Peanut's Additude Adjustment
 

Peanut has always been a very picky eater. I have to take most if not all of the blame for this I'm afraid. He would vomit up bile if his tummy was empty, so I tried so many things to get him to eat. I would fix his food and he would walk up, give a sniff and walk away. Sometimes he wouldn't even sniff it. I would sit on the floor with him and hand feed him little pieces just to get him to eat and tried so many different foods. We were at the vets so many times trying to find out what was going on with him. Anyway, as he got a little older, he would eat a little better sometimes but never was an eager eater.
I had always planned on having him neutered so I took him in about 2 weeks ago. He couldn't have anything to eat or drink before his surgery and after surgery the vet said to only give him a little ice cube to lick and not to feed him until the following morning. WHAT A CHANGE. He actually sat at my feet and whined while I fixed his breakfast and started right in eating when I set the plate down. So far, he has continued to eat really well at every meal.
If I had only listened to my vet or YorkieMoms advice sooner. Find a good quality food and stick to it. He will eat when he gets hungry.
Believe me, these little ones are really smart.

Yeah for you and Peanut!
I'm glad you have got it figured out.
I've tried a lot of different brands, types of dried foods but Buddybear always wanted the "big dogs" dry food outside. I 've bought a top quality food for her but they are big pieces. He hasn't had trouble eating them so I think it's okay.

These little geniuses will KILL you if you let them, over the extensive elaborate menu they want YOU to provide them!!! I USED to do the very same thing....and then loose sleep because I was afraid my baby would starve to death during the night and I would wake up and find his pitiful little wasted body......HAH!!!!! I am onto those little buggers now!!!

I finally learned, if you do not have a pup that has been medically diagnosed with a disease or condition that REQUIRES a special diet formula, I will not waste time catering to the whims and imaginations of a little dog and what baby thinks it would like to have today, thank you very much! Diseases or medical conditions require attention to diet....but your regular little smart as a whip Yorkie, will have you jumping thru hoops and balancing on balls, trying to find something baby will eat! Dont even go there!

Now that YOUR baby has actually shown his true colors, and is thrilled to be eating what you are offering, DO NOT start jumping and switching around....feed the same thing, day in and day out, and if one day, pup decides he will skip his meal and see how it affects YOU and what it will present to HIM, dont fall for it...Fella, you eat what hits that bowl, when it goes down, or ......you will be hungry enough to eat your NEXT meal....or the one after that!!! I can promise you, your baby will be fine and will NOT fall over dead from starvation!! And YOU wont be having guilty feelings or sleepless nights, worrying about what food you can try next!

I tell my dogs the same thing my own momma used to tell my brother and I....."This is NOT a cafe and I am NOT a short order cook....I fixed dinner, good food you like, and you can either eat it or not, your choice....maybe you will be hungry enough for a good breakfast in the morning."

Good for you!! Congratulations getting on the right path!!!

So glad he's eating - must be such a relief for you :)!

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You are oh so right. I was so afraid that something terrible would happen to him if he didn't eat. But, after he went that long before and after surgery and didn't vomit, I have his number now. He will get the same food from now on and will eat when I put it down or will wait for the next meal.;) That little stinker really knew how to get me jumping through hoops trying to satisfy his every whim. OH HAPPY DAY!!!:)

I wouldn't give any treats until she eats her food. I think they are just like children in that if you will give them ice cream and cake, why would they eat anything else. I wish I would have learned this months ago.

i needed to read this.. lol i posted asking question about my pup not eating and trying yorkiemom's way...
she skipped her breakfast again... withholding it till lunch now... hope she eats then.
you guys would consider orijen puppy food as good quality food right?

i think she may be into wet food now cuz she lost most of her bottom puppy teeth.. not sure if that really is the reason though :/

It can really be a battle of wills. These little ones can be really stubborn when they want to be. We have to stand strong. Yorkiemom1 is right!
If there is no medical reason for a special diet, they will eat when they get hungry enough.
YT is a great resource for sure. BUT, I think because there are members with pups on this forum that do have medical problems, we get a little paranoid when our pups pull the old "That's just NOT what I want to eat this morning routine". "I'd rather have a cookie". And they are just so darn cute while they are playing us:)

I don't think there is any problem with serving it wet when they're teething. They do have problems chewing it when they're missing teeth or their little mouths are sore. That's not just being picky. Good luck.

He went right to eating this morning when I set the plate down and finished every bite. Yeah!

I have been down this road soooooo many times!!! I FINALLY learned they will NOT fall over dead, YOU will die first, from going through all the didoes they have you scrambling to do!!!! Hang tough, and I promise you, if your baby is healthy and does NOT definitely suffer from hypoglycemia, that baby will eat when he gets hungry....it is a battle of wills and it will kill YOU before that pup dies!!! I am thrilled for YOU that you have put your foot down and your baby has indeed survived!!! You have the little scamps number now!

