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Question
QUESTION: hi, im having a 2 months shih tzu this saturday and I wanna ask if could I give her milk that humans use?
ANSWER: No you never feed a puppy cow's milk. They are lactose intolerant and cow's milk will cause major diarrhea in puppies. She needs to be on a good quality puppy food like Science Diet Small bites Puppy Growth so she will grow strong and healthy. No human food, no cows milk. One kind of puppy food and that's it until she is a year old.
DO not fee PURINA Puppy CHOW either as it has cow's milk all over it.
Get her Science diet and that is all. No milk. She needs her vaccinations and heartworm medicine as well started now.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: what about the milk NIDO FORTIFIED? the breeder told me it is fine to give her NIDO.
Well the breeder is incorrect. It is still cows milk and is still not good for dogs. Dogs and cats are lactose intolerant once they are weaned. If you give them milk of any sort, they will get stomach upsets, digestive upsets and diarrhea. Sometimes the diarrhea is so bad the dog will die.
A puppy this young needs to be on a high quality puppy food ONLY such as Science Diet Puppy Growth Small Bites.
http://www.hillspet.com/products/sd-canine-puppy-small-bites-dry.html
This will make her grow strong and healthy. Start her with dry food mixed with a bit of water and a little bit of the canned. Once she is eating well she can eat just dry food three times a day. Make sure you only feed her the amount listed on the bag. For a small puppy she should get no more than a 1/2 cup divided into three feedings. Or you could do a quarter cup twice a day, but a young dog should be fed three times a day.
Use a measuring cup that gives measurements in ounces, not metric if you can find one.
I know they sell this food in your country.
Remember that breeders are just that- breeders. They are NOT nutritional experts!
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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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