Ask Me Help Desk - Chihuahua won't eat solid food

I just got a chihuahua last week. She is now about 7 weeks old. The person I got her from said she was eating Purina Alpo Puppy. Due to the pet food recalls I dicided to call the number on the back of the can. THe woman I talked to said I shouldn't feed my dog any kind of dog foof just in case. She said to crush up hotdags and tuna fish to feed her until the whole thing was figured out. So I returned the cans to the store in exchange for tuna fish and hotdogs. The dog refuses to eat the food. I have been giving her baby formula and trying everyday to get her to eat but she won't. I have been looking on the internet for what dog foods are safe to give right now. They have a lot of lists of what isn't safe but not what is. If anyone knows for sure what foods are safe or can give me some advice on how to get her to eat the food I have for her, it would be greatly appreciated.

Look online for natural dog food recipes. I had a Jack Russell for 6 years (a car killed him)and feed him a home made diet and made him home made treats instead of buying them it was a lot of fun and cheaper! Try a this:
1/4cup cooked brown rice
1 to 2 oz poached chicken or beef
Enough beef or chicken broth to wet it and add flavor.

This will be a lot better for him or her than hot dogs, but you can't feed him this solely he will need a crunchy kibble to clean and strengthen his teeth like chew bones or hard treats. But make sure to weight and consult a vet to make sure he is getting the right nutrients maybe even pick up a doggy multi vitamin to keep him healthy. Hope this helps!

You are getting terrible advice. Even with the current problems, much of the dog chow out there is safe. Don't risk your puppy on any untested ''natural'' concoction. I work very closely with a large dog guide school. I am sure they are in close contact with Purina. It happens that due to my friends' medical crisis, I have two of their 7 week old Golden puppies in my care tonight. Today the veterinarian staff of the school sent them with a supply of Pro Plan chicken and rice puppy chow. With thousands of highly valuable dogs under their care, they can't afford any bad chow.

I also have a 7 month Lab in my house. She belongs to a service dog school. They are not as large as the dog guide school and don't have the resources it does. Still, they are in a much better position to keep track of dog chow than dog owners. They feed Iams lamb and rice.

Just what were you feeding and who did you talk to? I checked the website and it is just the Alpo with gravy that was recalled. If what you were feeding was dry, likely it is OK. If you want a greater margin of safety, you could try the Pro Plan or Iams. If there is a problem with either, I will hear about it before the general public, and will be posting it here.

I don't base what I feed my dogs on what is fun and cheap. I base it on what somebody in a position to know tells me. Their work is confirmed by the thousands of their dogs I see in good health.

Suppose you knew a breeder that bred hundreds of dogs a year, mostly Labs, Shepherds, and Goldens. They provided all the medical care for most of them the first year. At the end of it, they did a complete physical including hip X-rays on all of them. They then spent $35,000 training them before giving them away. They have a large data base of breeding records. Dogs with any physical or temperamental problems are unfit for the program and are a waste. Their well equipped clinic and vet staff are available for serious problems as long as the dog is working. When the dog is no longer able to work, it is replaced at again the $35,000 plus a large emotional upheaval for the person depending on the dog. They have experimented with different diets and exchanged data with other such breeders. Don't you think that what ever they are feeding is healthy and safe? What kinds of controlled studies do you have backing your choice of diet? How objective are the sources of your information? Is your dog's health, their top priority?

I have been raising puppies since 1991 for a large dog guide school that does exactly that. What do they feed? They instruct us to feed Pro Plan chicken and rice puppy chow until 4 months and then switch to adult Pro Plan chicken and rice. I know enough of the people with the trained dogs to know they continue the Pro Plan. The group I meet with monthly for training includes people that have raised puppies for 6 different service dog schools. Some of them are feeding other premium commercial chows including Iams and Eukanuba. Any dog owner wanting a healthy, long lived dog can make this regimen work, leaving more time to spend on the dog. It is also relatively economical.

Feed a good chow, and you don't need extras.

Quote:

Originally Posted by babygirl5187

I just got a chihuahua last week. She is now about 7 weeks old. The person i got her from said she was eating Purina Alpo Puppy. Due to the pet food recalls i dicided to call the number on the back of the can. THe woman i talked to said i shouldn't feed my dog any kind of dog foof just in case. She said to crush up hotdags and tuna fish to feed her until the whole thing was figured out. So i returned the cans to the store in exchange for tuna fish and hotdogs. The dog refuses to eat the food. I have been giving her baby formula and trying everyday to get her to eat but she won't. i have been looking on the internet for wht dog foods are safe to give right now. they have alot of lists of what isn't safe but not what is. If anyone knows for sure what foods are safe or can give me some advice on how to get her to eat the food i have for her, it would be greatly appreciated.

The lady on the phone was an idiot. Now your dog has a taste for people food- so why would she eat that other stuff! This may sound cruel, but put out some dry food for your dog. You can squirt on a little doggie gravy if it helps- but if she doesn't eat it, too bad. DO NOT give her anything else. When she's hungry enough, she will eat. Dogs need dry food for strong teeth. People food in general- unless you want to take the time (and the money) to prepare her healthy things like boiled chicken, rice, and veggies, is not good for dogs.