# Underweight puppy not eating much?



## rellek (Jun 12, 2013)

Ludo had his first visit to the vet today, and did very well. The vet said though that he is underweight and that we need to fatten him up. He hasn't been eating much food since we brought him home ... we're feeding him what the breeder fed him. They gave us a can of food that is full of calories to put on his food to get him to eat, and he *loves* it. Did any of you have problems with your new puppy eating? He also had some fleas so maybe he wasn't feeling well.


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## lady amanda (Nov 26, 2010)

My dog never really liked to eat, untill we switched her to a fresh food, she eats it up...she is still a skinny thing.


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## SidneyM (Jun 15, 2013)

Our puppy was really off food for the first few days we had him. Think that's normal whilst they're settling in. He still doesn't really ask for food and doesn't get too excited by it. We have changed him onto barking heads which he seems to like and put a tiny bit of nature diet wet food on to entice him to eat it... You could always try something like that. Good Luck x


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## wilfiboy (Sep 18, 2010)

I think you can expect him to maybe not be that interested in the first couple of days unless you've got one that launches into his food. The food the vets given you sounds to be making him interested. You could consider changing kibble or raw if he enjoys the wet food x


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## mandym (Jun 5, 2011)

Sometimes they do get a little unsettled when they first go to their new homes.If he is not keen on the dry food the breeder has been feeding try slowly switching to a brand he may prefer,slowly decrease the old food and increase the new and i always add a very small spoonful of a good quality wet food to my dogs kibble,they would get bored otherwise.i keep the kibble the same but vary every few days what i mix through it,usually natures menu,natures diet,tuna etc,this keeps the meals interesting.Did he come with fleas from the breeder? xxx


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

It is not unusual for a puppy to take a few days to discover his appetite in a new home.
Are you happy with the food the breeder was feeding him?
The food the vet has given you might be good in the short term, but is probably not a long time solution.
How many meals a day did the breeder send him home on?
I think little pups with poor appetites should be on more smaller meals, rather than fewer larger ones.
I'd advise 4 meals and just kibble treats between.
Hope Ludo feels hungry and sparky soon


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## rellek (Jun 12, 2013)

Marzi - I do not want to continue feeding Ludo the food the breeder had him on, and I would like to start switching him soon. She said that she fed the puppies twice a day, once early in the morning and once around dinner-time. I tried to keep the similar schedule with him, but since he wasn't eating I have been leaving his food out so that he'll grab at least something.

I fed him a small portion of kibble a little bit ago with some of the canned wet food the vet gave us - he licked the wet food up and mostly avoided the kibble. I might need to contact the vet to see if he can be on a wet food exclusive diet. I'm just worried, I can easily feel his ribs and the vet made it very clear we must contact him in a day or two if Ludo doesn't start eating more. He isn't acting sick though - he has crazy amounts of energy in-between naps and is very affectionate.

Mandym - We're not sure if he came with fleas from the breeder or not. We have two cats who could also have brought the fleas. But the breeder lived out in the country and has horses and an outdoor cat and such, so it is likely that the pups got some fleas while they were there. The vet found a mite in his poo as well, so Ludo was given some anti-parasite medicine today. The weather has been wet, wet, wet here though so the vet was not surprised that he had some bugs.


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

I was told mine were underweight too when they were small. Like a lot of cockapoos they are both pretty skinny and fussy eaters. They never liked dried food so I put them onto wet food which they preferred. Now they are raw fed but if I ever go for a ready made food I go for Naturediet, its easy to find, good quality, not too expensive and they love it!


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## wellerfeller (Jul 12, 2011)

I am glad your pup has had his parasite treatment now as I was going to say if he has fleas he more then likely has worms too. Worms wil prevent him putting on any weight and also affect his appetite. Also two meals a day is not enough, especially as he is under weight, normally a puppy new to the home would be on three meals a day but as your guy is so small I would up that to 4 meals a day. Small frequent meals are best for him. You may find his appetite picks up now he has be treated but if he is still slow to eat I would soak his kibble in warm water for 30 mins and mix in a small amount of the preferred wet food. He will need a good quality puppy food ( what has breeder had him on?) not pedigree or anything like that. Best of luck


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

New puppies are just as much of a worry as new babies. Kate and Will will be going through the exact same thing with Prince Jet Angus Hamish, or whatever the poor lad gets labelled.

