My Baby wont eat! - YorkieTalk.com Forums

PeanutsMommi · 10-12-2007, 07:24 PM

Hello all! I am brand new to the community and a brand new 1st time Yorkie owner. Peanut is 12 wks old and 6.7 lbs. I got him going on 2 weeks ago and over that time I have noticed that he wont eat that much. He usually eats better if I feed him from my hand however recently he isnt too crazy about that. I tried putting a little hot water in his food and he ate a little of it but I dont think he was too crazy about it. I had him on Purina Puppy Chow when I first got him but I noticed that he was doing a lot of scratching so my vet and some friends suggested that I change his food to see if he continues to scratch. And of course he does but I think it is just because he is a dog. The only other dog that I had was a german shepherd, black lab mix so im not used to having a small breed dog. And I think that I may just be worried too much. But how do I know for sure? I have read a few of the other threads and I am currently boiling some chicken in hopes that he will eat that. Does anyone have any other ideas or suggestions for Peanut and I? Just to see him eat a little more would make me so happy cause Im sooooo worried. Thanks!

alaskayorkie · 10-12-2007, 07:28 PM

If he's 6.7 pounds at 12 weeks, he is eating way too much. Do you mean 6.7 ounces?

PeanutsMommi · 10-12-2007, 07:39 PM

nope i just took him for his second set of vaccinations on tuesday and they said 6.7lbs. She did say he was a big boy but I dont know. He hasnt eaten that much since I got him. According to the pet food he should be eating about 1 cup to 1 1/2 cups a day

grayxie · 10-12-2007, 07:41 PM

I wee pup like that can't be expected to eat heaps of food at once, maybe lots of little meals throughout the day. As for the scratching he may have some kind of food allergy, or be allergic to something in your home. Consult your vet about a new food or supplement, because he won't get all the nutrients he needs just from boiled chicken.

PeanutsMommi · 10-12-2007, 07:49 PM

well i just put the food out and let him eat it throughout the day. His vet said that free choice feeding might still be best for him at his age.

grayxie · 10-12-2007, 07:55 PM

All the pets I have ever had were free fed, they do just fine but you have to keep an eye out on gaining too much weight.

mejones · 10-13-2007, 10:28 AM

Georgia is 16 weeks old and only east probably about 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup a day. When I first got her at 9 weeks, she was only eating 1/8 of a cup a day. She's pretty little (about 2.5 lbs), but I was shocked with how little they eat, but my vet told me that's normal.

YorkieSue · 10-13-2007, 01:14 PM

I agree with AlaskaYorkie...something is amiss here. Did you mis-type the weight or age? IF your 12 week old is truly that heavy then you have your reason that he has no appetite. HE IS NOT HUNGRY BECAUSE HE IS BEING GROSSLY OVER FED somewhere along the line. You must get control of the portions etc. This is a very UNHEALTHY SITUATION as you stated it. Please clear up any misstatements you MIGHT have made. This concerns a few of us.

kalina82 · 10-13-2007, 01:23 PM

before we all jump to conclusions and on this new person lets take a step back.

To the OP, can you post a picture of your puppy? Is he overweight or is he just larger in size then the typical yorkie puppy? Its true, most yorkies do not weigh 6lbs at 12 weeks. Mine didn't even weigh 2 lbs. But yours could have come from bigger stock and he can just be a large yorkie or perhaps a mix. can you feel the ribs on your puppy? if you can then he's not overweight. He's just big in size which is fine.

At 12 weeks i would either leave food out for him all day and let him pick or separate his food into three meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner). leave the meal down for 15 minutes and whatever isn't eaten in this time period gets picked up and offered at the next meal. which food are you currently feeding? i know you said you used to feed purina, which isn't the best quality.

chachi · 10-13-2007, 01:53 PM

I bet thats a typo

PeanutsMommi · 10-14-2007, 12:13 PM

Ok first of all Im not overfeeding him at all. I have only had him for 2 weeks on Wednesday. There is no way I have been overfeeding him because I havent had him long enough to overfeed him you would have known that if you completely read my message. And about the 6.7 lbs. I cant be honest that he weighs that much. All I know is that when I took him to the vet Tuesday the vet came in from weighing him and said that he was gonna be kinda big cause he was 6.7. Now from holding him and playing with him I dont think he is 6.7 ounces. I dont know how big most yorkies are at this age because like I said this is my first yorkie. However to answer Kalina's question yes I can feel his ribs. And right now I am feeding him a brand called chicken soup because my vet said that her dog was on purina and he started losing his coat and scratchin so she put him on Chicken Soup and he has been better. So Im trying that right now. And I do leave the food out all day and I let him eat when he gets hungry and on those days where I see he really hasnt eaten much all day I boil some chicken and give it to him for dinner. I would never overfeed my Peanut or do anything to hurt him cause he's my baby and I love him and I dont want anything to happen to him. And like I said in my first post all of this could be in my head and his eating habits may be normal for Yorkies but I dont know myself because he is my first Yorkie and small dog period.

