Bottle feeding puppies - Labrador Retriever Dogs Chat Forum Board - Dogs, Puppies, Photos, Training, Pictures, Rescue Forums

jrosler04 · 11-03-2009, 07:35 PM

Hey, I have a pair of puppies that will be 4 weeks old this coming saturday.

Thier mother was killed, and I am trying to bottle raise them..

any tips for me?

Thanks!

Tonka's Mom · 11-03-2009, 08:08 PM

Keep them warm
Petsmart sells formula. I fed the puppy that bottle fed every 4 hours morning noon and night
I had to make them use the bathroom

R&R's Mum · 11-03-2009, 08:10 PM

4 weeks is old enough to eat soaked kibble, I wouldn't bottle feed at this point.

windycanyon · 11-03-2009, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by R&R's Mum

4 weeks is old enough to eat soaked kibble, I wouldn't bottle feed at this point.

Agree! Anne

HeatherGlenES · 11-03-2009, 08:21 PM

Agree, four weeks is old enough to be weaned to soft food/gruel. No need to bottle feed at this age. I had to wean a litter at 3 1/2 weeks due to the mother having severe mastitis and they did just fine without being bottle fed.

My weaning mixture was canned goat's milk, cottage cheese, warm water soaked kibble, and a little raw lean ground hamburger mixed together in a blender and fed 4 times a day. As the puppies got older the mixing became less and less until they were finally just eating kibble soften with a little warm water.

Baffle · 11-04-2009, 03:59 AM

Just one thought....what size/breed are the puppies? Sunnie's puppies weren't ready to start weaning when I first tried at 4 weeks.....they were closer to 5 - 5 1/2 weeks when all five of them agreed to eat mush. Sunnie's a 40 lb. pooch and the puppies are going to be her size or smaller (Danny's only almost-30 lbs. at 7 months). From what I subsequently read, smaller breeds tend to nurse longer.

Barb

WigWag · 11-04-2009, 05:49 AM

Yes but when they don't have any mother to nurse from and are hungry they will take to the food. I would first try baby oatmeal/rice cereal made soupy with warm goat's milk and add a spoonful of some stinky canned food and stir it up - I bet they lap it up like crazy. They can eat this for a few days and then start soaking kibble in the goat's milk and mash it up. Good luck.

Bailey's_Mom · 11-04-2009, 07:34 AM

Aww...poor babies...to lose their Mama at such a young age.

I hope things go well for the puppies!

chinamom · 11-04-2009, 10:11 AM

Wow Jess, two puppies to feed, you are going to be one busy woman. Did you find any homes for the beagles you took in? How many fosters are you up to now, the inn must be pretty full. Bless you for all the work you do.

Averysmom · 11-04-2009, 12:24 PM

Our Foxhounds started on mushy kibble about 2 days before they turned 4 weeks.

CanyonLabradors · 11-04-2009, 12:29 PM

I agree, get them on some sort of gruel. I started with goats milk, baby cereal, and a little bit of ground kibble, and within a week or so, made it more soaked mashed kibble and water and less goats milk and cereal.

jrosler04 · 11-04-2009, 01:54 PM

Thanks everyone. I think I may have a rescue who are taking these 2..which will be very helpful, as I work such an odd shift at work.

I have them drinking out of a small cat dish, and I mix some canned puppy chow with the milk replacer & make a gruel out of it & they eat it & drink some milk replacer plain as well!

11-03-2009, 07:35 PM	#1
jrosler04 Senior Dog Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Athens, Ohio Posts: 848	Bottle feeding puppies Hey, I have a pair of puppies that will be 4 weeks old this coming saturday. Thier mother was killed, and I am trying to bottle raise them.. any tips for me? Thanks! __________________ ~Until there are none: Save one!~ ~The TOP 10 reasons to spay & Neuter your Dog were just put to sleep in a shelter! ~ For more information on adopting Bernie or one of our other wonderful rescues, please click below! Southern Ohio Animal Rescue 2009 Book Challenge: 39/50

11-03-2009, 08:08 PM	#2
Tonka's Mom Retriever Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: South Carolina Posts: 402 My Mood:	Keep them warm Petsmart sells formula. I fed the puppy that bottle fed every 4 hours morning noon and night I had to make them use the bathroom __________________ Michelle and Furbabies Precious, Cian's, & Bella. I got precious 10/01/02,Cian 12/16/06,Bella 10/04/09 CIAN~Gender:MasculinePronounced:key-an Means "ancient" in Gaelic.

