[jellybn1]

Hi Everyone,
I need all of your help & idea's PLEASE. My 6 month old Cha Cha is a perfect puppy. I'm totally in love with her. The big prblem that I have is she has stopped eating again. I took her to the vet (the visit was schedualed 1 month in advance. just to weigh her and check her). She stopped wanting her food Monday... I feed her GREAT products!! She eats Wellnes wet food & I mix it up with Merrick puppy blend which she likes. Well, now she looks at the food and gives me a blank stare... All else is great. She is 2lbs, 15oz. 1 month ago she was 2lbs 4.5oz. Great growth spurt. I have tried it all... Cottage cheese...chicken broth.. she does not want them.
I learned how to syringe feed her which she will keep the food down. She does not have a liver shunt or anything like that as I have had her checked.

My heart is breaking!!! I cry all the time. Cha Cha can't miss 2 meals as she is a 3lb dog.. I do not want to go to human food as she then will alway's expect this, and I don't cook. Also, she does NOT like Nutrical!!
I have NEVER seen a dog that does'nt want to eat. I also leave some hard kibble that she liks when I leave her and nothing. Usually she would eat her food off my finger, buty not now... Mt heart is aching!! Please help......
Jellybn1

 

[LexiAndNikkisMom]

My recommendation would be to go to another vet for a second opinion. What has the vet told you what to try?

Also go and get as many sample packets of dog food you can. Right now the thing is to find something she will eat. A lot of times the smaller pet food stores will give you free packets. Ask people you know if you can get a baggie full of food. Try different can dog foods. Set up a smorgasbord of different foods. See if she will eat any. Have you tried softening the food?

 

[jellybn1]

Yes.. I don't get it though.. She was eating..

 

[Holliberry]

Well that Cha Cha sure is a little stinker, isn't she? I agree with Lexi's mom. Try a few different things, even cook her chicken and rice for now (I have done this and mine went right back to eating her own food), and try another vet for a 2nd opinion. This very well could be because she is teething and her mouth is sore, but it could be something else. My Phoebe is 6.5 months and we just went through the same thing because of her teeth. Can you check her mouth and see if there are loose teeth or extra teeth coming in? Phoebe's would bleed if I tried brushing them so I had to stop that for a bit. If I softened the food in water and hand fed it to her piece by piece she would eat. Also she loved frozen green bean pieces. They probably felt good to chew on her sore mouth (if thats what it is). Good luck!

 

[dhodina]

Have you tried the natural balance sausage roll looking thing? My dogs love it . I cut it up in lil tiny pieces mix it with their dry food and add warm water to soften it.

 

[Ladysmom]

Does Cha Cha have any digestive problems when she does eat? Vomiting, diarrhea, gas, any sort of tummy troubles?

So-called teacup dogs can have underdeveloped organs. I agree with Lexi's mom that a second opinion might be a good idea at this point. The vet might want to do an ultrasound and run some additional tests. As you say, Cha Cha has to eat!

If she is just a fussy eater, you might want to try Kodie's Mom's trick to entice Kodie to eat. He's also a tiny little guy and she started adding baby food to his food and he loved it!

 

[Brinkley & Neyland's Mom]

Just something that I have noticed, but sometimes when Brinkley hasn't touched his food during the day, if I give him a piece of turkey or something else "people" food that he likes, it will kick start his appetite and he goes right to his food bowl when he realizes he is not getting any more of our food. Might try that.

Good luck!

 

[saltymalty]

Poor Cha-Cha. I have had this problem with my puppy too. She will eat like there is no tomorrow, then suddenly all interest in food is gone. Finally, we figured it out. About three days before a tooth falls out, she doesn't eat very well. As soon as it pops out, her desire to eat comes back. The vet said that this is pretty common in toy breeds. Try to soften her food...although this didn't work for us. As long as she's gaining weight and her overall health is good, she should do just fine. During these bouts of teething, I just leave out food for her to nibble. She eventually does eat it all...I guess she gets hungry enough.

 

[Laceys mom]

Lacey did the same thing when she was a puppy. She would eat great and then all of a sudden she wouldn't touch her food. She was teething and no matter what I did she would not eat the dry kibble. I just gave her nutrical and kept a close eye on her. Now that she is an adult she will do this once in a while. Monday night and all day yesterday she ate nothing. Woke up this morning and she had ate all her dry kibble sometime during the night. I don't stress about it anymore. She loves apples and watermelon so she has been eating both. When Lacey was a puppy I would feed her the baby food little meat sticks. She would eat them, but not her kibble when her mouth was hurting her.

