Newbie concerned about Yorkie
 

Hi all,

I'm hoping to get some sagely advice. I recently purchased a Yorkie for my wife. We have had Minnie for about 1 month now. She has regularly eaten Eukanuba Yorkie kibble. Right now, she's about 6 months old, but the breeder I purchased her from had been feeding her the adult formula. She usually would eat I guess about 1/2 cup a day? I'm not exactly sure. We just kept her food dish full for her.

Yesterday, I noticed that she didn't seem to eat at all. I know she drank some water, but I'm almost positive she didn't eat. She moved her bowels in the morning and then one more time throughout the day. Unless she snuck off and left a present somewhere else in the house, I don't believe she's gone since. I know I took her out for a walk three times last night. She only urinated.

This morning when I took her out, she didn't do either. Usually I'm the one who takes the puppy out in the morning. As long as I've been taking her out, she's always done both in fairly short order in the morning. This morning, nothing. She has urinated twice in the house since about 8am this morning. She's also had some water, but no food. She seems to be sleeping and just laying around, too. Now, that's not too unusual for her. Whenever we are around, she seems to like to curl up in somebody's lap and go to sleep.

We've never had a Yorkie before and I'd be beside myself with grief if something happened to Minnie. My wife and son adore her and she's actually adopted me to be her human - even though this puppy was a present for my wife! Go figure! So, should I be concerned? Well, obviously, I'm concerned or else I wouldn't be typing a thread on the forum. But, am I jumping at shadows? What could possibly be wrong? ANY advice or info would be greatly appreciated. In case this helps, we have a 10 year old son who we've been instructing to pick up his little toys, legos, etc. off the floor so the puppy doesn't chew on them. He's been pretty good about keeping his stuff up off of the living room floor. He's also kept his door to his room closed. She has found little bits of this and that to chew. Things like hair pins (I don't know where she gets them), bits of tape, etc. Usually I can tell when she's got something she shouldn't have because she runs and usually drops the "evidence" of her crime behind.

I'm just hoping that she will want to eat soon because that really concerns me.

Thanks in advance for all the advice.

Yorkies can get real finicky with food, one day eating and the next day not so that may be why she hasnt ate. I dont think its been long enough to be a concern yet. You could try fixing some boiled chicken and rice and see if she will eat that. It also could be that she is constipated. You could give her some canned pumpkin and that will get things moving along

First, welcome to YorkieTalk. :)

Has she eaten yet today?
Have you tried forcing it?
Are her gums pink?

Since Minnie is so young and this is very unusal for her and it has been more than 24 hours, she probably needs to see a vet.

Since she didn't yesterday, no pooping wouldn't be a huge concern quite yet but she should be interested in food by now. Have you tried canned?

Her gums look pink, so no worries there. She weighs about 4.5 pounds and she has been playful earlier this morning. She was acting, for all intents and purposes, normal yesterday. She likes to play bite and flop over on her back and let us rub her tummy, etc. She has already done her little happy dance that she does for me when I take her out of her cage today. However, she's just napping pretty much non-stop now from 8:00am til now. As I'm writing this, she's curled up under my chair.

She has eaten a Beneful snack today. I wanted her to at least have something in her tummy and I tried offering her a "treat". She responded when I opened the bag and came in to get the treat. She then took it back to her little bed and ate almost all of it. I've seen her drinking from her bowl twice already.

When she did move her bowels yesterday, it was normal. It was formed and not runny. Nothing out of the ordinary.

I think I'll try some different kibble. We were sent a different brand of kibble by another breeder. Minnie doesn't know this, but we're buying her a sister so she won't be lonely when my wife and I are at work and our son is at school. We hate having to close her up in a large bathroom, but we keep her food and water in there. She has plenty of room to move about. We can get her piddle pads down on the tile and it's better than caging her (which would be extremely sad and cruel). Anyhow, the breeder we will be buying the next puppy from sent us a bag of Flint River in advance. Maybe that will spark Minnie's interest. As of yet, we haven't fed her any people food because we didn't want to spoil her.

Baxter is funny with his eating. Sometimes he will eat very little one day and then eat a lot the next day. Sometimes I hold the food in my hand to get him to eat it. And he will eat anything I put in his kong. I don't know why it tastes better out of the kong than out of the bowl but it must!

