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HELP NEEDED - Puppy Feeding


Jelch
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Hi All!!

 

Need some help, so heres the back story.

Around 3 weeks ago, i adopted a Toy Poodle X Pomeranian puppy named Archie, He was only 5 weeks old at the time and only drinking his mothers milk (irresponsible breeder, had to save him from them). It was quite a process to get him weaned off, He was extremely picky with what he would eat, what brands of kibble or puppy milk or even wet food, After awhile, he decided he was enjoying the Optimum Puppy Kibble, so i stuck to that. 

 

He is now 8 weeks old, Still on Optimum Puppy Kibble, however he is not meeting the feeding guidelines, It says he should be eating 90g of kibble/day, however he seems to only be eating around 25g/day, He's very fluffy, so i'm unable to tell if he's skinny or gaining weight, but i can feel his ribs only covered by skin (no fat). He's VERY playful, & full of energy ALL the time, Drinking water as per normal. so it does not seem like he is sick.

 

I'm worried, Vets are booked out for another week (so i wont be able to see one till next week),

 

So, I ask the following: 

What can i do to get him to eat a proper plate of puppy kibble? (note: i've tried toppers, canned food & ALOT Of different brands).

Should i starve him for a certain period of time to ensure he eats? 

Is there a schedule i should be following? (e.g how much to feed him at a certain time of day) 

 

Any advice would be highly appreciated!!

 

Attached are photos of when i first bought him home(5 weeks old) & now (8 weeks old)

Screen Shot 2020-04-28 at 5.38.16 am (1).png

Screen Shot 2020-04-28 at 5.38.22 am (1).png

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I'd be checking his chest, shoulders and thighs for muscle tone/bulk for a reasonable identification of whther he is skinny or not... if you don't have coverage in those areas, then he needs to bulk up a bit more.

 

Guidelines are just that... guidelines. Some dogs may need more, some less, than what is specified on the pack, OK?

 

The fact that he is apparently fit, active, and otherwise normal is also a good guideline for overall health. Don't panic just yet.

 

T.

Edited by tdierikx
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Not all food for dogs comes in packets and tins

see if your puppy will enjoy some fresh food like chicken mince, boiled egg, even see if he wants to munch on a meaty bone. A lot of dogs show a stronger interest in fresh foods. Think outside the packet and try it out. 
munching on meaty bones can help the puppy develop good muscles tone in the jaw, neck, shoulders, back & hind quarters. A whole body workout! it can also help them settle in place for a while and have a good chew. 

Edited by Scratch
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9 minutes ago, juice said:

should he not have been vaccinated and wormed at 6 weeks? did vet not check him then?

And hopefully a microchip too... I'm tipping that a breeder letting a pup leave at 5 weeks old probably wouldn't have done that either...

 

T.

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He does need a gentle and quality wormer like Canex Puppy Suspension, you have to worm more frequently as a pup and I doubt the breeder followed recommended schedule. 

Anyway, as above re fresh food. :thumbsup: And get him started on bones too.

A plate of raw chicken mince with Divetelact poured around like a moat might get some real interest. In my limited (rescue) experience toy/small breeds are still very young at 8wks love their baby food. 

Edited to add worming schedule
worming_chart-2.png
and
Puppy Vaccine Schedule (although I'd not include Kennel Cough in the middle. Seems excessive.). 
https://www.petcare.com.au/puppy-vaccinations/

Listen to your own vet about planned worming & vaccines. The above are for information only. 

 

Edited by Powerlegs
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may I interrupt the flow of EXCELLENT information to go
AWWWWWWWWW  :love:   That is one cute fluffy baby. 
By all means offer him a chicken wing  or lamb rib and see how he fares :) just leave him with it . I love feeding puppies fresh raw meat - it seems to "bring out the wolf" in them :)
The other information is from places of much experience, and is well worth a try . 
best of luck with your little one. Hope he gets vaccinated very soon. 
 

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Thanks everyone for all your responses!

 

Archie was vaccinated and Microchipped at 6 weeks, at the time. He was healthy weight, he is also De-wormed regularly 

 

I will try fresh foods and see if thats the way to go

Edited by Jelch
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26 minutes ago, Jelch said:

Does anyone also know any Soft puppy kibble available? Im thinking it could also just be because they're really hard 

You can soak for a short while in hot water to soften them up... just make sure they cool off before feeding them to him, OK?

 

T.

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You can soak regular kibble. Did you speak to the vet nurse about it when made your appointment? They can likely give you advice in the interim. They may even suggest having pup drop in for a happy visit and weight/body condition check.


:offtopic: 

 

While I’m here, do enrol in an online positive-reinforcement based puppy pre-school. There is a lot you need to do at this time so as not to have an anxious dog in the future, and your pup is already at risk given his background.


Here are some I know of, but many have gone online - check the PPGA website for more. Not sure where you are exactly but first four are in NSW which may interest for post-covid learning. 


https://www.facebook.com/338923729610331/posts/1482056451963714/?d=n&substory_index=0 - also running contactless puppy socialisation classes
https://letsgofido.com.au/willoughby-puppy-school-virus/

 

https://thedogproject.com.au/puppy-training/
https://www.politepaws.com.au/puppy-preschool.html

https://www.facebook.com/205275987308/posts/10157360771362309/?d=n
http://www.allpetseducationandtraining.com.au/virtual-puppy-pre-primary-school---dogs-up-to-6-months.html

 

And some info about socialising puppies during a pandemic!

https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-animal-behaviour-doctors/id1505257308?i=1000469915538

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/decoding-your-pet/202004/puppy-socialization-and-covid-19?fbclid=IwAR0SkECWOhmi9BvkYpX1L3hT8nGiONzeTw21i_gGY9k2iH5wop4l3J0OpTM


Apologies for going off topic but I have an anxious dog and can a bee in my bonnet. :laugh: 

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