She's so cute. Glad she's eating. Just hang tough. I think this is going to work. Thanks Yorkiemom1!

so basically... offer the pup food in the am, if he doesn't eat, take it away, then in lunch offer, if he doesn't eat again, take it away, and for dinner, repeat?

just wanna make sure...

so far she hasn't eaten anything but 5 kibbles.. her dinner time is coming soon and i wonder if she'd eat... if she doesn't.. do i just wait till morning again?

I would check with the others, but your little girl is a pup still, I believe. I think free feeding for pups is better.

I've easily gotten myself into providing a smorgasbord of cooked foods for my dogs in the past, mostly when I tried anything to get my sixteen year old angel to eat the last year of her life. It's definitely difficult not to cave into their demands.

Congratulation on getting Peanut to eat.

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You are so welcome!! These little buggers will KILL you worrying and scurring and hopping and jumping, serving a little of everything you have in your pantry or fridge, or at least a dozen different types of dog food!!!!

Usually, when you get your pup from the breeder, that puppy HOPEFULLY has been started on a dog food of some kind....if you are dealing with a respectable breeder, your pup is at least 10 weeks old and has been eating dog food for about 5 weeks....when you first get the baby, you need to leave the baby on the food he is used to eating...."well, my baby has stopped eating....." and there they go, trying every kind of dog food you can get your hands on.....it has started!!! And it just spins downward and out of control from there! Just like any of us, they will have a day, when they just dont eat like they have been eating....rather than flying off the handle and start throwing every kind of dog food you can get your hands on in front of baby, let them "take a break", slow down, and they will go back to eating what they know.....keep it available to them (I do not believe in scheduled feedings for puppies....free feed them so they can eat when they get hungry!) Now if you have a sickly puppy, that has hypoglycemia, you have to be cautious and make sure that baby eats.....but if your baby is healthy, he does not have hypoglycemia, he will be fine, and he will NOT starve to death!! My mother used to say,"I do not know how in the world something so tiny, can get something so big (me!!), jumping and scurring around in a mad dash, catering to and trying to feed everything available in the pantry, to a tiny little dog!"

It seems everyone thinks ALL little dogs have hypoglycemia....they DO NOT!!! I have never sold/bred/produced a puppy with hypoglycemia! Just like everyone else, years ago, I had bought a little chihuahua that had hypoglycemia....years later, when I bought a tiny little male yorkie, HE had hypoglymemia and it was a horrific never ending battle/concern, making certain he ate SOMETHING every 3-4 hours around the clock.....but when I started breeding Yorkies, I used the best stock as my foundation breeders, and I have never produced a puppy with hypoglycemia!

How old is your pup? I don't know how young you can start this. Peanut is 16 months old and 6 1/2 lbs so he's not a baby. Yorkiemom1 should be able to answer that though.

Yorkiemom1 answered while I was typing. Thank you.

@yorkiemom1, thank you again for the advice. when would you suggest schedule feeding then?

@partipenut, she's going to be 6 months soon in 4 days :) but... she's only 2.4lbs... vet told me that she needs to gain weight and wants her to be atleast 4 lbs... this is why i'm so concerned about her nothing eating too :/

I free feed puppies until they are at least 8 months old, especially any itty bitty ones like you have.....then I start getting a feeding schedule down to suite us....
She is a tiny little thing, and I would want her to have food available to her whenever the mood hits her.....with one that tiny, maybe wait until 10 months old to start regulating a designated time to eat.....just decide what you are going to feed her and settle on that food, and that is what she will be raised on. Find something she is eating now that she likes, that you are comfortable with the nutritional quality, etc. At her age, it SHOULD still be puppy food, and at her size, you should continue puppy food until AT LEAST 12 months old. If there is a quality puppy food that you like and that she will eat now, as we speak, that is what you start giving her. Like I said, I free feed puppies, ESPECIALLY tinies. She will eat that for a day or two, then she will decide momma needs to adjust her menu.... THAT is when you have to gird your loins, draw up every bit of steelie eyed strength that you can possibly summon, set your jaw, fix your gaze, and tell her this is what is being served and you hope she does not get too hungry until she decides to eat....does she like cottage cheese? For an hour or so, you can supplement her day with a tablespoon of cottage cheese maybe 3-4 times a day, to keep YOU from caving in to her demands....this is going to be a battle of the wills! It is going to be tough, but you can do it! For an hour or so, you can also put a tablespoon of baby food chicken down with or without the cottage cheese....it will make YOU feel better, and she may eat it....but that is all the cheating you do! That goes down next to her bowl/saucer of whatever dog food you have selected to free feed her....

Also, I would COUNT the kibble pieces you have in her bowl, so you can see if she is indeed, sneaking and eating a couple of bites. I dont know if you have tried Healthy Extensions Lil Bites....this dog food is about the size of a BB, maybe just a tiny bit bigger...it is coated with Nutra-Drops, a vitamin enriched formula that MOST dogs find irresistible....That is what I put down for my tinies to eat on during the entire 24 hours....mine have no problems eating it, they love it, it is tiny and fits their mouths just fine....it is available at Chewy.com, I have fed this to my tinies for years and long before t was available from anyone but the company....it cost me as much to ship a bag to Houston from New York as the dog food itself costs...but they adore this stuff....and it is so good for them, and they have many different formulas....just be sure you get the tiny kibble size for your tiny baby.....you may be able to contact the company and they may send you a little bag to sample...I used to give a little bag in my puppy paks for people to try out...

