Help....the puppies won't eat..... O.k....the puppies are 41/2 weeks old...Mom doesn't like to nurse them and her milk is just about gone.....and the pups REFUSE to eat puppy food....I have tried several different kinds of canned puppy food....hard food soaked in water and formula...(their teeth are just starting to poke through)...baby food....and they won't have anything to do with it....Lizzy...our little one will eat anything and everything...but its the two bigger ones that are being little stubborn ones....i know they are hungry but just want mom...I also have tried water but nope they don't want that.....I don't know what to do...their urine is starting to smell and is pretty yellow so I'm afraid they are starting to get dehydrated.....what should I do??? |
Hi lilfoot, I'm not familiar with puppies that young, but I know that when my Charlie was a puppy (maybe around 3 months old) there was about 2 days when he wasn't eating anything. My Vet said to use a little bit of vegetable or chicken stock in with the food, and to just use less water. The stock adds flavor. I remember I added vegetable stock to Charlie's food and he loved it so much he ate the entire bowl of food in no time! Obviously, you stop adding it once the pup starts eating on their own, as the sodium level in the stock is too high for them to have regularly. Hope this helps. |
thank you for the reply...I have thought about adding the stock but was worried about the sodium level..even the reduced sodium..because of them being so young.... |
Just maily bumping your thread so hopefully a breeder will respond too. I remember trying to feed my pups around that age food but they wouldn't eat it either. You may have to replace moms milk by bottle feeding the pups. They are still very young and will not take long for them to go down hill if they aren't getting any food or milk. Hope someone else responds SOON!!! |
Oh my, Have you tried puppy milk, they sell it at Petsmart. Also, instead of can broth, you can cook chicken in water, and add the broth to their food, that way there is no sodium. Hang in there, and please keep us posted. Sending hugs! (((((((lilfoot))))))) :lovewings :lovewings :lovewings :lovewings |
this is just so frustrating because they don't have their teeth yet....My daughter gave them a piece of Zoes dog food and they did try to eat it but I had to take it away because with no teeth I thought they might choke....so once they get their teeth i think they will eat the hard food but I'm stuck right now....but they definitely don't like the dry food soaked!! Their teeth are starting to come through but just barely... |
Poor little babies...I'll bet they are starving :( Keep bumping your own thread if you have to! Where are the experts???? This is an emergency! You are probably going to have to bottle feed them! BUMP!!! |
Give them Nutri-Cal every day a few times a day.... If they really aren't eating anything... use a syringe filled with either baby food or yogurt.... 4 1/2 weeks is still kind of young to be fully weaned from mom.... You can get water in them with the syringe also. Good luck and keep us posted. |
Try mixing the dry food with goat's milk and syringe pediatyte to keep them hydrated. You can syringe feed a mixture of baby rice cereal, pedialyte and corn syrup (should be runny enough to pull up the syringe easily) to keep their blood sugar levels up if they are not eating at all. They need to eat about every two hours at this point. I hope they start eating on their own soon. |
Thank you everyone for your concern.....I don't have any nutri cal but am planning on running to the store today.....I have been giving them some Karo syrup when I think they need it... |
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OOOPS, meant to say that they ARE NOT mad at you, they are frustrated. Sorry! |
In the syringe I did put pup milk replacer in it...I have tried the bottle but the syringe is faster (since they are not cooperating) |
Goat's milk works wonders. |
where do I get Goats milk??? I will try anything at this point!! |
Any regular grocery store. |
They have goats milk at petco and petsmart too. |
"bump" |
I am gonna bump you again. Hopefully a breeder sees this. |
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In the canned milk section of your grocery store (unless like you have a goat LOL). Try to get them to take from a bottle ( you may have to squeeze the bottle a little at first). Use a puppy bottle and not a reg baby bottle. A bottle is better if you can get them to suck as then you don't run the risk of having them get it in their lungs as they are apt to do when you force it with a syringe. BUT DO IT QUICK--DO NOT DELAY TILL THEY ARE TOO WEAK TO SUCK!! Time can be critical here so get some fluid in them asap. Hope this helps and good luck and bless those babies. |
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I gave my 4 week old pom's powder milk sup. from a bottle. And they all took the bottle just fine. I also gave them rice cereal, and chicken and rice baby food. The boys took to it just fine. But the girls took alittle more work. What I did was get some food on my finger and smear some on thier lips,,,,, after a while they were trying to suck it off my finger. Keep giving them water with a syringe,,, you can add a little sugar. Just keep it up and they will eat. They must be hungry, you just have to work with them. Oh and the nutical,,,,,,, keep giving them that for sure. I didn't with my pom's but if I had known I would have. |
I started to give my pups food at 4 weeks. This is what I did. I took their moms puppy food (Dry) and ground it up in the food processor, until fine. I added in the puppy milk I bought from pet smart added it in and warmed it up. added a bit more puppy milk to make it like watery mush and fed them in a very shallow bowl (plate) Let me know if this works. Good luck |
Have you tried giving them the soaked food warm? Sometimes if you kind of smush it up in your hand and hand feed it to them it can help. Also for really hard to feed puppies maybe if you kind of snuggle them in a dry but warm washcloth and hand feed them that way it can work. I know those aren't really much different than what you have been doing but it may comfort them a little. They may be a little big for this but hopefully it may help. Good luck! |
I used a bottle that had a big hole in it (tapestry needle size, or nip and x shape in it) and got them used to really liquid food, then started putting some on their nose over the dish, then keep putting it on their nose, using the bottle in between to make sure they got fed, and they went for it after a few days when MOM wouldn't let them near her. Hope something works - they are so young. |
How are the puppies doing today??? Hang in there! It takes lots of patience and time to feed them but they have to be fed. If it isn't working today I still think you need to speak with your vet. Please let us know how they are doing :) |
i went last night and bought the goats milk and gave it to them and the girl did drink some of it...I gave them 2 choices...alright...actually 4 warm...cold...mixed in with canned food ....over hard food and let that soften....the girl drank some of the milk and did eat one piece of the softened food...but the boy refused... he cried for two hours last night....but I think he is having a really hard time cutting teeth...we have still been putting them on mom and I think they are getting some thing but I don't really think they are getting much...but i will keep trying....I had to work this morning for a couple of hours :omg: and when I got home gave Lizzy her mixture of formula and canned food and when the girls saw Lizzy eating she went over and did take a couple of licks...but the boy had nothing to do with it...even if you put stuff on his lips he won't even lick it off...he just plays with his mouth dirty....stubborn little nimph!!! The Vet isn't worried....they did say they could give them stuff to stimulate appetite but it comes with side effects so I immediately told them No...besides appetite is not an issue...they are hungry...so i will keep watching them and i'm not going to be switching the foods so much....thanks everyone for so many responses and possible solutions.....I really appreciate it.. :bravo: |
Just noticed that you didn't say if you had tried plain water yet. Have you? If the urine is dark yellow it may be water they need. They aren't too young to try that, too. |
Hope the pup milk is working, after they get satisfied and full they will probably take the bottle next time...........good luck and keep those babies fat!!!!!! |
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