My Shih Tzu puppy is about 14 weeks old. He used to eat all his food the minute I poured it in the bowl. The past couple of days he's stopped doing that. He will pick at it occasionally, but it seems like such a sudden decrease in appetite.
Puppies should be eating and drinking. If your puppy stops drinking, it is serious. I would call the vet if the appetite doesnt pick up in a couple of days.
If you puppy has not completed his vaccinations, you should be looking out for Parvo virus. It often starts with loss of appetite and proceeds to lethargy and diarrhea and vomiting. To have a chance of beating the virus your puppy will need veterinary care immediately if you see these symptoms.
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I have a 3.5 month old Shih Tzu puppy. She is very active and going through teething. All of her front teeth have been fallen out and she is losing her appetite as days go by.
I took her to the vet, but they said it's normal for this age, but I'm worried that she is not eating anything, only drinking water. Her stools are also fine.Try feeding her only canned dog food till her new teeth come in. Her not eating may simply be tender gums where the teeth have fallen out. If canned food isn't an option, you can try watering her dry food and stirring it up to a thick gravy consistency. My sister had a dog that had to have a couple cracked/broken teeth pulled due to an accident, and when her dog stopped eating her normal food, my sister tried baby food for a couple weeks.
When my puppies were teething it was the same for me. What I needed to do was soak their dry dog food in some warm water to soften it up for them to eat. Other than this I would just make them some rice or pasta and mix it with a little bit of canned dog food that I would smash up and make a paste out of. This made it a lot easier for them to eat and after a few days the adult teeth started to come in and they were able to eat a bit more.
Try putting some puréed pumpkin baby food into a pet syringe & squirt the food into the side of the wee ones mouth. Pet syringes can be bought from a good pet store.
I have a 11 week old male Shih Tzu and he recently suffered some trauma from my 5 year old son dropping him. We have taken him to the vet hospital as well as the vet office which recommended we force feed him as well give him a sugar shot to keep his sugar level normal. But even with the force feeding his still spits it out and doesn't eat anything. We even tried cooked, food boiled chicken and he still refuses. He drinks water with no problem tho. What can I do so that he will snap out of this and eat?
Please help.
Dissolve a beef or chicken stock cube in the dogs water. Hopefully it will like the taste , get some nutrients & get an appetite.
I think he is scared when he sees your son and remembers being dropped. You may need to hold him and love him and make him feel secure once again. I would baby him and get a syringe and make some food that is very wet and can be put in the syringe and feed to him like this. You can go to the pet store and get some baby milk for dogs and use this with some wet food to mix together and put in the syringe to feed him. If not use a blender and mix this all up and then feed him from the syringe.
So I have to assume that the vet did a proper check up and that the fall did not damage his spleen or intestines or otherwise cause inner trauma. If he has any blood in his stools, you should go back to the vet
if it really is all purely psychological, well, I have heard of pets receiving Prozac prescriptions when things are not going well for them.
some herbalists assert that, just like with people, valerian root and St John's Wort will help a stressed out dog
SOURCE: www.purewow.com/
I'm getting a little scared here. I have a 7 month Shih Tzu, and he's not eating or drinking. Yes, I've taken him to the vet to get something for him.
But it's still not working. He's still getting weaker and weaker. Any suggestions? Please help.Concerns:
We have a 5 month old Shih Tzu. The other day she ate and drank like normal, but today she drank normally, but only ate a small amount of food. Then she leaves and comes back after how many minutes. But she cannot finish the food that we gave her. 
Please help me of what to do. Thanks! ~Xoxo
I would not worry if it is just one day. If it continues or she stops drinking I would call a vet.
Sounds like she eats but in her own time. Dont leave food out all day. Set a regular time. If it is hungry it will eat.Try warming the food in the microwave before giving it. NOT HOT. This makes the odours of the food more appetising. Try dissolving some meat or chicken stock cubes in a little warm water & put over the meat. Wee dogs can get fussy! Always make sure it drinks. Go to the vet if the problem lingers.
My 9 week old Shih Tzu is not eating. It has been almost two days already. She's been pooping 2-3 times a day for two days and doesn't want to play.
Please do help.
Thank you and God bless.
