Tips on making a puppy lab happy & eating?
 

We have a little 7 week old lab, he's depressed out of his mind, and I feel really bad for the little guy. He just mopes around, totally depressed all day, everyday. I'm not sure what to do. :(

Tried to give him loads of different types of food, but just won't eat. Only eats barely enough to keep himself alive. I try to play with him lots, but he doesn't care, and will just sulk instead. Our house is very clean, and he has loads of room to run around and play, has lots of toys & stuffed animals, etc.

Took him to the vet, and he checks out fine. We check him once a day, and he doesn't have any ticks or fleas. He's supposed to get a vaccination in a week once he's 2 months old, but I'm very hesitant to do that, because after our last puppy got vaccinated she become so weak it killed her.

I'm not sure what to do. His mama is just beside us, and only 5 feet away, so he gets to see her 2 or 3 times a day. A good friend took in two of the puppies, so he has two sisters just down the street he gets to play with 2 or 3 times a week, etc.

He's depressed out of his mind though, won't eat, and just mopes around all day. The only irregularity I can think of is that there's too many people coming in & out of my house all the time. There's always different people here hanging out, every single day. I'm thinking he doesn't feel as though he has a home, because there's no sense of normality for him. Would that make sense for a lab?

Or any other suggestions?

i like puppys

Try holding him as much as you can. Put him in your lap while working and hold on to him. also take him to a place where there are other puppies he can play with.

Sounds like you have it covered, but your description made me think of the way our puppy acted when it got hookworm. No appetite, didn't want to play, didn't want a treat, couldn't get it excited about anything. Did they run a stool sample?

That's very strange.

Too many people should be a good thing rather than a bad thing for any puppy really. Dogs are social animals and usually like to interact with other people and pets. A puppy, especially, should be curious about the World and the people around him.

I suppose it COULD be seperation anxiety that's presenting in a strange way. Do you keep the puppy with you through out the day or is he kept alone or outside for large portions of the day?

Not eating is usually a very serious sign in dogs. It's often an indicator of pain or sickness. I would take the puppy to another Vet if I were you. Look for a younger female vet. Someone who finished Vet school in the last say 5 years (as opposed to say 25 years ago). The behavior is abnormal and has pointers to being medical not psychological.

P.S. - Don't be silly. Get the puppy all of his vaccines. It's silly not to.

I have to agree. I have never met a young lab that was not freakishly energetic. The first thing that came to mind was that this puppy was too young to already be away from his mother. They need the mother's milk.

*edit: just re-read OP - does the puppy still suckle when he sees his mom?

id check with another vet as well...have you tried sleeping with the dog or maybe putting a ticking clock in its bed with it?

If its a robotical one please check the batteries...

Play outside, take him for walks, not eating his food, put some bacon grease on the dry food, don't change foods all the time, one brand is good, and don't buy food at walmart, it sits too long I think

Too young to be seperated from his mom! Should have left them together full time till he was 10 weeks old.

Warchild gave you some really good advice tho, I'd listen to him, he knows his thing when it comes to Animals... I believe his sister is a Vet or works with animals...

Maybe try dressing up in a dog outfit? It works for pandas...

8 weeks is usually the time when you can take the pup...but I don't know about too many different people in the house, where do u live a Brothel? Give him a chance to get to know his surroundings..a BIG house w/ lots of room is NOT a good thing...close him into a certain place to get familiar w/ his owner ( living room). don't keep changing food..add stuff to 1 type of puppy food..Kirkland at Costco gets good marks.. but if a dog doesn't eat after 3 days..take his ass back to the vet...a real one, test the poop.. I have six dogs shipped from different parts of the US..by car and by Plane...never had one to mope around in the beginning...and when it did happen it's because the dog swallowed something that is making him sick and only until he passes it, will he get better...the pup could have eating a piece of plastic, rubber ball..anything..all dog EAT ANYTHING..but that's what it sounds like to me

He's only 7 weeks old. For one thing, he probably could have been left with his litter a couple of weeks longer.

Don't buy crap food at a grocery store, and don't get that Science Diet stuff. That food is shit. Go to a natural pet store or find the natural pet isle at Petsmart.

You might be trying to feed him too much. Give less than the suggested amount for the puppy of his size to eat. If he doesn't finish, or doesn't eat at all, take the bowl away. Do this for every meal(2-3 times a day for puppy). He won't starve to death. Eventually, he will take the chance to eat when he gets the opportunity.

DON'T LEAVE THE BOWL ON THE FLOOR WITH FOOD IN IT.

Give the situation some time. I think its too early to be worried if the dog is depressed. I would definitely make sure he's not sick with something(go to another vet), but you'll probably look back on this time a few weeks from now and wonder what you were worried about.

Also, don't coddle him like a little baby. He's a dog, be the pack leader.

do you have any other pets. we got a lab mix last month when she was 12 weeks old and it's GO TIME 24/7 with her. We have other dogs and cats she can always play with, and she plays with them wether or not they want to lol

Yeah, that's what I'm "hoping" it is, but I'm thinking probably not. He got a deworming a few days ago, and since they has had diarrhea, so maybe it's just working itself out of the system.

That's moreless what I'm thinking, yep.

If there's people downstairs, he's downstairs, because he has open access to outside (our front door is always left open). If there's noone downstairs, he's up with me. He has 3 bedrooms and a bathroom to play around up here in though, plus can say hi to me anytime too.

Thanks, and I'll probably do that tomorrow. A second opinion never hurt, right?

Most definitely I will. Once he starts eating, and running around like a normal puppy. Otherwise, I'm worried it'll kill him.

Not anymore though, no. Did for about the first 10 days he had him, and I'd always made sure he seen mama to get his feed. Isn't interested in that anymore either.

10 weeks? Really? I always thought that once the baby started getting strong enough teeth, the mama would naturally kick him away, and put him on regular food. This usually happens in 6 - 8 weeks I thought.

before you cook it, make sure to add salt

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