Diet and Walking questions Hi all, Just joined this very useful forum after getting our first Yorkie. We have two questions which we are struggling to find answers for and would appreciate some help :confused: Firstly diet requirements. The lady at the rescue center told us that Yorkies don't always eat every day, I don't recall her telling us what food would be best. Jess (our Yorkie) is eating very little, but is drinking. We have tried several foods already, including Ceasar which we have since read about on the forum. We have been told a dry food diet is not good due to the Yorkie teeth problems. We are not sure if this is normal behaviour or whether Jess is a fussy eater? Bearing in mind we are in the UK, so some brands may not be available to us, could anyone recommend some high quality foods for Jess please? Our second question concerns exercise. Jess loves walking, so each morning we take her for a good walk in the farmers fields over the back of our house. We let her dictate the pace (which is normally quite brisk) and we cover a distance of up to 3 miles. When we get home, she often wants to play ball for a while before settling down for a sleep. She seems to sleep for several hours before waking around lunch time, and then goes back to sleep for most of the afternoon and evening. Are we giving her too much exercise? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Mike & Elaine. |
First of all, Welcome to YT! Second... I've NEVER heard of someone saying "sometimes Yorkies don't eat everyday" and NOT being concerned about it - These are small dogs and they need nourishment - especially the little wee ones. You'll hear lots of mention of Karo syrup or Nutrical for picky puppies who won't eat their food - this is to keep their blood sugar up. Please disregard what this person said - it is important for your puppy to have a healthy diet and eat everyday, even twice a day. Kibble IS GOOD for Yorkies - the hard texture works their teeth and keeps them strong and healthy. It's not a good idea to have them on a diet of soft (canned) food alone - this is what causes problems down the road and results in dogs with lots of missing teeth. There are tons of options for picky eaters who won't eat kibble alone - put a little chicken broth over the kibble, warm water mixed with kibble, cottage cheese, yogurt,etc.etc. OR mix in a bit of canned food - BUT, Cesars is not the best brand. It's kindof the equivalent of giving a human child a cheeseburger everyday... If you can't get her to eat kibble at all - try boiled chicken with rice. Both of my babies were EXTREMELY picky eaters for the first few weeks of being home - Ruthie has only just now started to eat kibble with Oscar (thank goodness!). I tried everything and as long as she was eating something, it was better than nothing - she's too small to just let her starve and learn the hard way. It's good that Jess is drinking lots - at least she is well hydrated. I'm not sure how big or small she is, but you may want to invest in some Nutrical (or equivalent) for days that she's not eating well. As far as exercise, I don't think it's possible to exercise too much - she will let you know when she's had enough. Most dogs do sleep all day. If she's still a young puppy she will likely sleep the majority of the day. Hope some of this helps! Good luck! |
Oscars mom hit it on the nose great advise |
Ditto on Oscar's Mommy's reply.:thumbup: |
i triple on oscar's mom... right to the point:thumbup: |
Thanks for the reply Oscar's Mummy! Being a bit dumb, what is kibble? Sorry.. Jess is just over two years old and about the size of an adult cat if that helps. Glad to hear we are not over walking her as we really enjoy the walks. Do Yorkies eat a meal properly or do they pick all day etc? Sorry for all the questions, but thanks for your help and patience. |
...or try boiling some chicken and cutting it up finely and mixing it with the kibble (dry dog food). I had to experiment for awhile to see what dry food mine would eat. Just be sure it is a good quality food. If it's not too hot or too cold, I think yorkies can outwalk us! :D When it gets cold, though, remember that your yorkie doesn't have but a single coat of hair and will need a sweater or coat to keep warm.:) |
Quote:
It's up to you if you want to 'free feed' her (leave her kibble out all day so she can eat as she pleases) or have set meals for her. Having set meals will allow you to kindof keep track of when she will need to poop/pee throughout the day - regular meals means she will develop a potty pattern and you will know when she needs to go out. Free feeding is good if you KNOW your dog WON'T over-eat. I let my two free feed from their breakfast all morning (sometimes they eat it all up right away, sometimes they will just pick at it throughout the morning and its usually gone by noon) I then feed them a meal around 6 in the evening which they usually eat right up. I give them a treat in between meals. Free feeding is ok, just don't keep filling up her bowl because it's empty - I would measure out the amount for that day and when it's gone, it's gone. Fill it up again the next day. There's no right or wrong way and it's entirely up to you and your lifestyle. I think I read in your other 'introductory' post that you had only had her for a few days (?) Her lack of appetite may simply be due to the new environment. She is probably still adjusting to the new people, new home, everything - as she gets more comfortable, she will start to eat more. I definitely wouldn't just let her go without eating anything though and I'm sure you'll be able to find something to peak her interest in the meantime. Like I mentioned before, boiled chicken and cottage cheese were a lifesaver for me with Ruthie in the beginning. (*Just be sure not to switch her food TOO much too often as she may end up with diarrhea) I hope I haven't just thoroughly confused you! |
Update Hi all, Thanks for your help. Jess is doing fine now. She has eaten very well today, boiled chicken and rice went down a storm. I think she is still settling in as she is starting to be more adventurous now. Thanks again for the helpful advice. |
All times are GMT -8. The time now is 01:17 PM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright ©2003 - 2018 YorkieTalk.com
Privacy Policy - Terms of Use