Gracie won't eat! - YorkieTalk.com Forums

angelbaby's mom · 07-13-2006, 04:15 PM

I know they will lose their appetite the first few weeks, and she is 3 weeks now. But I gave her some puppy food (dry), with a spoonful of cottage cheese, which she normally laps up immediately. She won't touch it. She hasn't eaten much at all in the past 2 days.

I gave her a slice of turkey lunchmeat and she did eat that, but wouldn't eat another one when offered.

I don't know what else to offer her that she will eat, but that will still be good for her & the developing pups. I assume it's important for her to eat, for overall nourishment.

Probably just being paranoid. She will eat when she's hungry, right?

Dragonfly · 07-13-2006, 04:24 PM

I never had this promble but I'm sure she should be eating more. Have you called your vet? Does she drink water, walk good, play. I would call the vet right now. Hope everything goes good for you. My girls always eats good.

jenbermu · 07-13-2006, 04:54 PM

When i got Hershey he did the same thing...So what i started to give him was Gerber Baby Chicken food mix with the kibles...I let the kibles sit for 4min. so they can observe the taste of the Gerber...Well my baby is a very finicky eater so i have to alternate what he eats every week or so...He loves baby food and boild chicken so like one week ill give him the boild chicken and the next week ill give him baby food but in between his meals ill give him cottage cheese with fruit on top or vege's...Anywho you should try baby food Gerber has this thing called (Gerber Chicken sticks) those are really great when Hershey wont eat at all...Good Luck

angelbaby's mom · 07-13-2006, 05:39 PM

No, I didn't call my vet. She is drinking well and sort of playful, but, after all, she is probably pregnant (first "tri-mester", if you will), so I don't expect her to be too playful.

I guess I'll try some rice and maybe some more turkey. I just know my hubby will DIE if he sees me feeding the dog BOILED CHICKEN!!! He makes fun of his mom, who feeds her toy poodle toast & jelly for breakfast and boiled chicken and rice and carrots for dinner. He said the dog eats better than his dad does!! Her poodle is also VERY overweight.

Anyway, I deviated from the subject there.

You veteren breeders - - what do you do about a newly pregnant mama that won't eat?

gidgetsmom · 07-13-2006, 09:24 PM

Gidget did the same thing. Her pups are 41/2 weeks old now. I think they will eat at night and I put alittle karo on my finger in the evening and put it in her mouth and it seemed to stimulate atlittle appetite. I don't know what or if it is in my head lol but I think it helped. It is normal I guess. I had a hard time getting her vitamens in her too.

feminvstr · 07-13-2006, 10:14 PM

If your first breed date was 6/21/2006 here is what you should expect, give or take a couple of days. hope this helps

Tue 11 Jul 2006 -
Tue 18 Jul 2006 Morning sickness might occur due to hormonal changes or stretching and distension of the uterus. Dam may appear a bit apathetic. She may be off her feed for a while and vomit from time to time.
Feeding the dam several meals spaced throughout the day might help.
Your veterinarian may want to prescribe a drug to relax the uterus.

Sun 16 Jul 2006 -
Thu 20 Jul 2006 An experienced person (a breeder or a veterinarian) can tell by careful palpation whether the dam is pregnant.
It's now the best time to do this because the embryos are walnut-sized now and easy to count.

Wed 19 Jul 2006 Start to increase the dams food ration.
Don't overfeed, excessive weight gain should be avoided.
The foetuses are now and are fully developed miniature dogs.

Tue 25 Jul 2006 The Dams abdomen starts to get larger.

Fri 4 Aug 2006 It's very easy now to feel the puppies, counting them might be a bit more difficult.

Mon 7 Aug 2006 -
Tue 15 Aug 2006 Dam begins to spend a lot more time in self-grooming.
Her breasts become even more swollen.
She may become a bit restlessness and begin to search for a suitable place to have her puppies.