No, I haven't tried forcing it. I did put some of the kibble in my hand and offered it to her that way, but no dice.

When is the new pup coming?
If she doesn't even want to eat all of the treat that you gave her, there may be something wrong. Is she up to dates on vaccines?

Yes, she's up to date on her vaccines. The new pup won't be here for another month.

She did show some interest when I changed her food in her dish. She ate maybe three pieces of the Flint River kibble and was just playing with me on the floor. When you say her name in a really high pitched voice, she likes to flop over onto her back and expose her tummy. She did this a minute ago and when I was rubbing her tummy, she began play biting at my fingers. This is very normal behavior for her.

Hopefully she just isn't interested in her old food. I made a half and half mix of the old kibble and the new.

She went and ate a small bit from the bowl and also drank some more water.

Hopefully all is well and I'm just being an over-anxious parent.

My Suzi loves belly rubs too! I would try to give her a canned puppy food and see if she will eat it. She is a little one, so it is very important that she is eating regulary. You seem like a very caring human parent to her and watchful. Your little puppy is acting normal but, just is not eating right , I would continue to try other foods that she may like. If this is not working then please take her to a vet. :aimeeyork

Thanks. The funny thing is that I didn't really want a Yorkie. I'm a German Shepherd kinda guy. I really just bought this puppy because my wife has always wanted one. The irony of the whole situation is that the puppy loves me best of all. In the beginning, she wouldn't allow herself to be apart from me if I was home. Now, she's warmed up alot to my wife (thank goodness) and son, but you can tell that I'm still "her human". I love this little gal and it would kill me to see anything happen to her. I've been vigilant to make sure she doesn't have access to anything that can hurt her. I've read up on all the dangerous foods, snacks, etc. She's so little that she looks to all of us to keep her safe. It's odd, but it's just like having a toddler in the house again. Instead of baby-proofing the rooms, we've puppy-proofed them.

But I digress . . . if she still isn't eating properly, I think a trip to the vet is in order. If for no other reason, it'll make me feel better! I also emailed the breeder I purchased her from, so I'll be armed with all the best advice I can get. The scary thing about puppies and dogs is that they can't speak and tell us what's the matter. We have to be watchful and alert. Up until yesterday, Minnie has been a total creature of habit. All of those habits seem to be in effect today, except she just hasn't eaten much. At least she's eaten a little.

So, I'll just keep and eye on her. Give her lots o' love and then get her to the vet if nothing improves.

Any danger signs or red flags to keep my eyes peeled for?

You've gotten some good advice, but I just wanted to say that I hope all is well with Minnie. I know Lexi has some "off" days, where she'll do more sleeping and seem to have less energy than usual. But then the next day, she is back to "normal". I think that normal is having different days, just like people. But your Minnie is too new to know exactly what normal is!

Welcome to YT and the world of Yorkies! :welcome4:

:yorkiesar

I have also heard that it is very typical that a female yorkie puppy will bond with the man of the house first. And the same is true for a male yorkie puppy to bond first with the female of the house.
My Suzi just has my son and I , howeverm when my brother comes over she can't get enough of him! You are doing all the right things for your little puppy! I hope Minnie is ok and will soon start eating well. :aimeeyork

When Abbey decides not to eat her dry food, I add a little water and warm it in the microwave. I don't know why but it works every time!

Hi! Welcome to YT!! It doesn't surprise me one little bit that this little girl has you wrapped around her little paw. It is one of the best things they do, make their humans to fall totally, madly in love with them.

Two things come to mind when I read your post. First, at 6 months of age, she is very likely teething. Gracie Ruth had a lot of trouble eating her kibble when she was teething. I didn't want to change the texture by adding water or change to can food because sometimes is can be difficult to get them back to plain kibble. So I put some in a sandwich bag and cracked it with a hammer. G was able to eat the cracked kibble and once she was done teething continued on with it whole again with no issues.

The second thing is that you may actually want to look into getting a boy instead of a second girl. Sometimes there are problems when both dogs are of the same sex. Also, many people say that boys are more cuddly then girls. I can only say what I've seen with the 4 we've had. Annie was absolutely a momma's girl, although she loved her daddy, I was the one she sought out. But I had Annie before DH came into the picture and I think that has a lot to do with it. Boo & Yogi are both very cuddly, Gracie has grown into it. There was never an issue between Boo and Gracie, however, Boo does seem to have more trouble tolerating Yogi.

