puppy with eating problem

[puppysmiles]

Hi,  We adopted a 5 1/2 month old puppy two weeks ago,  she will not eat anything. I realize that new puppies need time to adapt to new surroundings. ( My breeder had already told me that a lady adopted her when she was 3 months old but returned her after few weeks since she wouldnt eat and was losing lots of weight)  When the breeder took the puppy back, her brother was still with the family pack of her dad and mom and she started eating very well for her and then she started gaining weight and so she put her to adoption again.  Now that we adopted her, she will not eat again.  Its been two weeks, she will eat a little bit if we prompt her by hand feeding and want us to stay with her the entire time.   My breeder started to think that this is a behavioral issue as she thinks she belongs to her pack now and will not eat without the pack.  So breeder recommended we either get her brother and try both of them or return the puppy back becauseher weight started dropping again.  So with disappointment we agreed to return the puppy for her own good.  Now this is day 2 after returning and I asked the breeder for update, she tells me she hasn't eaten for her either the past two meals.  Now she thinks its not pack issue and it is  obedience issue that we tried to hand feed her this past two weeks with lot of attention.  She says if we want the puppy back we could have her back, we need to take puppy classes.  In the meantime I talked to our puppy trainer who had met our puppy before and asked her suggestion,  she told me that she could suffer from jaw problems or tummy problems that she doesnt want to eat.  Her poop is kind of mushy and not really dry and has bad breath most of the times.  I do not brush her, so that could be the reason for bad breath.  Have anyone experienced anything like this before?  Please share it with me.  

[puppysmiles]

Hi Adiaguan,  She is five and half months old puppy,  she doesnt need her mother anymore.  She is fed only twice a day and completely house trained.  The problem is she will only eat few meals to survive and would skip most of the other meals.  I don't know if this is normal behavior especially for puppies after two weeks with us.  I do not see any sign of nervousness of surroundings or any physical discomfort outside her body.  

[puppysmiles]

Ghilly,  Thank you for your advice.  I fed her the wellness brand food and she is a small breed dog.  I noticed, when she was with me I changed her food she would readily eat.  I gave this on the same bowl size the breeder used because I exactly saw how much she ate with the breeder.  I know for a fact she was comfortable with us when we were around her.  Although she won't eat much, she was still active at times so Vet said she is doing fine but I always felt she is very quite and nervous dog over all. So we gave her all the attention this past two weeks that we could.  

Now the breeder called me and told me she has got no behavioural issues and from her judgement,  she has a wide range of palete and some obedience issue going on at the same time, that she needs different flavored foods for her taste.  If she doesnt get the flavor she likes, she will not eat and will barely eat to survive.  We could take her back but need to take some obedience training classes and also  to open her up for all kinds of different dog food.  Even if it can be home cooked chicken or something.   I don't mind taking puppy class and training but I don't know if this is related to her eating issues.  

We are first time puppy owner and I am not sure if it is in the best interest of the puppy that I should take her back and try to rehome her again, knowing that she will always be a fussy eater and cannot find a confirmed cause for her not eating.   She is now eating for the breeder a little bit when she is offered different meats that she cooked.  I know when I tried to change her food to nature's choice, she ate one full meal although will not eat at the second time but then had loose stools and I got nervous and put her back to Wellness brand again.  

My only concern is, even if this is palette issue, I can deal with  buying different foods, that's not a problem! How would I know, there is something else to this?       Breeder thinks there is no problem!  She also told me she has got some inquiries for puppies and we have got till Friday to decide whether we want to take her or not.  But I want to wait and first figure out her issue and address this before I bring her back.  This has caused a lot of emotional strain on my daughter and myself, we thought she would be ours and I had to explain my daughter why we are returning her for her own good and that she might have behavioural issues per the breeder.  So i am not willing to go through this again and again.....

I really feel for the puppy though......  I don't know if the breeder will once again attempt to rehome with someone else or if she will keep her.  

Again, I don't have any bad feeling about the breeder though... becasue I know she stood by us this whole time and she even returned the money back when we returned the puppy as she thought she might have behavioural issues.  Now that she feels, she doesnt have this, she wants us to consider taking her back.  But how would I ever know for sure if this is just Palete issue like the breeder thinks?  unless we wait and see what happens.    

[Adiaguan]

Sorry to hear that .I have a puppy ,too .He is a very strong and naughty boy .When he came to my home at first time ,he don't ate anything ,either .I change the brand of dog food and then he ate better .My friend told me a puppy will not eat when he feel unsafe .Maybe she just feel lonely or unsafe .She is too young , just 1/2 month old .She need mother .Maybe you should try to use a milk bottle to feed her .Just like her mother .Hmmm...

Hope your puppy could be better soon .