8 Month Old Not Eating

[Debbie and Bentley]

Bentley (8 months old),has always been a very good eater. However, within the last 2 weeks, he has gone from leaving a small amount in his bowl at breakfast to now not being interested in breakfast or dinner. I wasn't sure whether this was a normal phase. I also, didn't know whether this should be posted in the Puppy Madness group, or the food group. He is having normal bowel movements.

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

And BHA is banned  in Ireland along with several other additives that are ok in the US:

6. BHA & BHT: Waxy preservatives linked to cancer and tumours.

Found in: Cereal, nut mixes, gum, butter, meat, dehydrated potatoes.
Why it’s dangerous: Used to keep food from becoming rancid, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are known to cause cancer in rats.
Where it’s banned: The U.K., Japan, and many other European countries.

 

[Oliver & Elizabeth]

A word of encouragement, keep on your husband, he'll come around. My BF (who works in politics, and is always game for a debate) has always been skeptical about the need for--what he considers to be--"the most expensive food in the store." Like it's my fault Oliver only likes duck and pear and red?! :) When we discuss it, I appeal to his rational side, by comparing prices per day of good and bad foods (it's surprisingly similar). And does Pedigree give you the 13th bag free? I think not! Also, I make sure our house is stocked with treats and food that I buy so he's never tempted to go to rogue, and, naturally, don't disclose the cost unless asked and then round down... :)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Elizabeth, I like the way you think, lol. 

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

I heard my partner recently telling someone that it if he fed our dogs anything that was not approved by me his life would be in danger and he has been known to drive 20 miles to get the Orijen when I was away! I have him terrorized and it works a treat (excuse the pun) Lol

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Debbie -- While you have gotten awesome advice from Karen I just wanted to add that we had a problem with AnnaBelle wanting to eat her Fromm when we were in FL in January.  She has been on the Adult version for awhile now and I had stocked up for our trip plus had a coupon over Christmas for a couple small bags.  Of course that is when she decided she didn't want to eat it.  I stopped in a high end boutique in FL and they did a couple things.  They gave me some Fromm samples of different varieties that I could sprinkle on top to peak her interest.  They also suggested Stella and Chewys freeze dried foods.  It comes in a bag in small bite size pieces but you can crumble those up into what is almost like a powder.  I take about 4 pieces and crumble them on top of her Fromm and she loves them.  It is like Puppy Crack ... when she hears the bag in my hands she comes running.  

[Debbie and Bentley]

Stella and Chewys (aka crack for dogs) is a good idea, too! Thanks to everyone for all this information. We took his food last nite after 15 min ( he had eaten about 1/2), and this morning (only a couple bites). I'll be anxious to see what he does for his 2nd meal later today. My husband is home on vacation, so I'll have to keep an eye on him. Bentley's brown eyes are hard for him not to cave. He was always the strict one, and it's funny how Bentley has changed that....has DH wrapped around his paw.

[Amy and Annabelle]

I will have to try some of the Stella and Chewy's puppy crack. The natural pet food store in my area where I buy Annabelle's food from, carries it. She is not much of an eater unless she is going through a growth spurt. I think she has quit growing for the most part now. She loses interest in her food pretty quick, unless it is fresh boiled chicken. She would eat that every day if I let her.

[Wendy and Myla]

How is Bentley doing - has he started eating again?

[Debbie and Bentley]

Hi, Wendy. Yes, Bentley is eating better. He will still leave some of his morning meal. We are in an obedience class right now, & I have been forgetting to practice.... so, I have been practicing in the morning, using his kibble as his reward, and no other "treats" during the day.. It's a win- win for me, because now I remember to practice more. Thanks for asking.

[Wendy and Myla]

Good - I was so hoping he wasn't sick.  We have always fed Myla (since she was a year old) 1 1/2 cups of food twice a day.  She started doing exactly what Bentley did - leave her morning meal and then sometimes graze at it during the day.  I started removing the food after 15 minutes and then only giving her the normal dinner amount and all of the other suggestions listed above.  What we have figured out, from experience (she will be three in March - boy time goes fast!) is that during the winter she doesn't eat as much - so we just feed her 3/4 cup in the morning and 1 1/2 cups at night.  I'm thinking that maybe it's because she doesn't exercise as much - she still gets a lot of exercise but during the warmer months she swims a lot on top of her regular walks. We just figured this out this winter and even though the recommended amount for her weight on the Acana bag of dogfood is three cups daily, she has definitely not lost any weight.  Just a thought to think about :)

[Moe]

I feel your pain. I had a similar experience with my pup, now 4.5 years old and healthy. From about 4mo to 3 years she didn't seem interested in food and was about 5 lbs underweight. She was really thin ribs and hip bones were very prominent. I read everything here and in the food group. I had the benefit of everyone's experience. However when you dog looks like a refugee and isn't eating I panicked and started switching foods, adding wet food and in desperation adding human food. Things would help for a week or so but then she was back to not eating. It was so much harder to break the bad habits that I had started. I created a picky dog that would barely eat. With the support of the food group and my vet I eventually broke the cycle. But it was a long and stressful journey. 

My advice - be constant and resist the temptation to 'fix' the problem with new foods and toppers. It is a slippery slope and ultimately will not help your dog. If your dog is active and healthy then all is good. Listen to the food group - they really do know what they are talking about. 

Good luck and stay strong. :)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Thank you for the vote of confidence, Moe. It is indeed a slippery slope. We humans often have such complicated and emotional issues about food, eating, and feeding, lol, and often some of that comes into play with feeding our dogs. "Stay strong" is good advice.