Wed 9 Aug 2006 The dam might lose her appetite during this period. Her abdomen can be crowded with puppies.
It is better to feed several smaller meals spaced throughout the day.
You can easily detect abdominal movement now.

Wed 9 Aug 2006 -
Thu 24 Aug 2006 Nipples and vulva should be gently cleaned with warm water, you might want to trim the hairs surrounding the nipples, to allow easier access for the puppies to suck.

Sat 19 Aug 2006 -
Tue 22 Aug 2006 Milky fluid may be expressed from the nipples.

Sun 20 Aug 2006 You might want to start taking the dams rectal temperature each morning and evening.

Wed 23 Aug 2006 Twelve to 24 hours before she is due to deliver, the dams rectal temperature may drop from 101 to 98 degrees.
Clear discharge from the vulva might occur.

Thu 24 Aug 2006 Expected date of whelp. Of course this is just an average. Whelping may take place from the 59th to the 65th day. Puppies born before the 58th day will probably be too young to survive.

angelbaby's mom · 07-14-2006, 05:51 AM

Thank you, Kimberly. I pretty much leave her food out all day, but she won't touch it, so feeding several small meals a day doesn't really apply with Gracie. I did make some rice cereal last night & mixed it with some of her food, and she ate about 1/4 cup of it.

Again, thank you. I will print this off & keep it handy for the next 6 weeks.

Sugar's Mom · 07-14-2006, 09:10 AM

Silk was bred on June 24th the first time. She is still eating well. In fact a little too well. She is as playful as ever but she has vomited whitish phelgm two or three times. I think that was yesterday. The only sign I am seeing right now is that her nipple tips have turned pink and they look a tiny bit fuller around the bottom of them.

ButterflyYorkie · 07-14-2006, 02:03 PM

A small dapple of Nutri Stat may help a finicky eater at times. I'm not talking about Nutri Cal. I use Nutri Stat from time to time in situations such as yours and believe me, I've had them. I once had to go through 3 different puppy foods for a mommy who was expecting until I found one she would finally eat. You're really not going to find your answers for different un-expected things at times in text books. Each expecting mother is different and it's alot of trial and error. If her appetite doesn't improve, consult with your vet. Best wishes,

angelbaby's mom · 07-14-2006, 02:07 PM

I did see my vet today. She suggested that I get a can of Pedigree puppy food and mix a teaspoon of it with a dab of water, to get a gravy, and then pour this over Gracie's regular dry food (Science Diet). I did this, and she gobbled it up!

Whew! I feel better!

Only problem is - - Angel Baby now thinks SHE needs this special treatment, too. You should have seen her face when I didn't mix anything into her bowl with her dry food. You would have thought I had disowned her!

ButterflyYorkie · 07-14-2006, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by angelbaby's mom

I did see my vet today. She suggested that I get a can of Pedigree puppy food and mix a teaspoon of it with a dab of water, to get a gravy, and then pour this over Gracie's regular dry food (Science Diet). I did this, and she gobbled it up!

Whew! I feel better!

Only problem is - - Angel Baby now thinks SHE needs this special treatment, too. You should have seen her face when I didn't mix anything into her bowl with her dry food. You would have thought I had disowned her!

That's great that she ate it. I too have resorted to can pedigree puppy when needed. I actually keep a can or two in the cabinet just in case. Haven't used it in a while, but is good to have "something" on hand if needed. Good luck!

Lacy's Mom · 07-15-2006, 02:08 PM

Glad she's eating again, but not uncommon at this stage. I only feed dry normally, but if one in the house is pregnant they get puppy formula dry, chicken, rice, cottage cheese, yogurt, boiled eggs, canned puppy. White meat chicken, no skin, no fat is best and the lowest in fat, dark meat chicken and turkey have too much fat. I can't seem to say no to the ones that aren't pregnant so everybody gets the special treatment (and everybody gains weight too). It's probably best if I can sneak the pregnant dog in a separate room and feed her separately, especially when feeding 4 or 5 small meals a day.

