New "morkie" owners desperate for help
 

Me and my wife just got Brinley our nine week old morkie puppy and she won't eat dry food at all. The breeders told us to give her baby food mixed with Karo syrup from a syringe till we get her transitioned, but it's not clear how often she needs it. The more I research the more scared I get! Any help is greatly appreciated.

Welcome to the forum and congrats on your new family member. How many days has Brinley been home with you? Puppies are sometimes too nervous to eat for the first few days when they go to their new homes.

Puppies can also have unusual eating habits, preferring to graze, eat a little at a time, and have human attention while eating. I had to hand feed Max his first year.

Is she eating anything? Karo syrup or Nutrical are recommended for hypoglycemia but are not intended as a preventative for hypoglycemia. Karo or Nutrical should be followed up with a protein within 20 - 30 minutes.

You can try getting her excited about her kibble by doing trick and obedience training using the kibble as rewards. That worked for my boys. We also use kibble for potty rewards.

Try different eating dishes too. I found that my boys prefer to eat off a small plate rather than from a bowl. The porcelain plates vs a stainless steel dish was more appealing to them. Max had an aversion to plastic when he was a pup.

I feed my baby goats milk and soaked his kebble in it. I free feed him for the first two weeks. Then slowing stopped the goats milk and he did just fine.

"The breeders told us to give her baby food mixed with Karo syrup from a syringe till we get her transitioned, but it's not clear how often she needs it."

I am not believing some ...."breeder".... sold a baby that is not even eating on its on, and all they can offer you is to feed this baby baby food with Karo to keep it from having a hypoglycemic event!!!!!!!

What was this "breeder" feeding this under aged baby.....not legally under aged but too young to be separated from momma....of course, when these "breeders" do this, THEY dont have to foot the bills for vaccinations, and all the work and effort ethical breeders encounter with changes in feedings, etc....YOU get to take care of all that expense.

Ask her what she was feeding this enfant? This baby will eat a mush made either from canned PUPPY food (Royal Canin is age specific) and has cans of mousse for these abandoned babies that people are desperately trying to fed and teach and train....take a little of that mousse and mix it with a little puppy milk (Just Born) and he will lap it up....as he gets older, you can cut back making a mush and just feed the RC canned puppy mousse, then transition to the puppy kibble softened with the puppy milk and a dab of the mousse, mixed into the puppy kibble....gradually, week by week, cut back on the mousse and the added liquid, until he is on the puppy kibble....he can stay on puppy kibble until 8-12 months old....I just have all my new owners keep on the puppy kibble until 12 months old.....

I was in the same boat! Everyone on here is amazing and will give you as much knowledge ever. Just like Yorkiemom101 said, mix the canned food with the formula and water and mush it all up.

My morkie Daisy is just about 8 weeks old (she was like 6 when i got her) and had to feed her with a syringe because she had no idea what a bowl was. I now mixed 1 teaspoon Royal Canine "Starter Mousse" moved onto the puppy royal canine, 1 teaspoon of her formula and two teaspoons of water and she gobbles it all down.

I agree with Maximo, try different dishes. Daisy would only eat off the floor at first, then moved onto a stainless little bowl, to a slightly bigger bowl, and now she will eat and drink out of whatever bowl I give her.

Being so young, a lot of patience is needed. But they will bring lots and lots of joy to you and your wife :)

We finally got her to eat the puppy kibble but on her terms lol. How much should she be eating and how often?

Tip
 

try mixing her food with a bit of hot water to make it soft. Also try a grain free brand for your pup. Regular feeding times are recommended for Morkie puppies they are like babys when it comes to that. Try feeding the puppy in regular times. It will help with her potty training too.

Free feed a baby this young....she will eat when she gets hungry....