Puppies make the best pets in the world. They’re well-behaved, deeply loyal to their owners, and impersonate sunshine. But they need a lot of attention and routine in their lives because they show their distress when they are not able to follow their routines.
Now, let us know what might make a 5-month-old puppy stop eating and learn some interesting facts about their eating habits as well.
5 month old puppy not eating:
The most common reason for your puppy to suddenly stop eating food might be related to their health. Your puppy might be sick and in pain, which will make them show disinterest in food. If they are not eating and showing signs of distress, they must be taken to a vet and get different tests done.
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There are mainly two reasons why your puppy might have stopped eating: 1. Health Problems, or 2. Disliking the food.
If your puppy is showing any signs of distress, lethargy, tiredness, and not eating at all for the last one or two days, then it is a matter of concern and they should be taken to a vet as soon as possible.
If the problem is prolonged and your pet is showing no signs of ailment and is acting normally, it might just be that your puppy is a picky eater or they don’t like what they’re being given to eat.
Reasons why your 5 month old puppy not eating:
There can be a couple of reasons your puppy might not be eating, ranging from picky behavior to stress and health problems. Some will be pointed out below for a better understanding of your puppy’s behavior.
Picky Eater:
If your puppy has been showing disinterest in eating for a long time and is acting normally with no apparent sign of distress, then they might not like what’s being given to them. Normally, it means that your 5-month-old puppy might be a picky eater.
Anxiety:
Even though your dog might be young, it can still be stressed. Big changes or irregular routines might cause them to stress and develop anxiety, and anxiety causes your puppy to not want to eat.
Maybe you just recently shifted your house, or brought a new puppy home, and so on. All these might cause a puppy to develop anxiety and be distasteful towards food.
Pain or Discomfort:
Your pet might suddenly stop eating due to pain. The second stage of teething starts around the age of 4–5 months in puppies. As a result, they might be in a great deal of pain and might stop eating due to discomfort.
Around this time, their bones are also developing, or they might have something stuck in their mouth or broken teeth. Puppies are very hyperactive and that results in them getting hurt often.
Moreover, another reason puppies might not eat is being uncomfortable due to high temperatures.
Health Problems:
If the puppy has been acting strangely for a few days and is not eating at all, or is suddenly lethargic or weak, there’s a very big chance of your puppy being sick.
They might be facing digestive problems or worms. Thus, all of these can cause your puppy to not want to eat, and they must immediately be taken to a vet to get checked so the situation doesn’t get worse.
Respiratory Problems:
Respiratory infections in puppies can be common and resolved easily, but they can also spread to the lungs if not paid attention to. Your dog might not be able to smell the food properly, and that might make them not want to eat it.
Should I be concerned about my 5 month old puppy not eating?
Yes, you should be concerned if your puppy has completely stopped eating for a day or two. However, there could be a variety of reasons for them not wanting to eat, in which case you may not need to be concerned.
Not eating or drinking:
Not eating or drinking can cause dehydration and weakness in your puppy. If they are not drinking despite being dehydrated, it might be a cause for great concern and they should be taken to a vet.
Not eating much:
A drop in your puppy’s appetite might not be a matter of concern, but if there are signs that are worrying you, you should immediately take them to the vet and get them checked.
Because this might be a symptom of diseases like a liver problem or kidney failure.
Not eating breakfast:
If your puppy is only skipping breakfast but eating all other meals normally, then it might not be a matter of great concern.
The reason they might not like eating breakfast might be because they don’t like having breakfast, might not have a habit of eating breakfast, irregular routine, or their own preferences.
Not eating and lethargic:
Puppies, especially of 4-5 months shouldn’t go without food for more than a few hours since it’s the period when they’re growing and developing a stable routine.
If they’re not eating and showing weak behaviors, you should keep an eye on them and, if necessary, they should be taken to a vet to get checked.
Not eating and vomiting:
Vomiting, along with disinterest in food, is a sign that shouldn’t be ignored. It can either be because they ate something that they could not digest (which is fairly normal), or because they have stomach worms or infections.
They should be taken to the clinic posthaste.
Not eating kibble:
There isn’t anything to be concerned about if your puppy only shows a distaste for kibble. They might not like the taste of it, in which case you can just change the brand of kibble they’re being given or try homemade alternatives.
Solutions:
As the pups are a great addition to our everyday life so that they demand a great concern to grow up, for that one must know the solutions if the pup has stopped eating. Here we have provided some solutions if your pup is not eating –
Changing their food:
Often, puppies can be fussy with their food and dislike most of the food others might like. In those cases, we might have to change the type or brand of food we are feeding them.
Another alternative to this is to give them homemade food that meets all their nutritional needs and choices. Other than the mentioned options, we can consult our vet and they can give us a guide towards our puppy’s nutritional demands.
Keeping an eye on them:
The reasons for a puppy’s losing appetite can be many, and not all of them are of great concern. To be sure whether to take our puppy to the vet or not, we need to keep an eye on their behavior patterns, routines, interests, and so on.
Not eating can be due to stress or anxiety. It might be a house shift, loud noises, separation anxiety, or hot weather. Our other pets might be bothering the puppy, or there might be too many people in the house.
All of these reasons are easy to solve, even though they might be long-term.
Other than that, puppies might show signs of weakness or lethargy, in which case we might need to pay more attention to their behavior because those symptoms might lead to life-threatening diseases.
Create Habits:
A lot of the time, your puppy might be showing irregularity in their meal intake. This happens due to an irregular routine or lack of proper habits—which itself can cause your puppy stress.
To avoid that, we need to get them used to certain timetables and habits. They should be potty trained, taken on walks, played with, and given treats when necessary.
If the puppy doesn’t like breakfast, we have to create a routine so that they get enough nutrition without having breakfast, instead of forcing a certain behavior on them. The tip is to try new things and keep a record of whether they like them or dislike them.
Seek Medical Attention:
When your puppy is acting completely normal without eating, it might not be a cause for concern.
However, if they start showing signs of tiredness, start vomiting or stop eating or drinking completely, it’s necessary to take them to the vet.
Often, stomach worms, infections, and common colds might be easily resolved, but ignoring them might cause your puppy’s life to be in danger.
How long can 5 month puppy go without eating?
A 5-month-old puppy can go without food for almost 12 hours.
But it is necessary to provide food to your puppy every few hours because it’s the period when they are growing a lot, and if they are not provided an adequate amount of food or there are long intervals in the middle, there might be distressing results.
It is highly discouraged to let your puppy go without food for longer than 12 hours.
Final Thoughts:
The reasons for a 5-month-old puppy to stop eating can be either a matter of grave concern or something as simple as he is not liking the food. The key is to pay attention to your puppy’s behavior because that will always let you know if they need immediate medical attention.