Has anyone else had any experience of a pup simply refusing to go onto solid food?  I had to bottle feed my latest litter, as Mum was poorly after the birth, and when she recovered she had little milk or interest anyway.  The pups have thrived, and are now 8 week old.  The 2 bigger pups eventually were persuaded to accept solid food, but my little fellow simply refuses to give up his bottle.  He won't even sniff food when offered, and I have gone through the lot, first puppy Eukanuba (which I always use) then finely chopped chicken, slightly warm puppy chum, scrambled eggs - he seems to think they are all disgusting, and if I try to push the point and smear some on his lips he goes rigid with temper and tries to throw himself over backwards!  They are a toy breed, and he is a litte boy anyway, just over 1kg now, and I don't dare go down the route of actually making him miss a couple of meals to make him extra hungry (get the feeling it would not work anyway).  I have made a few feeds a couple of hours late, but he still will not take anything but his bottle.  Any ideas or useful info from similar experiences?
bye
Gwen

Have you tried to get him to lick whatever you are bottle feeding him from fingers ? Just a thought ;-)

Hello Gwen

I had a puppy wouldn't wean from Mum to food.  I had to liquidise the food to start with
and then moved up to mashing with a fork,  I think it helped putting it on paws, nose and of course littermates!!!!. 
Took a little while but by 10 to 12 weeks food was a whole new way of life for him and natural.
Also a toy breed.

Joan

ps I also removed the "other" source of food.

Hi everyone,

Thanks for replies.  Yes, I have tried to get him to lick the milk from my fingers, but he won't - often won't even sniff it!  I thought we had a breakthrough earlier this week, as I liquidised up some farleys rusk with his milk, and he took a whole bottle of it, but at the next feed would not even consider it. 

Have tried getting it on his paws, but he jsut shakes them in a disgusted way, and his littermates manage to coat themselves beautifully in food and milk, and he takes not notice at all!

Joan, it was a relief to read you had someone who took so long to wean - give sme a little hope.  I had been imagining him sitting on the end of hte sofa, fully grown, and demanding his bottle feed!  Only other person I know who has had a similar problem was a nurse at my vets, who bottle cat a kitten until it was 5 months old!

bye
Gwen

Hello Gwen

If I remember correctly we have the same breed..  At least I think..  I had one of my present litter who wouldn't wean properly either.  The others in the litter were  all eating solids like mad and this little fellow just sat and watched them.  I had to go down the hard way though.  A fellow breeder advised me to miss out on a meal and sure enough at the next meal he started to sniff at the food and took some off my fingers.  Next meal he again refused so I did the same again and sure enough he started taking some more at the next one...  Slowly he started eating at every meal and now he actually starts screaming at me when I start to prepare the meals...  I know it was a hard way but it worked for me...  The thing was that he didn't cry as if he was hungry when I refused to give him thebottle for the feeds where he wouldn'teat what was offered...  I think that if I had given into him then he could have become difficult in later life too...  Basically what I think is that if I give into him then he is going to think "Oh well then if I don't eat this then at least they will give me my something else so I wont eat it"

Hi spugsy,  from your name here I think we may well have the same breed.  Whilse I have not yet dared miss out a meal I have delayed - no results.  Thing is, he is so tiny that I am scared to miss a meal completely with him, thinkm I will have to give him another week or so before I take desperate measures.  IF he was one of hteother I would have no problem in taking the hard line, but you know what it is like wiht a really small pup, you worry so about dehydration, etc.  IT is good to know that others have had similar problems, this has left me so surprised, in all my years of breeding I have never had it before.  Had plenty of pups who were a bit slow to start eating, but this complete refusal is a first for me.

bye
Gwen

I wonder Gwen if there is a stage at which a pup is too small to take solids and a small one needs longer to reach the maturity for this next stage???  My pups would be double his size before they started on solids even if I start really early at 12 days due to poor weight gain.

My Jozi's first litter would not entertain solids other than to play with it for about 4 1/2 weeks as she had tons of milk and they gained weight really fast and there were just four.  Next litter more pups not so much milk and started them at my usual 18 days with tasters.

In his case if he isn't anywhere near leaving home yet I would perhaps wait until he was a bit heavier and even on the plump side for his size and then be firm and miss meals.  I think the first step would e to give him his formula on a saucer and stop the bottles.

have you tried baby  rusks in his milk to get him to lap,  Rice pudding or scrambled egg very sloppy made with his milk , put it on a saucer hold his face to the plate and scoop it onto your finger hopefully when he gets the taste he will lap then you can move him onto other foods.

