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My puppy is 7 months old. She is a very picky eater and is not consistent on how much she eats. Some days she will only take a few bites of food. Some days she will eat 1/2 cup in morning and 1/2 cup for dinner. Some days she’ll eat an entire cup at dinner. Is this okay for her meals to be so irregular? Also when she drinks water she gulps large amounts at a time. Then she coughs and gags after and sometimes colors clear liquid. I am concerned she may have an esophageal blockage or issue.

My puppy is 7 months old. She is a very picky eater and is not consistent on how much she eats. Some days she will only take a few bites of food. Some days she will eat 1/2 cup in morning and 1/2 cup for dinner. Some days she’ll eat an entire cup at dinner. Is this okay for her meals to be so irregular? Also when she drinks water she gulps large amounts at a time. Then she coughs and gags after and sometimes colors clear liquid. I am concerned she may have an esophageal blockage or issue.

Updated On December 16th, 2019

Pet's info: Dog | Dachshund (Miniature Smooth Haired) | Female | spayed | 7 months and 8 days old | 8 lbs

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Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

Veterinarian

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It's ok for Luna to have sporadic eating as long as she maintains a good body condition score and normal growth. Not every dog is a good eater. There can be many reasons for finicky eating: https://www.petcoach.co/article/my-pet-is-a-finicky-eater/ My advice is to pick a high quality food and stick with it. The two brands that seem to be most palatable are Royal Canin and Purina ProPlan. Also, as long as Luna is healthy, its ok if she skips a couple meals. Dogs are smart and they often train humans to give them something else. Have her examined if illness or a medical cause is suspected. Many dogs will choke a little bit if they drink a lot of water quickly. Esophageal partial blockages or pouching could also look like this but it could be hard to diagnose without either x-rays or an endoscopic exam. I recommend to discuss your concerns with your veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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