change in eating habits

[The Food Group]

Jace has recently stopped being interested in his food, I will sit out his first meal of the day and he wont even look at it, and them when the second meal time rolls around he hasn't ate his first meal and I just leave the first one and then late, like right before bed time, he will eat on meal number one. He has never acted like this, no change in stool, no vomiting, no fatigue. He just doesn't seem to be enthusiastic about his food at all. I considered changing the flavor, He's on TTOW Venison and bison puppy formula but the only place that sells it around here only has that flavor in the puppy formula.. :| Any suggestions at all would be greatly appreciated.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

How old is he now, what does he weigh, and how much food are you putting in his bowl at the first meal? 

[Sally Huff]

My Gracie did this around 18 months.  I switched up the flavors within the Orijen brand and I could tell she wasn't enjoying her meal.  I was a little reluctant to add fresh toppers because once I started I had to stick with it.  But I did, now I rotate between canned pumpkin, plain non fat yogurt, scrambled eggs, green beans, sweet potatoes. Whatever I know is good and safe for her and what I have in the house.  I'm so glad I did because now Gracie's eyes light up with anticipation and really enjoys her meal.  Plus, it makes me happy to see her happy.  Good luck.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The first thing I would do is stop free feeding. Put the food in the bowl, give her 15-20 minutes, and then pick up the bowl and don't offer any more food until the normal time for the next meal. She will learn that food is not always available and that if she wants to eat, she needs to do it when she has the opportunity. I can't tell you how much trouble this may save you down the road. 

Can you ask the store where you buy her food to order the other puppy formula for you? 

Is she getting any treats, and if so, does she still show interest in those?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

If you're buying from Tractor Supply, they do have all the TOTW formulas available to order on-line, so it shouldn't be that difficult for them to get it in the store for you. 

And sorry for calling him "she", lol. 

[Sally Lehman]

my Harley loves to teaspoons of yogurt mixed in his dry kibble! It is supposed to be great for their digestive system also!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

At 10 months, he may be slowing down on his growth, therefore not needing to eat as much.  I would discourage you from using toppers on a regular basis or 'enticing' him to eat.  If he isn't as hungry and he is healthy, I would really do what Karen suggested and also feed less per meal if that is all he wants. 

[Don & Gracie]

Hello Emily,

I totally feel your pain. My adorable mini-Labradoodle (also named Gracie!) at around 6 months also decided she didn't like  she had been eating regularly (and happily) up until then. I tried so many things, so many foods, so many flavors ... I detailed this in a lengthy post earlier this year. I was trying premium dry food brands. I switched to wet (canned) foods and she ate more regularly. Sometimes when she wouldn't eat all day (and I was doing the leave-it-down-for-15-minutes routine), I would be so frustrated and upset that I'd leave the evening attempt down all night. And she would eat the whole bowl in the middle of the night, when it was pitch black and I was fast asleep. 

Then THAT started not to work. She refused all canned food. All this while, she's been happy, playful, friendly, affectionate and perfect in every other way. She never wouldn't gobble down a treat (I also give her Zukes mini naturals); she also loves real apples, cheese, carrots, green beans and bananas. I limited those treats so she wouldn't fill up on them and not be hungry for her regular meals.

The only thing I refused to do was to cook food for her ... I'm 100% sure that if I fed her real chicken and rice and pumpkin every day (which she had to eat when she had tummy troubles) she'd eat ... but as busy as I am I can't cook all the time and also I want to feed her a nutritionally complete diet.

So in total despair I tried the one thing I hadn't done so far ... at a pet fair a few weeks ago, I got a sample of a Natural Balance roll. She ate it up like it was the last food on earth. And I bought a big roll of the beef and she's been eating (more) consistently than ever before. I was reluctant to use Natural Balance since it's far from the top of the recommended food list, but eating is eating, and right now I'll settle for eating instead of fasting. After a while I'm going to try to mix in some of the canned food (I still have lots of cans) to enrich it, but I'll do it slowly and sparingly.

I wish you luck with Jace!