Zoe's weird eating, should I change anything?

[mblab]

Hi everyone! I had a quick question/scenario that I wanted to get your feedback on. (I'm going to weigh her at the vets tomorrow and I am going try to sneak in asking this to the vet while there. I don't know if that'll work, and if it doesn't I'll have to wait another week and a half to actually get the vet's opinion on this.)

Little Zoe is not a big eater. The first week we had her we went on a crazy adventure trying to get her to eat. She always ate something, just a very very very small amount. After much stress (on my part) and lots of trying, I finally decided to be more hard headed then her and make her eat the kibble she'd eaten her whole life. Fast forward three weeks and she now eats 2-4 tablespoons of food a day. I'm just thinking she's never been a big eater and when at the breeder the shared bowl of food for her and her sister was just monopolized by her sister. (Lately watering her food a bit has made her more eager to eat it, but it's still a struggle most days.) She plays when she's awake and she makes regularly so clearly her body seems fine with the amount of food she takes in.

Now here's where I'm looking for you guys and your thoughts on this. Generally she'll eat in her xpen, but this is by force not by choice. I usually have to put her in her xpen, where she's confined and has no other option but eat (or play or sleep) in order to get her to actually eat anything. The other day we went on a play date and little Zoe just went gaga!!! over the other yorkie's food. Zoe currently eats Euakanuba Small Breed Puppy kibble (she's eaten that her whole life) and the other Yorkie eats Merrick's Wilderness Blend. I'm not sure why she loved his food so much, if it were the actual taste or simply because it was his food. Either way, the large pieces didn't stop her (nor did the giant step it took for her to get in to the kitchen). I had thought of switching her to a healthier puppy food, but due to her eating habits I thought it best to just wait it out until I switched her to an adult food. (I also fear trying to slowly switch the food and she winds up ONLY eating the new food and refusing to eat her old food, which would be a big problem.)

Should I try to switch her to the Merrick since she seemed to like it (and it is an all life stages food) or just wait until she switches to adult food? Thoughts? Thanks everyone!

[pippinsmommy]

When I first got Pippin he ate the food that the breeder shipped with him. I can't remember what food we switched him too to get him off the breeder food because it wasn't available at my petstore but he ate that good for a couple of months and then he'd pick at his food and wasn't eating so we switched his food again and after a couple months the same thing happened again.

He's been switched to 5 different dog foods and the one he's eating now isn't the greatest for him because he's allergic to the chicken in it but I haven't been able to get him to eat anything else. My advice to you is to try Zoe on new food, mix some in with her current food and if she goes nuts for the new food and will only eat that then thats a good thing at least she's eating a little more. It wouldn't be such a big problem if you get her on new kibble that she likes. You could always ween her off the old stuff and onto new stuff.

[Yorkieluv]

Originally Posted by mblab

the other Yorkie eats Merrick's Wilderness Blend. I'm not sure why she loved his food so much, if it were the actual taste or simply because it was his food.
Should I try to switch her to the Merrick since she seemed to like it (and it is an all life stages food) or just wait until she switches to adult food? Thoughts? Thanks everyone!

The great thing about Merrick foods is the fact that they are all All Life Stages foods meaning that they're appropriate for dogs at all of life's stages from puppy to senior. You don't have to wait until she's an adult with this food. You could transition her *gradually* if you want to go ahead and switch her food.

Also, Merrick foods are much better than Eukanuba, in my opinion.

[mblab]

Originally Posted by Yorkieluv

The great thing about Merrick foods is the fact that they are all All Life Stages foods meaning that they're appropriate for dogs at all of life's stages from puppy to senior. You don't have to wait until she's an adult with this food. You could transition her *gradually* if you want to go ahead and switch her food.

Also, Merrick foods are much better than Eukanuba, in my opinion.

Those were at the top of my list of reasons it'd make sense to transition her!

