Baby Food

[Bteacupyorkie]

Hi there! I am new to yorkie talk! My baby Jefferson (teacup, 7 weeks old) had Coccidia two weeks ago and is recovering just fine as we speak. However, the only thing he would eat while he was recovering and on medication was Baby food (Gerber chicken & gravy). I have tried other foods, and he will not eat anything else! I tried adding in his science diet (a little chunky) with the baby food and he would lick off the baby food and spit the chunks out!! Does anyone have advice on how to ween Jefferson off of the baby food??

[lovespandp]

Hi and Welcome to YT.

Make sure the baby food doesn't have onion and garlic.

You can try a different baby food, Peanut likes the organic baby food- he is into the fruits and veggies, carrots, peas, squash and bananas.

So you want him on his Science Diet only? You can always try to boil a skinless chicken breast and shred some of that into his Science Diet. 7 weeks is pretty young.. the kibble might be too hard for him- I would try to add the chicken, then add Science Diet and then add some water- mix it around and let it get soft for him- then try to see if he will eat some.

7 weeks is pretty young, is there any way you can take him back to his Momma for a couple more weeks?

[Lovetodream88]

Can you mush up the chunks? Callie likes that baby food too I mix her supplements in it. Sorry bout your pup hope he gets better soon. Just a little tidbit of information there is no such thing as a teacup its a word made up by bad breeders and puppy mills to jack up the price of the pups. The standard for Yorkshire Terriers is not to exceed 7 pounds so any yorkie under 7 pounds is considered standard.

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by lovespandp

Hi and Welcome to YT.

Make sure the baby food doesn't have onion and garlic.

You can try a different baby food, Peanut likes the organic baby food- he is into the fruits and veggies, carrots, peas, squash and bananas.

So you want him on his Science Diet only? You can always try to boil a skinless chicken breast and shred some of that into his Science Diet. 7 weeks is pretty young.. the kibble might be too hard for him- I would try to add the chicken, then add Science Diet and then add some water- mix it around and let it get soft for him- then try to see if he will eat some.

7 weeks is pretty young, is there any way you can take him back to his Momma for a couple more weeks?

I'm guessing the pup was sick when she got him so I think it would be a bad idea for the pup to go back in this case.

[Yorkiemom1]

Originally Posted by Bteacupyorkie

Hi there! I am new to yorkie talk! My baby Jefferson (teacup, 7 weeks old) had Coccidia two weeks ago and is recovering just fine as we speak. However, the only thing he would eat while he was recovering and on medication was Baby food (Gerber chicken & gravy). I have tried other foods, and he will not eat anything else! I tried adding in his science diet (a little chunky) with the baby food and he would lick off the baby food and spit the chunks out!! Does anyone have advice on how to ween Jefferson off of the baby food??

A seven week old puppy has essentially not even been weaned from momma yet.....Yorkie babies are best left with their mommas until age 12-14 weeks so momma can do all the teaching and pack socialization necessary to make this puppy psychologically stable for his future growth and development...all that baby is used to eating is milk and maybe some mush, the consistancy of the baby food. How much does this baby weigh, as teacup is a vague term, not an accurate description on what size your baby is. I would mix up baby food in Royal Canin canned mousse....mousse is like whipped dog food without the chunks and is easy to digest... for newborns....if he will eat the mousse without the baby food, great...if not, he MUST eat, so at this age, you feed whatever he will eat! You can advance him to a gruel made of Royal Canin puppy starter kibble, softened with some formula, and add a little of the baby food to it, if that is what it takes to get baby to eat. But that gruel isnt for a couple of weeks yet....good luck with your baby...it is tough taking on the chores of momma dog in a baby so very young.....you need to get reading material and learn what age appropriate teaching is being done by the momma/pack at specific weeks, so you can try to alleviate behavorial problems that are prone to surface when pups are taken from mom too soon.

