my new puppy won't eat his food. we've tried canned food, dry food, mixing both......what should i do?

Question

he's a 9 week old chihuahua that seems to be scared of his own shadow

Answer 1

I had a little Yorkie who also would not eat her food. I thought that maybe she didn't like the bowl touching her neck while she ate, so I put her food on the floor. When I did that, I found that she ate the pieces that rolled around. For the first few weeks, I had to roll each little kibble over to her, one at a time, so that she would eat it. Eventually she ate the stationary pieces of food, even out of the bowl.

I have no idea why it worked, but it might be worth a shot! Good luck!

Answer 2

How long has it been since he's eaten anything? Are there any treats he likes? Has he eaten any of those? How much does he weigh? How new a puppy is he? I mean, if he has eaten something, and if you've only had him a day or two, he probably just needs some time to settle and get used to you and his new home. If he's just skipped a meal or two, that's not too bad, but a Chihuahua is so small, he needs to eat frequesnt meals. If he's a teacup Chi, he'll need more, smaller meals, than, say, a deer Chihuahua. Are you feeding him the same food that his breeder gave him? Have you tried mixing treats with his food? If he's shy and nervous, maybe he would like to be left alone to eat.

Have you had his "new puppy" vet visit yet? If not, I would schedule one for as soon as convenient. And if he's not eaten at all for more than a day, I would schedule one for as soon as possible.

When we got our Chihuahua, now 2 years old, at 18 weeks, we were given a bag of the food he'd been eating up until he was sold. Also, we were given a jar of chicken baby food to add to his food if he wouldn't eat it. They also said to keep a jar of chicken baby food on the pantry shelf for days he wasn't feeling well, to feed him either chichen babyfood mixed with puppy food, or to just feed him the chicken by itself. They said we could expect him to be off his food for the first day or two. We were told it was still a good idea to add water to his dry food to soften it slightly if he wouldn't eat it. And if we wanted to change brands of food, to change gradually over a period of four to seven days, adding increasing amounts of new food to less of his old food.

To this day, our Stanly is a finicky eater. He rarely eats just dry food. We've had our best result with sprinkling Greenies (r) Lil' Bits (tm) on his food. These are recommended for puppies under 6 months and dogs weighing less than 5 pounds. He prefers to be alone in the kitchen to eat. On the good side, he will only eat until he is full and stop, even if there is still food in his bowl. And at his last vet check we were told that his weight is perfect for his build.

Answer 3

How long have you had him? If he's new to your environment, it may take a day or two before he's calmed down enough to eat what's in front of him. Try tempting him with some boiled rice and hamburger. The dogs at our shelter love that stuff. Once he's eating that, you can start rotating in his normal dog food, and cycling out the boiled stuff.

Keep in mind though that a lack of appetite can also be a symptom of illness, and puppies can get sick very easily. If his lack of appetite is accompanied by a fever (anything over 102 is too high) or listlessness (being "sleepy" all the time), get your pup to the vet immediately.

Answer 4

Chihuahuas are very picky. You should be feeding him what the breeder was feeding him. He was probably not well socialized. Be patient and loving with the new baby. He will reward you with love and devotion. With a chihuahua not eating well, you have to worry about hypoglycemia(low blood sugar). That can kill them pretty quickly if it drops too low. Give it some Karo Strup or honey, then when the pet store or vet opens go and get some nutrical and give that to him. It is chock full of vitamins and minerals and will help stimulate their appetite. If he doesn't start eating, take him to the vet. Good luck with your new baby.

I have been taising chihuahuas for over 8 yrs.

Answer 5

Give him some time. I've never known a dog that wasn't sick to not eat. Try something soft first, if need be, soak his dried food in water or milk. Eventually wean him from the milk and the best thing to have him on is dry food, the small bites kind. I would reccommend a good puppy food, like Iams or Science Diet for puppies...small bites. If he still doesn't eat, then maybe you need to consider taking him to the vet. Best of luck to you.

Answer 6

Scared dogs are tough when it comes to eating. They are so fearful that they don't eat! I have encountered this problem with an already hyper-active and emaciated dog I recently adopted that we suspect was abused. I imagine that a new puppy, recently weaned from his mother and his original pack will need a little time to adjust to his new pack, with you as his new pack leader.

I have owned dogs all my life and I could not get this new addition to my family to eat either. I tried all of the methods you have as well, and we were beginning to become very concerned; however, I began to watch a show that has managed to teach me more about dogs in a couple of months, than I have learned in my entire life..."The Dog Whisperer."

Caesar Milan, the "Dog Whisperer," has had several episodes of fearful, submissive dogs, all of which are successfully rehabilitated into wonderful family pets.

One of the most unusual things I learned was NOT to offer affection and praise to the dog/puppy when he/she is behaving in a fearful way. He explains that by doing this (which is our natural instinct as a human to soothe a baby) with a dog, we are nurturing the unwanted behavior, and actually teaching the dog to be even MORE fearful. I know it seems backwards, but trust me...he is right!

Also, many of his shows feature smaller dogs, including chiuahuas (he has one of his own as well). Smaller dogs tend to have many such problems because they are so small and cute, and as humans, we tend to carry them around in our arms and in our purses, etc. Regardless of their size, all dogs are dogs. They need to build their own levels of confidence, so they can be happy and behave normally.

If you can, I would highly recommend watching the National Geographic Channel where the show airs. If not, I will include the website for you below. The show truly is amazing.

Good luck! I know you are loving parents and I am sure you will learn how to overcome your problem together! :-)

Also, the answer by FETCH 11 should be considered as well. Although it could be a number of things, there is always the possibility that the puppy may be ill. The advise I have given above should be considered only after your vet has given your puppy a clean bill of health. I would ignore the silly answer of, "he doesn't like you." That is ridiculous.

Answer 7

Seeing a vet is a good idea. A dog not eating could be a problem. Bear in mind also that at 9 weeks he should be just weening off of his mother onto seperate food. Try feeding him a few pieces out of your hand. He might take to the food from this nurturing gesture.

Answer 8

Well, you say he is scared.

I dont know if you have already tried this. Leave a little of every type of food you have at night. or in another room. Leave him alone for a while. Maybe having you around makes him too anxious to eat. If he does eat, note which type he ate all of. [ if he eats everything, you know he is making up for lost eating time]If he still doesnt eat . Take him to the vet. because he obviously needs to eat and the vet could give him something for energy hopefully.The vet could find out if there is a reason he has no appetite.

Answer 9

When we got our puppy at 5 weeks old, her mom wouldn't feed her the vet had us boil chicken, remove the skin and mix it with plain white cooked rice. She loved it. after a couple of days mix in some of her regular food. And slowly ween her of the chicken and rice. hope this helps you. good luck. Merry Christmas

Answer 10

try adding some chicken broth or a little gravy to the food to soften it and flavor it. he could just be nervous because he is in a new environment and he might just be shy and scared (as chihuahuas tend to be), so back away and let him explore the food on his own. also, consult your vet.