7 month old puppy not eating???

[Janet and Guinness]

Hi Everyone…our 7 month old puppy is not eating well at all, which is a huge shocker since he was a vacuum up until a few days ago.  We feed him TLC twice a day (thats a Canadian brand recommended by our breeder.) He does not get any human food.  He is behaving normally, pooping and peeing too, so we took him to the vet (we are new dog owners…really green still !!)  Anyway, vet says he is fine…may have been a virus but nothing really conclusive………my question is….is this just a normal puppy phase?  Thanks for helping us newbies out !

[Shari Becker]

Hi Janet,

I do think puppies go through phases when they are having a growth spurt and when the settle into their current weight. Lexi is just shy of a year, and she's never not eaten (she's food crazy), but she has had other stomach issues, and I generally observe her keeping an eye out for signs of real illness.  I'm no expert, but my rule of thumbs is that if the dog is staying hydrated, peeing and pooping, acting normal and playing I just watch...  but I do watch.

Good luck!

Shari

[simon]

Our Bella had a single 'off couple of days' at 7 months... she just lay down and didn't eat... we kept her well watered and she was fine afterwards.

 

Simon

[Jordan & Daisy]

Janet I seriously could have written this myself! Daisy is also 7 months and was an absolute MACHINE when it came to eating..but the past few weeks it's almost like she couldn't care less when we feed her. She will keep playing etc. Otherwise she is in good health and has no other problems. I chalked it up to a phase since she's getting a little older but it does make me concerned too

[Judi Kilpatrick]

Same behavior here, both of our boys will have days that they don't eat until late in the day, one is 7 1/2 mts., the other one is just over 8 mts. This started several weeks ago and I assume its because their growth has slowed considerably and they just aren't as hungry, their activity level is normal, peeing, pooping, etc. all good so I don't think you have anything to worry about but like Shari said, always watch close..

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I agree that it may just be that her growth has slowed down, and she requires less food, but do keep an eye on her. As Shari said, as long as she is staying hydrated, pee & poop habits are normal, and energy levels are good, I wouldn't worry.

The worst thing you can do is try to coax or tempt her into eating. This is the kind of situation that can lead to picky eating habits. I would remove her food after 20 minutes, even if she hasn't eaten any of it, and don't offer food again until the next scheduled meal time. 

[Janet and Guinness]

Thank you all so much!!!  I fee better already…I will keep a very close eye on Guinness but it is good to know that it may just be a "phase"…..I should be used to phases as I am living with a teenager..will take it all in stride and again…thanks for making me feel more at ease.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Oops, just realized I was calling Guinness "she". Please apologize to him for me, lol! 

[Kate, Mel, Tenley & Harper]

This happened to Tenley at exactly 7 months too. Glad to hear others are experiencing the same.