I have a 7 week old Shih Tzu puppy. I have had him for 1 week already and he won't eat dry food, but he will try to eat my cat's dry food. What can I do to get him to eat his food? I tried mixing it with wet food, but he will lick the wet food and not eat the dry one.
I tried soaking it in water, but that didn't work. He loves wet food, but I want him to eat dry food too.His jaw and teeth may not be strong enough for the dry food. I would consult the vet about this.
Your puppy may be attempting to eat cat food because the pieces are smaller than pieces of dry dog food. Most likely, your vet can advise you as to what type of dry food is best for a young puppy. You could try crushing the dry dog food into smaller pieces for your puppy.
Did you buy puppy food or regular Kibbles?
At this young age he still needs small pieces so try to break up his food into small pieces like the cat food and maybe he will eat it.
Put a few pieces in a baggie and hit them with something to break the pieces up - he may always want small pieces (puppy chow for several months).
Mix a few pieces of cat food with his food - the cat food is nutritious and will not hurt him.
Please don't let the dog eat the cat food. My friend had a rescue boy who had only eaten cat food his first 2 years of life and he had severe kidney issues during his life which was very short because of the kidney issues.
Feed the cats in a place the dog cannot get to it! Also be sure he doesn't eat their poop. Same issues will happen with kidney problems if this keeps happening.
Check with the vet to make sure the pup's teeth are ok. Then get a recommendation for the best method to integrate the dry food into his meals. Our little ones liked the tiniest puppy food nuggets.
Prayers for the pup and you! May you have a blessed history together!
Thanks for letting us know as we all love to hear that someone found a solution and their baby is doing well.
I know that many people do not think cat food should be fed to dogs but I cannot believe that anything harmful to dogs could be in cat food or they would have to have a warning on the label "Do not feed to dogs - keep away from dogs as it could be harmful".
That does not mean that I think it is okay to feed dogs a regular diet of cat food because cats and dogs have different diet needs and their food should reflect that. I do know from personal experience that my family dogs have regularly had nibbles of cat food (both wet and dry) and it did not cause them any problems.
Sometimes my son drops by with his Chihuahuas and if no dog food is available we will feed them small amounts of my cat's food.
I am only mentioning this because I would not want someone to panic if their dog eats a little cat food.
Not sure how to define a few times of eating it, but I do know from first hand experience, that dogs who eat regular meals of cat food and cat treats can develop serious kidney issues, obesity and have poor general development (if fed cat food when they are pups.)
F, who was a border collie, was in a situation--where before my friend rescued her and gave her a good home and good medical care--where she ate cat food for approx. two years.
From the moment she was rescued and throughout her short but sweet life, she had serious kidney issues, skin issues, teeth issues, and was generally in poor health. It was so, so, so sad. Such a sweet gal.
This is why I preach do not let your dogs eat cat food!
There are many articles written about this topic like the ones below.
My friend learned that the dogs get a taste for the cat food and if they can't get to the food, and they can get to the cat's litter box, they will eat the poop to satisfy their cravings for whatever is in the food that attracts them. This is a situation where it is better safe than sorry! I will step off my soap box now. Thank you for listening!
www.vetstreet.com/
pethelpful.com/
pets.thenest.com/
I have a two year old Shih Tzu. He's very picky about his food. I was feeding him boiled chicken for a long time, but wanted to give him something healthy so my pet sitter recommended Perro dog food. He was eating at first; I would mix it with some wet food. But now again he has stopped eating it. I have even tried giving him Royal Canin food, but he eats it for a day or two and then again he doesn't eat. I don't know what to give him anymore. Overall he's healthy and active, but very picky about his food.
A dog will not starve himself! If he gets hungry enough he will eat.
There are many varieties of canned dog food, I would try a different one each week.
These are really adorable dogs and I know you are concerned about his health but your "worrying" may be part of the problem. First question would be has he been to the vet to rule any health problems? Second - you mention "dog sitter" so I assume you are gone during the day and someone (your home or theirs) is taking care of him in your absence. Do you know if he is getting a good amount of exercise as usually a dog will have a better appetite if they get regular daily exercise? Some dogs (even small ones) need a lot of exercise so be sure of this before going any further. He may not be hungry because he isn't burning off enough calories.
