Wellness Just For Puppies

[Devil Dog]

I picked up my 8-week old puppy boxer this past Monday and they guy had her on Pedigree which is not healthy for them. I bought her the Wellness for puppies but she doesn't really eat... I have to hand-feeder at times. I give her about 1 1/2 cup of Wellness with some warm water and barely touches her food. I just started a feeding schedule.

Could it be the stress from being away from her mom? Her new environment? Do I need to switch foods?

Please help because I am getting a little worried about her.

 

[BxrMommieNAZ]

Well 1 1/2 cups will be way too much at one time so I'd cut back to about 1/2 cup 3 times a day. Stop hand feeding or you're going to create a picky eater. It's not unusual for pups to not want to eat the first couple of days as yes it's very stressful. Also are you transitioning to the new food slowly? If not I'd suggest you get some food from whoever you got her from and slowly switch over a 7-10 day period. LOTS of changes, food doesn't have to be one of them right now. Another 1-2 weeks of Purina isn't going to do any harm in the long term.

A healthy dog will not starve itself, so offer your pup food 3-4 times a day and stick with one food and give it a few days and she'll come around.

 

[Caney Creek]

It's pretty normal for a pup to not eat much in the first few days at a new home, just due to stress, but to not eat at all is not normal and not healthy. Have you taken her to the vet yet for a check-up? That should be a top priority within the first 72 hours of getting a puppy. Best to rule out health issues first.

 

[BxrMommieNAZ]

It's pretty normal for a pup to not eat much in the first few days at a new home, just due to stress, but to not eat at all is not normal and not healthy. Have you taken her to the vet yet for a check-up? That should be a top priority within the first 72 hours of getting a puppy. Best to rule out health issues first.

I will say my pup didn't eat for about 3 days after coming home. But after that he was fine and hasn't stopped eating ever since LoL. I think they're all different and there's no "one size fits all rule", but I do think a vet check is always a good idea if there's a problem.

 

[Devil Dog]

She's a very energetic pup I'll stop the hand feeding. Should I mix in the Purina and Wellness to switch her food?

 

[BxrMommieNAZ]

She's a very energetic pup I'll stop the hand feeding. Should I mix in the Purina and Wellness to switch her food?

Yes. SLOWLY switch over to the wellness over a 7-10 day period. like 75% purina to 25% wellness and keep going over a week to 10 day period.

 

[Davedbd]

I just made the same exact switch as you except I went from Royal Canin to Wellness. I did like the previous poster said, over about 7 days gradually switch. Her stool was a tad bit loose for about 3 days, but is now normal.
After the switch to Wellness we still are not sure we are gonna stay with it. Her coat has less dandruff and we no longer need the vitamin supplement, but she doesn't eat as much. Her morning feeding she only eats 1/4 of what we put out for her.
She is 18.6 lbs, 11 weeks- we feed her 3/4 cup 3x's a day.
The vet said at week 12, switch to feeding only twice a day. Morning and night. So, we will see how she adjusts to that schedule and decide on switching or not than.
Good luck

 

[BxrMommieNAZ]

I just made the same exact switch as you except I went from Royal Canin to Wellness. I did like the previous poster said, over about 7 days gradually switch. Her stool was a tad bit loose for about 3 days, but is now normal.
After the switch to Wellness we still are not sure we are gonna stay with it. Her coat has less dandruff and we no longer need the vitamin supplement, but she doesn't eat as much. Her morning feeding she only eats 1/4 of what we put out for her.
She is 18.6 lbs, 11 weeks- we feed her 3/4 cup 3x's a day.
The vet said at week 12, switch to feeding only twice a day. Morning and night. So, we will see how she adjusts to that schedule and decide on switching or not than.
Good luck

Well keep in mind she will eat less of the Wellness because it's a healthier food. The amount you have listed sounds about right and maybe a little much. My boy at 9 weeks awas 14 pounds so your pup sounds like she's on track.

Personally I'd wait until 6 months to switch to 2 feedings a day. The typical recommendation is 4 times a day from 8 weeks to 12 weeks, then 3 times a day from 12 weeks to 6 months then twice a day from 6 months on.

Honestly if the only reason you're thinking of switching is due to the amount she's eating it sounds like she's right on track. I've found that most of the dog food bag "guidelines" are WAY over and I've never fed anywhere close to what they recommended...if I did my dogs would be severely obese to be honest. So sounds like she's on track to me but that's just my personal opinion.