Warning: Do not use canned dog or puppy foods to feed your puppy. It's extremely dangerous for tiny puppies. They can fall down deathly ill within hours following consumption of any canned food. Canned food means any and all soft dogs foods, in the plastic containers and foil pouches
Canned food can contain endotoxins from bacteria. High heat is used in
the canning process to kill bacteria, but this does not destroy the toxins
that came from the bacteria.
Think of endotoxins as the poop of bacteria. The bacteria may die, but the
bacteria's byproduct remains in the food. Chihuahua puppies and other
breeds of small dogs are tiny and fragile and cannot handle the toxins that
are left over from bacteria in these canned foods, so do not use them while
your puppy is growing up.
Small Puppy Care Guide - Introduction
I'm a responsible, experienced dog breeder located in California, and have
been in this line of work for over a decade. When you've been working with
dogs as long as I have, you learn about the different kinds of foods
available for puppies, what foods they enjoy eating, and which ones offer
the best nutrition for their health.
If you plan on purchasing a new puppy, whether it's one of my Chihuahua puppies for sale or another small breed of dog, you'll need to know how to feed them properly.
I'll tell you this, it's not as simple as placing some dry food next to them and calling it a day; it requires a bit more work than that, but don't sweat it, because this small feeding guide will help new puppy owners to feed their dogs the right way, and will help ensure that their tiny puppy grows into a happy, healthy dog.
Supplies - The Things You'll Need
These are the supplies I feel are absolutely necessary to have on hand for your new Chihuahua puppy. Most, if not all of these items can be found at your local grocery store or online.
1. Esbilac Puppy Milk OR Goats Milk
Esbilac Puppy Milk provides essential nutrition for a developing puppy. It gives them the necessary vitamins, minerals, and proteins which are very similar to a mom dog's milk. If you're unable to acquire Esbilac Puppy Milk, then Goat's Milk is a fine alternative, as it provides nearly the same amount of important nutrients a young puppy needs.
Note: For instructions on how to give this items to your puppy, skip to the Feeding Instructions part of this guide.
2. Gerber Baby Rice Flakes (This is optional. It's only for puppies who refuse to drink the Esbilac Puppy Milk or Goats Milk by itself.)
Sometimes, a puppy will refuse to drink Esbilac Puppy Milk and Goat's Milk, so Gerber Baby Rice Flakes is another fine alternative you can use if your puppy is refusing the former two items.
3. Dry Food: Eukanuba chicken formulas.
To prevent your puppy from having any digestive complications, finding dry foods with simple ingredients is key, and Eukanuba chicken forumlas has just that: simple ingredients. Your puppy shouldn't have any problems digesting this food, and they should also enjoy the great taste.
4. Nutrical
Nutrical is a handy calorie supplement to have. It's an easily disgested, low volume gel that you can give to your puppy. The reason I recommend Nutrical is because sometimes, small puppies will burn through more calories than they take in, which results in low blood sugar. To prevent this from happening, giving a Chihuahua puppy an inch of gel at midday, every day until it's gone, will go a long way in maintaining their health.
5. Karo Syrup, clear color
Karo Syrup serves as a potential life saver if your puppy, for whatever reason, is effected by low blood sugar. A sudden attack of low blood sugar can be lethal, so having Karo Syrup nearby to them by mouth is a real difference maker. For instructions on how to give Karo Syrup to a dog with low blood sugar, view the "What to do With a Puppy That Lacks an Appetite" part of this guide.
Note: A puppy that is eating typically means they are in a healthy condition, but sometimes a puppy will stop eating altogether. There are several things that contribute to a loss of appetite, usually though, it has to do with an underlying illness. If this problem presents itself and you are unable to identify why your puppy will not eat, you may want to seriously consider visiting a veterinarian to help resolve the issue, because a lack of appetite can lead to low blood sugar.
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6. Ox-E-Drops
Ox-E-Drops are a simple and easy way to keep water bacteria free. With just a drop or two in the water bowl for your puppy, this can help assist the body in removing dangerous toxins, strengthen the immune system, and help provide more endurance to your puppy. Becareful not to add too many drops to your puppy's water; I recommend following the instructions on the bottle.
7. Bene-Bac Gel
Your small puppy is probably most vulnerable when they are entering your home for the first time. The unfamiliarity causes stress, and stress is a factor that effects a puppy's appetite. The stress usually disappears after a few days, so in order to support them during the stressful period, you can do that using Bene-Bac Gel. The gel contains a healthy bacteria for balancing the digestive tract and aids the puppy with normal digestion.
8. Nuvet
Nuvet is not available in stores. Many people assume this is merely a vitamin, but it's more than that. It's a complex supplement that may prevent early degenerative diseases. It helps support bones, muscles, and joints to prevent hip and knee ailments during a puppies rapid growth into adulthood.
Those are the supplies I recommend in this puppy feeding guide for new owners. Numerous as they may be, the safety and health of your dog is important, and these items should help ensure a safe trip into adulthood.
Feeding Instructions - For Teacup Puppies That Are 1 to 1 1/2 lbs
1. Esbilac Puppy Milk or Goats Milk should be given two to three times a day. If the puppy is refusing to drink the milk, then try soaking some dry food in water and give that to them instead, twice a day.
2. Give them Nutrical once during midday on a daily basis until the tube is empty.
3. Basic advice, but dry food and water. Make sure you always have dry food available for your puppy so they can eat whenever they are hungry. This is known as "free feeding." Additionally, always have a water bowl filled with water for the puppy. Ox-E Drops can be used in conjunction with the water to keep it bacteria free.
What to do With a Puppy That Lacks An Appetite
A puppy with no appetite is a serious problem that needs to be solved quickly. Under such circumstances, you may have to forcefully feed your tiny puppy. If you are unsure how to do this, then drive them to a veterinarian and have him show you. If you want to attempt to treat a lack of appetite or hypoglycemia in the puppy on your own, use the following instructions:
1. Try and tempt the puppy with some delicious Gerber Babyfood meatsticks. Even puppies that don't seem to be very hungry will find these irresistable.
2. Use Nutrical three times a day on a puppy that's not eating. Give one inch of gel in the morning, one inch at noon, and one inch at night. While you are giving him nutrical throughout the day, also tempt him into eating Gerber Babyfood meatsticks or just regular meatsticks of any kind.
3. Try using a dropper and squeeze some Esbilac Puppy Milk or Goat's Milk into the puppy's mouth. You can also try to give him a little Nutrical.
4. Try using unflavored Pedialyte. Use a large, child sized medicine dropper and slowly squeeze the liquid into the puppies mouth. If the puppy is drinking water, consider putting some unflavored Pedialyte in their water, as that's a good way to get some valuable nutrition into the Chihuahua puppy.
5. In extreme cases: Half a teaspoon of Karo Syrup, given three times daily can help a puppy recover if they are severely weakened by low blood sugar.
If all else fails and you still can't get your puppy to eat, you must take them to a veterinarian. Have the veternarian do a fecal test to try and determine what may be wrong.
And that's the end of this small puppy feeding guide. Take advatange of this information when you're raising a teacup Chihuahua puppy or any other small breed of dog, and be confident that you're feeding your puppy the right way!
How to Feed Growing Puppies Guide
