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Change in Eating Behavior
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Turning down food can be an indicator of illness in a puppy, particularly if it is a new behavior. Veterinarians always stress that a sudden change in eating behavior merits investigation. Puppies should never go more than 24 hours without food or the lack of food can become life threatening.
No Change in Eating Behavior
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A puppy that periodically turns down everything it is offered may be learning picky eating habits. These habits develop when the puppy is routinely given table scraps and treats as inducements to eat. Alternatively, the puppy may be turning down food because it is full or because it does not like its dog food.
Feeding a Puppy
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Getting a puppy to eat comes down to the food and how it is presented. Puppies should be fed the same brand and on the same schedule as before they moved to their new home. Sometimes puppies do not like the food they are being given and may eat a new food instead. Any change in diet needs to be done gradually over a period of 10 days. Heating the puppy food by adding warm water releases the aroma of the food and may encourage the puppy to eat.
Mealtimes
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Puppies eat best when fed on a schedule. They also react to what happens at feeding times. A puppy can sense its owner's stress about its refusal to eat. Minimizing this stress may encourage the puppy to eat. Sometime puppies will eat if the owner holds the dish or feeds from the hand.
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What Can You Feed a Puppy to Get It to Eat When It Turns Down Everything?
A puppy that turns down everything it is offered to eat is likely a puppy in need of veterinary assistance. Puppies are in a stage of rapid growth and development and thus have high nutritional needs. Puppies are unlikely to have developed picky eating habits at such an early stage in life, so refusing to eat is a strong indicator of a health issue. Sometimes it is more about how to feed a puppy to get hit to eat than what to feed it. Feeding the puppy the proper food in the right way may get the puppy to eat.