My healthy puppy isn't eating much. Is this a cause for concern?

Good question. This is fine. The amount on the bag is just a guideline. What she is doing is perfect. I like them to be hungry at the meal and just leave a little. Then you know they are getting all they want and are not over or under feeding. As she grows she may not eat the mid day meal so that's when I cut back to twice a day feeding. As long as she's healthy and a normal weight this is nothing to be overly concerned about. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Piper.

If he is playful, active , growing and not losing weight it is unlikely he is sick but you should schedule a vet check if you are concerned. Most pups will have a reduced appetite as their growing slows down

I would be more focused on how Maya looks and feels. If Maya is gaining weight every week and has a good coat with good coverage of fat over her ribs than I would not be concerned. Some dogs will just eat less than others or can be less interested in food. I would make sure that Maya has a fecal exam done by a vet to see if she needs deworming. A lot of young dogs have parasites which will cause a problem with weight gain and how they feel. I hope that helps and congrats on the new puppy

Kudos to you for being so concerned about Buddy! :-) As long as Buddy is at a healthy body weight, he is likely getting plenty to eat. To make sure he seems to be a healthy body weight, run your hands over his ribs to assure that you can easily feel (but not see) his ribs. You should also be able to see a "waistline" when looking down at him. I can't see Buddy well enough in the pictures to help you determine if his weight is appropriate. Some dogs are naturally picky or have been conditioned to eat less dog food because they know that treats or more appealing food is coming. I always recommend offering food twice daily as you are doing, but some dogs choose to only eat once a day. Avoid midday treats or snacks to try to train Buddy to eat at mealtimes and continue avoiding table scraps. Make sure that Buddy is being offered a high quality kibble (I generally recommend Science Diet, Purina ProPlan or Royal Canin foods) and if you choose to switch foods, be sure to do so by mixing old and new foods together over 5-7 days. If the canned diet seems to tempt him to eat, you can continue mixing a bit in with the kibble, but I would recommend avoiding Beneful and looking for a higher quality canned option. Feel free to request a consultation or post additional questions if you have further concerns! :-)

Suggested serving sizes are recommendations for the "average" dog and vary greatly depending on the ingredients and nutritional value of the food. If your dog keeps a consistant good weight, is healthy and has a shiny hair coat, then you are doing everything right. When in doubt take him to your vet for a weigh in and Body Condition Scoring. Usually this is a free service offered by your veterinarian,

It is ok if your puppy does not eat all in the first days at its new home. This is a very stressful time. I suggest , since you only just got your puppy, to take him to a vet next week for a wellness check to make sure he is healthy. You can then also schedule the remaining vaccinations and worming and make sure he has no congenital defects or other health problems. Should your puppy still not eat properly by then, you can address that with your vet.

At this age it is expected for your puppy to eat less. Usually between 6-8 months of age puppies have less calorie requirement and will go from needing three meals daily to two meals daily. As long as she continues to eat dualy, act normal and is playful there likely isn’t anything to worry about. Best wishes and take care.