My young puppy won't eat his food. What should I do to encourage him?

You might consider soaking the dog food to make it softer/easier to eat since he is still young. Mixing a small amount of rice or cooked chicken breast or lean ground beef may entice him we just don't want him to fill up on those alone. I am not familiar with the Canine Creek food, be sure it is appropriate for puppies or switch to the Royal Canin puppy food as this is a reliable/trustworthy brand.

Poncholo could be feeling ill, causing him to not want to eat. You are absolutely correct he needs to be on puppy food, and I would recommend keeping him on puppy food until he is a year old. You can try soaking his dry food in gently warmed low sodium beef or chicken broth, or mixing in some boiled white meat chicken (no bones) and white rice in with his dry food. If these methods don't tempt him to eat, I would take him into the vet for an exam.

Poor Charlie! It's good that she is drinking water, so she slowly may be feeling better. I would try offering her a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken (no bones) and white rice in small amounts several times a day. If she is still refusing to eat by tomorrow morning, then I would take her into a vet right away.

Sometimes puppies can have a slight decrease in appetite when they first come home since it is a big adjustment, however it sounds like you've had her a few days. Given her age and her breed I'd recommend seeing a veterinarian to make sure she doesn't have low blood sugar, parasites, or another medical problem affecting her appetite. If she also seems weak, lethargic or disoriented you should see an emergency veterinarian as soon as possible. She is adorable!

It can be frustrating and a little scary when puppies won't eat their food! Things to ask yourself to determine if this is something you should take Max into the veterinarian for: How long has it been since he has eaten a good meal? If it has been over a day, he should likely see a veterinarian -- puppies are usually HUNGRY! How is he acting otherwise? If he is still a bright bouncy puppy - he may just not be hungry - and I would try feeding him again in a few hours. If he is lethargic or vomiting or has diarrhea, he should be seen by your veterinarian soon. Also, take a look at the food you are feeding him - is it a high quality puppy food? I like brands such as Purina (Purina Dog Chow or Purina One, for example), Science Diet, Iams, Royal Canin all make very good food with lots of research behind their foods. Making the dry food moist by adding water and even heating it up a little (make sure it is not too hot that could cause burns!) can make the food smell more appetizing to the dog. It is always a good idea to have a good relationship with a veterinarian, especially during the puppy stage - to make sure he gets his vaccinations when he is supposed to AND to make sure he does not have any intestinal parasites (which can also make him feel bad). I hope this helps and Max is eating again soon! Thank you for using pet coach!

Poor Charlie! He could have a problem with his teeth or he might have an infection or parasite making him not want to eat. Since it has been going on for a couple days, he really should be examined by a vet to determine the cause and treat. Your vet can run some lab-work, if needed, to help diagnose and then prescribe medications to treat. Hope he feels better soon!

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.