# 10 month old reduced appetite?



## BriGuy (Aug 31, 2010)

Hi,

3.5 cups seems a little high to me. Cookie is almost 11 months old, and we were feeding her the regular Wellness Puppy (not the large breed, I mean) until she was maybe 5 or 6 months. After that I switched to the adult Wellness chicken, which is the one in the purple bag. I give her one cup in the morning and one at dinner. She also gets training treats throught the day of course.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Around 10 months, their need for calories may start to drop off as they finish the major growth period. If she's just eating less (as opposed to refusing food entirely for a day or two), it's probably just part of the natural process of growing.


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## ActionJackson (Oct 25, 2010)

tippykayak said:


> Around 10 months, their need for calories may start to drop off as they finish the major growth period. If she's just eating less (as opposed to refusing food entirely for a day or two), it's probably just part of the natural process of growing.


On the topic of "refusing" food - Jackson doesn't really "refuse" it, he just doesn't seem very interested in it. We too are feeding him 3.5-4 cups a day of Iams LBP food - half in the morning, half at night. Often times he won't even touch his morning food. He seems otherwise healthy, not lethargic or anythign like that, he just seems disinterested in his food sometimes. 

I have no idea if this is natural or not


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## cory (Aug 23, 2010)

I'm so glad to see this post as Dakota, who is almost 11 months, is also showing less interest in her food also. She gets 3 cups of Purina LB puppy in the morning and 3 cups in the evening. She used to rush for it and devour it but now she eats some and then walks around and then comes back to it. Some days she finishes it and other days she doesn't it. Should I be switching her to the adult formula? She otherwise acts fine.


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## ActionJackson (Oct 25, 2010)

pretty much the same here Cory.

Jackson is not underweight or anything, I'm hoping it's just his body naturally limiting itself to what it needs......I just always thought dogs would eat whenever you put food down in their bowl......and it's strange that some days he won't touch breakfast. It seems like if he just eats the 2 cups we feed him at night it wouldn't be enough.....


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

My dogs have always had a drop off in appetite between 10 months and a year. They regularly won't finish food if I give them too much. If they skip a meal, they often polish off more the next time around.

If having a dog who picks at food is a logistical problem for you, don't be afraid to give the dog 15 minutes of access, twice a day and keep the food bowl up the rest of the time. For some dogs, it motivates them to eat a little more and a little more consistently.

A healthy dog won't starve himself, so keep an eye on your dog's physique, and that'll tell you if he's getting enough calories. Lots of dogs will eat less because their bodies are asking for less because they don't need it.


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## diane0905 (Aug 20, 2010)

Luke is 11 months and acts the same way -- sometimes he just isn't interested. I do think the heat effects their appetite too. I live in South Carolina and my adult Shih Tzu seems less interested also. Heck, the heat makes me less hungry. It's hot out there.


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## cypress822 (Jun 3, 2011)

maybe try another dog food??


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## Duanesz (Oct 15, 2010)

Thanks for all the input


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