07-13-2006, 04:15 PM	#1
angelbaby's mom YT Addict Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: OK, but Texas soon! Posts: 326	Gracie won't eat! I know they will lose their appetite the first few weeks, and she is 3 weeks now. But I gave her some puppy food (dry), with a spoonful of cottage cheese, which she normally laps up immediately. She won't touch it. She hasn't eaten much at all in the past 2 days. I gave her a slice of turkey lunchmeat and she did eat that, but wouldn't eat another one when offered. I don't know what else to offer her that she will eat, but that will still be good for her & the developing pups. I assume it's important for her to eat, for overall nourishment. Probably just being paranoid. She will eat when she's hungry, right?

07-13-2006, 04:54 PM	#3
jenbermu Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2006 Location: california Posts: 482	When i got Hershey he did the same thing...So what i started to give him was Gerber Baby Chicken food mix with the kibles...I let the kibles sit for 4min. so they can observe the taste of the Gerber...Well my baby is a very finicky eater so i have to alternate what he eats every week or so...He loves baby food and boild chicken so like one week ill give him the boild chicken and the next week ill give him baby food but in between his meals ill give him cottage cheese with fruit on top or vege's...Anywho you should try baby food Gerber has this thing called (Gerber Chicken sticks) those are really great when Hershey wont eat at all...Good Luck __________________ Im Jenn , Hershey's and Kisses Mommy .. R.I.P My little Angels Mommy and I will FOREVER Miss you so much.We would have love to see you grow but someone else upthere needed you both more...

07-13-2006, 09:24 PM	#5
gidgetsmom YT Addict Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: ohio Posts: 263	Gidget did the same thing Gidget did the same thing. Her pups are 41/2 weeks old now. I think they will eat at night and I put alittle karo on my finger in the evening and put it in her mouth and it seemed to stimulate atlittle appetite. I don't know what or if it is in my head lol but I think it helped. It is normal I guess. I had a hard time getting her vitamens in her too.

07-13-2006, 10:14 PM	#6
feminvstr Donating YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Portland Oregon Posts: 4,398	If your first breed date was 6/21/2006 here is what you should expect, give or take a couple of days. hope this helps Tue 11 Jul 2006 - Tue 18 Jul 2006 Morning sickness might occur due to hormonal changes or stretching and distension of the uterus. Dam may appear a bit apathetic. She may be off her feed for a while and vomit from time to time. Feeding the dam several meals spaced throughout the day might help. Your veterinarian may want to prescribe a drug to relax the uterus. Sun 16 Jul 2006 - Thu 20 Jul 2006 An experienced person (a breeder or a veterinarian) can tell by careful palpation whether the dam is pregnant. It's now the best time to do this because the embryos are walnut-sized now and easy to count. Wed 19 Jul 2006 Start to increase the dams food ration. Don't overfeed, excessive weight gain should be avoided. The foetuses are now and are fully developed miniature dogs. Tue 25 Jul 2006 The Dams abdomen starts to get larger. Fri 4 Aug 2006 It's very easy now to feel the puppies, counting them might be a bit more difficult. Mon 7 Aug 2006 - Tue 15 Aug 2006 Dam begins to spend a lot more time in self-grooming. Her breasts become even more swollen. She may become a bit restlessness and begin to search for a suitable place to have her puppies. Wed 9 Aug 2006 The dam might lose her appetite during this period. Her abdomen can be crowded with puppies. It is better to feed several smaller meals spaced throughout the day. You can easily detect abdominal movement now. Wed 9 Aug 2006 - Thu 24 Aug 2006 Nipples and vulva should be gently cleaned with warm water, you might want to trim the hairs surrounding the nipples, to allow easier access for the puppies to suck. Sat 19 Aug 2006 - Tue 22 Aug 2006 Milky fluid may be expressed from the nipples. Sun 20 Aug 2006 You might want to start taking the dams rectal temperature each morning and evening. Wed 23 Aug 2006 Twelve to 24 hours before she is due to deliver, the dams rectal temperature may drop from 101 to 98 degrees. Clear discharge from the vulva might occur. Thu 24 Aug 2006 Expected date of whelp. Of course this is just an average. Whelping may take place from the 59th to the 65th day. Puppies born before the 58th day will probably be too young to survive. __________________ Kimberly

