Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I just got my baby Shih Tzu puppy and I'm scared she will get sick if she doesn't eat. She'll take in a lil then doesn't want any more.
How old is she? How long has she been weaned? If she is tiny, you may be trying to overfeed her.
The puppy is a week old, but doesn't latch on to her mother like she should. What to feed the puppy if not ' milk? Pet milk diluted with water? Baby formula? What is safe for the puppy?
You could get a better answer from your Vet but if it were me i would get milk replacer at the pet store. I would not dilute it, but follow the directions on the package.
I have a 7 week old Chiweenie puppy. Mom has dried up and she was eating watered down soft puppy food for this last week. She will not take a bottle, but will drink water.
As of today she will not eat and seems weak. What can I do to help this little one?If it's not too late take her to a Vet.
I have a month old Cocker. What should I feed him? He is my first pet.
By Mahima
You have a puppy that has been taken from its' mother too early. I would try to feed it canned dog food or softened dry food. It may take your puppy awhile to learn to eat so be patient. You can buy dog food especially for puppies. Just make sure it is soft and moist. Keep a dish of water close by. The puppy needs to be fed 4 or 5 times a day.
My pug puppy is 12 weeks old, and she won't eat the required measured amount of food that she needs. She turns her nose up at it.
By Jacqui G.
I would change flavors or brands. They are like people. They all don't like the same thing, and not the same thing every single meal.
Is my Pug puppy not eating enough? I feed him about a handful a meal. He is about 11 weeks old.
By Katie
Just look at the back of the package and it should tell you. Or, just call your local Vet!
I have a 8 week old Husky/Shepherd; how many times a day should I feed him and how much?
By Ed M
You should ask for the long term feeding chart from whoever you obtained the puppy from. It's mandatory for registered licensed breeders to supply this information when the puppy leaves at eight weeks.
I would also contact a veterinarian. This is the most critical part of your animal's life that can affect it for the rest of it's life. And please don't forget it's annual vaccinations are imperative for a long healthy life.
I have a 3 month old Pit/Lab mixed puppy. My neighbor gave him to me with adult dog food (Gravy Train). So I have been feeding him with it and he seems to love it. When I take him out to bathroom, his poop comes out thick and soft like ice cream (sorry). I am wondering if that's OK to give him, cause I never know what brand of puppy food is best. I don't want to have to constantly switch between different brands, as I have been with previous brands? So any suggestions on type and brand of puppy food for my little guy?
By James B from Columbus, GA
Hello,
Congrats on your new fur baby. Gravy Train has been around for many years and is one of the cheapest brands you can feed your dog, especially a puppy. Your puppy needs to have a puppy food diet until he is at least 8-9 months old. He needs all the nutrients that are in a puppy food to help him grow and maintain good health.
Gravy train will make his stools soft because of all the junk they put in it. If you put him on a better diet, you will have non loose stools, less smell, less gas, and more, as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for. i have worked for a Veterinarian for many years and our Doctor's always suggest a brand called Wellness, or Blue Buffalo. these brands also have a puppy food.
I have been feeding my 2 dogs Wellness for many years, and they are happy & healthy. You can call the Wellness company and they will send you a puppy package for your puppy. It will have "How to Care" for your puppy and also some coupons. Good luck. Please don't forget to vaccinate your puppy as the breed he is is prone to the parvo virus.
They gave me a small puppy and she has got baby teeth. I don't know how old she is. She was hungry so I gave her 2% milk; is that good for her?
By EG
2% milk in not the best choice to feed your puppy. You need to know how old the puppy is to know what to feed it. Find a local Veterinarian and take the puppy to see him/her. They can tell you how old the puppy is, what to feed now and in the future.
I have a baby Chihuahua puppy. I do not know how old it is, but it doesn't have any teeth and it still acts like it's trying to nurse on its mother. The people who gave it to me were gonna take it to the pound so I took him.
He acts like he is fine with the puppy milk I've been feeding him. I put a little bit of puppy food in it and warm it up and feed it to him. I just want to make sure he is gonna be okay if I feed him that. Please help me!
By Trina
Vet immediately. Pup will die in hours if there is wrong formula or no feed. Probable need is milk replacer from pet food store. Please, immediate action.
I have a 7 week old Bichon Frise; how many times a day is it best to feed her?
By Mo
What does your vet say?
I've never had that breed but have raised puppies for years (Boxers). Our pups that age would still be getting a lot of their nourishment from Mum although I would be offering a quality kibble moistened with water or a puppy milk replacement every three or four hours, too.
If you decide to try starting your puppy on moistened kibble, be sure to supervise-watch for choking, gagging, and yes, drowning/suffocating. If he falls asleep during feeding and lands nose first, he may lack the ability to wake-up and move his face. Puppies of different breeds grow and develop at breed specific stages and not all 7 week olds have strength and instincts in equal measure.
Also remove the kibble once the puppy loses interest, and don't try to economise by saving it over to the next feeding time because it could spoil even in a short time, causing tummy troubles for your puppy.
