Should I remove food and water at bedtime ?

[LilysMomma]

Hi! Welcome to YT! What a wonderful story, you are truly Gizmo's guardian angel! I love that he found you, so sweet! I am new to this online community as well and have found the support, advice, information all to be exceptional. I hope you find it as helpful here as I do! Lots of love to your little Gizmo, may you both share many happy moments together!

[Sunnydayz]

Awe thanks so much Bridgett :-)

He truly has stolen my heart and its like being a mommy all over again lol. I have one daughter and 2 grand daughters, and I know Ava and Amelia are going to fall in love. I have not let the grand babies meet him just yet. I'm still just letting him get cozy here, and he's doing a great job of it haha. My daughter has a baby maltipoo, about 3 months old so it will be really nice for Gizmo to have a friend close by to play with, as they only live a block from us :-) I'm waiting to get all of gizmos shots first though before they meet. I also have another friend right down the street that has a yorkie named Pasha, who I absolutely adore. Pasha was the one to inspire me on a yorkie :-) we own a town home down here right at the beach, so when he gets bigger he is just going to love going for walks at the beach, and we also have a little dog park at the end of our street too :-) I am so happy he has taken to eating his dry food. I was afraid he thought e had me too well trained that he would not eat it lol. He's just so amazing how smart he really is, I think he knows too that I saved him from dying because he just loves me up like crazy xoxo

[theporkieyorkie]

He's very lucky to have found you...and it sounds like he's doing a lot better!!

9 weeks is awfully young. A lot of pups are still at home with their moms at 9 weeks old. A lot of breeders will hold them until a minimum of 12 weeks of age. I would definitely leave food and water out at night. Just like human babies, puppies that young eat more times a day than an older dog does.


Royal Canine makes a mouse that is easy for puppies to ingest. It comes in a white box, and it has 3 cans inside. It's made for puppies and mamma to get optimal nutrition. Petco, Petsmart and a lot of other pet stores carry it...and vets who carry prescription Royal Canine may carry it. I am guessing that the little guy isn't really capable of eating the dry food very well.

[Sunnydayz]

Yea he eats the royal canine but only if its moistened with water. He just started to accept it today lol. It's the yorkie royal canine that he is eating. I'm now just giving him the rx food from the vet as a treat, and then I give him the nutrical and then a little some chicken breast shredded after that a couple times a day.

He's doing amazing :-) he's not so happy about napping though, he doesn't know how sick he was, so I have to give him napping rules lol.

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by Maximo

I believe water should be available to all dogs at all times. It is essential for all vital organs. If a dogs drinks, it's because he needs the water. Better for the kidneys, liver, and urinary track in both pets and humans.

Congratulations on the new addition to your life. Best wishes for Gizmo!

Yes, water should always be available.

Best wishes with your new pup!

[gracielove]

Yes, 9 weeks is very young for a small breed puppy like a Yorkie to be away from it's mom. When I read your original post I had noted you said he was 12 weeks and that was kind of surprising to me since people like that usually get rid of the pups as soon as they can.

Since he is that young you will keep up the close watch on him for a while. Sounds like your doing a great job. How is he doing with the dry food? Will he eat it without can food?

[citygirl123]

Welcome to YorkieTalk. I'm so glad you rescued the little guy. I wish you all the best.

[maggiefromnj]

We made the boiled chicken mistake and we are still paying for it! I now boil up a batch and freeze them.

The trick is to cut it in tiny chunks and then really really really scrunch it into the kibble. The taste gets all over the kibble and it's harder to separate. You have to use your hand and scrunch it together well.

Are you using the royal canine for yorkie? Maggie came home with royal canine for puppies and had no interest in it. I got the one specifically for yorkie, I think it was for yorkie puppies specifically. She liked it much more. The bag claims yorkie are fussy and it is formulated for them. Meanwhile, you are teaching him to expect that chicken, happened to us after Maggie had a digestive problem (coccidiosis?--I forget) and we had her on chicken and rice, then we added back in the dog food, but she wouldn't eat it plain any more.

[Sunnydayz]

I just give him the chicken separately kind of like a treat so he does not associate with his regular food. I am feeding him the yorkie puppy RC, I started today stopping the mixing of the wet prescription food from the vet, to adding just a little warm water to it, and he's doing great eating it now. About 3 times a day I am giving him the nutrical and then just a little really shredded up chicken breast, and time it for like when he goes potty on his pad or something see positive, because he likes the nutrical and I think he thinks its a treat haha.

My husband tonight gave him the RC by itself and after play time he went right in his playpen and started to eat it right up. So it seems he does like it, he just liked the wet food more lol. As soon as I took the wet food out of the equation though, his poops firmed right back up, so it seems that wet food from the vet was the culprit of that runny poo last night :-) that's probably why the vet wanted him off it within seven days, due to the richness of it.

He is doing amazing !!!! He's so playful and lovable, it's hard to tell he was that sick. His gums are a perfect pink now and his energy is boundless. The biggest problem now is getting him to nap :-) not really hehe, he just kind of complains to his self for 2 or 3 minutes, then curls up snuggled in his blankie with his little green stuffed squeaker toy and goes to sleep. He also sleeps perfectly through the night, and he does get up and eat and drink water but goes right back to sleep without a peep, he also goes potty :-) he also has not had one accident off the potty pads, whether out at playtime or in his playpen, he always goes in search of the potty pad, finds it and goes. He is just the most adorable little smarty pants, and I feel so blessed we found him in time xoxo

Thanks again for the great advice, I really love this place and everyone here has been wonderful for this previously stressed out new yorkie mommy :-)

[kjc]

Canned food has more nutrients in it. Putting water on dry kibble is good to be sure he's getting enough water. Sounds like you're doing a great job with him!