[msyorktown]

Originally Posted by Yorkiemom1

A seven week old puppy has essentially not even been weaned from momma yet.....Yorkie babies are best left with their mommas until age 12-14 weeks so momma can do all the teaching and pack socialization necessary to make this puppy psychologically stable for his future growth and development...all that baby is used to eating is milk and maybe some mush, the consistancy of the baby food. How much does this baby weigh, as teacup is a vague term, not an accurate description on what size your baby is. I would mix up baby food in Royal Canin canned mousse....mousse is like whipped dog food without the chunks and is easy to digest... for newborns....if he will eat the mousse without the baby food, great...if not, he MUST eat, so at this age, you feed whatever he will eat! You can advance him to a gruel made of Royal Canin puppy starter kibble, softened with some formula, and add a little of the baby food to it, if that is what it takes to get baby to eat. But that gruel isnt for a couple of weeks yet....good luck with your baby...it is tough taking on the chores of momma dog in a baby so very young.....you need to get reading material and learn what age appropriate teaching is being done by the momma/pack at specific weeks, so you can try to alleviate behavorial problems that are prone to surface when pups are taken from mom too soon.

Thank you Judy for jumping in here....OP great advice just given, please keep us updated on the progress of this very young baby....he really should still be with his momma and siblings.

Welcome to YT!!

[theporkieyorkie]

Great ideas!! If you are wondering where to get the Royal Canine mouse... I've seen them at both Petco and Petsmart.

Here is a link so you can see what it looks like. Look for a white box.....

Royal Canin Starter Mousse Mother & Babydog Canned Dog Food at PETCO

I think Petco may have milk supplement as well...and Nutri-cal for puppies may help give him calories, nourishment and vitamins if he's not eating well.


Poor little guy...it sounds like he's had a rough life so far. 7 weeks is definitely way too young to wean a puppy. I've heard of breeders selling their dogs at 8 weeks of age and IMO, it's still too early.

Did the puppy come to you sick with coccidia?? If so, I'd DEFINITELY be calling the breeder. You shouldn't have to cover all those vet bills if a puppy comes to you sick.

[Hrossen11]

I got my boy at 7 weeks, he weighed about 1 lb 8 oz. he is now 5 months old weighs 3.5 lbs expected to be 5 lbs standard size.
For the first week, we made him a mush of baby food and ground kibble. Around 8-9 weeks old we weened him onto kibble only. He only had a few teeth at 7 weeks so could not eat the kibble in normal form. I had nutrical on hand but dd nt need it.

[Bteacupyorkie]

Thank you all so much for your replies! Jefferson weighs 1.9 lbs. The breeder sold him to me at 6 weeks. He is now 8 weeks. After having him only 4 days, he became ill. (Which, it takes about 13 days for the symptoms of coccidia to become apparent. So yes, clearly he had the coccidia when I bought him.) 3 days of being at the vet and a hefty vet bill later, he was much better and had to be on medication for coccidia and diarrhea for 7 days. As a first time buyer/pet owner, I am still learning all of the necessary tasks and remedies. I am a little bitter with the breeder; for someone to be aware that the puppy she is selling may have coccidia but still take my thousands of dollars, just puts a bit of resentment within me. Nevertheless, I signed a contract and naturally loved Jefferson overnight so I will take it as a lesson learned.

Thank you so much Yorkiemom1 for the info! I will be getting that today!! I am so glad I found this board!!

Jefferson gets a physical checkup today and his second shot! I will keep everyone updated on my little baby

(Is there a way to post pictures of him on here??)

[Teresiana]

Originally Posted by Bteacupyorkie

Thank you all so much for your replies! Jefferson weighs 1.9 lbs. The breeder sold him to me at 6 weeks. He is now 8 weeks. After having him only 4 days, he became ill. (Which, it takes about 13 days for the symptoms of coccidia to become apparent. So yes, clearly he had the coccidia when I bought him.) 3 days of being at the vet and a hefty vet bill later, he was much better and had to be on medication for coccidia and diarrhea for 7 days. As a first time buyer/pet owner, I am still learning all of the necessary tasks and remedies. I am a little bitter with the breeder; for someone to be aware that the puppy she is selling may have coccidia but still take my thousands of dollars, just puts a bit of resentment within me. Nevertheless, I signed a contract and naturally loved Jefferson overnight so I will take it as a lesson learned.

Thank you so much Yorkiemom1 for the info! I will be getting that today!! I am so glad I found this board!!

Jefferson gets a physical checkup today and his second shot! I will keep everyone updated on my little baby

(Is there a way to post pictures of him on here??)

