When our puppy came home (on Saturday), we were told by the breeder to feed 2/3 cups twice a day. She finished that the first feeding, but has not finished it since. I have since reduced it to 1/2 that amount, but she still isn't finishing the food. She's getting 1/2 the breeder's food (Kirkland Puppy) and 1/2 new stuff (Wellness Supermix Puppy). I'm guessing it's normal for a puppy not to eat as much in the beginning? We're also wondering if it has to do with the deworming medicine we've been mixing in for the past couple of days.

Second question is I've been reading that you're supposed to mix the dry food with a little warm water. We did that with the deworming medicine, but are we supposed to continue to mix dry food with water? I've never done that with the last dog.

She is 9 weeks old.

Don't mix meds in with a baby's food, put it in something different (yogurt, peanut butter, piece of meat if a pill, etc). 2/3 c of food a day is not enough for her. It's common for a puppy to be a tad slow or picky when they first come home (they've usually had their littermates to compete for food/race with up until then), so you could add a bit of wet food or puppycal until she's eating regularly. Why are you switching foods already?

I add water to their food forever, but when they're young, I add warm water, let it sit for 5 min or so, stir it up and serve.

We've been given a bag (a few pounds) of puppy food by the breeder. We're having trouble finding the Kirkland puppy food at the store so we're doing a gradual switch.

Why are you switching foods already?

Kirkland brand is Costco's private label. You won't find it anywhere else.

It's not available in the 3 Costco's near me.

Kirkland brand is Costco's private label. You won't find it anywhere else.

Try one of the Diamond made foods, since they make Kirkland too.

http://www.diamondpetfood.com


They even make Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers soul or whatever it's called.

It's not available in the 3 Costco's near me.


Hmpphh on that! I know ours carries the adult and puppy, but not the senior, which I've seen at others, so I guess they stock according to market area. Our dog did well on the Wellness Puppy. I never mixed it (or any dry kibble) with water. I think its personal preference.

I think she meant 2/3 of a cup 2X a day (for a total of 1 1/3 cup), but still that doesn't seem like much to me. I had mine eating 3/4 c 3x a day when they went home.

Do the Costco's just have NO Kirkland dog food, or just not the version your breeder was feeding?

A puppy of only 9 weeks old should be fed 3 times per day.

Toby ate 3/4 cup three times a day as a puppy and I increased that amount as he became older. He did not go to twice a day feedings until 5-6 months old.

i would thing 3x per day at that young age.

All of mine were eating 3X a day at that age ... we switch them to twice around 4 months.

To the OP, since you have a Costco nearby have you asked if maybe they can order a bag for you? Or do they have an on-line option? (We don't have a Costco close by, so my experience is only with Sam's Club .... wish we had a Costco!).

Why would anyone feed Diamond products....? Don't they always have re-call issues? :eek:

Shocking that anyone still does....:confused:

We've been doing 2/3 cup each time 2x a day, per the breeder's instructions. She doesn't always finish the entire 2/3 cup. She seems to finish all the Wellness stuff and leave the Kirkland stuff. We're still trying to transition but don't want to waste the Kirkland stuff.

As for 2x vs 3x a day, we were instructed by the breeder to do 2x because he had just switched her from 3x to 2x when we got the dog @ 8.5 weeks.

i would feed a 8.5 week old pup 3 times a day, any vet im sure will tell you the same.

Zoey decided on her own that she didnt want lunch when she was about 4 1/2 months, so the decision to feed 2 times a day was hers, not mine so im ok with that

Jeesh. Tide would eat 100 times a day and not once was she EVER a slow or picky eater. You guys have it made! :smile:

I agree with what others have said. Feed her 3/4 cup 3 times a day and I stick with the the Kirkland food. If you cannot find it, keep making the slow transition. I've never seen dewormer that you mix with food? Tide's was in a syringe, that we squeezed into her mouth.

Premimum Edge (also by Diamond) has an ingrediant list very similar to Kirkland. Chicken Soup would be an upgrade but not much different.

I've tried Wellness before w/my food sensitive BCX and she didn't like it. She ate it for a couple days and then became very reluctant -she's usually a good eater. The lady at my feed store reports the same of her dogs -they don't like wellness...tho she also says she sells a lot of it. But apparently some dogs just don't like it. So that could be the problem. This is the only food my dog has turned her nose up at.

It's not available in the 3 Costco's near me.

They have it at the Burbank store