We just brought our 12 week old shiba, Nikki, home on Saturday! She has been doing great and is so adorable and friendly. She has been sleeping in her crate without any problems, and has not been whining. She can even go through the night without going to the bathroom, which is also a big bonus! We are extremely happy with her and are already in love with her! I had a question about her eating. The breeder said to give her 1/3 cup of dry food soaked in a little warm water, and mixed with a spoonful of wet food 3 times per day. She hasn't been eating all of it though, so we were thinking of cutting out the 3rd meal, at lunchtime. This morning, I gave her the same thing for breakfast...she ate none of it, so she didn't have to go to the bathroom at all, and I left for work. I left the food in her crate with her. When I came back mid morning it looked like she hadn't touched the food at all, so I left just dry food in her crate. We'll see if she ate that when I get home...even though she doesn't have all her teeth, so it is hard for her to chew it. Does anyone have any suggestions or advice about this topic?
Also, when we first brought her home, we misread the feeding instructions from the breeder and gave her only wet food as her 3 meals, with the dry food on the side. She ate the wet food then. Is it possible that we accidentally spoiled her by giving her just the wet food and now she won't settle for anything less!?
It is recommended by several members on this forum that puppies should be eating kibble mixed with wet food - like your breeder suggested. So keep doing that for now. I personally never bought wet food for Leo - I did utilize the water method for a little bit but have stopped.
As for Nikki not eating as much - this is pretty typical. When we first brought Leo home at 8 weeks, he barely ate half a cup. He's 20+ weeks now and still only eats about a cup of dry kibble. From 8 weeks to now, he still steadily gained weight each week and is healthy per our vet visits. Many other members have reported that their shiba eats less than the feeding guide.
As for Nikki not eating at all - observe over the next couple days. There were days when Leo ate a lot less or seemingly not at all. In the beginning, I had to feed him from my hand or else he wouldn't touch the food at all. Nowadays, I start with the hand feed and then it seems to jumpstart his appetite and he'd eat from the bowl. When he gets hungry enough, he'll eat out of the bowl himself too.
Don't worry about the "not settling for anything less" - if she gets hungry enough, she'll eat what you give her. Don't give in!
Leo "JD" Hu | Cream Shiba Inu | DOB: 8/19/2011 | Southern California - LA/OC
Also, remember, there's nothing wrong with just feeding a dog wet food. Not that you can't feed her kibble if you want to, but it is an option and there's nothing wrong with it. Kibble is cheaper, but the trade off with wet food is higher protein, better hydration and the fact that it keeps longer when both are in unopened packages. I know it's not an option that most people choose, and I'll be honest it's not even what I'm planning on doing, but it is there. Also, I will second that a lot of people here have talked about their Shibas having smaller appetites as well as being very picky. Good luck with your little sweetheart.
Thanks for the advice! I think I will stick with the food I have been giving her and see if I notice any changes. My only concern is that everything that I have read says to take the puppy outside immediately after she eats...but if she is not eating right away, it makes it harder, because then I have to go to work. I am able to come back during the day to take her out, but not right after her meal. I just don't want her to eat her food while I'm not there and then have to go to the bathroom, and end up ging in her crate..
Appetites can wane during transition periods. The puppy has only been with you a few days, so some lite appetite is normal. The puppy does however, need to be eating something several times a day, even if it isnt much. Anorexia in a puppy beyond 12 hours or so is a concern at that age, IMO. Leave some kibbles down between meals for the first 4ish months, and do 3 meals a day, at first. After that, most Shiba pups can easily transition to 2 kibble meals a day. I do mix wet into my puppies food, and soak their kibbles to help make chewing easier if that is an issue due to size. It is not an issue for most puppies, they are walking stomaches and will try and eat anything that isn't nailed down.
Masakado Shiba Inu www.masakadoshiba.wordpress.com "Common sense isn't so common"
Nikki - interestingly enough, Leo has never had to poo immediately after a meal.
Leo is 5 months and he poos twice a day. Once when he wakes up (around 7:30 AM) - before his first meal. Then he poos again around 7 PM (roughly 12 hours later).
Leo "JD" Hu | Cream Shiba Inu | DOB: 8/19/2011 | Southern California - LA/OC
From my experience, the dogs I've had goes to the bathroom after they eat. I think the meal itself triggers them to have to go. Hence why everything you read stated to take them to the bathroom right after meals.