Oh dear, poor little mite, well at 8 weeks I think you have to get this little one into food.  Agree with STARRYEYES I'd get some really sloppy scrambled egg made, (with goats milk or the bottled you are using) make sure it is luke warm.  I know you are an experienced breeder gwen, but I would take the bottle away completely now, I agree with the others in making him miss, we know that milk does fill pups up and if he is having the easy life of being fed by you, he may never go it alone. He obviously loves you feeding him, but take it away and he will be forced to lick and eventually eat.  Perhaps he likes bottle feeds as it is private, perhaps he may like to be in a seperate area just with you and a nice flat bowl or saucer of scrambled egg. Cuddle your hands around him whilst you place him infront of the food to give him the feeling of security he gets when you hold him to bottle feed. :-)

Hi Starryeyes and Carrington,  normally I would used all these techniques - ie food on fingers, milky sloppy food etc, (in fact I have) but he won't even sniff it, and when I smear it on him he just rubs it off - never even attempts to lick it!  For such a small boy he is extremely determined.  As soon as I get the first inkling that he will eat I will remove the bottle, but don't dare just yet.  Thanks for your input.

bye
Gwen

Just a thought Gwen, but could you syringe some sloppy food (rather than milk) into his mouth so that he isn't sucking from a bottle?

Hi again everyone,
We may have had a break through today!  At the last feed time, he actually walked up to the dish wiht his simblings food in it, sniffed twice, and actually licked it once!!!  I did not want to push the issue, so didn't dip his nose in, smear it on him or anything.  Will see what happens next time!

The syringing idea seems like it may be a possibility, thanks, will give it a go.  He does drink in the most bizarre way from his bottle, for about the last 2 weeks, he has been taking the bottle out of the side of his mouth, and sort of making lapping motions wiht his tongue.  He is very laid back about it, sits up on his bottom on my lap, leaning backwards against me, with the bottle in the corner of his mouth, looks like a very small Winston Churchill chomping on a cigar!!!

I think the comment about him not being ready is very valid, he is extremely small for his age, and looks so much younger than his littermates, even his behaviour is way behind theirs, he has really just started playing wiht them this weekend, while they have happpily been playing for at least 3 weeks.
bye
Gwen

I'd started to write a post to you previously as to whether he was at the same stage as his siblings but got called away, so that is interesting that he is behind in play, is he walking properly was that also delayed, was his birth normal, could he have lost oxygen at all?

He may just be a very slow developer or he may be a little delayed mentally, I guess that will come out the older he gets.  Are you going to keep him gwen or will you just keep him longer if he is a slow developer?

It is good that he is sniffing, I agree in not pushing him if he goes to the food himself, hopefully he will become aware of what his siblings are doing and join in soon enough. Keep us informed I've never heard of this myself so I'm really interested in him. :-)

Hi Carrington,
Teh litter were all born at the vets (although dleivered by me) as MAble had "gon on stirke" so to speak, having been in the primary stages for several hours wihtout really getting started.  As this was here 3rd (and final) litter, I knew how she acts pretty well, and though we werein for a C  Section.  So we arrived at the vets, and while we waited for the Vet who was to perorm the op to arrive, the other vet gave her an oxtytocin shot - guess what, she produced a pup just as her vet arrived!  Sadly, we had to put this pup to sleep as she ahd a bad cleft palate.  However, the next 3 arrvied quickly, and without seeming difficulty.  This little guy was the last of the 3, and took a while to get going, so there could be a case of some oxygen deprivation.  He has developed very differently from his 2 siblings, from being the biggest, he dropped 1 oz overnight, and then a further half ounce.  The other dropped a little first day, but gianed form then on, so by day 3 they were both heavier than him.  Hw actually did not gain any weight at all until he was 7 days old, and then very slowly gained - a quarter ounce per day.  This meant that at 10 days, when the others had doubled in wieght (the bench mark I usually look for) he had not got back to birth weight!  However, he was the first to walk (possibly becausee he was so light) and also found his voice first.

Until this week he showed no desire to play with his littermates, and chose to sleep alone, direclty under the heat lamp.  If the others cuddled in he did not mind, but never sought them out - not a case of him being left out by them (which always worries me in a litter) he simply did his own thing.  He is a very special little boy indeed, and looks rather like a bush baby at the moment (most enormous eyes I have ever seen!).  Even his colour change is happening differntly for the others - with this breed they are often born very dark indeed (often sort of black & brown stripey, which is very disconcerting the first time you see it!!) and then gradually lighten up to a fawn with a black mask and ears,  changing evenly all over. However, he still has a very dark body, although the underlying hair is very pale, but the legs have turned clear fawn, as has the top of the head and tail, it gives the impression that all the colour is running into the middle!

