My 12-week Shiba Inu puppy is scared and won't eat. What can I do?

Hello and ha m you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There are only three pet food brands which are fully approved by veterinarians. These are science diet, royal canin and purina pro plan. Only these three Have undergone detailed research to ensure they provide an adequate and nutritious diet for pets. This reasearch is approved by veterinarians. Any other food brands may not be as regulated or researched as thoroughly. For this reason I would only advise feeding one of those three. I would also highly recommend that for Brodie you find a puppy formulation of whichever brand you chose for medium breed dogs. Again thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and please post any further questions you may have about Brodie. We are here to help!

As a young Shih Tzu puppy, I'm assuming that Luna is under 3 pounds. Based upon that estimated body weight and her age, the chart recommends feeding 1/4-3/4 cups per day, divided into smaller meals. Small breed puppies really need to eat 3-4 times per day, if possible, because they can easily develop hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) if they do not eat frequently, which can lead to extreme weakness and seizures in severe cases. Try to feed Luna in the morning, when you get home from work, and again at bedtime, giving her about 1/8 cup per meal. If possible, try to look for a dog walker, pet sitter, or neighbor to feed her and let her outside midday. I hope that all goes well!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Hiro. What a cutie! First, make sure that you are feeding him puppy food. Then I would start with what your dog food recommends for his weight. Each food varies in the amount of calories per cup so the feeding amounts will vary. He will roughly need about 1/4-1/2 cup per day. Because he is so small, it is important to have food available to him at all times. Very small puppies can have difficulty regulating their blood sugar levels. Their blood sugar can drop too low if they go too long without food. I hope this information helps!

Congrats on your new puppy. I would first reference your puppy food, since every food has a different kcal/kibble ratio that will change how much you should feed her. However, on average you will feed a puppy 3 times a day and for a small breed dog it will be around 1/8-1/4 cup each feeding. Adjust your amount based on her specific needs and also the guidelines on the bag. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=5985068 Once she is 6-8 months of age you can reduce her feedings to twice daily instead of 3 times daily due to reduced calorie requirements as she matures into an adolescent. Best wishes with your new puppy and don't forget to go ahead and get her started on her puppy vaccines as well. 8 weeks is when we start the series in all breeds. Take care!

And in terms of the food -- he should be willing to eat wet food, if not dry food, at this age. So if he's not, I would highly recommend a check up with your vet to make sure everything looks ok. He may just need more time to adjust, but with such a young guy, he can get low blood sugar and dehydration very quickly, so it's important to act sooner rather than later.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Bleu Smith. I recommend that he see a veterinarian today. The stress of a new home and environment can cause a low appetite. However, so can illness. Being such a young puppy, it will be easy for his blood sugar to drop too low from not eating. I recommend placing some karo or maple syrup on his gums and seeking care I hope this information helps!

I can certainly understand being concerned about your puppy not eating enough. It's really not the best for for your puppy, as it's not formulated to meet her nutritional needs. It's not something that is recommended to give to a puppy on a regular basis, usually only when the animal is sick. In addition, there may be ingredients in the baby food that is not safe for her to ingest. It could be that she isn't used to dry dog food, and you can try making a puppy mush for her to see if that helps. I would soak a high quality puppy formulated dry food in warm water until soft. Then mix that with puppy formula such as KMR to make a mush the consistency of oatmeal. Over the next two weeks, gradually increase the amount of dry puppy food and decrease the amount of water and KMR you use until she is eating the dry puppy food only. If she still doesn't want to eat much, then I would have her seen before the 15th.