lara2913 · 10-14-2007, 12:23 PM

Well if you can feel his ribs easily then he probably is not overweight. Many members on YT have larger yorkies, my Benjamin was about that weight at that age and now at 19 months he's 12lbs and not overweight at all, he's just a bigger yorkie. The food instructions should tell you how much to feed and you should split that into 3-4 feeds a day.

kalina82 · 10-14-2007, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeanutsMommi

Ok first of all Im not overfeeding him at all. I have only had him for 2 weeks on Wednesday. There is no way I have been overfeeding him because I havent had him long enough to overfeed him you would have known that if you completely read my message. And about the 6.7 lbs. I cant be honest that he weighs that much. All I know is that when I took him to the vet Tuesday the vet came in from weighing him and said that he was gonna be kinda big cause he was 6.7. Now from holding him and playing with him I dont think he is 6.7 ounces. I dont know how big most yorkies are at this age because like I said this is my first yorkie. However to answer Kalina's question yes I can feel his ribs. And right now I am feeding him a brand called chicken soup because my vet said that her dog was on purina and he started losing his coat and scratchin so she put him on Chicken Soup and he has been better. So Im trying that right now. And I do leave the food out all day and I let him eat when he gets hungry and on those days where I see he really hasnt eaten much all day I boil some chicken and give it to him for dinner. I would never overfeed my Peanut or do anything to hurt him cause he's my baby and I love him and I dont want anything to happen to him. And like I said in my first post all of this could be in my head and his eating habits may be normal for Yorkies but I dont know myself because he is my first Yorkie and small dog period.

yeah i didn't think he was overweight. Sounds like your doing a good job. Chicken soup is a good food. you can go by what the back of the bag says for puppies his weight and that should be good since he's still a baby. good luck

PeanutsMommi · 10-14-2007, 09:45 PM

Thanks so much everyone! I think I may have just been overreacting or being a bit of a worry wort. Im just gonna watch him and see how things go. Thanks so much for all of your advice! Like I said I am a new Yorkie owner so Im sure I will be back soon with more questions! lol. Thanks so much!

Yorkieluv · 10-15-2007, 03:47 PM

Goodness gracious, people...Some yorkies are bigger than others. That doesn't mean he's grossly obese! My yorkie is 11 lbs

PeanutsMommi, if you can feel his ribs and all the bones in his body and they stick out, then he's definitely not eating enough. If you can't feel the ribs, then he's eating too much.

Just read your bag of dog food and see how much a pup at his age and his weight should be eating and make sure he's at least eating that amount. Let your dog's appearance, health, appetite, and size be your guide on how much to feed

10-12-2007, 07:24 PM	#1
PeanutsMommi YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Doer, DE Posts: 5	My Baby wont eat! Hello all! I am brand new to the community and a brand new 1st time Yorkie owner. Peanut is 12 wks old and 6.7 lbs. I got him going on 2 weeks ago and over that time I have noticed that he wont eat that much. He usually eats better if I feed him from my hand however recently he isnt too crazy about that. I tried putting a little hot water in his food and he ate a little of it but I dont think he was too crazy about it. I had him on Purina Puppy Chow when I first got him but I noticed that he was doing a lot of scratching so my vet and some friends suggested that I change his food to see if he continues to scratch. And of course he does but I think it is just because he is a dog. The only other dog that I had was a german shepherd, black lab mix so im not used to having a small breed dog. And I think that I may just be worried too much. But how do I know for sure? I have read a few of the other threads and I am currently boiling some chicken in hopes that he will eat that. Does anyone have any other ideas or suggestions for Peanut and I? Just to see him eat a little more would make me so happy cause Im sooooo worried. Thanks!

10-12-2007, 07:28 PM	#2
alaskayorkie Banning Thread Dictator Donating Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Anchorage Posts: 30,843 Blog Entries: 57	If he's 6.7 pounds at 12 weeks, he is eating way too much. Do you mean 6.7 ounces? __________________ Mike ~ Doting Dad to Jillie, Harper, Molly, Cooper, Eddie (RIP), Lucy (RIP), Rusty (RIP) and Jack (RIP). Check us out on YouTube

10-13-2007, 01:14 PM	#8
YorkieSue Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: NY Posts: 96	6.7 lbs at 12 weeks??? Not good I agree with AlaskaYorkie...something is amiss here. Did you mis-type the weight or age? IF your 12 week old is truly that heavy then you have your reason that he has no appetite. HE IS NOT HUNGRY BECAUSE HE IS BEING GROSSLY OVER FED somewhere along the line. You must get control of the portions etc. This is a very UNHEALTHY SITUATION as you stated it. Please clear up any misstatements you MIGHT have made. This concerns a few of us.

