3-month puppy won't drink water. Should I force it? How much to feed?

Hi and thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I understand your concern here. I also assume that the age you put on here is incorrect since it says that Louis is already 1 years old. A puppy is considered to be under 1 year. You can simply place water from the faucet into a regular dog bowl and offer it to him. He should drink readily and know what to do from there. If he doesn't seem interested at first, you can place a few drops on your finger and offer it to his lips for him to lick off. Do this a few times and he should begin to drink on his own. You can also give him canned puppy food in the beginning, just in case he doesn't drink an adequate amount of water initially, and this can help supplement his water intake. I hope this helps! Best wishes moving forward with your puppy. Take care.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If Chowder is eating and playing fine he likely is getting enough water. If you are feeding him canned puppy food that has a lot more water in it than dry puppy food. If you are still nervous about the amount his is drinking add water to his canned or dry food. He is very young at 1 month and doesn't require as much water as an older puppy yet. Be careful about how much water you add to his food though, you do not wanting him getting a full belly from just water and not food. I hope this helps!

At this point mom has generally begun to wean her puppies. Offer water, regular dry kibble, kibble soaked in warm water and canned food. This does need to be a large breed puppy formula for the food. There’s a brand that makes a food specific for weaning puppies called Royal Canin and I recommend to pick some up at the pet store or online. You may need to smear some of the food on the puppy’s mouth so that it gets the idea. Also allow him to see mom eating so that he has the desire to copy her. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

If the soft food is very wet he doesn't need to drink much water. You can put some water on your finger by the bowl to get him started or have a little bit of milk in the water so it tastes better. As Deuce grows he'll start drinking more, especially if you transition him to dry food. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Deuce.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! He may be too young still so I would continue to hand feed him for now for at least 2 more weeks but I recommend that you leave the bowls available to him so that he can let you know when he is ready to make the transition. Best of luck!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I recommend taking Jack in to the vet. A puppy that isn't eating is cause for concern even if you aren't seeing him show any other signs of illness. 2 days is enough time to be concerned if he isn't eating/drinking normally. At 3 months old he is still at risk of dehydration and hypoglycemia if he isn't taking in enough water and food. I hope Jack feels better soon.

Pedigree puppy food is fine to feed your puppy, but you don't have to mix it with water as he is old enough to eat solid food. That being said, it will do no harm to mix it with the water :-) He should eat three times a day, once in the morning, noon, and evening. Once he is six months old, he can be fed twice a day (morning and evening). I would feed him according to the instructions on the label, and divide it into three equal portions.