Puppies Not Eating

[BigDaz]

We have two 5 month old English Staffordshire Bull Terriers who wont eat their food.

We feed them Supercoat Puppy at the moment but was looking at other options even before they stopped eating.

One went off her food about a week ago, she has been eating but reluctantly, the other went off her food a couple of days ago and will eat but only after a lot of encouragement, they have been eating, but with a lot of work to do so. I missed out on chicken last night because we had to cook it up for with rice the girls. ( This only happened once, so I don't think we are setting a precedent)

We generally soften Supercoat up with water or puppy milk, which is just something we have been doing since they were young.

Basically, now, they just sniff it and walk away but will eat some either out of our hands or off the floor, but not out of the bowl, I have tried different bowls.

We are going to the Vet tomorrow just to ensure there is nothing physically wrong, but I was wondering if there are any other ideas about why they would stop eating.

[Guest Tess32]

By 5 months of age those pups will be halfway through teething and have powerful jaws, they definitely do not their dry food soaked in milk.

Some pups just seem to go off food. Barring physical problems or a dog just being picky, sometimes it pays to listen to a dog's attitude to their food and not force them to eat something in case their body is responding to something that simply doesn't suit them.

I would switch them to another food. If they go off the next one then they could just be picky, but I err on the side of trust.

Have you considered feeding them natural raw food?

[BigDaz]

I would switch them to another food. If they go off the next one then they could just be picky, but I err on the side of trust.

Have you considered feeding them natural raw food?

What I am looking at is feeding them a mixture if Eagle Pack and BARF, as we have a supplier of BARF food down the road, I just havent looked into what is required in addition to feeding BARF, like calcium supplements etc, but I am sure the suppliers can tell me.

It's just wierd that they both went off their food.

We have some chicked and rice left over for tomorrow, plus I will pick up some different food tomorrow night, I just dont want to cause them intestinal problems by switching food outright.

[Guest Tess32]

You haven't recently changed bags of the food? Actually sometimes food that is a little 'off' in some way is worse further down the bag you go.

You definitely don't do calcium supps with BARF If you google BARF on this forum you'll find lots of info too.

[Dogsfevr]

Cant do any worse than feeding supacoat with puppy milk.

At 5 months they should be eating a good array of foods.

Due to staffies being prone to skin issues i would watch what meat you give & wouldnt try beef.

The milk maybe fermenting whilst soaked & the smell off putting to the dogs.

Was this the diet the breeder suggested??

[BigDaz]

This is what the breeder was feeding them when we got them, so wanted to keep them on it for a while until we gradually moved them off it. They dont always get milk, sometimes just water which they liked up until a week ago.

We have tried a new bag of the same food, even dry with no milk or water but they wont eat it. Unless I put it on the kitchen floor, then they may eat it sometimes, maybe they think that is a game or something, but I dont want to get them used to that.

When you say they should be eating a vast array of food, I have read numerous times not to change a dogs diet dramatically, are you saying this is ok to do? So I could simply go from Supercoat Puppy straight to Eagle Pack and\or BARF?

They ate a bowl of chicken and rice this morning, this time they actualy ate the rice instead of picking out the chicken.

[WreckitWhippet]

If they are not ill. Then buy yourself a quality dry food and feed a combination or dry and raw foods such as lamb flap, chicken carcass, chicken wings, necks, rabbits, roo chunks

or switch to an all raw diet.

Staffordshire Bull Terriers need plenty of bones and chunks of meat when they are teething. If they are five months old there is a very good chance that they are teething and cutting canines and molars.

You may be overfeeding the dogs. Take the approach of putting a measured cup of quality dry puppy food in a bowl. Once cup each for breakfast or dinner, stand with them and give them 10-15 minutes to eat it. If they have not eaten it, pick it up and cover it until the next meal time. Do not give them snacks or treats between meals.

For the other meal, feed them two or three chicken wings or 6-10 necks ( depends on the size ) a piece of lamb flap or a carcass, again depending on the size.

Fussy eaters are created, they are not born that way. Some dogs may take longer to consume food and they may have a prefernce for raw over dry etc, but you are the leader, you tell them what they can eat and when they can eat it.

[toughgirl78]

My friend has a 2yo English staffy. He is also a very fussy eater. He tried him on supercoat

and he ate that for around a year and then went off it. My friend also cooks up mince & rice, Chicken

and he will eat all that but it has made him more fussy. Eagle Pack is a great dry food and I am trying

to get him to eat that.

My boy also eats Eagle Pack dry food and he loves it.

When you are trying your dog on another type of food, it is best to feed half of the old food and the new food together

and then gradually decrease them amount of the old food until he is eating just the new food. This is said to avoid

tummy upsets and get then used to the new food.

Also staffies love marrowbones and as they get older, and their jaws develop, you can give them the huge ones whole.

It's great for keeping their teeth clean.

By all means give your dog a bit of variety now and then, when they are good eaters, chicken mince, beef etc.

Just try not to make a habit of it or they could become fussy.

Hope this helps.

XXToughgirlXX

[BigDaz]

By all means give your dog a bit of variety now and then, when they are good eaters, chicken mince, beef etc.

Just try not to make a habit of it or they could become fussy.

Hope this helps.

XXToughgirlXX

Thanks Toughgirl, what you have said is pretty much along the lines of what we have done.

There were a few posts that said feed mainly or all raw but as you mentioned, we were also concerend about them becoming to fussy. We spoke to the Vet and he advised that we should continue with Dry Food with the occasional raw food as a treat.

They are eating a lot better, stilll not with the same gusto they used to, but they are getting a bit older as well.

To be be honest, I was really surprised in the improvement in their coat since changing from Supercoat to Eagle Pack, they are a lot softer and more shiny.

[Bulldust]

Hallelujah to Eagle Pack Well done for switching

[toughgirl78]

Glad I could help

I really believe eagle pack is a great dry food.

I've heard lot's of good reports from people switching their dogs onto it.

XXToughgirlXX

[Baileys mum]

I'm another one that has recently switched to eagle pack dry food. My dogs love it (including my 10 wk old puppy ) & I have also seen a fantastic improvement in their coat. Even though it is a little on the exspensive side I don't think I will ever go with another brand again.

My dogs also get cooked mince, vegies (love pumpkin ) & rice,aswell as raw food treats during the day to keep teeth healthy.

If I haven't got much time I will give them eagle pack canned food aswell ( but they don't seem to be too keen on this, but will eat it slowly )

My puppy is eating all these foods (aswell as her puppy eagle pack dry ) & seems to have a great appetite. She's doing reallly well so far & seems to be growing & putting on weight at a good pace.