I just know how crazy she's been with eating. When I first noticed her eating issues I tried adding boiled chicken (she'd eat only the chicken and barely touch the actual kibble), I tried watering her food she didn't like it 3 weeks ago but she likes it sometimes now, I even tried baby food and canned food (separately) and she didn't like those either! So changing her diet makes me a bit worried (seeing as she seems to be a picky eater), especially not knowing how she'll react to the attempt to switch! I'd also hate to buy a big bag of Merrick and she decide she doesn't want to eat it!

[cole5772]

I am having the same problem with my 6.5 month old girl. She seems to only like new food. I switched her from Biljac puppy (dry) to Eukanuba puppy (also dry) to Wellness puppy dry food. I have been adding canned puppy food to the dry and she ate that the first day but then stopped. I tried adding water to all the dry foods and she ate that for about one day also. Now my vet is telling me that any name brand will do and spending alot on it is unnecessary. I want her to have high quality food but if she won't eat it- I don't know what to give her. Should I keep switching her food when she stops eating? Anyone else have this problem?

[dianethomas]

Originally Posted by mblab

Hi everyone! I had a quick question/scenario that I wanted to get your feedback on. (I'm going to weigh her at the vets tomorrow and I am going try to sneak in asking this to the vet while there. I don't know if that'll work, and if it doesn't I'll have to wait another week and a half to actually get the vet's opinion on this.)

Little Zoe is not a big eater. The first week we had her we went on a crazy adventure trying to get her to eat. She always ate something, just a very very very small amount. After much stress (on my part) and lots of trying, I finally decided to be more hard headed then her and make her eat the kibble she'd eaten her whole life. Fast forward three weeks and she now eats 2-4 tablespoons of food a day. I'm just thinking she's never been a big eater and when at the breeder the shared bowl of food for her and her sister was just monopolized by her sister. (Lately watering her food a bit has made her more eager to eat it, but it's still a struggle most days.) She plays when she's awake and she makes regularly so clearly her body seems fine with the amount of food she takes in.

Now here's where I'm looking for you guys and your thoughts on this. Generally she'll eat in her xpen, but this is by force not by choice. I usually have to put her in her xpen, where she's confined and has no other option but eat (or play or sleep) in order to get her to actually eat anything. The other day we went on a play date and little Zoe just went gaga!!! over the other yorkie's food. Zoe currently eats Euakanuba Small Breed Puppy kibble (she's eaten that her whole life) and the other Yorkie eats Merrick's Wilderness Blend. I'm not sure why she loved his food so much, if it were the actual taste or simply because it was his food. Either way, the large pieces didn't stop her (nor did the giant step it took for her to get in to the kitchen). I had thought of switching her to a healthier puppy food, but due to her eating habits I thought it best to just wait it out until I switched her to an adult food. (I also fear trying to slowly switch the food and she winds up ONLY eating the new food and refusing to eat her old food, which would be a big problem.)

Should I try to switch her to the Merrick since she seemed to like it (and it is an all life stages food) or just wait until she switches to adult food? Thoughts? Thanks everyone!

Just make sure you do it over a period of days. The info I have says to switch like this:

Day 1 - 3/4 familiar food, 1/4 new food
Day 2 - 1/2 familiar food, 1/2 new food
Day 3 - 1/4 familiar food, 3/4 new food
Day 4 - all new food

This gives puppy's tummy time to make the adjustment, and she doesn't get sick.

[mblab]

Originally Posted by dianethomas

Just make sure you do it over a period of days. The info I have says to switch like this:

Day 1 - 3/4 familiar food, 1/4 new food
Day 2 - 1/2 familiar food, 1/2 new food
Day 3 - 1/4 familiar food, 3/4 new food
Day 4 - all new food

This gives puppy's tummy time to make the adjustment, and she doesn't get sick.

