Is My Puppy Eating Enough?

Q: My puppy has only been with me for three days. I am not sure how much he should be eating on his own, but he eats so little. he is very tiny though, a pound and a half. I give him supplemental food every hour in a syringe. when will he start eating on his own? and how much food is normal?

A: There are a few guidelines of adequate consumption that are just as important as the actual volume of food eaten. During the transition to a new home it is extremely important that your puppy eats frequently, you should offer food at least each 1-2 hours during the day and each 4 hours overnight. Allow your puppy to eat whatever it wants in about 5 minutes or so. Keep in mind your puppy's appetite will vary during the day, and day to day, just like us. Leaving dry food available as nibble food is a good idea unless you have other pets that might take advantage too often. Once you are confident your puppy is eating regularly you can begin reduce the number of feedings. By the end of the second week shoot for about 4 feedings per day. Your puppy's attitude will generally tell you if he is eating enough: if he eats regularly, eliminates normally, plays energetically for a while and then sleeps things can't be to bad. If you feel there are changes to this pattern let me know as it could be a signal that something is up. A decrease in consumption coupled with a decrease in activity spells trouble.