My freind was given a "3 week old" labrador retriever. Should the puppy still be on formula?

Question

The puppy is was to young to have been taken from it's mom. I advised her to buy puppy formula. When can she start solid foods? She gave the puppy cow's milk and the puppy threw up. Having a puppy so young is a big responsibility. What can she do at this point? help!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 1

At 3 weeks old the pup is definitely way too young to be away from its mother. Go to a veterinarian's office or pet store and buy a good puppy milk replacer. Don't feed the pup cow's milk because it will cause an upset stomach and diarrhea (just like cats). Feed the pup about every 3-4 hours or sooner if it still acts hungry. The pup can start to be weaned as early as 5 weeks but it is advisable to do it at 6-8 weeks. You can mix a good puppy chow in the milk replacer or with warm water to get it soft. You may have to put some of this goo in the pup's mouth or stick their nose in it, but they will learn to eat it.

Answer 2

Cow's milk is totally unsuitable for dogs. You should use purpose-made puppy milk as no other kind of milk will contain the right nutrients- dog milk is very rich. Also, puppies are usually protected from the diseases that their mothers are immune to by the antibodies in their mother's milk- so make sure the pup is kept indoors until it has had it's innoculations, usually at 12 or so weeks old.
It is very important that you get the right milk very quickly, and feed frequently - including feeds during through the night- while the pup is so young. The milk formula should come with detailed instructions on this, if not look up caring for orphaned pups.
The pup can be GRADUALLY weaned from about five weeks. I strongly advise your friend to get a book on dog care.
If it is possible for the pup to be put back with it's mother (or a foster mother?) this must be done.

Answer 3

****Do not give baby formulas******

They should not have taken this puppy away regaurdless if the dog was to young, but whats done is done, so this is what you need to do, Commercially prepared puppy milk formulas are readily available and are nutritionally balanced to meet the needs, Do not substitute cow's milk or goat's milk for a high quality puppy milk replacer. Prepare the puppy mush by placing 2 cups of high quality dry puppy food in a blender with 12.5 oz liquid puppy milk replacer and fill the rest of the blender with hot water. This should be blenderized until the consistency of human infant cereal. (This feeds 6-8 puppies of a medium-sized breed.) so you would have to break this down to one,
By the fourth week, the mush should be fed 4-5 times a day and the amount of bottle-feeding can be slowly reduced. The middle of the night feeding can be reduced and eliminated. They can be completely on solid food by 6 weeks of age.

You may research on
http://www.peteducation.com/default.cfm
this all could have been prevent with a simple spay of the female,

Answer 4

Go to PetSmart and get some Esbalac (puppy formula) and follow the directions. A doll bottle with a small nipple on it might work to feed it from and if not use a baby bottle. They do not eat a lot at each feeding at that age but they do eat ofter (every 3-4 hrs.) The puppy was about 3 weeks to young to be taken from the mother. What idiots !!!!!
Good luck.

Answer 5

There is a product called Queen's milk designed for cats and dogs which is designed with their nutrital needs. I find this product in the pet stores and at my local vet. Cost between 5 to 12 dollars. Don't forget the bottle and nipples to feed your young. Feed every hour and when the puppy is 5 weeks feed every 2 hours until solid food introduced at 6 to 8 weeks keeping formula on hand for occational baby who reject solid food. I mix a little into the solid can food for the first two weeks and then wean off to solid food. Always weigh at least once a day to make sure it is gaining weight. Good luck in this challenge. I loved nursing kittens I do it for the local shelters.

Answer 6

puppy formula or goat's milk, both found at a pet store, then she can switch to solid food around the age of 5 weeks. Unfortunately, this puppy will lack some serious manners, pups learn basic manners from their mothers and their litter mates, and an appropriate age to separate them from their litter would be around 8 weeks, no sooner than that. Please, make sure you tell your friend to enroll her puppy in a good puppy class around 10 weeks of age, proper socialization happens before the age of 5 months. Pups taken away too early often develop issues, simply because they have not learned how to behave around other dogs. If I was ever given a pup this young, I would ask that the pup stays with the litter for a while longer, and I would offer to pay for the cost of keeping the pup with its mom. Good luck!!!

Answer 7

Get some puppy milk replacer(Esbilac,Just Born,etc.),some rice baby cereal,and some canned puppy food(Pedigree,IAMS).Make a mush,by combining a cup of the puppy milk,a few tablespoons of cereal,and a few tablespoons of the puppy food.Add to this a tablespoon of plain,unsweetened yogurt(NOT diet,or "Lite" yogurt).Feed the puppy about a fourth of a cup 4 times a day.Do not give it cows milk!After a week or so ,start to add some dry puppy food,well-soaked with puppy milk.When the pup is six to seven weeks,you can leave out the milk and just give a diet of all puppy food.But really,the pup is way too young to be away from it's mother.Her milk is what it needs to make it's immune system function correctly.Why did she get such a young pup in the first place.?She needs to take it to a vet right away,as vomiting in a puppy so young can rapidly cause dehydration and low blood sugars,both of which can be fatal if not treated.

Answer 8

This puppy still needs to be on formula, buy some formula and feed it every 2 hours or so and you can also start making up a mixture of canned food as long as it is really smooth and not chunky. warm it up into a grule type mixture.
I am raising english springer spaniels pups that are 3 weeks old right now.

Answer 9

DO NOT FEED IT COWS MILK!!!!!!! The puppy needs to be on puppy replacer milk until it is at least 6 weeks of age. Then you can start the puppy on solid puppy food

Answer 10

They sell formula for puppies at the pet shop. Make sure if she's bottle feeding the puppy she holds his head up so the puppy won't "aspirate" the formula; meaning get it into it's lungs by mistake. (Then the puppy could get pneumonia and die)
I think you should call your vet for advice on how much and how often to feed it and what else you should be doing for it and SHAME on the person who took the baby away from it's mother so soon.