Most breeders say to make a choice as to the food you want to feed him. Don't add anything to it or if you do, just do it occasionally. Offer him the food. If he doesn't eat it in 5 minutes, remove it for a few hours (or when he appears hungry). He'll eat when he is hungry enough. I would not start adding other treats (canned food, people food) or changing foods, unless you change it to canned food for good.
I do not know if you ever place him in a cage/kennel in your home but here is a suggestion: Put some dry food in his kennel so when you put him to bed for the night he may eat it while you are asleep. (not very much to start). If you do not use a kennel then do you have a small room that could be used but I would not upset with too much change.
The only other suggestion that I have is pick out a good food product, stick with it and maybe occasionally add some cottage cheese just a little - youll soon know if he will eat it - just leave it for 5 minutes and remove it - be patient and do not act like there is anything wrong because he is not eating. Remember - exercise is vital to his health.
Here is a link to the American Shih Tzu Club about picky eaters.
americanshihtzuclub.org/
I don't feed my dogs canned dog food at all. None of them will eat it. Therefore, I am forced to visit the store and buy the packages of scrap meats they sell for animals. I boil the meat and cut it into bite size pieces. Afterwards, I add cooked pasta or rice to the meat. They all ove this and it is very healthy for them.
I beg to differ, a dog will starve itself to death! Just went through this with my beloved baby. She could not have tooth surgery because of kidneys. She would not eat! We had to put her down or watch her literally starve
I have a Shih Tzu who is 7 months old. If I don't feed him he doesn't eat his food by himself. What do I do? He used to actually have get liver chunks which are home made, but now he has stopped eating that also. Rather than this he eats all those jerky foods by Pedigree. I am so worried about what to give him. He doesn't eat and drools also. He is active and he is fine, but what is the solution for this?
I have a 55 day old female Shih Tzu. We got her 3 days ago. She was eating properly and has been very active until now and was eating properly until this evening.
Now she isn't eating at all. We tried giving her GI food and Cerelac too, but she isn't eating at all now and we are worried.I bought a 7 week old Shih Tzu puppy around 6 days ago from a pet shop. At first he ate, but since four days ago he doesn't like to eat much. Also he drinks a little water, but he likes to drink milk.
We give him vitamins. He ignores Pedigree dog food. Please let me know what's wrong with him.Dont feed your dog milk. That can cause diarrhea. If you are concerned about his diet, consult the vet.
Hi,
He probably still wants puppy formula. You can buy puppy formula and mix a little of the canned pedigree in the formula.
Blessings,
Robyn
Please get your pup to a vet ASAP! It is important to get an established relationship and becsure there are no health issues. 7 weeks is very young. The vet can give you a mother's milk replacement. Never give dogs cow milk unless the vet gives the ok. Post back what the vet says. Prayers for all!
I have a 7 month old Shih Tzu. He has not wanted to eat for a couple of days. He just drinks a little. I already took him to the vet.
His weight is falling down from 7 kilos to 4 kilos and his not that active now.That is a big weight loss for a young puppy. You need to get your dog to the Vet right away. If you cannot afford a Vet bill you can take the puppy to the local humane society. If you surrender him he will be treated and placed up for adoption.
I have a 6 month old male Shih Tzu puppy. I usually feed him one full egg in the morning and carrot and Royal Canin in the evenings. Beginning two days ago his intake of food has been reduced.
He keeps jerking in the nights. Is this something should I be worried about?I have a five month old Shih Tzu. She doesn't eat her food. Could someone offer some information on how to make her eat? I feed her Science Diet. I also feed her Royal Canin puppy food.
By EZE-1 from New York, NY
I rescue Shih Tzus [I'm living with 9 right now!!] and I've found that each one will eat Bil-Jac - some will only eat kibble, others [especially those without teeth] devour the frozen Bil-Jac. It costs a bit more, but they don't eat that much for a meal. It takes 5 of mine 5-6 weeks to eat a bag of kibble [30 pounds] and the other 4 take 4½ weeks to eat a 5 pound bag of the frozen. To me, it is well worth the extra $1.75 per bag to see them enjoy their meals.
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I am having problems getting my Shih tzu puppy to eat. I tried puppy food wet and dry plus put a little chicken breast mixed in.