You should check the contract you signed with your breeder. You should have some sort of health guarantee. If your pup contracted the coccidia while he was still with the breeder, the breeder should be liable for your vet bills. If she gives you a hard time, you can ask your vet for documentation re: the date of the onset of symptoms, the incubation period, etc.

Wishing little Jefferson luck at his check up!! Keep us posted.

[Yorkiemom1]

Coccidia is common in all dogs...stress causes the pup to break with the diarrhea, requiring treatment. Sending a baby out before it is ready to be weaned, is stressful for the baby....loss of momma, siblings, everything that baby was familiar with and JUST really getting accustomed to, is suddenly gone, and baby finds itself surrounded by strangers, strange environment, strange schedule, strange food changes....WHAM!! stress for the baby.......overwhelming stress! This is yet ANOTHER reason for NOT sending a baby to new owners before 12-14 weeks of age.....another reason for keeping the food the breeder has the baby on, until at least 8 months of age, so the baby has some reasonable grasp on what is familiar to him. In the case of a baby that is "dumped" on new owners before that baby is NOT even weaned completely, you need to do the weaning! As I am transitioning my babies from momma to weaned completely.....and I let momma control and direct the weaning process, I just supplement nursing with the mousse, then the gruel, and I give the warm formula....5-8 weeks old (or goats milk as they get a little older....8 - 10 weeks old), during the day, so they can learn to lap up milk from a shallow dish....I use a lid from Folgers coffee can...it has a little edge....they will learn to lick then lap from the shallow lid....they look forward to that last dish of warm formula at night before they are put to bed....I never remove momma from the babies until SHE says she is over it! She will allow them to suckle, like a baby with a pacifier, which I think is necessary for security and comfort....and of course, I love to watch her do the teaching she does to the babies....it is absolutely fascinating and so endearing to watch! For a "breeder" to deprive a baby of this wonderful, miraculous bonding/teaching/learning experience, I find absolutely reprehensible. Good luck with your little baby! Keep us posted and ask any questions or clarification you need!

[McheleM]

Originally Posted by Yorkiemom1

Coccidia is common in all dogs...stress causes the pup to break with the diarrhea, requiring treatment. Sending a baby out before it is ready to be weaned, is stressful for the baby....loss of momma, siblings, everything that baby was familiar with and JUST really getting accustomed to, is suddenly gone, and baby finds itself surrounded by strangers, strange environment, strange schedule, strange food changes....WHAM!! stress for the baby.......overwhelming stress! This is yet ANOTHER reason for NOT sending a baby to new owners before 12-14 weeks of age.....another reason for keeping the food the breeder has the baby on, until at least 8 months of age, so the baby has some reasonable grasp on what is familiar to him. In the case of a baby that is "dumped" on new owners before that baby is NOT even weaned completely, you need to do the weaning! As I am transitioning my babies from momma to weaned completely.....and I let momma control and direct the weaning process, I just supplement nursing with the mousse, then the gruel, and I give the warm formula....5-8 weeks old (or goats milk as they get a little older....8 - 10 weeks old), during the day, so they can learn to lap up milk from a shallow dish....I use a lid from Folgers coffee can...it has a little edge....they will learn to lick then lap from the shallow lid....they look forward to that last dish of warm formula at night before they are put to bed....I never remove momma from the babies until SHE says she is over it! She will allow them to suckle, like a baby with a pacifier, which I think is necessary for security and comfort....and of course, I love to watch her do the teaching she does to the babies....it is absolutely fascinating and so endearing to watch! For a "breeder" to deprive a baby of this wonderful, miraculous bonding/teaching/learning experience, I find absolutely reprehensible. Good luck with your little baby! Keep us posted and ask any questions or clarification you need!

I just want to say, if I ever get another yorkie, I am coming to you. You are one of the most knowledgable breeders I have come in contact with, and I know you care about 1. Bettering the breed and 2. Where your puppies go and making sure they are with the best family. I am very impressed by you and your breeding program and just want to give you kudos!

[Mom to Hot Rod]

Can't anything as you've gotten great advice already. Just wanted to congratulate you on your new addition and wish both of you well. Look forward to seeing him thrive. Welcome to YT!