Much as I would love to keep him I don't think it will be possible, however, he certainly won't be ready to leave me for ages, and will need a very special, hand picked home!!! 

Thganks for all the input and interest everyone, will keep you informed of his progress.

bye
Gwen
ps he has now been "christened" Pipsqueak

Gwen do you have any pics of wee pipsqueak? I would love to see some,but especially of him suckling on a bottle,i think that would be the most adorable thing.

Hi Ktee
I have lots and lots of pics, of Pipsqueak and the rest of the litter, not got one of him wiht his bottle, will ry to get one tomorrow.  If you want to pm me your email address I will mail some
bye
Gwen

Wow, that is quite a list, you are not going to forget your girls last litter. :-P

The fact that he walked first and found his voice :-D first is very promising.

Strange about his coat and feeding though, he is very conflicting almost like a much younger pup in some areas but forward in others.

I could almost imagine that he was from a later mating, (some freak acquaintance ;-)  ) a few weeks later, (you do hear of these things) but I guess born weeks early would cause breathing problems etc? And he would have been really tiny and underdeveloped at birth, so I guess that can be ruled out.

Give Pipsqueak a tiny hug from me, hope that he soon finds the wonders of solid food. :-) Perhaps then his coat will change again too. :-)

Will he fit in my rucksack for me to take to work with me ;) Jamnes still talks about your breed!!!!!
I hope you get him sorted, and knowing you, you will do!!!!!
Hugs to pipsqueak and please can you send me some pics of him for James :)
Lea.

Hi Lea,
Will email some pics right away - and he woudl certianly fit in a rucksack - in fact he woudl fit in a not very big pocket!
bye
Gwen

Hi Carrington.
He has me completely puzzled, no clear pattern at all for his development!  To look at him with his siblings he looks very immature, the other two look as I would expect 9 weeks old pups of this breed to look, Pipsqueak looks more like 5 weeks!  In fact, he looks a little like a cartoon puppy, he has the biggest eyes I have every seen in a pup, and his ears  are "flying" (normally does not happen till teeth change) giving him a comical expression.

We have had a little step forward in the eating stakes - yesterday and today, after finishing his bottle, he climbed off my knee and actually sniffed the dish of food, then licked a little.  I put live yoghurt on the pups feed, and this seemed to be what he was interested in.  I almost held my breath, was so scared of putting him off!  However, when I offered him some food this morning he did his ususal refusal.  Just going to have to let him do it his own way, in his own time.

I was thinking Gwen on reading it that this little chap is just going to start when it suits him, little mite. He is the weight of a 4 week pup in my breed which is small anyway.  We just start weaning ours at this age and weight

The other thing is maybe you are being such a good mum he is quite happy with you looking after him :-) he maybe loves the comfort..

2 weeks time he will be feeding like the rest I bet

Hi again everyone, just a quick update.  The pups will be 10 weeks old on  Tuesday, and Pipsqueak is not giving up his bottle just yet, however, he is taking a little interest in solid food.  While waiting for his bottle to warm up he will lick a little yoghurt form my finger, and after his bottle he is now sniffing at the food on the plate, rather than running a mile!  Going for 2nd vaccination tomorrow, so hoping that does not make him go backwards  again.
bye
Gwen

Hi everyone
So many of you wanted to be kept informed on Pipsqueak's progress, so wanted to share his news with you - he is now eating properly and I am so happy for him!  I had to leave the pups with a friend last week as I went to the USA for a few days.  She was busy getting his first bottle feed ready, having alrady put the puppy food down for his sister when he gave her waht she describes as a suspicious sideways look, and strted eating along side his sister!  Did not need a single bottle feed all week!  Things were a bit sticky when I go his home, he ate his first meal, but was a bit reluctant for the next one.  I had to harden my heart and not give in to the enormous, pleading eyes, and after about half an hour he gave in and ate his chicken. So, at jsut over 11 weeks old he actually weaned.
bye
Gwen

Whooo Whooo Gwen (not too loudly for ickle pups ears :D )  Way to go Pipsqueak!

ickle tummy rubs for the tinies, Teri :)

Bless him, he didn't want to give up his Mum.

Of course, now comes the hardest bit - actually deciding when the time is right to let him go!  Not sure if I can bear to.
bye
Gwen

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww thats Brilliant Gwen :D :D :D :D :D :D
Maybe thats the answer to dogs not eating. Get someone else in for a few days :) :) LOL
That really is good news :)
But Gwen, come on, you have to let him go :D :D :D :D
(Now where do you live, I will make the decision easy for you, Just leave the back window open so I can come and smuggle him out :D :D)
Lea :)
(BTW I am making one of my customers a pug convert!!!! so maybe when her Am cocker goes I may well be calling you!!!! I am not telling my dogs about her as they will leave home and be sitting on her doorstep saying hopw bad a mummy I am LMAO)

That reminds me when I was trying to wean my son off the breast at 14 months.  I left him at my Dads all day for several days so he didn't think about it and had little opportunity other than a night time feed.  He was weaned off completely in about a week.

