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Why won't my new puppy eat kibble? He just came home and has diarrhea.

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Portuguese Water Dog | Male | unneutered | 2 months old | 25 lbs

Why won’t my puppy eat? I just brought him home the day before yesterday. He’s had diarrhea and flat out won’t eat what I give him. The breeder, apparently has been feeding the puppies raw food and leaves kibble out. Yet the second I bring my puppy home he completely turns away from kibble. But when I gave him a chicken gizzard he ate it. My personal choice has been to feed kibble and not raw so what do I do? I’ve tried warming it up, grinding it, mixing in chicken, chicken broth, yogurt, etc.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Ana M, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on July 13th, 2018

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Bentley. Puppies can have a poor appetite due to the stress of coming to a new home. This will typically only last 24 or so hours though. In your case, Bentley may be more accustomed to the raw diet and be wanting that type of food. However, raw food is not an appropriate diet for a growing puppy. It will not be nutritionally balanced to support his growth and development. Imbalances in the calcium and phosphorus ratio can lead to significant bone development problems. Furthermore, raw diets contain a high risk of Salmonella poisoning for both you and Bentley. I recommend that Bentley sees his veterinarian for a new puppy examination and to assess the cause of the diarrhea. This can be contributing to his poor appetite. You can discuss the best diet options for him. In the meantime, try canned puppy food as this may appeal to him. I hope this information helps!

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