07-13-2006, 04:24 PM	#2
Dragonfly My Sun Shine's bright Donating Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Georiga Posts: 2,353	I never had this promble but I'm sure she should be eating more. Have you called your vet? Does she drink water, walk good, play. I would call the vet right now. Hope everything goes good for you. My girls always eats good.

07-13-2006, 05:39 PM	#4
angelbaby's mom YT Addict Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: OK, but Texas soon! Posts: 326	No, I didn't call my vet. She is drinking well and sort of playful, but, after all, she is probably pregnant (first "tri-mester", if you will), so I don't expect her to be too playful. I guess I'll try some rice and maybe some more turkey. I just know my hubby will DIE if he sees me feeding the dog BOILED CHICKEN!!! He makes fun of his mom, who feeds her toy poodle toast & jelly for breakfast and boiled chicken and rice and carrots for dinner. He said the dog eats better than his dad does!! Her poodle is also VERY overweight. Anyway, I deviated from the subject there. You veteren breeders - - what do you do about a newly pregnant mama that won't eat?

07-14-2006, 05:51 AM	#7
angelbaby's mom YT Addict Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: OK, but Texas soon! Posts: 326	Thank you, Kimberly. I pretty much leave her food out all day, but she won't touch it, so feeding several small meals a day doesn't really apply with Gracie. I did make some rice cereal last night & mixed it with some of her food, and she ate about 1/4 cup of it. Again, thank you. I will print this off & keep it handy for the next 6 weeks.

07-14-2006, 09:10 AM	#8
Sugar's Mom Donating YT 7000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Kentucky Posts: 7,477	Silk was bred on June 24th the first time. She is still eating well. In fact a little too well. She is as playful as ever but she has vomited whitish phelgm two or three times. I think that was yesterday. The only sign I am seeing right now is that her nipple tips have turned pink and they look a tiny bit fuller around the bottom of them.

07-14-2006, 02:03 PM	#9
ButterflyYorkie YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: NC Posts: 742	A small dapple of Nutri Stat may help a finicky eater at times. I'm not talking about Nutri Cal. I use Nutri Stat from time to time in situations such as yours and believe me, I've had them. I once had to go through 3 different puppy foods for a mommy who was expecting until I found one she would finally eat. You're really not going to find your answers for different un-expected things at times in text books. Each expecting mother is different and it's alot of trial and error. If her appetite doesn't improve, consult with your vet. Best wishes,

07-14-2006, 02:07 PM	#10
angelbaby's mom YT Addict Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: OK, but Texas soon! Posts: 326	I did see my vet today. She suggested that I get a can of Pedigree puppy food and mix a teaspoon of it with a dab of water, to get a gravy, and then pour this over Gracie's regular dry food (Science Diet). I did this, and she gobbled it up! Whew! I feel better! Only problem is - - Angel Baby now thinks SHE needs this special treatment, too. You should have seen her face when I didn't mix anything into her bowl with her dry food. You would have thought I had disowned her!

07-15-2006, 02:08 PM	#12
Lacy's Mom YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: El Paso, Texas Posts: 2,931	Glad she's eating again, but not uncommon at this stage. I only feed dry normally, but if one in the house is pregnant they get puppy formula dry, chicken, rice, cottage cheese, yogurt, boiled eggs, canned puppy. White meat chicken, no skin, no fat is best and the lowest in fat, dark meat chicken and turkey have too much fat. I can't seem to say no to the ones that aren't pregnant so everybody gets the special treatment (and everybody gains weight too). It's probably best if I can sneak the pregnant dog in a separate room and feed her separately, especially when feeding 4 or 5 small meals a day.