Great Gwen,.. this lad has you just where he wants you eh?? :-D :-D

Great welcome home present for you :-) 

You need a cheeky name for him..

How bout 'Love in a Bottle' 'Milky Bar kid'.

LOL both good :-)

Brilliant news gwen, phew, glad that he has finally taken the plunge. :-P

I've been thinking about him on and off. It's been a lovely story, I love the ones with the happy endings. :-)

Hi everyone
Thanks for all the thoughts and kind words about Pipsqueak (who, with his sister is sitting on my lap as I type this).  I will make sure I leave all windows tightly closed Lea!  He actually already has a name - he is W***k Pumpkin Pie (have not put affix as not sure if it is allowed).  I think there is something about hand rearing pups which makes you that little bit closer to them - although I adore all my pups! Mike often teases me that I am too "soft" with them and make them clingy - he whisks away any promising show prospects asap before I completley ruin them!  For now, I am just going to enjoy them, and see if anyone worthy of him comes along in a couple of weeks time, who I might (only might) consider good enough for Pipsqueak, after all he is a very special little boy.
bye
Gwen

Hi,
Yes! I had one that had no intention of being weaned. What I did was mixed readybrek with puppy milk layed down with her and scupped it up with my fingers and let her lick it off, very messy!!
Then over a couple of days held the bowl under her mouth doing the same. Within the week she was feeding fine. I smile as they are just like babies. That find it easier to just drink the milk, especially breast feed ones.lol.
Denese  

Hiya Gwen,
How is pipsqueak doing now?????
(dont worry, my cat suit is a bit toght at the moment, so wil have to leave it a few months to become a cat burgalar aqgain ;) And anyway, those ears play havoc with my hair!!!!!)
Lea :) :)

Hi Lea,  He is doing so well, it is unbelievable!  Last Saturday was the last week of a course of 4 puppy preschool sessions at the Vets, to get them socialised, and Kevin (the vet) could not believe he was the same pup!  He is still extremely fussy about his food, and insists on still having his Carnation Milk and water mix with every meal, but at least it is in a bowl now :)  He and Gertrude are 16 week sold today, which is hard to believe.  Will take some more pics this week, and send them for the kids, if you like.
bye
Gwen

Hi Gwen try some normal baby foods the jar ones
but dont use the beef,  all our hand fed Norwich
we use carnation then on to the baby foods to ween.
Garry

Hi Garry
Thanks for that, but he is eating nicely now, just very determined about what he will eat - likes Chicken all the time, tolerates his "sevsitive" purina complete when mixed with chicken, but will not consider anything like tinned Puppy Chum, mince, fish or scrambled eggs!  I don't think he would put up with baby food - although he is very keen on tinned Rice Pudding, which I limit his intake of as it is not the most nutritious of dinners!
bye
Gwen

Thanks for the update Gwen (and sorry for evryone else for thinking this was an ongoing propblem :)
Yes my kids would love to see a pic!!!  as both go all gooey eyed over your dogs :D :D
Oh and me as well, but please, dont tell my kids I like pugs as I will ruin my hard Rottie image ;) ;)
Lea :) :) :)

Will be doing some pics before weekend, and will send asap. He realy is a gorgeous little boy now, and what a mover!  Isn't it  always the way, if we could get all our show prospects moving like him, and with his show off nature!  Of course, all the human contact with the hand rearing may have a lot to do with it.  He is completely fearless - which is not always ideal in such a small breed, of course.  Can't believe they are now 4 months old.
ps
Was in Blackpool today mating one of Beano's relatives - Dolly, whose grandsire is Rocko, which makes her Beanos niece.

So she has as much hair as Beano :o :o :o
How can a dog have sooo much hair :D
Beano is curled up near my chair and says hi to his niece :)

Lea :) :)

Tell him to keep his paws crossed that he will be an Uncle in about 9 weeks time!
bye
Gwen

I did, but he was way too busy eating to takle any notice!!!! Are they ALL as much of a pig as him!!! LMAO
Lea :)

Most of them!  "Healthy appetites" run in the family!
bye
Gwen

Poor Ebba has to watch out!! I have put him on a diet and as soon as she raises her head, he is in there Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Thats before he finishes his LMAO
Lea :)