Puppy not chewing kibble due to teething? Should I switch to soft food?

His teeth will be fine. Kibble isn't hard enough to fracture teeth, only antlers, bones and some toys can wear down teeth over time. However, you should try softening it a bit until he is used to the kibble and a bit stronger so that he an easily eat his food. In the next few weeks to a month he should be able to eat his food better. : ) Also just keep Best wishes with your pet Vuki and his puppy food. Take care.

If Rocky is comfortable eating his food in this manner, this is absolutely fine. Another less labor intensive option would be to simply soak whole kibbles in warm water for 10 minutes prior to feeding him, then mixing the mushy kibble together. If Rocky begins to show signs of oral pain (picking up food then dropping it, pawing at the mouth, drooling), he may need to have his food softened further and need additional evaluation. If you haven't already had his dental issues addressed with his vet, that's another good place to start. I hope that all goes well!

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. I assure you that Asher is getting enough nutrition. This is normal teething behavior and all puppies go through it. Dogs have to be emaciated/starved in order to be truly deficient nutritionally. I would not worry about it. Usually puppies do like harder things to chew on when teething. Do you have any dry food out for him? If not, I suggest you do that. You can also get him some teething toys to help. ( https://www.petcoach.co/article/7-great-toys-for-teething-puppies/ ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

You can soften the dry food by soaking it lightly with just plain warm water or low sodium chicken broth. Don't completely soak it, just use enough liquid to lightly soften the kibble. If you make it too mushy he probably won't eat it. Hope this helps. Best wishes!

Most dogs this age can eat hard puppy food just fine - so if he likes it and doesn't seem to have trouble chewing it, I wouldn't worry :) If he seems to have some difficulty, you can moisten it with some warm water and let it soak for a few minutes to soften before giving it to him, or feed canned food instead.

I'm sorry to hear that, what an ordeal for both of you! He is listed as 2 months and 25 days old. If that is accurate, or even if he's less than 6 months old, the "baby" tooth was likely loose, and the adult canine tooth will come in around 5-7 months of age. If he seems painful in his mouth, offer him canned or other soft food for a few days. You can also give him a cold teething toy such as a Kong that you keep in the freezer, Or let him chew on a frozen waffle or even on some ice. The cool will help soothe his mouth if it is sore. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Yes, it is fine to feed Kiba a food that is larger kibble! In fact, feeding larger kibble makes dogs chew a little more, which is great for preventing tartar build up on their teeth. Just watch Kiba the first few times that you feed it to make sure that he is chewing well and doesn't seem to have any choking from swallowing large pieces.