Any way, it is a great food, and most dogs I have ever fed it to, with the exception of ONE, loved the stuff.....and it is great for them!

So, gird your loins and set your jaw and get baby started with the NEW eating program.....!!!!!! Like Dr Phil says, "Be bold, bloody and resolute!!"

@yorkiemom1, ty so much for the info. I haven tried cottage cheese yet. But I'll try to get some for her..
but when free feeding. Do you put all of daily serving at once? Or should I put little bit at a time..?
I've been trying to give her 1/8 cup at a time and she barely finishes it. Yesterday I think she ate total of 8 kibbles all day.. *sigh*
I haven't tried healthy extension lil bits yet. Just orijen so far. I wanted to see if she'd stick with this one..
But nutra drop thing. Do the sell it separately? Or is it only for the food you've recommended?
Again, thank you so much for the help and ty in advance.

They sell it in a small bottle separately....ALL my dogs ADORE this stuff! It is like a vitamin supplement....I use this anytime my dogs go through any stress....as a matter of fact, when my mommas deliver their babies, as soon as the baby is wiped off and cord is cut, they everyone get 1/4cc of NutraDrops...it stimulates them sucking and provides a super boost to the new born....any stressful situation, the dog gets NutraDrops....traveling? NutraDrops! When they have had surgery and just dont feel 110%, they all get NutraDrops! It is a nutritional supplement and prevents drops in blood sugar secondary to stressful situations! I order it by the gallon jug around here....my dogs love it and I always give them doses during the week, "just because" it is excellent for them! I have to make sure and give you the CORRECT, FULL name...there are imitations out there and they taste HORRIBLE!!!

I put 20 pieces of kibble down and watch it and count to be sure and see if it is getting eaten....if they eat all 20 pieces, then I put more down so there is alweays kibble down when the mood strikes them and they go to that bowl!

You know, NOTHING ever stays the same....I used to order my NutraDrops from the man that invented it, Dr.Miller....seems he has sold his formula out to Healthy Extension....that is OK...great dog food, and I guess since they coat their dog food pellets in the formula, they just figured they would buy it outright from Dr.Miller!

It is available on Amazon....
"The Solution To Puppy Stress Syndromes. Increased resistance to stress (such as travel, temperature extremes, weaning, worming); increased resistance to low blood sugar; improved energy metabolism - This formula is now available to the pet industry backed by a complete satisfaction guarantee. Previously known as Nutra Drops"

This stuff is terrific...I always recommend my new owners use this instead of the tubes of stuff you put on their tongues to treat stressful situations, post operatively, loss of appetite, etc.....they love it and it is much easier to give, and it will carry a pup that will not eat for whatever reason....those tubes of of stuff.....having a memory block!!....have to be followed with a meal to keep the babys sugar up. NutraDrops have enough soluble dietary supplements in each dose, that you can give it and you dont have to worry about following with a meal to keep blood sugars elevated.!!! Great for dogs that get car sick....going to see my brother, 7 hour car ride, all my dogs get this prior to the trip and a couple times during the trip....they are not fed prior to the ride to prevent BMs and vomiting during the car trip! The Nutra Drops keep everyone happy and satisfied and quiet during that LONG car trip!!!

Thank you! Such a sweet note of appreciation! Glad to help whenever I can! It is for the babies, always!!!

There must be some sort of Yorkie underground. Dinky has been picky, picky, picky lately. Today he turned up his nose at his kibble and nice bits of cheese, and there it sat in the kitchen. He leaves the kitchen and walks over to his "sock" which is one of DH's old socks. (We put a treat in it and Dinky likes the fun of burrowing his face into it and finding his treats. It's pretty fun to watch too.) Today though he was sending a clear message: kibble and cheese no, treats yes.) So I just picked up his bowl and set it next to the sock and told him, "Eat your healthy, food." And what do you know, he did.

YES!!! They are all TALKING to each other!!! I had TWO of mine that eat like stevedores, look at their food, then butts hit the ground and eyes turned with a cold hard stare...."Surely, you jest.....THIS???....AGAIN???....

What is the matter with these "little people" today???? So finally, just now, I guess it has dawned on them if they dont eat what has been served, it is a long time til breakfast and guts get hungry......so they ate....and then ran over to me like they had really done something that had never been done before, and they had done it successfully!!! Those brain cells are constantly bouncing around in those adorable little skulls, as they try to stay one jump ahead of us!!!

Just an update on Peanut. He is still eating well. Hasn't missed a meal yet. Twice so far, he has acted like he might just walk away. He looks up at me as if to say "This again?" I just tell him"This is it and you just need to eat it." I know there will be a day when he sniffs and turns up his nose but I know now if he's just being picky, it won't hurt him to miss a meal. OH HAPPY DAYS!