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Why won't my new puppy eat her dog food? Is she just being picky?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Female | 2 months and 12 days old

My dog is a mix of a Maltese and Jack Russell...she is about two weeks now..I have a problem in feeding her dog food because she doesn't like it...she normally only drinks milk and water and ultimately eats some of her dog food only when she is left with no choice. What could be the problem?

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1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Megan, DVM, CVA

Veterinarian

Published on August 13th, 2017

This is a common problem in small breed dogs. They can be stubborn when it comes to dry food. I would stop offering her milk as this can upset her tummy. You could mix in some canned food or boiled chicken with her dry food to see if this helps to entice her to eat. If so, slowly start to decrease the canned food until she is just on dry food. And you may have to just be more stubborn than her. If she is continuously refusing the eat or not acting right then I would take her to your vet to ensure everything is okay. If she is skipping meals and she weighs less than 5 pounds then I would supplement her with nutrical (high calorie vitamin supplement) to help prevent her blood sugar from becoming too low. I hope this helps!

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