[lilchris_28]

My two 7 1/2 week old 2 pound Chihuahua puppies ate really well this morning (about 1/8 cup each), but they haven't eaten hardly anything else all day. They've eaten about 8 kibble everytime I've tried to feed them, but this last time they haven't eaten anything. I've tried to feed them about 4 times since 5 pm and it is now 9 pm. They ate their good morning meal about 10 am and then didn't eat again until around 5 pm (because I'm a bad mom and didn't realize the day had gone by so fast). At the 5 pm feeding they hardly ate anything and really haven't eaten anything the other times. I don't know what to do because the vet said they need to eat about every 5 hours or they can bottom out on their sugar and die. They haven't been acting funny, they're not excessively shaking (they're Chihuahuas so they're going to shake some) and they're not wobbly. They sleep a lot and the vet said they have a slight virus, but he wasn't concerned about it, but now that they're not eating I AM concerned. My vet is closed. What do I do?

 

[Kendalle]

try a little scrambled egg on top of their food? a little canned food? Just to kick start their feeding drive.

 

[Sasami]

I agree, try canned food or something. Or peanut butter, meat, eggs, cottage cheese...anything to get them interested in eating.

What food are you feeding? Maybe even a different variety would work.

 

[wishbone]

I'm with a canned food too, you just have to spoil them right now until they able to meet the vet. Keep us updated.

 

[lilchris_28]

It's still an ongoing battle with them. I've tried nutro, blue buffalo, royal canin, and even science diet dry. I've tried crushing it into a powder and soaking in water. I've tried nutro and science diet canned. Ive tried honey on the dry and canned. I've tried warming up the canned. I'm about to kill these puppies (not literally...you know what I mean). I don't know what to do. The vet said they're not doing the things they should be doing at this age, like eating on their own. But the vet wants them eating every two hours. I'm in tears I'm so frustrated. I can't even enjoy them right now.

 

[lilchris_28]

Oh and by the way one of the puppies (Gizmo) had a hypoglycemic seizure the other day because he won't eat!

 

[Sasami]

What about meat? Like chicken? Either cooked or raw (if cooked remove the bones, of course). Or maybe one of those 95% meat canned foods? EVO and Wellness CORE have foods like that.

Honestly, the foods you listed were never hits with my fosters (well, I've never fed Science Diet so I don't know about that). Are you able to get something like Orijen or Wellness?

 

[lilchris_28]

I've tried wellness with my other dogs and they hated it.

 

[Sasami]

I've tried wellness with my other dogs and they hated it.

CORE or regular Wellness? There are a bunch of varieties...

I would seriously try chicken or something. If they're really in danger of dying like you said then I'd be trying everything. Chicken, other dog foods, canned meaty dog foods, ground beef, rice, chicken broth, eggs, etc. Whatever gets them to eat.

I've only had a couple of dogs refuse food. In one case, I got the dog to eat freeze-dried beef dog food. In the other case, the dog took chicken.

 

[Dragonrain]

My dog looooves Wellness Core Ocean. The Core versions are grain free. Wellness has a bunch of different flavors of canned food too...some are regular (with grain), some are grain free, and then they have the 95% meat canned foods as well.

Have you tried any toppers other than honey? Maybe mixing in some small pieces of cooked meat, peanut butter, eggs, cheese, yogurt etc with the kibble?

What about actual meat like Sasami suggested? Would they eat that, either cooked or raw?

Do they eat treats or will they use a kong? Maybe you could try putting some kibble or wet food in a kong with some peanut butter or yogurt and see if they like that?

 

[lilchris_28]

I bought the royal canin chihuahua puppy formula today. I had tried the babydog formula before. They ate it but they usually eat things at first and then stop. The vet said I'm probably confusing them by offering so many different choices. He said pick a food and stick with it, feed them out of the same two bowls, give nutrical when they don't eat good and they'll eventually come around. He said their stomachs are a little smaller than ping pong balls so keep that in mind when figuring if they've eaten enough.

 

[Sasami]

I bought the royal canin chihuahua puppy formula today. I had tried the babydog formula before. They ate it but they usually eat things at first and then stop. The vet said I'm probably confusing them by offering so many different choices. He said pick a food and stick with it, feed them out of the same two bowls, give nutrical when they don't eat good and they'll eventually come around. He said their stomachs are a little smaller than ping pong balls so keep that in mind when figuring if they've eaten enough.

Have you tried any of the suggestions we posted?

Mixing something enticing with the food isn't changing the food. If their condition is this serious I find it weird that the vet would say to stop offering foods?

 

[lilchris_28]

I tried scrambled eggs on the food (even tried mixing cheddar cheese while scrambling) and I tried peanut butter but they almost choked on that even after I tried to dilute it with water. They've gone to the bowl several times tonight and picked a few pieces of the chi pup food out and ate it. That's more than they've been doing. I'm scared to say maybe this food will work for fear of jinxing it but so far so good. Keep your paws crossed. I agree completely... Why did the vet make a big to-do about making sure they eat and then all of a sudden it's not so important anymore?