My Puppy isnt Finishing his Food

[Rusty]

Hello fellow GSD/dog owners, Ive been feeding my puppy Orijen Large Breed Puppy since ive got him and he seems to have been liking alot until the past 3 days he nibbles at his food and doesnt eat 1/2 of it he isnt skinny the vet says he is very healthy, Is he not eating his food because he doesnt like his food? His stools are Very solid and hes 8 weeks old? Is there a way to make his food more appealing also should i be adding alot of water to soften his food up because Orijen Large Breed puppy food kibbles are Huge and hard :-p
The Breeder was feeding him the same food aswell
Thanks alot hope you guys can help!

[Lucy Dog]

How much are you trying to feed per day and per meal?

How much is he actually eating?

How long have you had him? Has he been doing this since you got him?

[Rusty]

Im Feeding him 1 Cup Breakfast 1 Cup Dinner and there is about 25% food leftover ive had him for a week and 2 days so hes actually 9 weeks now. Thanks for the fast reply!

[TrooperK-9]

I had the same issue with my dog at 5 months old. All my fellow handlers suggested to put 1 scrabbled egg in his food. It worked great and he now eats like a Champ....

[Rusty]

Sounds like a good idea will have to try it sometime

[Lucy Dog]

I'd speak to the breeder and ask how his appetite was when he was with them. He's in his new home now and may need time to adjust. He's out of his comfort zone, away from his brothers and sisters for the first time, and it may just take some time.

For a puppy his age, feed him 3 times a day. Morning, afternoon, and dinner. Feed 3/4 a cup per meal. Put the food down and give him 10 minutes to eat it. If he doesn't finish his meal in time, pick up the food and don't feed until the next meal time. When that time comes, drop the food and do it all over again. You're training him that when the food hits the ground, it's meal time.

If the vet says he's healthy and his weight looks good, don't worry about it too much. A healthy dog will not starve himself. Try what I said and give him time to adjust. Some dogs just aren't big eaters, especially in the beginning.

[Lucy Dog]

Originally Posted by TrooperK-9

I had the same issue with my dog at 5 months old. All my fellow handlers suggested to put 1 scrabbled egg in his food. It worked great and he now eats like a Champ....

No need to scramble it.. just feed it raw if you want. I wouldn't do it with every meal though. I usually give about 2 raw eggs per week on top of the kibble.

[Rusty]

Sounds perfect ill give the breeder a call tomorrow im in the military and on leave for the next 2 weeks ive planned to spend alot of time with my puppy and now that ill be home most of the day i can feed him 3 times a day i hope when hes 11 weeks he can adjust back to 2 meals a day because i wont be able to come home for lunch as i work in pearl harbor and i live pretty far away. Ok so just raw egg in his food ill give that a try aswell and 3/4 cup 3x a day sounds like a great idea the vet says his in good shape they also recommended science diet but im thinking thats because they have it all over there store haha! Mayi ask how much he should be in lbs for 9 weeks? i know we weighted him last week at the vet and he was 15.5? Thanks alot for the very useful information and quick responses !

[MustLoveGSDs]

You can also pour chicken broth over the kibble and try that, never had a dog refuse it Also, Science Diet is a HUGE step down in quality from Orijen, Vets are not nutritionists...stick with the Orijen

[Rusty]

Sounds like an awesome idea and as for science diet not gunna happen haha!
For chicken straight out of the can, sorry new to this haha