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Question
i have been bottle feeding puppies for the past 4 weeks due to the loss of their mother during their birth. my question is . do you know when i should start taking them off the bottle? i do give them soft food 2 times a day already but am struggling with a schedule for them , they weight at this time 4lbs and are eating 4 ounces of goats milk per feeding every 5 hours.plus a cup and a half of soft food every 8 hours for the 3 puppies . does this seem right ? thankyou , and i hope you can help with some advice
I'm sorry to hear about them losing their mother but you have done well to get to them to 4 weeks on goats milk. Since you are now feeding them soft food I would start increasing that to three times a day feedings and just give the bottle twice a day.
Feed them puppy food in the morning and if they still seem hungry then increase it a little bit each day and top that off with some milk. At noon feed them again the soft food and by 5 weeks start putting some solid food moistened with water or a bit of the goats milk along with the wet food. Then feed them again at night and top that off with some milk. I hope you aren't feeding them in the middle of the night anymore.
Mom wouldn't at this age so you shouldn't be either. Aim for a 6 week old weaning off of the bottle- which gives you two weeks to cut them back little by little. Sounds like you are doing a great job.
Just don't feed them any Purina Puppy Chow as it has cows milk on it and that gives them diarrhea because once they are weaned they become lactose intolerant and are to cow's milk naturally. Cow's milk is for calves, not dogs and cats.
We feed and recommend Science Diet puppy growth because of the excellent nutrition it provides on a smaller amount fed. Since it is highly digestible there is also less stool to clean up.
What kind of dogs are these? Good luck and let me know how they do.
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| Comment | they are a cross between australian shepard and lab, big pups, also i wanted to add that i havent fed them goats milk from birth the first 3 weeks i had them on espilac , but it was getting to costly ..so i switched | ||
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Answers by Expert:
Jana Connell RVT, CVT
Expertise
PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!
Experience
I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina.
I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.
Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.
Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT.
Certified Veterinary Dental Technician
Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).
Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.
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