 

[jellybn1]

You guys are so sweet... I'm really sad... My heart is breaking.. I love this puppy so much!She is 6 months old and has not lost ANY baby teeth.... I went to 2 vets and both told me that on a 3lb. puppy there are time they can retyain their baby teeth there whole lives.
Also, Cha Cha ate 2 small soft buiscuits last night, so I don't think it's her teeth. I need help!! :new_Eyecrazy:

 

[LexiAndNikkisMom]

I would definitly try any type of dog food (doesn't even have to be the best), try it plain and with different things on top. Try the baby food (just remember it only keeps for 1-2 days).

 

[Ladysmom]

Originally posted by Lexi's Mom@May 18 2005, 11:43 AM
I would definitly try any type of dog food (doesn't even have to be the best), try it plain and with different things on top.  Try the baby food (just remember it only keeps for 1-2 days).
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[/QUOTE]

Guess what I just learned from my daughter who is just starting Sarah on baby food? That you can freeze baby food in ice cubes trays so you don't have to throw it out after a day!

 

[LexiAndNikkisMom]

Originally posted by LadysMom+May 18 2005, 12:07 PM-->

<!--QuoteBegin-Lexi's Mom

@May 18 2005, 11:43 AM
I would definitly try any type of dog food (doesn't even have to be the best), try it plain and with different things on top.  Try the baby food (just remember it only keeps for 1-2 days).
<div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=63234

Guess what I just learned from my daughter who is just starting Sarah on baby food? That you can freeze baby food in ice cubes trays so you don't have to throw it out after a day!
<div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=63244
[/B][/QUOTE]
That is a good idea!

 

[jellybn1]

No... She poops & holds the food down...

 

[jellybn1]

I wish that was the case. Cha Cha is an extremely small malese. She will NEVER be more than 3 lbs. The vet told me that she's not teething. I'm soooooo worried. I think this is a behavieral problem.

 

[LexiAndNikkisMom]

Some dogs are just picky eaters. Just keep trying until you find something she likes. You might have to do this a couple of times.

 

[Maidto2Maltese]

Try taking the juice from water packed tuna.. ( not the oil).. I'd even mix with a little water. and drizzle and allow it to really soak in if using dry kibble , and mix it in well if using the the canned food . You don't want her to be able to just lick off the top.. though a tiny bit to peak her interest is ok. This often is the "magic-enticement". you usually don't need a lot either.. I think it is the stink that appeals to them.
Then if she eats that .. just little by little use less and less.
you also might want to take it to a different area from where she normally eats.. ( this might be an 'issue" with her.. so different area.. and then refer to it as a treat. offer a tiny bit by hand saying ya want a treat?
I know when we had to switch Missy from her old diet to the diabetic issue.. I had to play psycholigical warefare with her and this method worked great. hope it does for you too!
missysmom

 

[puppylucy]

you need a special vet in my opinion. you've been having so many problems with your tiny, tiny, less than 3 lbs at adulthood maltese. there may be something wrong with her because of her size. where did you purchase her? has she been checked for diseases, defects, etc?

 

[saltymalty]

Originally posted by jellybn1@May 18 2005, 03:47 PM
I wish that was the case. Cha Cha is an extremely small malese. She will NEVER be more than 3 lbs. The vet told me that she's not teething. I'm soooooo worried. I think this is a behavieral problem.
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[/QUOTE]
Are you sure you have that right? The reason why I ask, at the start of this thread, you said she weighs 2lbs. 15 oz. That's an oz. short of 3lbs now and you say she's only 6 months old. I think she still may have some growing yet. I wouldn't get too worried about a few missed meals unless there is some other condition involved. I have a smaller malt too...she's almost 9 months and weighs just a tad over 4lbs. She'll probably get to be about 5 to 5.5 lbs. full grown. And she is still losing baby teeth! She just lost her bottom canines (adults have been in for a few months). The vet doesn't want to pull them since they are falling out on their own.

 

[miko's mommy]

I am sure she will be teething eventually. She can't live her whole life on baby teeth. Most dogs are born with baby and adult teeth and it just takes time for adult teeth to come out.

Has she been tested for liver shunts, etc? Some signs of liver shunt could be small size, lack of apetite etc. Your vet should do bile acids if he feels its appropriate.