Expert: Beth Adams - 10/14/2008

Question
I have three 6 week old yorkies.  Two are feeding great on the Science Diet Puppy food.  I grind it up and add water to it.  The third puppy (the smallest in size) doesn't seem to like the Science Diet Puppy food.  My question is, can I give her Chicken/Turkey if I grind it up?  Will her digestive system accept it?  Also, will she be getting enough nurishment?

Answer
Denise

I would recommend getting some baby puppy formula powder, then using that to be the liquid for the food.  You can try some turkey or chicken, but I would mix it right in with the other 2 ingredients.  Another option is some tuna mixed in, or a tiny bit of plain yogurt (not milk).

Another thing that comes to mind is to recommend that you switch to a better food. Science Diet spends a lot of money on advertising and promoting themselves to vets, but their foods contain some ingredients that are not the best for dogs.

I recommend a kibble that contains no corn, wheat, soy or by-products. Avoiding these ingredients can avoid a number of health problems in the years to come.

These babies are pretty young to be away from their mommy.  I know it's over the legal limit, but many people believe 10 weeks offers them a better start, so this may explain why one of them is just not as good an eater.

I hope this gives you some ideas for helping your tiny friend to get eating better.  Let me know how you make out.

-Beth