our puppies are 1-month old now..and they stopped milking since their mom doesn't produce milk anymore...?

Question

as a result, they try to eat what our adult dogs eat...we tried to give them milk supplements but it seems this is not enough. when i gave them puppy food, they cleaned the feeding bowl in an instant...

is it ok for them to eat solid food now?or should i stick with the 'milk only' scheme?

usually, how old should they be bathe?i heard it is not ok to bathe them when they are still so young?is this true?

Answer 1

They can eat puppy food at one month old, as long as it's well moistened. Their teeth are not strong enough yet to chew the puppy food. You can moisten this with a puppy formula supplement (not cow's milk) for some extra nutrition for another week or so.
They will eat very quickly, this is the nature of puppies. Do not feed them more, just because they finish quickly, or they will keep eating until they get sick. Depending on the breed, they only need 1/4 - 3/4 cups food per puppy every 3-4 hours at that age.
As far as bathing them, if the mother is still caring for them, then they shouldn't really need it and you should not bathe them until 8 weeks old. If she is not caring for them, it is alright to bathe them with a very gentle puppy shampoo as needed. If you can get away with it, then just wipe them down, but it is far worse for them to have dried food matted in their fur where bacteria can grow then to be bathed frequently.

Answer 2

From what you said, they are able to eat puppy food. This is fine. They should be fed about five times daily (as they get older, this can be decreased incrementally to once or twice a day). Milk will dry up for several reasons but the most common is that the food is too low in protein and she's not getting enough. A nursing mother will eat 3-4 times more then she would normally and the food should be puppy food.

They are too young to bath unless it is an emergency - young pups have trouble controlling their body temperature. Even adults should be bathed as few times a s possible depending on coat type. Short-haired and working dog coats (like a German Shepherd Dog) csn be done twice yearly. Tight-curls like a poodle should be done monthly. Others types are in between these extremes but wait until they are at least six months old. Normally the mother will keep them and the nest clean until they start eating solid food. They should stay clean as long as you are diligent at cleaning up their messes and they have enough room to get out of the nest to eliminate.

Answer 3

At 4 weeks, milk only is not enough to continue healthy growth. After 4 weeks of age, most puppies will begin to wean from their mom. Some do so more quickly than others, and the pace differs somewhat for different breeds. Beagles are well known, for instance to be completely weaned by 5 weeks of age and tend to be good eaters right away.

If your puppies are eating dry kibble, that is fine. Be sure to offer a puppy kibble that has higher nutritional value for them just in case you never had the mom on puppy kibble during her pregnancy. Even if they are eating dry food, I would still advise 3 feedings a day in a low rimmed dish of kibble moistened with very hot water(not quite covering the kibble) and covered for a few minutes to let the kibble steam through a little. By the time they are 12 weeks, you should be able to let them eat 1 meal of dry and 2 moistened. Some young puppies will prefer moistened to the dry and will do better and continue to properly grow if their meals remain moistened until they finish teething--roughly 5 months of age.

Answer 4

Use soft puppy food (from a can) with some milk or water in it to make it mushy. Feed them 5 times a day. After they get old enough to eat puppy food-- around 3-4 weeks they stink. I always give mine baths about once a day while they are weaning. Some people say not to, but I've done it 100s of times with no ill effects. Don't put them in the water, just hold them over the sink and lift the water onto them. Don't get it in their noses or eyes. You can use the bathroom sink and the same water will wash 6 or 8 puppies before it is dirty and needs changed. After they are all washed, then blow dry them . Keep the dryer far away and moving so they don't cry from the heat. Wrap them up in a towel and hold them after. They will shiver a little then go to sleep. Keep them warm after a bath. Don't use the blow dryer around the water in the sink. It's dangerous and you don't want to accidentally drop it in the water. Wait until you finish bathing the puppies and drain the sink, then start blow drying.

Some states demand the puppies be 10 wks old to sell, some 8 and some only 6wks. Check your state's laws. In my area private sellers are allowed to sell puppies produced on their own property at 5-6 weeks, but registered breeders or dog dealers must wait until 8 weeks of age after a vet clears them. Just check your own state's laws. I know some are ridiculously high like 10-12 weeks before they can be sold.

Answer 5

If they are eating solids it's OK. I let my litters tell me when it's time to wean. It's natural for them to go for the "Big Dogs" food when they are ready. I do however give them mother's milk with and without thier kibble. A little bit of oatmeal at bedtime doesn't hurt either. It's high in protien and natural fiber. Mixed with mother's milk it fills and warms thier belly's and helps them sleep through the night (which they need at this age. So does Mama). I'm concerned about Mama though. She should have a milk supplement from whelping through two weeks after weaning. This not only keeps her
milk "flowing" it keeps her from being depleated. Get her on puppy food if she isn't already and speak to your vet. Having a litter is very taxing to a dog and Mama has additional needs as a result.
As far as bathing goes four to five weeks is OK. NO drafts and keep them dry. Try to find natural baby wipes to keep after them with. They work well. This is a great time to handle them. They love it and the more you fuss, the more they will be ready to accept their new owners. Good Luck

Answer 6

What breed?

Warm the milk replaced and pour it over puppy kibble, let it soak a until it absorbs all the liquid. You should be able to mash it with your finger.

Use about 1/4 cup of dry kibble per pup to start with. They'll wipe it out within about 5 min. Just make sure everyone is getting their share even if you have to seperate them.

Start off feeding every 3 hours, and after a few days when you'll need to increase the amount of food, back off to every 4 hours. After a week, use the same amount of milk replaced for the kibble, just soak it a little less (just a small part of the center a little stiff). After another week, soak for just a few minutes, after they are 7 wks, you can just float the kibble in the milk replacer (with a little extra water).

Please choose a quality brand food.

Answer 7

This is a good age to get them started on puppy food.
You can moisten it with the replacement milk never cows milk.
You can bath them now .... they will need it after walking through the goopy, moistened dog food. the Key is to make sure they are good a dry. You need to talk to them a lot during this process and try to let them know everything is OK they will be frightened.
Even though mom has dried up she needs to be with them till they are 8 weeks old unless she gets terribly mean with them it's at this time - 8 weeks that mom and siblings start training as how hard to bite., etc.
Please keep them together till 8 weeks, however now is a good time to try to find homes with a deposit to hold till 8 weeks.
Good Luck

Answer 8

You can try bottle feeding them with puppy milk replacement every few hours.
But since mom is no longer producing enough milk for them and they're adapting to dry food - let them. Give them very small quantities of dry puppy (not adult) food moistened in water - along with bottle-feeding them. They'll do just fine.

Yes, take caution with bathing small puppies. Most shampoos will tell you on the label that it's not intended for dogs under 8 weeks old. Ask your local veterinarian for a recommendation of a milkd shampoo to bathe them in.

Answer 9

they usually start to eat puppy solid foods after 3/4 weeks or in fact any food that is well mashed down..they can have milk supplements as well.but not cows milk..this gives them an upset tummy..they will try to suckle the mum for a while also..even though there's no milk..it's for comfort..don't worry about their eating but remember they still have only small stomachs ..small feeds but often..

Answer 10

If he isn't holding it down, he may need another formula. Are you feeding rice cereal? That is the easiest for him to digest. However, I would feed him the puppy formula by itself, and then feed warm and pureed wet puppy kibble or canned puppy food, on the side. Make sure all food is warm when you feed it. Cold food causes colic.You can dip your fingers in the mushy food, and let him eat it that way until he catches on. If he will take enough formula, then don't worry about the water..just leave it available for him. If he keeps barfing, then he needs to see the vet soon.