# 10 week old puppy not eating today?



## joannes0 (Jul 4, 2011)

Hi there! I'm new to the forum. I ran across this place while searching for info, and this seems like a lovely place. We adopted a 10 week old Shepherd/Lab mix a couple days ago and I’m not sure if I should be concerned about her. She seemed to be doing great until today. But today she's barely eaten. 



The shelter we got her from had the puppies in her litter on Pedigree. So I started feeding her one cup of that three times a day. The first two days she ate like a hog. Would even go back to her bowl during the day and lick at it like she was starving. But a couple hours after she would eat, she would have some really smelly gas and her poop was on the runny side (not diarrhea, but definitely softer than I know it ought to be). I read that it could mean her tummy wasn't quite agreeing with the food she was on, so I started to switch her to Purina One (b/c it has meat listed as the first ingredient and not corn). It's only been one day, and I haven't completely switched her yet. What I did yesterday was mix give her 1/4 cup of the new food mixed in with 3/4 cup of the old food with every feeding. Again, she gobbled it up. 

I got her up at 5:30 this morning and made her go outside, and she peed several times and made a big poop, which was a lot more solid than it has been. AND so far she’s a lot less gassy. 

But so far today she hasn't eaten. I put out food for her at 7am (after she went out at 5:30, she immediately came in and went back to sleep). She's gone in for a few bites, but then she walks away from it. I've tried giving her ONLY the Pedigree and wetting the food and nothing is working. So I put out a mix again, but so far she's only eaten maybe half a cup. 


She’s also been sleeping a lot. She’s gotten up in the morning, gone outside to potty first thing, will like crazy for a couple of hours, then she crashes for several hours at a time. Today for example. She got up at 7 this morning, played hard for about an hour (tearing around the back yard chasing my hubby), my hubby took her for a walk, then she laid around the kitchen with us (she likes to stay wherever we are--very much a snuggle bunny) but she’s been napping since noon. She’s done this every day since we brought her home. She'll play for a bit, then nap for hours. 

Oh, she IS being treated for worms. I have to give her the second dose of medicine by Friday. 

I'm worried, but I don’t know if I should be. I've had dogs all my life, but I've never actually raised a puppy. Our last dog (also a Shepherd) we adopted when she was five. So I'm not sure if I should just keep an eye our new puppy until tomorrow and phone the vet to see what they think, or if I should be on the phone NOW. 


thank you very much for your help!


~Joanne


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## Sulamk (Jan 30, 2011)

If you are worried phone now!


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

first of all, pedigree is NOT a good food in all seriousness. There are several threads regarding foods that are better than pedigree and purina to look into. Secondly, has your pup had any shots recently? like the day this all started? a pup this young, not being interested in food is cause for concern. I'd personally go to the vet. Better safe than sorry. Also learn about the signs and symptons of parvo. I would request the vet do a parvo test. If it comes up negative request one be done about a week later. Cover all your bases. Puppies go downhill fast so its really better safe than sorry. 

You said she's being treated for worms. Sometimes the medication can make them uncomfortable. Make sure she's getting enough water. I would call my vet just to make sure. if a pup has a lot of worms, the medication and the worms can actually cause the pup to not want to eat because they're uncomfortable. keep her hydrated and contact your vet. 

also, often times, an animal refusing to eat may not necessary be sick but there could be something wrong with the food. You mentioned your pup was also with his litter before you adopted her. Puppies tend to push and shove to get more food than the others. The inhaling the food when you first got her makes sense. It could be now he realizes she does have to compete for food, she's not mentally in gobble mode. Do you have her on a feeding schedule and a potty schedule? If you're leaving the food out all day, that can not only make potty training more difficult but it also means your pup will learn she doesnt need to eat at meal times but whenever she wants. When you put her meals down, wait 15 minutes and if she doesnt eat, pick it up until next meal. She'll learn to eat when she's supposed to. Also putting a set amount of food down at mealtimes and picking it back up again 15 minutes later can also help you know if there is something wrong or not if she isnt finishing her meal.


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

She is only 10 weeks and 3 cups seems like a lot IMHO. My adult 70 pound female eats 2.5 - 3 cups. It is possible that she is just satisfied. Puppies often skip meals and it doesn't mean anything. They also nap a lot, like a baby. The advice above would be good to follow.


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## joannes0 (Jul 4, 2011)

*thank you!*

Thanks very much for the replies. I was a bit overwhelmed when I posted this. It's a bit like having another baby. It was one of those things where it could have gone either way. She seemed fine otherwise. She was playful, drinking normally, peeing, just didn't eat much. So I was like, geez, do I call the vet or wait and see how she does, you know?

This morning I went out and got her some canned dog food (bought her one with no byproducts and ingredients I could recognize) and mixed it in with the dry and she gobbled it up. AND she's full of beans so far. So, knock on wood. But am still going to call the vet and see what they say. 

foodwise, when I'd begun to switch her from the pedigree, I'd done enough research to know that I wanted one with meat listed as the first ingredient, and I personally wanted a food that wasn't horribly expensive. But after doing some more, I realized I also want one with no byproducts (had no idea what that even was...that's just disgusting). But, I've already started to switch her to the Purina One, so I'm afraid to introduce another new food at this point, unless of course she seems to not be able to tolerate it. Will have to ask the vet. 

Thanks again. Knock on wood that she keeps eating. Oh, as for how much I gave her...I sort of went the middle ground on what the dog food bag recommended. I figured I'd try that for a while just to get an idea of how much she'd eat. But she ate so little yesterday (at most maybe a half a cup, and she ended up throwing it up) that I got worried.


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## Mom2Shaman (Jun 17, 2011)

I would talk to the vet and make sure you are not going into something medical like parvo or worm impaction or reaction to a med. 

I did a test on my cats. I fed them grocery store-type food. Something or other "natural" in a green bag. 1/2 the price of the good stuff I had fed for years. They lost condition, one pulled out his belly hair, and they ate twice as much (which came out to costing the same). Went back on the good stuff (Taste of the Wild cat) and they eat half as much, have better condition, have reduced fecal waste, and the hair pulling stopped. I tested on the cats because the dogs are much more sensitive and a mess in my house is unpleasant.

You get what you pay for on pet food in the short and long-run. My dogs are on Taste of the Wild and each eats a rather small amount twice a day. They tolerate it well, maintain great weight, and have reduced fecal weight. There are many threads on food and many ways to get food (from pet stores to home delivery). Generally, dogs can tolerate a switch to a high quality food rather easily. The tummy upset is much worse from a lesser food to a lesser food. 

You also have to consider intolerances. Some dogs have problems with certain meats or preservatives or protein levels. You should hunt until you find something the dog likes, produces good solid feces, produces no vomiting, and is in your price range. 

Again, don't overlook the medical. Pups go downhill fast and a vet contact is always wise.


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## Mom2Shaman (Jun 17, 2011)

BTW -- within reason of course, you can't really overfeed a pup. They are growing and way more active than adults. My 5 month old pup eats as much as my adult large Aussie and isn't even plump. He's growing like crazy right now. If he starts to get plump I will reduce the amount as he ages. You should be putting down a set amount of food 3 to 4 times a day until 16 weeks or longer. This prevents absolute gobbling of too much at one time. Take what you think should be fed and divide into 3 or 4. Find a container (cup, scoop, etc.) that matches the amount pretty well, and use that about 3 times a day. If the dog doesn't eat, pull it up. Free-feeding dogs is not a beneficial thing.


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