Kiki was on 3 meals a day when she came home, but I put her back on 4 until she had been home 2 weeks. Their tummies are tiny and I prefer to not leave food down (wouldn't work with 2 dogs anyway...)
If you don't like the food the breeder sent him home on and he is not eating anyway I would swop now using the wet food as the cross over... I'm pretty sure that the vet will have given you the chicken and rice tinned mush that they love to hand out for post op and any other complaint... Just add a little of the new food to each meal and gradually increase your new food and decrease the vet's stuff.
Did the vet reccommend a follow up worming dose in 2 weeks?


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

... actually pretty sure that the royal baby won't have fleas or worms, but what I meant was that new parents and new puppy owners all worry about their new arrival...

(Just in case it wasn't obvious what I meant!!)


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## polly1harg (Jun 6, 2013)

Daisy was the same... she was not bothered at all about food for around 2 weeks... she would just pick at the food however due to us only leaving the food down for 15 mins a time she never really ate much. I feed Daisy Orijen and i feed her 3 times a day (was 4 but vet suggested cutting it down to 3) she has 100g and now she loves it! on the lunch time meal we add a tablespoon of natural yoghurt and she cannot get enough. She now eats all of her most of the time unless there is visitors that there is just far to many exciting things to be doing. I would say leave it a couple of week until your pup is settled in and then if your pup is still not eating well try changing food. 

Hope this helps


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## Cat 53 (Aug 26, 2012)

Max was the same. We tried different kibble.....no interest. Then wet food which he preferred, but was still a bit standoffish with. Eventually I switched to raw and it's only then that we got consistent weight gain, a dog that enjoys what he eats and is healthy and happy. I buy tripe from Bulmers. 30kg costs £12 he gets a chicken wing daily too. Hope this helps.


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## rellek (Jun 12, 2013)

I have started giving him 1/4-cup of kibble with a spoonful of cottage cheese three times a day (though he isn't always interested in the mid-day meal). He doesn't eat all of it, but he eats over half of it. I am hoping this is enough food for him. It's just good to see him eat more than one or two pieces of food!

- edited to say: At the vet on Monday he weighed 3 lbs. 12 Oz. This caused the vet to say he is underweight, and that puppies are "supposed to be robust". That comment from the vet plus his picky eating habits is what started this post. I'm wondering if Ludo is quite alright in regards to size and my vet just isn't familiar with Cockapoos.


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## Cat 53 (Aug 26, 2012)

I believe it's the poodle in them that makes them, not only picky, but also quite delicate re digestion as puppies. Most Cockers I know are total gannets! Lol


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## AliAlfie (Jul 29, 2013)

Marzi said:


> ... actually pretty sure that the royal baby won't have fleas or worms, but what I meant was that new parents and new puppy owners all worry about their new arrival...
> 
> (Just in case it wasn't obvious what I meant!!)


 I nearly wet myself reading this!!!! The visions you've put in my head now....I'll be giggling to myself for days!


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## Bella Girl (Sep 6, 2013)

*cottage Cheese*

I mix cottage cheese with my 1 yr old on dry food. She loved it and it has fattened her up. As long as your puppy is not lactose intolerant.


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## dio.ren (Jan 18, 2013)

Molly is very strange about her food. Some days she will eat it all up and other days she will just have a bit. She is happy and vibrant so our vet told us to not worry. Lately I have been adding small amounts of pumpkin to her food and she loves it She is a good weight for her size and she drinks and poops normal so she is fine. I think sometimes maybe she isn't hungry who knows?? She is definitely not one of those dogs that would pig out She does love her treats though but those are limited. I would say take your dog to the vet and get it check out if everything is ok than he/she will eat when hungry enough!


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## Bella Girl (Sep 6, 2013)

Try cottage cheese. It worked for our toy Cockapoo she weight 3.2 when we got her Aug 30 she turned a year old Sept 1 She had a vet appointment today and she weights 4.5 now.


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