Of course each dog is different and many have same sexes that get along just great, and have girls that are just as cuddly as the boys. I'm just offering what I've seen with ours.

Good Luck and please let us know what happens with Minnie and how it goes with your addition. :)

Hi and WELCOME to YorkieTalk!

I love hearing how a Yorkie completely wins the heart of a guy who was not that in to small dogs. It has happened in our home to, my two furry girls have their skin dad wrapped around their little paws.

Sorry you're having some eating problems, and glad you are watching her closely. I am by no means an expert, but have gotten excellent advice and knowledge from other members on YT. I don't think backing off food for one day is a crisis, as long as she is still drinking water. Mine have had days when they don't eat as much, maybe associated with teething, or upset tummy when dad spoiled them with a bite of fatty people food, or can happen when they are coming in heat, or when they become bored with a particular brand of kibble. Continue to watch her for any additional symptoms, and if she absolutely refuses any food for another day, see the vet.

You might offer her something like a little boiled chicken, cottage cheese, or some scrambled egg. If you think she is constipated, give her a little canned pumpkin (plain, no spices); this is also good for diarrhea and other gastro problems.

Don't change dog foods abruptly. If you are changing kibble, do it very gradually, mixing new with the old slowly increasing over 2-3 weeks to avoid digestive problems. There is a sticky note about dog food reviews in the Health and Diet section, you might look into that if you are looking for a better quality food. My first pup came home on Eukanuba too, and I soon found out it wasn't the best.

Good luck and keep up posted.

First, I'd like to thank everybody for the WARM welcome and the good advice. So, again, thanks!

I put a tiny tiny tiny bit of chicken broth and two small pieces of boiled chicken in her food dish. She just ate half of her dish of food. Perhaps due to switching half of her kibble in her dish to Flint River (it's supposed to be a good brand), that may account for. . . um. . . how shall I say this? Her stinky gas! She's been laying on the bed beside me as I'm reading through the posts and the forum and she's just been passing one right after the other. I'm gagging over here!!!!

I never thought about the teething, but I really like the idea of breaking up her dog food in a baggie for her so that she can eat it better. Since she's at least six months (maybe six and a half), it is highly likely that she is teething. Her behavior has been normal, though. Still playful. She still does her little dance on her hind paws when I call her name. She's definitely not acting puny or sickly.

I'm just relieved she ate half a bowl of food. I just hope I didn't spoil her irreparably now that I've given her a tiny bit of broth and chicken!!!

GAG! Do they make Beano for Yorkies!!!??? :eek:

I fret over mine as well ...
anytime they sneeze or cough I'm thinking about calling the Vet
But I'd watch her
Not eating can be from a lot of things
and Yorkies are VERY finicky
The sleeping? My Puppies sleep away most of the day
If she is playing with you ... and running around I think she's ok
I'd continue to watch her
lol .. as far as her gravitating to you
They go to the one with the strongest spirit
They are VERY good at that :) j

Well, at least she IS eating. The gas can be from dietary changes especially the added protein of the chicken, or just her system getting ready for poo since she hasn't in over a day. Amazing how these adorable little furbabies can stink up a whole room with a fluffy (has been discussed on this forum many times).

There will be a lot more focus on dietary recommendations in the Health and Diet section (there are so many posts in the General section that they seem to get lost.)

Spoiling.... well, my Yorkie, Morkie and Schnauzer get a few tablespoons of chicken & brown rice sprinkled over their kibble every day, and sometimes a little cottage cheese, or eggs. It's not spoiling, it home-cooking for dogs, and is in keeping with my "liver challenged" Yorkie's needs for special diet. Since small dogs eat so little, it is desirable to give them the best possible food.

That's exciting that you are getting her a little sister. We did the same thing here, got a Yorkie, and fell so in love with her decided to get another when she was about 5 months old, though ended up with a Morkie girl. The 2 girls have so much fun with each other, it is awesome. They have had a few little jealousy spats, fighting over one particular toy, or over who gets to sleep on my pillow, but it is rare. I was advised that it would be better when they are both spayed, (they are 10 & 7 mo. now) but I'm waiting a while for that, and no problems. If you want lots of advice on adding a second pup, start a new post about it and you'll get lots of suggestions to make it all go smoothly.

