# Help- zoey is getting thin- and won't really eat



## Zoeys momma (Jan 5, 2012)

Hi everyone
Zoey is now 12 weeks old
Here's what I have done so far, please chime in to help get her to eat good quality dog food

7 weeks old- fed her purina puppy chow- I know yuck..right..but it's what I had because it is the only food my teacup poodle will eat.... So I had it..gave it to her 3 times a day- she ate it..loved it

8 weeks old mixed in what my dh brought home- iams dog food..why I had on order taste of the wild for large puppies

Mixed it with her food ..ate it..for several days.,then switched her to
Totw- ate it first day- weaned her onto just totw

Won't touch it...
Added now orajen .. Peanutbutter, chicken broth, yogurt, canned dog food..salmon oil, anything I can add to flavor it up..for two days now won't touch it

She will take her treats like crazy, eat chicken if I give it to her,,etc 

But what or how do I get her on a brand of good quality dog food that she will eat?

I always think she is more on the thin side. My dh says she is going to the bathroom right? Then she is eating...I think she is thin

She grows so super fast. I walk her ..nice long walks, lots of play..and feed

You would think she would devour her food especially right after 1/2 hour of a walk..nope just sticks her nose up at it and walks away- tried it 3 times today. Infact their is no running to her bowl when Iam getting her food prepared today. She ran to her bowl on puppy chow, iams and the first day of mixing adding in the totw.

Is their a really good quality dog food that you can suggest that dogs love...
Could it be her teething?too crunchy?


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

She isn't really teething yet...that is coming in a couple weeks though! I would buy some canned jack mackeral(grocery store) mix it in with her kibble. It usually has 3 fish to a can, add 1/2 or one fish to a meal. If she doesn't try it then maybe try scrambled cooked egg with her kibble to get her going. 
As long as she's growing and pooping, I wouldn't worry too much about her picky behaviors.

I can't recommend a good kibble, as I feed raw. :shrug:


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## TaZoR (Jan 26, 2012)

Tazor the same way, hates dry even with canned or other stuff mixed in.. i end up giving him canned only. I keep trying dry..i tgink hes spoiled but takes it to extreme on hunger strikes so..anyway. sometimes during the day, i mix can and dry and just dump it on the sidewalk at the bottom of the backyard steps. He eats it better tgat way. I think he thinks he found something good, like he does with sticks and things. Great hunter..lol. 

I have a large yard with a 5 ft chainlink fence so i dont worry about other animals and what he doesnt eat, my other dogs clean up. Since its winter, its refrigerated too.


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## Holmeshx2 (Apr 25, 2010)

I honestly think you are creating a super picky eater you have switched and added so much stuff in just a few short weeks she's holding out for something better more then likely. I would do one of 2 things.. either pick a food you want or go get small sample bags of a few good quality foods and set them each down for her to see if she has a preference between them. Which ever method you choose just give that food and nothing else. Stop the treats entirely stop adding stuff just put the kibble down give her 20 minutes then pick it back up. Same thing next meal if she's healthy then she will not starve herself. Personally, with young pups I prefer to feed in the crate for a number of reasons which I would recommend in this case as well.


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

Ditto...


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

Please, no TOTW (and I don't use Orijen either - I haven't looked at their calcium levels lately but remember them being high - you need to look for sure) for puppies. That's the latest science - will it change? Possible! 

There is a sticky in this section with information on feeding puppies. Things that will help you choose a better food.  

1. Have you done de-worming? All puppies have worms, many have giardia and coccidia. I have not had any that I know of  but would imagine it would make my belly feel yucky and impact my appetite. 
2. Weighing is the only way to know if she's gaining, doing it weekly is good for puppies. 
3. When you get a good kibble, take a teaspoon of Merrick canned and mix it in with a bit of water. I have not seen a puppy that can resist that, unless very ill. Then, once you have decided on a food, try to keep it at that. 

Chicken is a common protein, so is lamb, yet some dogs seem to have problems with them, sometimes. I might start with a fish based food and once she gets on her feet, eating-wise, in all ways, then you can start rotating around if you'd like. 

Good luck!


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## TaZoR (Jan 26, 2012)

I do realize he is most likely spoiled, however, i felt at this stage in his growth its essential he recieve proper nutrition. Also, i dont want to compromise his immune system while hes getting his shots.


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## TaZoR (Jan 26, 2012)

Also, there was a recall in december on the iams puppy. You may want to check the code number against the iams site


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Orijen large breed puppy is one of the few that has proper calcium and phosphorus balance. Wellness super5mix LBP is another...TOTW is high~ though the fish blend is not as high as the other two proteins they make.

If you are using yummy treats for training, that may play into it...just use the kibble to train for now. My dogs have always been pretty food motivated, but won't eat milk bones or other crunchy cookie type _treats_...natural balance rolls are high value along with string cheese.


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## Zoeys momma (Jan 5, 2012)

Thanks everyone... Yes both I use as in the totw and orajen or oragen however it's spelled is for large breed puppies- both I thought were under the 1.5 percent calcium level
Reading on here I thought totw was acceptable if it were their new puppy formula?

