# Needing help with 6 week old puppy!



## lexi_wai (Jul 3, 2012)

I just resuced Bandit a six week old chihuahua from a puppy mill (I have since then reported the lady). I have had him for two days and he seems to be fine but he walks about like its his first day with his legs which im thinking his blood sugar is to low, he would not eat his puppy kibble the lady gave me or the food i bought him. So I started giving him baby food from a spoon along with goats milk from a bottle. I also have been giving him puppy boost four times a day. Im just wondering if I can get some tips to start getting him weaned off hand feeding and getting him to eat from his bowls? Or if he is too young yet? And any tips at all anyone can give me with him. 

Thanks in advance!


----------



## OzChi (Oct 26, 2011)

6 weeks is super young so you will have to give him pretty much round the clock care if he is to thrive. He will need to eat high quality food 3-4 times a day so he doesn't go into shock from low blood sugar. Please don't feed him baby food, its for baby humans, not for dogs. And if yu want to give him milk make sure it is lactose free puppy milk. 

Google dog food analysis and find a 5 or 6 star food that is affordable and easily available for you. Lots of people here feed Arcana, Blue Buffalo or Wellness. I personally feed ZiwiPeak which is a great food, it's expensive but the 2lb bag will last a little puppy for months and months. I'm not sure what the puppy booster you mentioned is, a sugar based product to stop hypoglycemia maybe? If so keep feeding that before bed and 1st thing in the morning and any time he looks a little 'droopy', you can also use nutrical or just plain old honey for the same thing.

Good luck and please keep us posted on his progress.


----------



## MiniGrace (Oct 31, 2011)

Most likely your pup is not steady on his feet because he is so young. I got Taz at six weeks and she was the same for a week or so.

I suspect your pup simply hasn't learned to eat from a dish yet but they catch on quickly. Use a shallow dish, warm some canned food slightly and stir in a few drops of water in to make it soupy to begin with. Show the pup the bowl, dip your finger in the food and let him lick it off, then gently guide him to the bowl. He needs small, frequent meals.

I would toss whatever kibble she gave you and get a good quality canned food. You can look on dogfoodadvisor.com for some suggestions.

Have him checked out by a vet and dewormed if needed. 

You need to make sure he stays warm, too. Little pups chill easily.


----------



## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

ZiwiPeak makes canned food and it's really great and palatable. A little pricey, but you only have to feed so little. I used to mix it in with Gemma's Acana kibble to get her to eat when we first brought her home because she would not eat any kibble, and slowly lessened the amount of canned each day until I was just feeding her kibble. I couldn't afford to feed ZiwiPeak forever, so that's why I just used it for a couple weeks to get her used to her Acana, which is more affordable. If your goal is to get the puppy to eat a hard kibble eventually, I'd recommend starting with wet food, then gradually add in a tiny bit of kibble when he's a little older and keep increasing it each week until you can eliminate the wet altogether.

Make sure whatever you end up feeding is high quality. Dog Food Reviews | Dog Food Ratings is my favorite site for looking up the quality of foods.

Nutrical is another great supplement to have on hand. It's a dietary supplement gel that provides essential energy and nutrition. It will help prevent your pup from becoming hypoglycemic if he is not eating properly. It also increases appetite. I used it for Gemma for a while when she was skipping meals to make sure he blood sugar didn't drop.


----------