But every dog is different. Bootz changed her routine lately. She use to poo once in the morning, once at night, after meals. Now she only poos once a day, in the afternoon. Not sure if its normal, but she seems perfectly fine and has access to the backyard.
Thank you all for your advice..I'm gonna keep watching her to see if she eats the wet kibble. If not, I may just give her the dry food, which she seems to eat. It seems like she prefers to graze all day though..eat a few bites, then go play, eat a few more, take a nap...and that goes on all day. She doesn't really just eat the whole meal in one sitting.
brewster is hit or miss..he gets 2 cups a day and he almost neeeevvver eats it all...hes very active and growing normally ... somedays like on my days off hes like me and pigs out ...but for the most part he eats a little...plays eats a little etc....poops about 3xs a day one in the a.m when we first let him out of his crate...and a small one midday...then another healthy one before bed...we leave his food open to him to eat when he is hungry but once hes done losing his puppy teeth were gonna start with 1 cp in the a.m and have him eat then put the bowl away and feed a small snack midday and give him a good meal at dinner...he eats like a bird now cuz after a few bites of kibble is gums hurt (he just lost a molar) so we arent really too worried about a set eatng scedule yet
We also leave her food out all day, but I have also read in some of the other discussions that they have timed feeding schedules. Leave the food out for a half hour or so, if she eats it, great. If not, the food gets taken away and she will have the chance to eat again at the next meal. Is this something I should start doing or is she still too young..especially with not all of her teeth in..?
Brewster, that seems like a good plan that you have once he finishes losing all his puppy teeth.
My husband thinks I'm crazy for worrying this much and says that she will eat if she's hungry, it's fine, etc. I just want to do it the right way...if there is a right way haha
Zach has only eaten dry kibble from the day he came home. He gets Blue Buffalo Chicken and brown rice. I give him half a cup in the morning and then again at 5pm. He doesn't always eat it all...but I leave it down for about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes...sometimes he will wander over and finish other times he will just leave it. I pick up what he doesn't eat. Zach also gets treats during the day when we are training...and when I leave for work and he has to go in his crate he gets a cookie (I bake him homemade peanut butter cookies) which he LOVES...as soon as he sees me pick up the bag of cookies he runs into his crate and waits for his cookie.
It is good to get them in a habit of eating a full meal when they are young. We have a four year old who used to nibble at her meal for about 30 minutes. Since we now have 2 more Shibas, we had to "train" her to eat her meal all at one time or she would have to wait to finish at her next meal. Occasionally, she still has only one meal. By the way, since we have 3 Shibas, one is gated in a separate room, and one of us usually watches the other 2 until they are both finished.
I wouldnt cut any of the meals, 3 meals is recommended for a 6month or younger puppy. Remember your puppy is growing and her little body needs fuel, nutrients, vitamins, etc.
Try not to leave the food down, she will get used to eat whenever she wants, and that means, poo/pee whenever she wants.
3 meals, put the bowl 15-20min, if she did not touch it, pick it up. Keep doing this, and she will learn that she only has 3 times to eat.
BTW in my experience, if a puppy is not eating she might, 1 not like the food, 2 not hungry at all, and/or 3 parasites.
Dogs will eat whenever they feel hungry, even puppies. You can also try a different food flavor, i.e. any of my dogs like Fish/Ocean flavors. And last make sure she is free of parasites.
Do you think 3 meals a day at 8-9am, 2pm, and 7pm is okay for a 3 month old puppy? I just worry that from 7pm-9am is too long of a wait (even though it's his sleeping time). He usually sleeps at around 10-10:30pm and wakes up at 8-9am.
He is also on a strict bland diet right now (i.d.) so I can't give him kibble in between as training like normal, nor can I feed him a lot. Only half a can a day, but he always wants more (I think it taste good, he gulps it down within seconds so I try to pull it away and have him wait in between...but he still finishes it in less than a minute). What do you guys think?
I send pups home at 10 weeks 3 meals a day. My experience has been after a few weeks 2 meals a day is what most wind up being. I tell people when you notice interest in a meal declines go to two meals a day. Usually happens at around 16 weeks. I feed a predominatly raw diet.
Suki was a grazer and we used to worry but now as soon as she's given permission to eat (we use wait and count to 10) her head's in her bowl and she wolfs her food down.
