Our 11 week old toy poodle (have only had her a week) isn't eating enough.  We've been giving her the dried dog food that the breeder fed her, but she's only eating a tiny amount, nowhere near the recommended quantity for her age.  She'll eat it if it's in our hand, but we don't want to go down that route!  She'll also eat any of the treats or chews that we give her, so we're trying not to give her these until we can get her eating her meals.

The vet says that we should put her food down for her and if she's not eaten it in half an hour remove it until the next meal time.  He's also given us another kind of dried food for her to try.

We're a bit worried about her. She a very happy little dog and has settled in at home and everything, so we don't think that she's fretting for her mum.

All help and suggestions gratefully received.

Earl

Could she be teething and the dried food is hurting her gums ?

I don't think so because she chews at the rawhide (I think that's what they are) bone, Eukaneba biscuits and things no problem and she'll eat it if it's in your hand.

Earl do you think the breeder has maybe been mixing food in with her complete food.

Jean

She was sometimes mixing in some scrambled egg with the dog food pouches for her breakfast.  So we've tried this too - together and seperately!  Still nothing, she just wasn't interested.

have you tried some pudding like custard or tinned rice my rough collie  puppy is 5 month and still gets a tin of rice for supper with eggs stirred in

Jean

Eukanuba biscuits are the same as feeding the adult complete maintence food(if they are in the green box)so feeding too many of them could stop her eating all her complete

I have a very picky cavalier & he has days when he doesn't eat these are a lot less now r=thn when he was a puppy

I gave him chicken(organic)finely minced & a very small amount at a time if he weny total;;y off his food

Please please don't start changing her food unless want an upset tummy have you asked her breeder for help ?

We're going to try her with the dried food the vet gave us before contacting the breeder and cut out the treats and see if this helps.  All our previous dogs ate nothing but chicken, so we were really wanting to get her to eat dog food as this is supposed to be better for them!

Hi Earl,
have you tried soaking the biscuits in hot water?just enough to make them soft,it also brings the smell out more,dogs rely on the smell of their food,the smellier the better,or you could try adding a teaspoon of green tripe,not too much as it isnt balanced on its own,i dont know of any dog that can refuse green tripe.Do you know if your pup can tolerate milk?if so try boiling the tripe in milk for a few minutes & mix it in with pups usual food,my usually fussy dogs gulp down their food when tripe and milk is mixed in :D

Hope all this makes sense,i'm not too good at explaining things :o

good luck

Hi

I've now spoken to the breeder who told us that she fed our pup with a little puppy food mixed in with mince, scrambled egg, chicken, etc.  Having now tried this approach, she eats beautifully!

I think rather than us being upset that she's not eating and her starving we'll have to keep to this method of feeding.  Do you think it's ok to feed them with 'human' food mixed with some dry dog food (which she picks out to the best of her ability!) rather trying to get her to eat only dog food?  She does eat the Eukanuba biscuits (green variety) quite happily.

We love her desperately and just want her to be happy and healthy.

Earl