Early weanlings should be weighed frequently and their weight recorded. Progressive weight gain and content puppies are good indicators of adequate nutrition.
Watch for these danger signs:
Begin weaning the puppies around 3-4 weeks of age by pan-feeding bitch's milk substitute. Because the puppies are still nursing, they will regulate their own consumption from the pan, so you do not have to be concerned with the total amount they consume. Milk substitutes can be purchased from your veterinarian, pet shops, feed stores and pet departments at most discount or chain stores.
The first few pan feedings usually consist of the puppies wading through the food and lapping very little. Most puppies lap from a pan after 3-4 feedings.
When the puppies are lapping the milk substitute readily (by 3 1/2-5 weeks of age), blend the milk substitute and a good-quality puppy food to form a thin gruel. This should be offered to the puppies 3-4 times daily.
When the puppies are eating the thin gruel readily, the amount of milk substitute added should be gradually reduced and the gruel slowly thickened. The goal is to eliminate the milk substitute by 6 weeks of age. At this age, the pups should be eating good-quality puppy food, softened with water, 3-4 times daily. Water can be eliminated when the teeth have erupted and the pups are vigorously chewing.
We hope that you will find this information helpful in your quest for better pet care. If you have any questions or comments, please call your veterinarian's office, or feel free to e-mail us.
David E. Hammett, DVM
and the Staff of All Creatures Veterinary Clinic, PC