Oh no I have NO intentions of doing this in a way that will upset her or her little stomach. In fact I'm transitioning her WAY slower than even what you suggested. I'm going by what South East Texas Yorkies - Home suggested, with her puppy care guidelines. Which are:

Day 1 - 3: Fill your dog's bowl with 75% of his old food and 25% of the new formula. Give your puppy 2cc of Nura Cal

Day 4 - 6: Mix the old food and the new premium formula in a 50/50 ratio.

Day 7 – 10: Feed your dog a mixture that's 75% new premium formula and 25% old formula.

Day 11: Feed 100% of the new premium formula.

We're on day 3 right now. So far nothing unusual yet. Our biggest hurdle is that she doesn't like to eat much, so while she's not only eating the new kibble she's certainly not eating a lot of her "old" food. So even though I'm trying to transition her slowly, by proxy (with her eating almost all of the new and at times very little of her old) she's making it a bit quicker. Oh well.

[dianethomas]

Well, that would work, if she would eat the old food, LOL! Just do whatever works, heehee.

[mblab]

She just ate breakfast, with much enthusiasm! I added a tiny bit more of the new kibble than called for, but when you add warm water it makes a gravy. So my thinking is that the gravy will make her old food taste good like the new kibble. Anyway, she ate almost 2.5 of the old and a little less than 1 of the new, that's almost record breaking for her here!

[dianethomas]

Originally Posted by mblab

She just ate breakfast, with much enthusiasm! I added a tiny bit more of the new kibble than called for, but when you add warm water it makes a gravy. So my thinking is that the gravy will make her old food taste good like the new kibble. Anyway, she ate almost 2.5 of the old and a little less than 1 of the new, that's almost record breaking for her here!

Yay for Zoe!

[mblab]

Originally Posted by dianethomas

Yay for Zoe!

I've got to say thank you so very much for caring about little Zoë! It's a struggle for us, but we care because she's our baby!

Anyway, she ate lunch, which is RARE!!!!! Literally, she's eaten lunch maybe twice total. Today's eating might be due to the fact that I locked her in her X-pen for an hour and a half with her food. She made the biggest fuss!!! But the little stinker wound up eating 1/2 of the lunch I gave her! (She must have done it sneakily, and towards the end of her time in the x-pen.) Watch, she won't eat anything tonight.

[dianethomas]

Originally Posted by mblab

I've got to say thank you so very much for caring about little Zoë! It's a struggle for us, but we care because she's our baby!

Anyway, she ate lunch, which is RARE!!!!! Literally, she's eaten lunch maybe twice total. Today's eating might be due to the fact that I locked her in her X-pen for an hour and a half with her food. She made the biggest fuss!!! But the little stinker wound up eating 1/2 of the lunch I gave her! (She must have done it sneakily, and towards the end of her time in the x-pen.) Watch, she won't eat anything tonight.

I SO get her being your baby. You should have seen how hard it was for me to leave Zacchie to be neutered today. You'd think he was my blood child. I'm such a sap.

[mblab]

Originally Posted by dianethomas

I SO get her being your baby. You should have seen how hard it was for me to leave Zacchie to be neutered today. You'd think he was my blood child. I'm such a sap.

I'm petrified of how I'll be when I have to get Zoë spayed! I don't even want to think about it! Thinking good thoughts of Zacchie and his recuperation!

The only possible side effects of switching Zoë's food is that she's been really gassy this afternoon. I mean, INCREDIBLY stinky, holly molly! But then again I've caught a whift of something in the air and realized it was her, so it may just her being her usual self.

[dianethomas]

Originally Posted by mblab

I'm petrified of how I'll be when I have to get Zoë spayed! I don't even want to think about it! Thinking good thoughts of Zacchie and his recuperation!

The only possible side effects of switching Zoë's food is that she's been really gassy this afternoon. I mean, INCREDIBLY stinky, holly molly! But then again I've caught a whift of something in the air and realized it was her, so it may just her being her usual self.

Makes you wonder how something so cute could be so smelly.