Help Needed! Billy's hardly eating :(

[Lucy-licious]

Never had to deal with this before....Lucy has always eaten everything put in front of her no matter what.

Billy though just doesnt seem interested. He has eaten bits here and there, maybe almost finished once or twice but never eaten all and mostly just walks away.

Like now for instance...Breakfast time...I fed Lucy and he was trying hard to get over there but I moved him into the living room while she ate.
Then his turn...quick sniff and off he trots to lie in Lucys bed. I called him back and he took a piece from my hand took it to bed and ate it, came back had a sniff then went to play.
At the breeder he was on 1/2 cup kibble with some chicken. I've just been giving him kibble...and increased the amount a little to make up for the lack of meat.

I'm going to be switching hios food as he was on...yup you guessed it...Purina Beta
but thought I'd let him settle first before making the switch.

Just boiling some chicken up now...dont know how much to fed him though but I'm sure I can muddle through LOL

I suppose now I know why his brother was so much biger than him...he was obviously eating all Billys share too.

 

[RiiSi]

Welcome to my world. Usko has always been picky to the point of me losing my mind! I fed him kibble in the beginning and tried to spice it up with anything and everything possible. That is the first reason why I switched to raw and he does eat it more willingly but still not all and not everytime. Maybe you could try wet food if not raw for him??? I would also try giving him some vitamins and minerals if he is not eating as much as he should. I still sometimes give Usko Nutri Plus gel if he hasn't been eating.
I'm sure that Uskos front paws turn to the sides cause he didn't eat and get all the nutrients growing up, not cause he got too much protein.
Also if he is motivated by food and treats when training, like Usko is, you could give his food as training treats. The trainer that we use said why should dogs eat their food from a bowl??? And as an added bonus you get a smart dog.
I wish I'd have some magic trick or pill for you that would make him eat, but I'm still looking myself. I'll let you know as soon as I find it....

 

[RiiSi]

And I would like add here that it doesn't help to take the bowl away after 15 minutes and give it back the next feeding time. What happens at least in my case is that Usko can go without eating for days and then when he finally is starving he will eat just a little. Then I just have cave in and give him something that I know that he really likes. At least I can't go on like that and look at him loosing weight. And anyway in Billy's case he really needs the nutrients and energy to grow up.

 

[Vicaroo1000]

That little stinker!

Well, since he's not eating his crappy kibble, maybe the thing to do would be to use the chicken he already has been eating and begin to switch him over to a better kibble right away? They say "when a dog gets hungry enough, it will eat" --- but that's not [MENTION=3354]RiiSi[/MENTION] 's experience and I'd worry too. Bo never skips a morsel but Bea can sometimes skip breakfast on the odd occasion but by dinner she's ravenous. I don't leave the food down all day.

He's probably just adjusting to his new circumstances?

 

[cowsmom]

id say hes adjusting and maybe just testing mom a bit. like i said in my message try putting some chicken in it that hes already used to or some chicken broth or whatever to get him to eat. my bostons are like that. if i dont rub a bit of something on their food they dont want to eat. im sure it will be ok hon just try to mimmick what the breeder did well minus the bad food as much as possible to help him settle into your routine.

 

[Texas Carol]

It could be a 'smell thing', try adding just a bit of hot water & mix it or m/wave just
to warm it, not cook it. I use Nature's Recipes w/Salmon, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin.
You'd think it would be 'stinky' enough but until I added hot water, Mr Brutie would
only pick at it, now he hoovers it up, every time! Please, out w/the Purina, I'd add
a food w/as limited ingredients as possible, filtered water (that includes filtered bath
water as we all absorb ingredients thru our skin too) and good supplements (if not
in his food)...you'll have that boy up to weight in no time! Give both a big kiss & hug
from Texas Carol

 

[Lucy-licious]

I have to add water to it to soften it anyway..with him only being 8 weeks he cant chew the hard kibbly stuff. I put boiled chicken with it today and he picked out the chicken...so definaitly the kibble he doesnt like
I'll get a bag of nice stuff tomorrow and see how a change to better quality helps. I think mostly its just cos he's settling in still..he's got bundles of energy and is drinking plenty so I'll just try not to worry too much

 

[bullmama]

I have to add water to it to soften it anyway..with him only being 8 weeks he cant chew the hard kibbly stuff. I put boiled chicken with it today and he picked out the chicken...so definaitly the kibble he doesnt like
I'll get a bag of nice stuff tomorrow and see how a change to better quality helps. I think mostly its just cos he's settling in still..he's got bundles of energy and is drinking plenty so I'll just try not to worry too much

All of my puppies are eating hard kibble at 7 weeks, it is not that he cant... He obviously prefers the chicken over the Purina, I know I would! :D


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[Twice]

I put boiled chicken with it today and he picked out the chicken...so definaitly the kibble he doesnt like

can you blame him? lol smart boy you got there!

 

[ChanelnBrutus]

Billy is a smart little guy already

 

[Davidh]

He may not like the Purina, smart boy. Maybe he will like the new food, and maybe with a little broth in it, or if they have canned, you can mix a little in there and slowly wean him off it. Buddy is a very picky eater too, and there are some foods he will not eat at all, so sometimes we will add scrambled eggs, Feta cheese or Bil-Jak to his food, which all of them he loves.

 

[Lucy-licious]

He may not like the Purina, smart boy. Maybe he will like the new food, and maybe with a little broth in it, or if they have canned, you can mix a little in there and slowly wean him off it. Buddy is a very picky eater too, and there are some foods he will not eat at all, so sometimes we will add scrambled eggs, Feta cheese or Bil-Jak to his food, which all of them he loves.

Thankyou so much for this advise...my boy ate his all his dinner. He had 1/2 Pukina 1/2 James Welbeloved and half a sachet of JWB wet food....bowl empty
I'll start a new thread with the photo evidence :D

 

[Davidh]

[MENTION=1648]Lucy-licious[/MENTION] that's great news, so happy he eat his food. Great job mama.

 

[kazzy220]

So relieved that you got it sorted ..... puppies are such a worry aren't they!!!

 

[Sherry]

@Luci-licious I'm late to this thread, so glad he's eating for you, sounds like he likes variety