Feed your puppy in a crate – if she doesn’t eat, the food gets taken up. Repeat every few hours until the dog learns food gets eaten as soon as its put down. Sometimes, though, appetite will pick up by itself on a different diet. You should probably consider doing this for all the dogs, because free feeding is a /very/ bad idea.
We are not aiming to bring down protein too much but the vet argued that she would like to see it more around 20-30 than over 30. I know this is controversial but she is an experienced vet who sees a lot of small breeds
I don’t think it’s controversial at all. In fact, the opposite is true. It’s a known fact that the phosphorous levels in high animal protein feeds have an effect on kidney function, and dog food companies need to start taking responsibility for what they peddle. Your Vet is speaking from the POV of a medical professional who understands the consequences of using foods that have astronomical mineral levels so that certain brands can better cater to a profitable marketing niche.
As far as feeding recommendations go, I’d say get the protein levels around 19-21%. You might want to consider a prescription food, but if that’s not possible, there are plenty of commercially available brands that will fit the bill and still be nutritious enough for a puppy.
