Affraid my puppy isn't eating enough...

[deanna maz]

Need help!! I am a new mom of a Yorkie. My new puppy is only 9 weeks old and about 1.5lbs. How much dry food should he be eating a day? And the tube of sticky stuff they said was SO important for him to eat each day... well, he doesn't like it at all! They also said he should be eating a tiny bit of canned food a day as well, but again he doesn't like it. Now what?

[JDS]

First, welcome to YT!

Try sprinkling a bit of parmesan cheese on the food to see if that encourages your baby to eat. The Nutrical is to help avoid the pup having a hypoglycemia attack. I just did it twice a day the first few days that Lulu came home while she wasn't eating like normal (BTW, Lulu didn't like it either...I just rubbed a pea size amount on her gums). I choose not to feed any canned food & only feed dry kibble.

Ideally, your pup would still be with her furmommy at the breeder's house at only 9 weeks old & 1.5 lbs. Most breeders like to keep the babies until they are 12 weeks old and at least 2 lbs. But, since you've already got your baby you just need to watch him very closely. He should eat every few hours & limit his playtime. This will help avoid a hypo attack. Familiarize yourself with the signs of a hypo attack & be prepared in case it does happen.

Good luck & congrats on your new baby.

[chachi]

I think you should try canned dog food first but if all else fails try some gerber meat sticks

[deanna maz]

Thank you for your info. I did look up what to look for in the event he has a hypoglycemia attack. Thanks... great info to know!

How old is Lulu now? How much does she weigh? How much kibble does she eat?

Mini Cooper's mom

[JDS]

Lulu will be 17 weeks old on Tuesday. She weighs about 2 lbs 3 oz now. As far as how much she eats right now...I'm not 100% sure. I measure out 1/4 cup of kibble in the morning. She eats all of that & I refill it with another 1/4 cup, but she doesn't eat all of that. So she gets more than 1/4 cup, but less than 1/2 cup on average.

If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask.


ETA: I wanted to add that Lulu's breeder did feed the pups wet food for a while while transitioning to dry kibble. Lulu was weaned off of the wet food before she got to come home with us.

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by JDS

Lulu will be 17 weeks old on Tuesday. She weighs about 2 lbs 3 oz now. As far as how much she eats right now...I'm not 100% sure. I measure out 1/4 cup of kibble in the morning. She eats all of that & I refill it with another 1/4 cup, but she doesn't eat all of that. So she gets more than 1/4 cup, but less than 1/2 cup on average.

If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask.


ETA: I wanted to add that Lulu's breeder did feed the pups wet food for a while while transitioning to dry kibble. Lulu was weaned off of the wet food before she got to come home with us.

You're puppy's tummy is not even the size of a quarter. He should be on a minimum of 4 small meals a day. Try soaking his kibble in distilled water. Try cottage cheese, there is a recipe in the Breeder's section for Whelping Pudding, I have tremendous luck with this and puppies. You're puppy is very young and should barely be being weaned.

[JDS]

Originally Posted by Mardelin

You're puppy's tummy is not even the size of a quarter. He should be on a minimum of 4 small meals a day. Try soaking his kibble in distilled water. Try cottage cheese, there is a recipe in the Breeder's section for Whelping Pudding, I have tremendous luck with this and puppies. You're puppy is very young and should barely be being weaned.

Is this directed at me or the OP? I'm confused.

Perhaps I need to clarify that I free feed Lulu...she doesn't eat the 1/4 cup of kibble all at once. It's down all day every day for her to eat when she wants & I refill it when the bowl is empty. I only measure out what I put in the bowl to try to get a gauge on how much she is eating daily.

Mardelin, I'm going to assume that your response is directed to the OP due to the age of her puppy. It's great advice, as always. Lulu actually still nursed a little at 9 weeks of age, so I can't imagine having her away from her furmommy that young. I'm grateful that she was almost 14 weeks old when she came to us b/c we avoided a lot of worry & stress that I see many new owners going through here.

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by JDS

Is this directed at me or the OP? I'm confused.

Perhaps I need to clarify that I free feed Lulu...she doesn't eat the 1/4 cup of kibble all at once. It's down all day every day for her to eat when she wants & I refill it when the bowl is empty. I only measure out what I put in the bowl to try to get a gauge on how much she is eating daily.

Mardelin, I'm going to assume that your response is directed to the OP due to the age of her puppy. It's great advice, as always. Lulu actually still nursed a little at 9 weeks of age, so I can't imagine having her away from her furmommy that young. I'm grateful that she was almost 14 weeks old when she came to us b/c we avoided a lot of worry & stress that I see many new owners going through here.

Yes, it was directed at the OP.

I usually let my mother's call the shot as to when their pups quit nursing entirely. It's a tight rope to walk, as mom's need to be monitored too during the nursing period.

I've begun not letting my pups go home until at the very minimum 16 weeks. That way they've gone home with their full compliment of shots, bile acid tested, piddle pad trained and eating very well on their own. I want the transition to go as smoothly as possible for the pup and the new family.

[JDS]

Originally Posted by Mardelin

Yes, it was directed at the OP.

I usually let my mother's call the shot as to when their pups quit nursing entirely. It's a tight rope to walk, as mom's need to be monitored too during the nursing period.

I've begun not letting my pups go home until at the very minimum 16 weeks. That way they've gone home with their full compliment of shots, bile acid tested, piddle pad trained and eating very well on their own. I want the transition to go as smoothly as possible for the pup and the new family.

Thanks for clearing that up.

I think it's a great idea to hold the pups until 16 weeks. As hard as it was to wait for Lulu to come home, I appreciated it when she came home & transitioned easily with very little stress. So, I definitely see where you are coming from there.

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by JDS

Thanks for clearing that up.

I think it's a great idea to hold the pups until 16 weeks. As hard as it was to wait for Lulu to come home, I appreciated it when she came home & transitioned easily with very little stress. So, I definitely see where you are coming from there.

I know it's difficult to wait for that new pup. But, my new families know they're gonna wait anyway, because I'm assessing the litter for my pick. They understand that I'm really not breeding to sell pups, but for me first. So, these families know that when they approach me for that new pup.