Puppy eating less???

[njimko]

Hello All,
I have a 5 month male puppy and I noticed that for his last 3 feedings he hasn't seemed interested in his food. He is teething and has lost most of his bottom front teeth already. Just yesterday I felt a very loose bottom tooth and all I had to do was run from finger over it and it came out. It's the food he normally eats so I'm not sure why he is not as interested.

Can it be because he's losing his teeth?

Please let me know.

Thanks.

[rubymoon2072]

yes that can be a bit painful/sore gums I would think when they are loose. Is he eating at all? Drinking water? they cannot go to long without eating so I would monitor very closely and then make a vet appt...if you feel necessary which again depends on all the signs and signals. Maybe you can just put a quick call into your vet to see what they think??

[njimko]

Thanks for your response. He eat well Saturday night and he does eat his treats. Also I do monitor him. He eats very little but at least he eats something. I'm not too concerned yet but if it gets worse where he stops eating all together (snacks included) I will call his vet.

Thanks.

[rubymoon2072]

I would stop giving him treats...all together to see if that is really what he is being picky about. just a thought. maybe try putting a lil warm water mixed in with his kibble ( I am assuming he is eating hard kibble?) or try mixing a soft food as a topper in with the soft food. Mine get very bored so in the morning they get a bit of soft food mixed in with hard kibble and at night plain or sometimes I will put warm water in to mix it up.

[Silver Lace]

It is good that he is eating some things I agree. If it were my dog I would not wait till he was not eating at all. They can get hypoglemic shock from not eating and you would not want that to happen. I feel the best thing to do is first call the vet to see what he would say about it. He has experience and would certainly be willing to give advice on this for you on what you should do. I hope things get better for the little one. Let us know,ok?

[njimko]

Hello All,
Thanks... the food I gave him this morning (wet mixed with crushed in kibble), he just cleaned the bowl clean. Guess he's being picky at it since he's missing teeth. But thank god he ate it all, although it was 2 hrs later. I noticed it because I forgot to pick up his bowl and when I went to do it was cleaned dry.

[rubymoon2072]

glad he cleaned his bowl...so he is full yorkie...picky!! hehe I would suggest switching it up to see if that helps entice him to eat his full meal each time.

[Silver Lace]

I am so very glad that someone suggested for you to mix in wet with his dry and warm water on his dry and he I mean she is eating well now. I tend to worry when not eating. My Joey did that when he was a baby and I had to take him to the vet and he gave me trouble eating often even after. He is 4 now and does do much better but has a different problem not caused by not eating as before.

[njimko]

Thanks and sorry to hear Joey is having troubles. I have a male yorkie, he's 5 months. I worry when I see him not eating as well. I Previously had another male who was 15 yrs old. He was such a hoglet and would eat everything in site. Then all of a sudden he started to lose his appetite and had huge kidney values. Ultimately, I had to make the dreaded decision to have him put down in Feb 2014. That was the 1st dog I ever had.

This is why I'm so worried every time my new pup doesn't finish his meal. I know it's not him but I still worry.

[Silver Lace]

I can certainly understand why it is even more disturbing that your new puppy has problems eating since the problem with your other dog. You identify his problem and that seems to me to make sense. But this should be just because his teeth hurt him. I got Joey a teething ring that could be put in the freezer and then give to him to chew on to soothe his sore gums. Maybe you could find one like that meant to do the same thing for a dog. Thank you for your words about my Joey having more problems. I appreciate the sentiment. He is only 3.5 lbs full grown so I worry even more than I would with a larger dog. But hopefully you have him or her lol on track now from the advice given you. Best wishes to you and your little one.

[valeriejsmyth]

Its because he's teething and the dry food is hard to chew soften it until he gets his teeth. Don't change his diet or he will become picky. My dogs get their food as treats.

[Silver Lace]

Originally Posted by njimko

Hello All,
I have a 5 month male puppy and I noticed that for his last 3 feedings he hasn't seemed interested in his food. He is teething and has lost most of his bottom front teeth already. Just yesterday I felt a very loose bottom tooth and all I had to do was run from finger over it and it came out. It's the food he normally eats so I'm not sure why he is not as interested.

Can it be because he's losing his teeth?

Please let me know.

Thanks.

Hi,
It has been a while since you wrote about your little one having problems eating. I was wondering how he is doing now? Is he eating well now? Did he get his adult teeth in? Hope he is doing much better now. Please let us know. Thanks.

[njimko]

Hello and thanks for the follow up. He's still teething but he's eating much better. He had double rows of teeth on the top back and bottom as well. He is due in next week for a vet visit and she'll check his teeth then. But, I think that he'll be neutered next month and so the teething should go away. He is also a snap dog. I got him at 10 wks and he was only 1 lb. He's 6 1\2 months and weighs 3.1 lbs. So I don't think he's a big eater bc of his size.

Thanks again

[Silver Lace]

Thanks so much for the follow up on the little boy. My Joey had double rows of teeth that came in and he had to have them removed so that his permanent teeth would come in right. He has such a teeny tiny mouth to hold all his regular tiny teeth and sure did not need the extra teeth that came in. It may have been his new teeth came in and the baby teeth did not fall out like they should have so he needed them taken out. Had it done when he was neutered.So that may be what you will have to have done for him as well. Glad things are going well and hope they continue. When they are so tiny they do not eat much, you are right. These little ones...........what can I say.

[LunarBerry]

I would also suggest human baby food (without ingredients that aren't good of course, like onions, etc.) or puree' meats and veggies in such cases. My girl loves some chicken puree' in chicken broth baby food on occasions. When she get's spayed or loses her baby teeth I plan to have her eat some baby/puree' foods in the beginning.