Well i went and got a little puppy over the weekend. She is only 2 pounds and is 8 weeks old. She will be really small when she gets older. I took her to the Vet. Saterday and she got all her shots and wormer. But i cant get her to eat! i have tried everything dry food the breeder gave us can food EVERYTHING. And because she is SOOO samll i am very scared for her. and the Vet told me that because she is so small she could get sick really fast. Can anyone help me????

labman

worst thing you can do is tempt it with a bunch of rich food. Stick to what the breeder gave you. At 8 weeks she shouldn't have any trouble eating dry food. The trouble may be just being in a new home. Here are some ways to help bond with her:

''Elevation for small puppies: Sit on the floor and gently put your hands around your pup's middle, below his front legs, and lift him up. He is facing you. Hold him for 15 seconds. Repeat until he no longer struggles. If he is past 10-12 weeks, lift his front feet off the ground, but don't pick him up.

Cradling for small puppies: Hold your puppy gently on his back, as you would cradle a small baby. If he struggles, hold him firmly until he quiets for 10-15 seconds. With larger pups, you can do this as your sit on the floor, with your pup between your legs.

Quiet lying down: Place your pup on the floor on his side, with all 4 legs pointing away from you. Use your hands on his neck/shoulder area and middle, to hold him in this position. When he is quiet, praise him. Lengthen the time that you keep him quietly in this position. When he accepts this position well, handle his paws and muzzle, while keeping him quiet.''

The quotes mean this isn't my original work. It is copied from my Puppy Raising Manual. I have long used these or minor variations of them, and they are very effective. You may want to give him a belly rub while he is on his back too. Helps bonding. There is a big difference between him rolling over and demanding a belly rub, and you choosing a time to roll him over and rub his belly. The latter cements your place as pack leader.

Keep working with her, giving her plenty of attention and making the dry food available. At that age, 3 meals a day should be fine. At 8 weeks, they should quickly adapt to a new home. If she doesn't start eating in another day or 2, get back with the vet. Don't waste time trying to tempt her with richer food at this time. If she doesn't eat, it could be a physical problem needing prompt attention.

Have you read the sticky at http://www.askmehelpdesk.com/dogs/in...tml#post251802 It start with general material for the new dog owner, but you and those above with a picky eater need to read the later section on ''My dog won't eat.''

At least one of the others trying to help pointed out cows' milk was bad. You shouldn't listen to everyone wanting to help.

labman

From an email:
''Thanks for the info and help with my puppy. I wanted to know if you
would know how much food she should eat at a time she is so small 2.5
pounds and she only eats about 6 little pebbels at a time like 3 times a
day and they are like the size of 2 grains of rice put togeather. Do you
think that is ''

That doesn't sound like enough. She has had time to adjust some to her new house. With a larger puppy, I would give it more time. She is like a bird, needs plenty of food. I am afraid you at least need to call the vet.