Switching was going to happen because the first couple of days I was using the previous parina puppy chow that was in the home and breeder uses. Switching to iams for a few mixed in days due to waiting for the totw would arrive through the mail. Because she seemed as if she did not care for the totw and read dogs loved oragen got a small size of that.

Also yesterday I didn't mix anything in it. Just did the stick it down..pull up 20 minutes later. Same in the afternoon, same in the evening.- evening a few bites

Yes the trainer wants her favorite treats for training. So guess iam not sure now what to do with that then. If I use the training treats from her food- it sure isn't much motivation.

I have had a rottie, shelties, golden retrievers, labs, samoyed, spitz, Doberman, in my years of growing up with dogs- never except for this dag on teacup poodle- the whole 4 lbs she is... A picky eater. Could stick anything down in front of them and they would gobble up. 

Except when they were Ill

Zoey has no parasites, has been dewormed, tested, fecal- etc- all clear.

She has another vet check up soon. Will discuss this with the vet...and maybe retest since her last test were a couple of weeks ago?

She is growing- but just that lanky look- ribs showing.

I would rather mix and get her nutrients in her then skinny like a rail and On the other hand if she isn't going to starve to death will domthe put down and pick up for the next couple of days. But after that- I will mix in some of everyones suggestion

As a new mommy of a gsd I want her to have alot of nutrition and yet- do not honestly want to make a picky spoiled eater out of her. Iam trying to do the best I can.

Thank u all for your advise
And your experiences.

Xoxxo


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

if my dog wasn't eating or slow to eat i would
take him to the Vet. i would take a stool and urine sample
and have blood work done. my dog stopped eating
his food on 2 different occassions. i switched foods
both times. i feed my dog a lot of different things.
when i feed him fish in a can it's in water, no salt added.


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## Kesser (Nov 27, 2011)

We kept Vegas on the raw diet the breeder was feeding him. When we first brought him home he ate fine for the first day or 2 then after a few days it was almost as if he realized he wasn't going back to his mom and sister and he stopped eating. 
For about a month we had to sit with him and hand feed him sometimes just so he would eat. We were super worried but then one day he just started eating on his own and now he gobbles his food down and gets excited when it's time to eat!
Maybe she is just trying to adjust to her new surroundings? But it definitely is not a bad idea to talk to your vet about it too!
Good luck!!! =)


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

One of the Taste of the Wild Puppy formulas would be fine. 

However, I would NOT feed a puppy the TOTW that isn't made for puppies due to the higher calcium.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

Only mix stuff in her kibble if you want to have to do it for the rest of her life. Some folks CHOOSE to do this and that is fine. Choosing to feed this way is one thing, doing it because you created a picky eater that won't eat plain kibble is another.

I refuse to jump thru hoops to get a puppy/dog to eat. My dogs have ALL gladly eaten plain kibble of the brand I choose. It isn't up to my dogs to decide what they eat, that's MY job.


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## Zoeys momma (Jan 5, 2012)

Thank u, she hasn't had the iams since the first week I had her...

Good luck to u too on getting your pup to eat right..and thank u


TaZoR said:


> Also, there was a recall in december on the iams puppy. You may want to check the code number against the iams site


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## Zoeys momma (Jan 5, 2012)

I hear ya....I do..this is what I do not want to end up with

U did say "my dogs have all gladly eaten plain kibble of the brand I choose"

Did you as well go experience dog food withdrawal from your dogs and just choose to keep up with your method and then they began eating? Or did u just never experience a puppy just turn his or her nose up at food for many days?
Thanks for your insight and experience



BlackGSD said:


> Only mix stuff in her kibble if you want to have to do it for the rest of her life. Some folks CHOOSE to do this and that is fine. Choosing to feed this way is one thing, doing it because you created a picky eater that won't eat plain kibble is another.
> 
> I refuse to jump thru hoops to get a puppy/dog to eat. My dogs have ALL gladly eaten plain kibble of the brand I choose. It isn't up to my dogs to decide what they eat, that's MY job.


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## Zoeys momma (Jan 5, 2012)

I hope its the just adjusting to her environment and she being a pup- just gets to into everything else maybe to want to eat...

But i have this feeling..she may just be holding out for training times..lol and then gobbling the yummy treats instead.

Will try to use kibble for treat work as well. Well..lol, I tried that last night and it was funny watching how quickly she began to just ignore me..not good eh? 

Bring out some chicken which I refused to do... Bet she would be right back to the attention all over what I say.

I love zoey very much and just want her to be healthy
Xoxo



Kesser said:


> We kept Vegas on the raw diet the breeder was feeding him. When we first brought him home he ate fine for the first day or 2 then after a few days it was almost as if he realized he wasn't going back to his mom and sister and he stopped eating.
> For about a month we had to sit with him and hand feed him sometimes just so he would eat. We were super worried but then one day he just started eating on his own and now he gobbles his food down and gets excited when it's time to eat!
> Maybe she is just trying to adjust to her new surroundings? But it definitely is not a bad idea to talk to your vet about it too!
> Good luck!!! =)


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