Hello. Sorry if this has already been discussed but I can't find it! We collected our 8 week old puppy on Saturday. The litter had been weaned on 50% kibble (Eukanuba) and 50% raw (split between tripe and Natural Instinct). However, our pup has refused all offerings of the kibble. We have tried giving it to her in a separate bowl; adding a small amount of weak gravy; mixing it with her tripe (her favourite) but she just licks off the tripe/gravy and leaves the kibble! I've also tried withholding her tripe first thing in the morning (admittedly, not for too long) but she still refuses the kibble. Does anyone have any other suggestions? If she continues to refuse the kibble, I assume I'll have to increase her tripe and Natural Instinct although she seems satisfied with what she's being given and sometimes leaves a little bit and goes back later. Any advice would be much appreciated! Thanks!
Someone suggested to me a few drops of Worcester sauce (lea and perrins) with boiling water on top, which I did for my puppy and it worked a treat.
Hi and welcome. The first week or so in a new home is quite scary for a new pup do they might be unsettled. Are you planning on keeping the pup on kibble and raw? How many meals is she having a day? PIf she doesn't eat the kibble, pick it up and try again for her next meal. Don't offer an alternative unless you are prepared to always do so. My girl goes through stages of not eating kibble, but it doesn't bother me as she is on kibble and raw (50-50 each day).
Hello. She has 4 meals a day. We were advised to leave the kibble out for her to help herself and then to give her the raw food at each meal time. I worry a bit that she's not eating enough but doesn't appear overly hungry and has a lot of energy! Thank you for the advice.
Please call the breeder and ask for help on what to do. Mixing kibble and raw and getting the right mix of nutrients for a puppy can be tricky. Hopefully your breeder is very proficient and well read on nutrient values of raw food and can advise you if increasing one component might be detrimental. Too much calcium is one thing to watch for. Have you fed raw before yourself? From what you say I take it this is what I call "real" raw in that it's whole foods and not some pre-prepared mix in handy containers? I am also guessing that tripe is not the only raw? You have only had puppy two days. She might need a bit more time to settle in. ONe thing you can try is to feed more but much smaller meals. Eight meals a day to get her going. This is what you would try for a sick animal too, and a sick human, small meals. I swear I'm feeding one old cat by the quarter teaspoon at a time but it works. Worth a try?
If you have the right nutrients in your raw/kibble 'package' then I'd give both together in four meals,not leaving any down. Either that or give kibble first (with a little water) then raw after that each meal.