How much should a Chihuahua/Pug mix puppy eat per day? My Chug, as they're called, is 6 weeks old (too young, but things happen) and I'm worried about her overeating, as Pugs tend to do. On January 15th, she was 5 weeks 4 days old and weighed 1 pound 4.2 ounces. Today, January 19th, she weighs 1 pound 9.6 ounces and her belly looks a bit fat to me.
Currently, I give her as much dry puppy food (soaked in water) as she'll eat 4 times in a 24-hour period. But 5.4 ounces seems like a lot of weight gain in four days. I've never had a puppy this young before. Any advice or tips on what to do?By Grumblesnort
When puppies are this young, they will not overeat. Everything in them says 'grow, grow, grow'. Being a small breed, your dog will reach her adult size by roughly 6-8 months. Then you can use the information on the side of your dog food container to figure how much food to feed. We have small dogs and use their optimum weight as a guideline, figure the amt, then feed half in the AM and half in the PM. Best wishes with you new puppy!
I have adopted a very young puppy (4-5 wks old) that was either abandoned or lost her mama. She's actually a wonderful puppy, extremely smart and very laid back...except when it comes to eating. OMG, it is unreal!
My sister found her and fed her canned food for the first 5 days. My sis warned me that she was crazy when she ate. I switched to giving her dry food soaked in water. But the first day, I just got it wet and let it sit for about 5 minutes. She ate it so fast!
I didn't realize there was a problem until her next few stools; they were loose with a pinkish/clear liquid. I was immediately concerned that the food was too hard on her little tummy, not to mention the fact that she couldn't possibly be chewing the food. I then let her food completely soak up the water so it was soft. That seemed to help as far as her stools go, they have been normal.
I just cannot get her to slow down! I've tried hand feeding a few kibbles at a time and letting her eat from the bowl while I hold it, then taking it away to make her take a breath. But, as soon as she can she's inhaling again. I've read to keep food down where she always has access to it (this is what I've always done with my other pets), but I'm afraid she might hurt or kill herself if food was available all the time.
I have two main concerns with this: she's not chewing the food at all, (there are a few pieces of kibble that don't get completely soft and I worry she's going to choke). I'm afraid I'll never be able to give her dry food if this continues. The other is, I'm afraid that when she's older, she'll be food aggressive. I'm hoping to have her certified as a therapy dog or at least an emotional support companion. And she "cannot" be aggressive at all to be certified.
The common theory would be that she had to fight for food from her litter mates, but she wasn't underweight when we found her nor was she old enough to fight for "regular" food. She'll try to take my food from me, right after she's eaten, so it can't be from hunger; can it?
She still wants to suckle. Would bottle feeding her help? I was thinking once a day? I'll do whatever it takes to break her from doing this. If not bottle feeding, what else can I do?
I've already fallen completely in love with my DaisyMae, and I want the best for her. I just need her to slow down enough to at the very least, chew her food.
Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you so very much!
By MaryAnn M.
My 8 week old Pit Bull pup doesn't want to eat or drink anything today. I'm taking him to the vet when they open, but until then idk what to do. He's still active and what not, but his tummy is making a bubbly noise like it does when you're hungry.
By Crystal
I have 3 six month old Pit Bull puppies. How many times a day should I feed them?
By Karlis from Louisville, KY
How do I get a 5 week old puppy with a splint, to eat?
By ashley from Upland, CA
Young puppies that are no longer nursing, won't or can't always begin eating dry kibbles right away. There are products made especially for this situation, your vet may also have advice on homemade alternatives. There are several ideas offered on this page, as well. This is a page about feeding a puppy that can't eat dry food yet.
There are a number of reasons you may find yourself feeding and caring for a very young puppy. This page contains recommendations for how and what to feed a two week old puppy.
Caring for and feeding puppies young puppies that typically would still be being fed by the mom may require purchasing some milk replacement and perhaps offering moistened puppy food. This is a page about feeding a five week old puppy.
There are a number of legitimate reasons you may need to feed a very young puppy. Check with a vet or pet supply store to purchase products intended to replace mother's milk. Goat's milk is also recommended. This page contains helpful suggestions for feeding a 3 week old puppy.
Very young puppies can be given goat's milk or special puppy formulas available at pet stores. As they mature these liquids can be mixed with puppy kibbles and blended or softened depending on their age. This is a page about feeding a 4 week old puppy.
Checking with your vet is a good way to determine when to begin offering solid food to your puppy. Many pet owners suggest beginning solids, in addition to nursing, at around 4-6 weeks. This is a page about, "When can I start feeding a puppy solid food?".
Feeding your dog an occasional cooked egg is fine. They usually really like them. With a puppy, any new food might be given in small amounts so that they get used to it. This is a page about feeding a puppy cooked eggs.
A six week old puppy is a bit young to be away from its mother. Feeding it in lieu of it being nursed, may require some experimentation and special food for awhile. This is a page about feeding a 6 week old puppy.
ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.
I need help. I don't know what to do with our new puppy. She isn't weaned. I need to know what to do.
