feeding question for mummy dog and puppies

[_Samantha_]

Hi everyone. Bit of background to start...a friend took on an unwanted staff mummy and her 6 puppies. Pups are now about 3-4 weeks old I would say as they are starting to run (wobble) around and play fight (but if I've guessed wrongly please let me know).

Mum is very thin and doesn't want to be with her pups and has even started carrying the runt out side and abandoning him. It appears she has now accepted him again but mum's teets are shrinking by the day. Pups are now having extra milk from a bowl.

My questions is what should the puppies be eating at this age and how much. Same question for mummy dog. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[MurphysMinder]

The bitch should not really be losing her milk if pups are only 3 - 4 weeks. Has she been checked over by a vet. She should be eating as much as she wants of a good quality feed,whilst she is rearing the pups it should be high protein. The pups should definitely have started on solid food by now. I wean pups on to minced beef, mashed down until it is really fine. Once they are eating this well, try them on a complete puppy feed. These can usually be soaked into a porridge like consistency to start with. What sort of milk are they having, they should not have cows milk, you can buy puppy milk, or goats milk is good too. The pups should have been wormed at least once by now, and should then be done every 2 weeks until they go to their new homes. Hope this helps, the main thing is to start getting the pups onto solid food as it sounds as if the poor bitch is not really up to rearing them.

 

[birchave0]

pups should be off the bitch by now, they will just pull her down. Try Beta puppy, that's what we have used in the past. Just soak it in hot water until it goes mushy and feed it when cool. To get them used to solid food try some tiny bits of steak for them to delvelop a taste for food, try hand feeding it to them. We also fed ours with a bit of weetabix/milk just to get them started.
Little tip though, when you do start feeding, split them, or your little runt will get nowt! I used to feed in pairs, less mess too

 

[Maesfen]

[ QUOTE ]
pups should be off the bitch by now, they will just pull her down.

[/ QUOTE ]

Three weeks seems very early; is that normal for your breed?

 

[MurphysMinder]

I have to agree with Pat, I have never heard of pups being off a bitch at 3 weeks, and I have been invovled in dog breeding all my life (50+ years)

. Or did you just mean they should be starting on solids?

 

[_Samantha_]

Thanks all. I will let my friend know first thing in the morning. I hadn't realised they needed to be started on solid food this early, stupid I know bute've never had puppies this young before

I think the pups are being fed soya milk with weetabix at the moment and they love it. What wormer should they be having?

 

[birchave0]

no, the last 3 litters of labs we bred were on solids by three weeks, and fully weaned by four weeks. All of our pups were healthy and very well adjusted when they went to their new homes. However my pups did not leave me until they were ten weeks old, I do not believe in letting pups go at 6-8 weeks. They are still developing their social and pack skills by being part of a litter.
My bitch did have large litters, 10 the first, 8 the second, and 8 the third time. I would hate to think the state she would have been in had I left the pups on her, at three weeks old she was so sick of her pups she used to sit on top of the kennel to get away from the monsters

 

[birchave0]

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks all. I will let my friend know first thing in the morning. I hadn't realised they needed to be started on solid food this early, stupid I know bute've never had puppies this young before

I think the pups are being fed soya milk with weetabix at the moment and they love it. What wormer should they be having?

[/ QUOTE ]

ask your vet, we used Panacur paste in a syringe, very easy to give to pups, open wide and blob on the back of the tongue

 

[_Samantha_]

Right will have to get that done as I'm sure it hasn't been done yet. One last question, is there any harm in them living out in the stables or should they be indoors?

 

[Dizzykizzy]

Ours are just 3 weeks and Mum is finding it hard to feed all 12 of them but there is no way they are ready to be completely weaned. We are feeding them mushed up puppy food with chicken stock twice a day at the moment and Mum is having roughly 4 times what she normally has...basically as much as she wants plus chicken, mince, eggs and tuna. She is also eating the puppy food (we are using eukanuba) for the high protein. What is your friend feeding the bitch?
I am worming with drontal as a breeder told me there is resistance to Panacur, I did however worm mum from day 40 of pregnancy, every day, with panacur 10%.
If the pups are running they are a bit further ahead than ours as ours are just toddling still and falling over a lot!
I wouldn't put mine outside at this age, I think they definitely need to be running and playing so they don't get chilled. I am still using a heatpad in their bed and they gravitate onto it at night when it's cooler.
I also have concerns about leaving them outside as a litter of lab pups were stolen recently near here from their outside kennel. Ours will go out when we are here when they are a bit older.
Well done to your friend for taking them on.....I am finding it exhausting.

 

[birchave0]

All of my litters were born outside in one our our stables, the first litter in April and they were fine. We had an infra red heat lamp from them being born, on 24 hours, then as they got older on during the night.
We made a pen outside for them with hay bales so they could have some time outside as they got older with an area with some vet bed in the shade so they could sleep. they loved it and caused havoc as they kept escaping!!!
Pups are quite tough, being outside will not harm them. Our old lab has lived outside all of his life, he is now 13 and still fit and happy. He is still quite happy to fetch balls and things for you. He quite often swims in our pond, beating the younger dogs in the race to get the ball first!

Good luck with your pups, and it's true, they are hard work

 

[_Samantha_]

I've noticed only from a few visits that they are quite a hand full, but sooo adoreable. Think we have no option but to wean pups now as when I rang my friend this morning to give her all the advice received on here (she sends her thanks too) said mum went for one of the pups last night 'cause it was getting too close to her food bowl.

They don't have a heat lamp or anything like that either but she's had them for about 2 weeks now I think and they seem to be doing well, vets have checked them over and is happy with their progress so far. I just feel bad for mummy dog as she is so thin

 

[birchave0]

[ QUOTE ]
I've noticed only from a few visits that they are quite a hand full, but sooo adoreable. Think we have no option but to wean pups now as when I rang my friend this morning to give her all the advice received on here (she sends her thanks too) said mum went for one of the pups last night 'cause it was getting too close to her food bowl.

They don't have a heat lamp or anything like that either but she's had them for about 2 weeks now I think and they seem to be doing well, vets have checked them over and is happy with their progress so far. I just feel bad for mummy dog as she is so thin

[/ QUOTE ]

i'm sure they will be fine

Don't worry about not having a heat lamp, it's july now and quite warm. If you want to get some condition on the bitch put her on puppy food too, about 3 times a day, it's very high in protein so will help her regain some weight.

Good luck!

 

[_Samantha_]

Thanks for the support and advice. Everyone has been really helpful on here and it has made such a difference.

I'll post some pics of them soon if I can get them to stay still long enough.

 

[Blythebeck]

I started weaning my litter at 3 weeks and they were completely weaned by 5 weeks. they went to their homes at 8 weeks. Weaned with panacur puppy wormer - liquid. Used Skinners puppy food. They were all bright healthy and energetic puppies. If I had left it any longer the bitch would have suffered. She wanted to feed them, but no matter how much I fed her, all the goodness went to her pups. Her teats were scratced to pieces towards the end as well.

 

[MurphysMinder]

I hope you meant wormed with panacur not weaned !

Re scratching the bitch, it is advisable to trim the puppies nails regularly from about 2 weeks old as they are incredibly sharp.