My new puppy won't eat!

[OneCoolPup]

I just bought a miniature dachsie puppy last week and she has barely eaten since! She's playfull and really active but has no appetite. She also has diarreah but I think it's probably b/c she's not eating solids. I'm giving her the same food as she's been given at the breeders, so that couldn't be it. I tried to take her to the vet today but he was in an emergency surgery so i'll have to re-schedule. (he did tell us to buy Nutri-cal, which is calories and vitamins in a paste) If you guys have any advice on how to get her to eat I'd appreciate it. I tried putting tasty stuff on the food and that doesn't help. Should I open her mouth and put some can food in there and have her chew it up? Let me know what you think!

[~8DachsieAngels~]

If you have tried putting all the normal yummies on her food and she still wont eat i would have her to the vet asap it might be that shes just having a hard time adjusting or something to that effect but i could also be something more serious that a doctor would be able to determine... I got a dog about a year ago from the shelter beautiful puppy i had him for a week and he wouldnt eat anything and has loose stools also i made a apt at the vet and took him in only to find out that he had the beginning stages of parvo and corona virus ... im not saying this to scare ya its just when u said she was having loose stools and not eating it reminded me of Zeus ... by the way on a happy note 5 days and serv. hundred dollars later Zues was better and back home after having IV fluids and antibiotics... I would have Never thought it was parvo because other than the diarrhea and not eating he was playful and sweet and didnt act even the least little bit ill i caught it early. Im sure your dog doesnt have anything as serious as this but its always better to play it safe i would call the vet tomorrow and have him have a look at her it may just be worms or another intestinal protozoa http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/smile.gif Good Luck keep us posted http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/smile.gif

Jen

[doxielover]

I agree, take her in ASAP, EVEN to the Emergency Clinic if there is one near you. How old is she? Being a pup, she is very vulnerable to parvo especially. In the mean time, scramble an egg or two (plain, no salt or butter) and she if she eats that. Or, try cottage cheese or jar baby food, like sweet potatos (she should LOVE it!), etc. Put a little on your finger first and go from there. But, I really would not wait to take her in and have her checked. Puppies should be Vet-checked within 48 hours anyway after you bring them home. Good luck, and let us know the outcome.

Susan http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/smile.gif

[~8DachsieAngels~]

You could also try a little plain boiled white rice with some turkey or chicken strainned baby food if she eats that then mix some of it over her food gradually adding more and more food and less and less of the mixture. Scrambled eggs and cottage cheese are both great idea's also but get that baby to the vet. reguardless for a well puppy check up... a small puppy 8 to 12 wks old shouldnt go without food for a extended amt. of time there has to be a reason why shes not eating... Keep us posted on what the vet says ... Good Luck http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/smile.gif

Jen

[Penny's Aunt]

How old is the puppy, & what are you feeding her? If it is dry food, it may just be too hard for her to eat. Canned Science Diet for Puppies is very tasty to pups. You can usually get it from the vet.

Also, she may not be really weaned yet, despite what the breeder said, & she has to learn to eat dog food. Mashing the Science Diet Puppy Food & mixing it with a can of Esbilac Puppy/Kitten Formula (it's expensive, but you may only need one can) will help her get the idea. If you can't get the Esbilac (from vet or pet shop), you could try a little canned milk instead, but it could cause worse diarrhea if she is allergic to it.

Since she has diarrhea, you need to take in a FRESH sample to the vet's office to have them check it for worms, which can also affect her appetite, especially if she is kind of thin but has a big belly. There are lots of kinds of worms, & most of them you wouldn't see in the stool.

But she DOES need to be checked by a vet as soon as possible, even if you have to take her to a different vet from your regular one.

[Tanya]

I agree with everyone that she needs to be checked. I had this same problem when I got Punkin and our problem was that the breeder (if that's what you want to call her) lied about her age. Punkin was too young to eat dry food. We fed her exactly what Penny's Aunt suggested...Science diet canned food mixed with bitches milk heated for a second in the microwave. Punkin ate like crazy...and never stopped.<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm42.gif" border=0> <IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm42.gif" border=0> <IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm42.gif" border=0>

Keep us informed. We love our family of dachsies (and even our non dachsie babies!
Tanya

[OneCoolPup]

Well she has a vet appt in the morning. You know, we talked to the vet and he knows this is her first check up and he didn't ask us to bring a stool sample. Isn't that odd.. i remember doing that for all my other dogs. It's going to be an hour drive there and an hour back so I'd hate to have to make a second trip for that purpose! She's eating a little better now, but still has diarreah! I'll just have to see what the vet says and let you guys know the verdict when I get back. http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/smile.gif Thanks for all the advice http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/smile.gif

[Penny's Aunt]

He probably just forgot. Take one anyway.

[OneCoolPup]

Well, she had her check-up today. The vet said she probably has coccidia, but he wasn't sure b/c the sample he got wasn't enough. He gave me some medicine for that, and some science diet food for small breed puppies. He told me that if she didn't start eating, to put some of the gravy from what we're eating on her dog food and feed her it from the table so that she'd believe she was getting table scraps. But after a long long nap when we got home, she just ate that science diet right up. I was so happy. I wonder if it was because we gave her the first dose of that medicine. She ate the science diet as is from her bowl too http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/smile.gif
Probably the breeder we got her from wasn't very clean. She had a fungal infection on her toe that has begun to clear up since she's been at my house.
I feel so relieved now that she's had her check-up and is eating http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/smile.gif The science diet pieces are considerably smaller than the Iams, and smells a lot stronger too. She only weighs three pounds too, so that's a big help for the food to be smaller. Thanks for all the help guys http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/smile.gif

[WOTANSMUTTI]

OCP! So glad that all's well in puppy land!
It's really scary when they don't eat and they have runny stools. Glad the tiny food bites work for you.<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm3.gif" border=0>

[Tanya]

Wonderful! We all like happy stories. Keep us informed about all your pup gets in to as she grows!!

[georgette]

Wonderful news. I was very concerned with those symptoms and what they meant for others here on our board.
-Georgette