10-13-2007, 01:23 PM	#9
kalina82 Phantom Queen Morrigan Donating Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: with my yorkie baby Posts: 10,141 Blog Entries: 1	before we all jump to conclusions and on this new person lets take a step back. To the OP, can you post a picture of your puppy? Is he overweight or is he just larger in size then the typical yorkie puppy? Its true, most yorkies do not weigh 6lbs at 12 weeks. Mine didn't even weigh 2 lbs. But yours could have come from bigger stock and he can just be a large yorkie or perhaps a mix. can you feel the ribs on your puppy? if you can then he's not overweight. He's just big in size which is fine. At 12 weeks i would either leave food out for him all day and let him pick or separate his food into three meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner). leave the meal down for 15 minutes and whatever isn't eaten in this time period gets picked up and offered at the next meal. which food are you currently feeding? i know you said you used to feed purina, which isn't the best quality. __________________ Kellie and Morgan

10-13-2007, 01:53 PM	#10
chachi I Love My Yorkies Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Posts: 37,147	I bet thats a typo __________________ Chachi's & Jewels Mom Jewels http://www.dogster.com/?132431 Chachi http://www.dogster.com/?132427

10-12-2007, 07:39 PM	#3
PeanutsMommi YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Doer, DE Posts: 5	nope i just took him for his second set of vaccinations on tuesday and they said 6.7lbs. She did say he was a big boy but I dont know. He hasnt eaten that much since I got him. According to the pet food he should be eating about 1 cup to 1 1/2 cups a day

10-12-2007, 07:41 PM	#4
grayxie Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Dresher, PA Posts: 2,779	I wee pup like that can't be expected to eat heaps of food at once, maybe lots of little meals throughout the day. As for the scratching he may have some kind of food allergy, or be allergic to something in your home. Consult your vet about a new food or supplement, because he won't get all the nutrients he needs just from boiled chicken.

10-12-2007, 07:49 PM	#5
PeanutsMommi YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Doer, DE Posts: 5	well i just put the food out and let him eat it throughout the day. His vet said that free choice feeding might still be best for him at his age.

10-12-2007, 07:55 PM	#6
grayxie Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Dresher, PA Posts: 2,779	All the pets I have ever had were free fed, they do just fine but you have to keep an eye out on gaining too much weight.

10-13-2007, 10:28 AM	#7
mejones Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Marion, Iowa Posts: 51	Georgia is 16 weeks old and only east probably about 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup a day. When I first got her at 9 weeks, she was only eating 1/8 of a cup a day. She's pretty little (about 2.5 lbs), but I was shocked with how little they eat, but my vet told me that's normal.

10-14-2007, 12:13 PM	#11
PeanutsMommi YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Doer, DE Posts: 5	Ok first of all Im not overfeeding him at all. I have only had him for 2 weeks on Wednesday. There is no way I have been overfeeding him because I havent had him long enough to overfeed him you would have known that if you completely read my message. And about the 6.7 lbs. I cant be honest that he weighs that much. All I know is that when I took him to the vet Tuesday the vet came in from weighing him and said that he was gonna be kinda big cause he was 6.7. Now from holding him and playing with him I dont think he is 6.7 ounces. I dont know how big most yorkies are at this age because like I said this is my first yorkie. However to answer Kalina's question yes I can feel his ribs. And right now I am feeding him a brand called chicken soup because my vet said that her dog was on purina and he started losing his coat and scratchin so she put him on Chicken Soup and he has been better. So Im trying that right now. And I do leave the food out all day and I let him eat when he gets hungry and on those days where I see he really hasnt eaten much all day I boil some chicken and give it to him for dinner. I would never overfeed my Peanut or do anything to hurt him cause he's my baby and I love him and I dont want anything to happen to him. And like I said in my first post all of this could be in my head and his eating habits may be normal for Yorkies but I dont know myself because he is my first Yorkie and small dog period.

10-14-2007, 12:23 PM	#12
lara2913 Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: UK Posts: 1,920	Well if you can feel his ribs easily then he probably is not overweight. Many members on YT have larger yorkies, my Benjamin was about that weight at that age and now at 19 months he's 12lbs and not overweight at all, he's just a bigger yorkie. The food instructions should tell you how much to feed and you should split that into 3-4 feeds a day. __________________ Indy, Benjamin and Malachi There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face- Ben Williams

10-14-2007, 09:45 PM	#14
PeanutsMommi YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Doer, DE Posts: 5	Thanks so much everyone! I think I may have just been overreacting or being a bit of a worry wort. Im just gonna watch him and see how things go. Thanks so much for all of your advice! Like I said I am a new Yorkie owner so Im sure I will be back soon with more questions! lol. Thanks so much!

10-15-2007, 03:47 PM	#15
Yorkieluv Donating YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: USA Posts: 7,178	Goodness gracious, people...Some yorkies are bigger than others. That doesn't mean he's grossly obese! My yorkie is 11 lbs PeanutsMommi, if you can feel his ribs and all the bones in his body and they stick out, then he's definitely not eating enough. If you can't feel the ribs, then he's eating too much. Just read your bag of dog food and see how much a pup at his age and his weight should be eating and make sure he's at least eating that amount. Let your dog's appearance, health, appetite, and size be your guide on how much to feed __________________ Miko 's his Mommy