Puppy won't eat

[Daniel]

My 6 month old Corso is not wanting to eat. I have the hardest time with him. He is healthy, runs, plays etc. The vet says he is just a picky eater. Since he came home 2 months I have tired multiple foods. The one he seems to like the best is purina pro plan focus, but still he will skip meals. I hate to seem him not eat well, that I give him raw meat and chicken. I know I am probably making this worse but like I said I don't want him to look skinny(ribs showing). Any ideas on how to approach this situation would be great. I prefer him to eat his kibble instead of people food. Thanks.

 

[SavingGrace]

Have you done a blood test? Just to see if everything is on the up and up? If everything is OK health-wise, you can try mixing a little wet food in with his dry (or cheese) to bribe him a bit - slowly back off mixing things in his food an hold out. If his ribs are showing, as a puppy, I'd double check everything is ok health-wise and the easiest way is to do a quick blood draw.

 

[Mack's mommy]

Has he been in your home long? He might just be getting used to things. also I have a cane corso book that is amazing and it says for some added calcium to put like a tablespoon of cottage cheese on the food. My guy went through a finicky stage too, he just turned 20 weeks yesterday. He went through it at like 2 almost 3 months. And the cottage cheese did wonders! Also you can do some beef broth if it doesn't have any added salt or onion ( which is almost impossible to find haha) but then we switched his food to "taste of the wild grain free puppy" and he scarfs it down!!

 

[Eeyore311]

You could try changing his food to a grain free dog food, mine only likes quality grain free when it comes to kibble. He ate the diamond chicken & rice for little while but it wasn't long before he mostly stopped eating it, he didn't like it as much as when he was on taste of the wild so I am in the process of switching him over to natures domain grain free (kirkland signature costco brand). I'm not sure if you should try any of this with a puppy, but you can melt some peanut butter and mix it in with his kibble and let it cool down. You can add a little butter also to help him put on weight and I usually mix in some eggs in also when I do this, again not sure if it's safe for a puppy.

 

[mx5055]

You need to choose between raw and kibble...If you don't know what you are doing it can be dangerous to mix them. If you are giving him cooked meat when he doesn't eat his kibble, then you are definitely giving him "mixed" messages...he will always hold out for the meat over the kibble. Personally, and this is just my personal opinion, I would kick that bag of Purina right out the door and invest in a good grain free kibble...preferably not a chicken one. There are many threads on this site regarding good kibbles. I use Earthborn Holistic grain free and have been extremely happy with the results. I alternate between the Wild Prairie Feast, Coastal Catch, and Meadow Feast flavors. I don't use any toppers, because I want her to just eat her food in case I am not around and someone else is feeding her and can't cater to her. I do however boil water, add it to the dry food, let it absorb and then add a couple ice cubes to cool it off. She loves it....thinks she is getting a "special" meal and I know she is getting water (she is not a huge water drinker). You can do this with whatever brand food you choose, just make sure it is quality kibble. Put your dog's food down...set a time limit...if he doesn't eat, pick it up and don't feed him until time for the next meal. Your puppy will not starve himself...you are the one that needs to be consistent in doing this, and he will get the message that he needs to eat when it is put in front of him or he is going to go without. This of course is after you are sure there are no medical conditions that might be causing this. Bella is also a Cane Corso, 6 1/2 months old now, eats 3x a day with no problems. Also, until you have worked out him eating at meal times I would withhold any other treats between meals...I don't think it will take more than a 1-3 days to straighten this whole issue out if you are consistent with this...but, you being consistent and staying on course is the key to solving this issue. This, of course, is just my opinion. Good luck

 

[NeSaxena]

Agree with Cindy, your pup will not starve himself. I'd suggest choosing between kibble and raw as well. Mine didn't do well on kibble at all, so he's on raw. He loves it, but he'll still have his picky stages. I think all mastiffs do. The important thing is, unless you see lethargy, issues with poo/pee, or any other general outward signs, you shouldn't be too concerned. Mixing meat to coax him to eat might also result in him getting "used to" it, meaning you'd have to do it for the rest of your life. Better than that is the timing thing in the post above.

 

[SavingGrace]

Agree with Cindy, your pup will not starve himself. I'd suggest choosing between kibble and raw as well. Mine didn't do well on kibble at all, so he's on raw. He loves it, but he'll still have his picky stages. I think all mastiffs do. The important thing is, unless you see lethargy, issues with poo/pee, or any other general outward signs, you shouldn't be too concerned. Mixing meat to coax him to eat might also result in him getting "used to" it, meaning you'd have to do it for the rest of your life. Better than that is the timing thing in the post above.

Hey all - Although I agree with all of you regarding the kibble/raw discussion and the feeding tips - I have to stress that PUPPIES EAT - having a puppy, with ribs showing, who doesn't want to eat - is not normal. It is not always just picky eating. I have experienced this first-hand, and in my quest for help and support have heard many of the same answers (try mixing this, try mixing that, have you tried raw) and I tried all of it and it did not help. I have a second dog who is a different breed and the breed is notorious for being picky eaters but as a PUPPY - he ate great. Puppies love to eat. I know there are exceptions to this rule, and no, dogs will not starve themselves - but if something health-wise is wrong - they will eat the bare minimum to survive, causing them to not grow right. So first things first, before you go to tough love or start changing all types of diets - check the health. A blood test is $100 and well worth it to make sure that everything is as it should be. We had a rare case, where we had a 'picky eater' (which I knew was way beyond picky eating) and the blood test told us everything we needed to get her help. So I know it's out there, and I know it's always good to check - if your PUPPY is not eating and is too thin - to make sure everything health-wise is ok.

 

[mx5055]

Hey all - Although I agree with all of you regarding the kibble/raw discussion and the feeding tips - I have to stress that PUPPIES EAT - having a puppy, with ribs showing, who doesn't want to eat - is not normal. It is not always just picky eating. I have experienced this first-hand, and in my quest for help and support have heard many of the same answers (try mixing this, try mixing that, have you tried raw) and I tried all of it and it did not help. I have a second dog who is a different breed and the breed is notorious for being picky eaters but as a PUPPY - he ate great. Puppies love to eat. I know there are exceptions to this rule, and no, dogs will not starve themselves - but if something health-wise is wrong - they will eat the bare minimum to survive, causing them to not grow right. So first things first, before you go to tough love or start changing all types of diets - check the health. A blood test is $100 and well worth it to make sure that everything is as it should be. We had a rare case, where we had a 'picky eater' (which I knew was way beyond picky eating) and the blood test told us everything we needed to get her help. So I know it's out there, and I know it's always good to check - if your PUPPY is not eating and is too thin - to make sure everything health-wise is ok.[/QUOTE

I do believe myself and a couple other people gave advice, but also stated that any medical issues should be ruled out first

 

[Daniel]

Thank you all for the advise. I really do appreciate it. I have tried multiple kinds of kibble including grain free but I found that the pro plan is more tasty to him.

Thanks!
Daniel