{"id":34115,"date":"2023-01-16T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-16T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/puppyintraining.com\/?p=34115"},"modified":"2023-11-13T14:54:49","modified_gmt":"2023-11-13T22:54:49","slug":"how-long-can-a-puppy-go-without-eating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/puppyintraining.com\/how-long-can-a-puppy-go-without-eating\/","title":{"rendered":"How Long Can a Puppy Go Without Eating?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you have recently noticed that your puppy has stopped eating their food, you may be worried, and with good reason!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are a select few essential needs that your puppy requires to survive. This includes food, water, shelter, and affection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When one of these elements is missing, it can lead to serious health complications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But how long can a puppy go without eating?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At what point should you seek veterinary attention?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The answer isn\u2019t that cut and dry. The length of time your puppy can survive without food will depend on several factors, including age, breed, overall size, health, and lifestyle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A healthy puppy can survive longer without food than a newborn puppy<\/a>. Some breeds are at a higher risk of complications such as low blood sugar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have put together this guide to help you identify a serious problem and know when to contact your veterinarian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s take a deep dive into the question, \u201cHow long can a puppy go without eating\u201d and what you can do to resolve the situation.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Puppy<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

How Long Can a Puppy Go Without Food?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you recently brought a new puppy home<\/a>, then you know this can be a high-stress time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Puppies are at high risk for so many illnesses and diseases that dog owners are concerned about even the smallest signs of trouble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Refusing to eat, of course, is a big sign to recognize. This could signify minor gastrointestinal discomfort, high stress, and anxiety, or a more serious health concern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But how long can a puppy go without eating? At what point should you be calling your veterinarian for assistance?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As young puppies, many elements of their lives are changing, which could trigger stress or anxiety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your puppy has left the only home they have known to date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are living in a new home with new surroundings, new sounds, new people or animals, new smells, and potentially a new diet (or dietary schedule<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s a lot for a young pup to adjust to!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don’t stress out if your puppy has just started turning their nose up at their food. The length of time your puppy can survive without eating depends on age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The average, healthy 8-week-old puppy<\/a> can handle not eating for 8 hours before you need to step in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Try enticing your puppy with food that offers a tempting smell. Dogs have much fewer tastebuds than humans, meaning their joy with food isn\u2019t tied to the taste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But their strong sense of smell plays an integral part in deciding that a meal is enticing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have taken steps to make your puppy\u2019s meal more compelling and they are still uninterested after two days, you should contact your veterinarian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They can run tests to identify the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Long Can a Newborn Puppy Go Without Eating?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The situation is much more serious when a newborn puppy is not eating. At this young age, newborn puppies are incredibly fragile<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Puppies under two weeks old need to be fed every 3-4 hours. Slightly older puppies, aged two to four weeks, should be fed every 6-8 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your puppy fails to keep up with this feeding schedule, that is a sign that something is wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Puppies can quickly go from healthy to on death\u2019s door at this young age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A puppy that isn\u2019t getting the nutrition necessary to support their needs will require veterinary support as soon as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we were raising newborn Golden Retriever puppies<\/a> we kept a newborn puppy weight chart<\/a> to track and make sure they were gaining weight every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If one of our puppies didn’t gain weight one day it was a cause for major concern as it often meant that something was wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luckily we only had to make one trip to the vet with our newborn puppiess<\/a> but we had several other stressful moments when raising newborn pups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Long Can a Puppy Go Without Water?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While an 8-week-old puppy can survive for two days without food before a veterinarian is needed, the same can\u2019t be said for water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Puppies are at high risk for dehydration, and any time spent without water should be taken seriously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many trainers recommend taking away your puppy\u2019s water approximately 2-3 hours before bedtime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PRO TIP: <\/strong>The guide dog school we work with does not recommend ever taking water away from your puppy even before bedtime. Why? Because they noticed that puppies that were deprived of <\/em>water tended to “load up” by drinking a lot when they had the chance. This leads to more potty accidents.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These can go up to 12 hours safely without water before you should be concerned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After being weaned, a puppy should drink approximately 1\/2 \u2013 1 ounce of water for each pound of body weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your puppy falls short of this, your veterinarian may recommend ways to increase your puppy\u2019s water intake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to Do When a Puppy Won\u2019t Eat?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you have noticed that your puppy isn\u2019t eating, there are steps that you can take to help encourage them to dig in<\/a>. This includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n