause a dog or puppy to loose it's appetite.

Best of luck,

Patti