Welcome. irunnoft...did you get that from "Brother where art thou"? We love that movie!:D

DING! DING! A winner! You win! You should feel very proud of yourself because so few people ever get that. One person actually thought that perhaps I was trying to say "I run no ft" or "I run no feet". I still get a chuckle out of that. :) A great movie. . . in fact, I think I'm going to put a certain Yorkie on my lap and watch that tonight. Provided the power stays on! It's getting cold in these mountains!

i have nothing else to add as far as advice goes (since you got such great ideas already) but i wanted to welcome you and minnie to YT :D

miss buffey is quite the finicky eater too and used to go through periods of "protest" because she knew her momma would give in :rolleyes: ... i finally found a good food she will gobble up everytime and she has been good ever since...my other kids would eat monkey snot or anything else on the floor-they are not picky! :p

Welcome to YorkieTalk!!

I feed mine raw so I never have to worry about an off day, but when I fed kibble I always added a bit of fat-free plain yogurt or cottage cheese 2x a day to a little bit of kibble. For some reason that's just enough yummy-ness to get them to eat :p

Watch her tonight for vomitting and/or diarhea. She may get a little tummy upset from the switch in food so just watch for that. Good luck and we would love to see pictures!

I never thought I'd be so happy for the puppy to do her "business," but my wife just walked her and she did both! Yeah! Touchdown! I'm going to Disney World! Yippeeee!!!

I had that problem with Mia. I called the vet and this is what he advised.
First he told me this is only and only for when the dog wont eat.

He told me to buy gerber 2nd stage babyfood. Only the meat flavor ones.
This is only so they can get something in their stomach and open their appetite. Also you should only give her about two or three teaspoons.
Also Nutri-cal. The Nutrical has something that makes them eat. Usually they only need it when the're very very young but the vet told me to keep a tube around for those days Mia wont eat.

I changed her food thinking that would solve the problem but it didnt she still sometimes goes days when she wont want to eat. What I do is. (instructed by vet) when I take her for a walk I hand feed her her kibble.
The vet said that is the easiest way to force feed them. They are so eager to walk that if they see you wont let them walk until they take kibble from your and eat it. I just tell Mia. "take it" until she does.

Hope this helps.

Good Luck.

Welcome to YT!!:) Hope all is well with your baby!!

HA HA!! I got it too! My husband, and I looove that movie. He knows it word for word:rolleyes:

The other parent...
 

Hi all,

I'm Minnie's other parent... I appreciate all the advice about our little Minnie. As both a mom and a nurse, I panic far less than my dear hubby, lol. The wait and see approach works 9 times out of 10--as was the case here. She just wolfed down (pardon the pun!) her bowl of food, which I had my hubby smash up with a rolling pin. Minnie has not lost her appetite at all--just got bored, I think! Thanks so much to all!!!!

Quick update --

It seems that, as several of you suggested, she is teething. I took her kibble and placed it in a ziplock baggie. Then I smashed it with a rolling pin (typical alpha male that I am ;)). I put that in her food dish and then sat down with her by her bowl. She came in just to see me :) and then sniffed her food dish. I encouraged her by saying "good girl" and then she started eating. Once she realized that it wasn't painful, she wolfed that food down! I was so happy I almost cried (NOT typical alpha male behavior :p). So a BIG thanks to all who offered suggestions (especially about smashing her dried kibble) and that teething might be the cause of the problem. I'll certainly be better prepared when we bring "Lollipop," her new baby sister home in a few weeks.

Good grief. . . I'm going to be knee-deep in the Yorkies! But, they are just sooo cute!

My wife says it's the best present I ever got her.

Welcome to YT. You might try giving her some nutrical, as sometimes this starts them eating again. If it continues I'd take her to the vet.

Well. . . if it isn't the better half! And I do mean BETTER! Yeah, laugh it up honey! I was freaked out about the puppy. I've been the one complaining about all the "accidents" in the house and now God put me in a position where I was happy to clean them up today! :) I guess I should be careful what I wish for! Glad my wife joined the forum. Guess you all will be getting my side of the Yorkie stories as well as the truth! :eek:

Aww I feel left out. I'm going to look for that movie right now.