Question
Peek-A-Boo!
Hello! I am new to owning small breeds, so bare with me ;) I am more familiar with Rottie issues, and am blessed to have had healthy ones, except my rescue. Anyway....
My new baby is a 10 week old Shih Tzu, Ginger. I am finding it VERY hard to get her to eat dry food instead of canned. I've tried all methods suggested, totaling dozens in about 3 weeks! Is it a good idea to add some broth or gravy temporarily to her food? I don't want to use canned food because she seems to eat it off the dry food, then leave the rest. Besides, I have finally got Ginger to try something other than canned food and don't want her to regress. I found out too late that Ginger was too young to leave her mom, and probably too young for her first set of shots. She is being treated for possible distemper/respiratory infection, which in itself causes her to loose her appetite. In other words, she's having it rough!
The breeder said she was feeding her Diamond, which she gave me a small baggie of. When I got Ginger home, she didn't seem to want it, even after a few days. Almost immediately I noticed her "coughing" or "sneezing." My vet gave her an antibiotic after taking some tests. I believed the health problems may be the cause of her eating habits combined with her new home. However, 3 weeks later and VERY PLAYFUL, she's still ify about food.
I know dry food is best for her, but the only thing I was able to get Ginger to eat was canned food. My vet carry the Purina Pro Plan, which I am not very familiar with, but tried anyway. Ginger eats it, but is it a good choice? As her (2-legged) mom, naturally I want the best for her!
PLEASE HELP!!! I am in this for the long haul, so I don't need a quick fix; but I do, nevertheless, want one.
Thanks in advance for your help. Ginger and I sure appreciate it!
AnswerIf Ginger will eat the dry Pro Plan, the problem is solved. I am quite familiar with it, having fed it for years to the puppies we raise for a dog guide school. I have seen thousands of dogs thriving on it. They are mostly Labs and other large breeds, but my daughter's little terrier is doing fine on it too.
Except for the medical problems, your puppy may have been OK. There are many different opinions around on dog care. I tend to trust the dog guide school. They have a large, highly successful program managed by professionals with access to data on thousands of dogs over their lifetime. They give the first shots at 6 weeks, and then place the puppies in their foster home at 7 weeks with their next shots at 9 weeks. I know that works well. I doubt those wanting to delay things have as many resources to determine the best time.
Young puppies are very vulnerable to disease even with early shots. You do need to try to keep them away from diseased dogs.
If you do find she still needs something to encourage her to eat, you can try some unsalted chicken broth. Also watch her weight. Many puppies come from the breeder too fat. It isn't as bad for small breeds as larger ones, but still causes many problems including picky eating. You should be feeding a puppy chow now. Switching to an adult chow for the larger breeds at 4 months, slows growth and helps develop sturdier joints.
Your dog definitely should be narrower at the waist than the hips and chest. You should be able to easily feel the ribs, but not see them. Each dog is different. Standard recommendations are a good place to start, but each dog must have its food and exercise adjusted to its individual needs. Here is a link to a good illustrated guide, http://www.longliveyourdog.com/twoplus/RateYourDog.aspx
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