Pup not eating

moving_home

I have a 5 and 1/2 month old cocker. She is fed 3 times a day 8am, 2pm and 8pm. Yesterday she picked at the two early feeds but didn't eat any of the 8pm feed yesterday and none of her breakfast today.

I am worried about her as she would normally be a very good eater and loves her food.

Anyone have any ideas?

She is in good form and bombing around the garden playing. She is just after taking the washing off the line so she must be ok!! We brought her to the beach on Saturday and she was playing with my mam's puppy on Sunday so I am wondering if she is just wrecked from the weekend....

seamus

This is usually just something like an upset tummy or a cold and if she's still energetic as ever I wouldn't be overly concerned. It's possible she picked up something from your Mum's dog.

If she still hasn't eaten anything by this evening, try making her a small amount of boiled chicken and rice. This works great for my dog when she's not feeling well, she gobbles it up and it sorts her right out.

If she won't even eat that or if her condition worsens, take her to the vet.

falabo

hi

I have a puppy cocker spaniel too ... this happened recently, I was very worried.

I then realised I had given her too many treats the day before and she had just an upset stomach.

I could hear her stomach from accross the room, awful. She started eating again the next day, just when I was going to take her to the vet.

moving_home

Thanks Seamus. Hopefully it is just something straight forward like an upset tummy or cold. My mam's dog is grand, not a bother on her - eating like a small horse and all her vaccinations are up to date.

Will keep an eye on her today and try chicken and rice this evening.

Should I just not try to feed her again until her 2pm feed or should i try her again in a while?I have taken away her food for the moment as didn't want to leave it with her all morning.

seamus

There's no harm in maintaining your normal routine. Try to feed her again at 2pm, and take it away if she's not eating it.

moving_home

falabo wrote: »

hi

I have a puppy cocker spaniel too ... this happened recently, I was very worried.

I then realised I had given her too many treats the day before and she had just an upset stomach.

I could hear her stomach from accross the room, awful. She started eating again the next day, just when I was going to take her to the vet.

I am leading training her at the moment and using these sausage things (got them from pet shop) that she loves so maybe I did just overdo it yesterday. I can't hear any noises from her stomach or anything though.

On Sunday evening we only got a chance to soak her food for about half an hour (usually I have it soaking for a couple of hours) so I thought that was affecting her yesterday.


Thanks for the replies guys - I am very worried!

Sigma Force

At that age anyway I'd only be starting to feed a pup twice a day instead. Esp. if your dog is getting extras twice a day is enough.

moving_home

Guineapigrescue wrote: »

At that age anyway I'd only be starting to feed a pup twice a day instead. Esp. if your dog is getting extras twice a day is enough.

Any books I have read, in particular a specific cocker spaniel book, advocates feeding three times a day until 8 months. It is just a case of splitting her daily allowance into three meals instead of two. I am out of work at the moment and around during the day so its not inconvenient to feed her in the middle of the day aswell. Most of the time her extras come out of her daily allowance anyways.

She is still in good form but still not eating. Didn't try her with the 2pm feed. Gonna try her at around 5 instead so I can get onto the vet before they close if she still isn't eating.

cjf

Sometimes at that age the youngsters can go off their food a bit! Its more common in the males but can happen to both. From experience I just stuck to the routine and if he did not eat it in morning I took it up and put it down at next feeding time etc he soon started to pay attention and eat his food again! They wont starve if they miss one meal so just keep stickin to the routine and if she doesnt eat it take it up. Defo dont leave it down or feed outside of routine (its hard cause pups have a great way of putting on the starved eyes!).

moving_home

cjf wrote: »

Sometimes at that age the youngsters can go off their food a bit! Its more common in the males but can happen to both. From experience I just stuck to the routine and if he did not eat it in morning I took it up and put it down at next feeding time etc he soon started to pay attention and eat his food again! They wont starve if they miss one meal so just keep stickin to the routine and if she doesnt eat it take it up. Defo dont leave it down or feed outside of routine (its hard cause pups have a great way of putting on the starved eyes!).

Thanks for the reassurance! I just amn't sure if she's not eating cos there is something more serious wrong... if it is just the above I can deal with that. Just don't want her to be sick!

falabo

please keep us updated !

cjf

If everything else is fine and worming, vac's etc are all up to date and she has energy and is bright eyed and bushy tailed then it could just be a case of the silly puppies!!

So long as she is drinking water and her poos (i know so gross) are looking normal then would leave it a few days before panicking! You could feel around her belly for any swelling, hardness or tenderness as this could be a sign she ate something or has something stuck there.

Worried myself sick over my chap when he went off his food because he was such a savage but kept an eye on all of above and stuck to the routine and he was grand after a week or so!

moving_home

well she ate most of her 8pm feed so not really sure what the problem was. she is still in good spirits. She is usually such a good eater that this was very unusual behaviour and I don't think it was just been fussy. She is my first puppy so I do worry a bit much :D

forgot to mention the other thing that was worrying me was her nose was warm all day even when she was just resting. However it is cold and damp now so she may have had a cold or something which passed.

I didn't exercise her all day and made sure she slept and drank loads of water so it seems to have done the trick.

cjf

Good news! Sometimes they can just be feeling a bit off! Glad to hear she feeling better! Nothing wrong with being a nervous mammy!

moving_home

hey guys, just thought I would give ye an update. Posted last week about my puppy not eating. She has been eating roughly two out of three meals a day and has been in good form mostly if a little more whiny than usual!

Anyways I noticed over the past few days she was licking her back end alot and then dogs that I haven't seen before started coming around the house so I brought her to the vet this morning. Turns out she is going into heat already.... we wanted to get her spayed when she was 6mths (about two weeks) but obviously can't now so the poor thing is going to have to be cooped up for the next few weeks. We live in the middle of the country without proper fencing so it's gonna be tough to keep her away from any dogs that come around.

Xiney

ah, poor thing no wonder she was feeling off.

you really have to be vigilant about other dogs - she is so young that an unplanned pregnancy would be very dangerous for her. I'm sure your vet let you know. Just stick close to her, have her on the lead when outside at all times... and a plastic baseball bat or something to keep other dogs away from her would not go amiss.

cjf

so young poor girly! us ladies have it so bad! Very much agree with whats said above really be super careful with her she is still such a baby. If you see any dogs coming over near her just pick her up. . it only takes a second for the damage to be done and another poor unwanted litter is born!

Best of luck with her and in no time she will be spayed and you wont have to worry about that again!

moving_home

Thanks for the advice. Don't worry we are going to be really vigilant and not letting any dog near her. I have seen a pup belonging to a neighbour of my mam's have a litter at 9mths and it just destroyed her own growth the poor thing.
Will definitely pick her up if any dog comes near her (although at 11kgs she is soo heavy!). Although she is so tired that she isn't as bothered about walks as she usually is so not bringing her as much.
Have decided am just gonna bring her in the car with me where ever I can, even just going to the shops and then when going to gym or somewhere she can't come I will make sure she is securely locked in.

Worst part is my sister is getting married on Saturday so she is going to kennels tomorrow until Monday. Well its not kennels but a woman who minds dogs in her house and she has assured me that she will be kept safe and its not a problem....She has a really secure pen for her so fingers crossed...