I have a female that doesn't produce enough milk for 10 puppies. They are almost 4 weeks old and they are getting 5 ounces, 2 times daily of the recipe of 10oz Goat milk, 1 cup Plain regular fat yogurt, 1 egg yolk and 1 tbsp Karo syrup. They are eating softened puppy food for two meals. I'm wondering when I can quit the supplement milk. They don't seem to be drinking water although it is available to them. I'm afraid in this heat they will get dehydrated if I don't supplement. They also will eat puppy food right out of the bin. Any suggestions on when I can quit the supplement.
When To Quit Bottle Feeding?
Kent S
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I have a female that doesn't produce enough milk for 10 puppies. They are almost 4 weeks old and they are getting 5 ounces, 2 times daily of the recipe of 10oz Goat milk, 1 cup Plain regular fat yogurt, 1 egg yolk and 1 tbsp Karo syrup. They are eating softened puppy food for two meals. I'm wondering when I can quit the supplement milk. They don't seem to be drinking water although it is available to them. I'm afraid in this heat they will get dehydrated if I don't supplement. They also will eat puppy food right out of the bin. Any suggestions on when I can quit the supplement.
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3,252 Posts
Haven't ever had to bottle feed a litter, but I did have a bitch that got mastitis when they were 3 wks. and I transisitoned them to puppy gruel. I'd think you'd be fine discontinuing the bottle feeding, maybe put the mixture you've been feeding in with their meals for a week to transition them and feed them 4x a day. With plenty of liquid in their feed they should be fine. You might have to show them how to drink water but as soon as one starts, usually they all will.
I usually don't take them off of mom until they are at least 5.5 weeks old. I find they learn when no means no and when playing gets a little rough from mom. I use to take them off mom around 4 to 4.5 weeks but there is a lot of learning from mom that extra week or two. Thanks for the suggestions.
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Whatever, some dams don't want to stay in with them to teach them anything. It's hot, and 10 little biting puppies and they jump out. I have never had to feed pups more than a couple of feedings to a small weak puppy, much less a whole litter to 4-5 weeks!. Mother nature's way to increase milk production is babies are hungry, they nurse constantly, and mother produces more milk in response to the demand. Man intervenes by thinking the female does not have enough milk and starts supplementing so the female will not produce more than the amount of a small puppy. If your female truly does not produce milk, I would not breed her again because mother's milk is best for their immune systems.
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310 Posts
4wk old puppies don't need to be bottle fed at all, just feed them soaked kibble 3-4 times a day. I personally never take mom away from puppies... She reduces the number of times she feeds them on her own but still plays with them until they go home, as do my other dogs.
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