Why aren't my 4.5-week-old Yorkie puppies eating their food?

AT 4 weeks old it is good to try to start feeding them so they can be weaned by 6 weeks old. Each puppy is different and may take to it a different times. I would try dry puppy food mixed with water so it is soft, then feed them. They may not eat at all and play in it. If that happens, skip a day or 2 and try again. You may have to place some in their mouths to teach them. They will still nurse despite being fed so it does not have to be a lot of food as they are little and can't hold very much. The better they get and the older they are, you can decrease the amount of water added to get them used to dry puppy food.

Great question! To help them wean and to get used to dry food, I would soak a high quality puppy formulated dry food in water 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 they are eating the dry puppy food only.

It is better to nurse pups until around 4-5 weeks, then start the weaning process. Once they have teeth they are more than ready to be weaned off mom. At 6 weeks, they should have their teeth, so the sitter can start the process now. There is no harm in starting the weaning process between 4-5 weeks b/c that is the ideal time to do so and does not harm their growth in any way. Some momma dogs will still allow the pups to feed even after they get their teeth, but there is certainly discomfort for the mom and high risk of abrasions and infection of the teets if allowed to happen for long, so its best to get them weaned for mom's sake. : ) Best of luck with these pups and I hope that the weaning process goes well. Take care!

Weaning can begin now. Choose a quality puppy food. Make a slurry or gruel by mixing in a puppy milk replacer such as Esbilac or PetLac. Gradually decrease the amount of liquid over the next few weeks until they are eating dry kibble by 8-10 weeks of age.

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.

Yes, at this age you can start offering something like 2nd step from Esbilac. Just follow the instructions on the packaging. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/petag-esbilac-2nd-step-puppy-weaning-food Hope this helps. Best wishes.

You could wait another week or two to see if the mother will wean them soon. If she hasn't weaned by 8 weeks, then I would recommend doing so yourself by completely separating them by a door or baby gate. Continue to offer the puppy food, try mixing it with water or puppy milk replacer and allowing them to play in it. They may not be hungry if they are still nursing.