Why is my German Shepherd puppy refusing food? Is one meal a day safe?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! As GSDs get older they don't require the same amount of calories as they did when they were a puppy. When this happens, they tend not to eat as often. This breed does not need to eat every meal or even everyday. They usually only eat more when they are working. So if you have a GSD that isn't working (police dog, herding, agility, etc) then he probably won't need to eat as often. Dogs can go long periods of time without eating a meal, unlike humans. As long as Arjun isn't vomiting, having diarrhea, lethargic, or losing weight, I wouldn't worry. Continue to offer his usual food and limit treats to once-twice daily (because they contain more fat than dog food). Kisses to Arjun!

As German Shepherd dogs are very prone to having food sensitivities and also are prone to exocrine pancreas insufficiency you should not feed him any food that is not dogfood, ie human food, treats, etc. The best is to feed specific puppy food for German Shepherd Dogs such as Royal Canin Maxi Puppy Dry Dog Food Royal Canin German Shepherd Puppy Dry Dog Food or similar specific complete puppy foods for large dogs. As for quantities and how often to feed your puppy, , stick to the instructions on the bag as quantities depend on ingredients, weight of puppy and age. I would feed my puppy 3-4 times daily.

Hi, and thanks for your question. This is a quite generic but concerning presentation. Differentials are many, from gastrointestinal diseases (infection/inflammations often dietary related) to any disease that can spread systemically (causing lethargy for example) like infection, and anything that can cause pain/discomfort. The approach must be logic, starting from offering different kind of food. A check up is needed if inappetence lasts for more than 24hours. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am the Vet that has been answering your questions about Soska. If you can only feed her once daily because that is the only time that is good for you or the only time she will eat then that is fine! Just be sure she eats slowly and doesn't run around or play hard for an hour after she eats. Not all German Shepherds bloat. My lab growing up was only fed at night too and he did fine! I hope this helps!

Sudden loss of appetite and weight loss in a puppy is very concerning and may be related to fever, infection or a bowel obstruction, particularly if accompanied with nausea or vomiting Please have her assessed urgently by a vet, reduced appetite is never normal in a growing pup

Feed him 4-5 times daily at his age. Puppies need to eat small meals frequently to keep glucose levels stable. As he ages, you can definitely rease the number of feedings until he is eating twice daily at about 1 year old. The brands of food you mentioned are all premium diets and excellent choices for a growing puppy. If the have "large breed" puppy formulas, those would be best to ensure Odin doesn't grow too fast. You can make a slurry or gruel by mixing the Esbilac with the kibble. Decrease the amount of liquid over the next few weeks until he is eating dry food by 8-10 weeks of age. He can begin vaccines at 8 weeks of age though you may want to have him dewormed now and then repeat it in the next several weeks.

Jordan is so cute! At 40 days of age, he can be started on a puppy formulated food. He needs a puppy food because puppies need higher amounts of protein, calcium, and calories than an adult dog to grow properly. A puppy food will provide this for him. Brands I recommend include Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, Purina ProPlan, and Iams. He should be fed three times a day, once in the morning, afternoon, and evening. On his bag of puppy food, there will be a daily recommended allotment of food, and I would divide that into three equal portions. Once he is six months of age, he can be fed twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. Good luck, I hope this helps!