11-03-2009, 08:10 PM	#3
R&R's Mum Same old Luvmydog2much Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Windsor Ontario Canada Posts: 4,857 My Mood:	4 weeks is old enough to eat soaked kibble, I wouldn't bottle feed at this point. __________________ “Keep your face to the sunshine and you will never see the shadow.” ~Helen Keller Melissa & Rhys ~ Decoy's Recess Time Ruby ~ CH Bluesouth's LastCall Trouble Am/Can CD RA CGC CGN TD-I Virginia ~ LastCall Meet Virginia CGC CGN TD-I

11-03-2009, 08:21 PM	#5
HeatherGlenES Tiocfaidh ár lá Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Just west of nowhere Posts: 2,003 My Mood:	Agree, four weeks is old enough to be weaned to soft food/gruel. No need to bottle feed at this age. I had to wean a litter at 3 1/2 weeks due to the mother having severe mastitis and they did just fine without being bottle fed. My weaning mixture was canned goat's milk, cottage cheese, warm water soaked kibble, and a little raw lean ground hamburger mixed together in a blender and fed 4 times a day. As the puppies got older the mixing became less and less until they were finally just eating kibble soften with a little warm water. __________________ Heather Glen English Setters Hamish, Am/U-CH Upland Monarch of the Glen RN, JH, CGC Logan, Am/U-CH Cobblestone Summer Sunshine JH, CGC Benny, Spaniel-X "Handle every situation like a Dog. If you can't eat it or hump it. Piddle on it and walk away." Last edited by HeatherGlenES; 11-03-2009 at 08:24 PM.

11-04-2009, 05:49 AM	#7
WigWag Adult Retriever Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: NH Posts: 525 My Mood:	Yes but when they don't have any mother to nurse from and are hungry they will take to the food. I would first try baby oatmeal/rice cereal made soupy with warm goat's milk and add a spoonful of some stinky canned food and stir it up - I bet they lap it up like crazy. They can eat this for a few days and then start soaking kibble in the goat's milk and mash it up. Good luck. __________________ WigWag Labradors

11-04-2009, 03:59 AM	#6
Baffle Sunnie and Danny Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Maryland Posts: 6,958	Just one thought....what size/breed are the puppies? Sunnie's puppies weren't ready to start weaning when I first tried at 4 weeks.....they were closer to 5 - 5 1/2 weeks when all five of them agreed to eat mush. Sunnie's a 40 lb. pooch and the puppies are going to be her size or smaller (Danny's only almost-30 lbs. at 7 months). From what I subsequently read, smaller breeds tend to nurse longer. Barb

11-04-2009, 07:34 AM	#8
Bailey's_Mom Senior Dog Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Minnesota Posts: 1,753	Aww...poor babies...to lose their Mama at such a young age. I hope things go well for the puppies! __________________

11-04-2009, 10:11 AM	#9
chinamom Senior Dog Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 977 My Mood:	Wow Jess, two puppies to feed, you are going to be one busy woman. Did you find any homes for the beagles you took in? How many fosters are you up to now, the inn must be pretty full. Bless you for all the work you do. __________________ Now, now, hold still, I'll lick it and make it all better.

11-04-2009, 12:24 PM	#10
Averysmom I'm still cold! Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 5,265 My Mood:	Our Foxhounds started on mushy kibble about 2 days before they turned 4 weeks. __________________ Christi - Mom to Avery (black lab/border collie), Sammy (ACD mix) and 11 Foxhounds! "All knowledge, the totality of all questions and all answers, is contained in the dog"--Franz Kafka "Beauty without vanity, strength without insolence, courage without ferocity, and all the virtues of man without his vices."-- Lord Byron

11-04-2009, 12:29 PM	#11
CanyonLabradors Where the Wild Things Are Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Colorado Springs Posts: 14,993 My Mood:	I agree, get them on some sort of gruel. I started with goats milk, baby cereal, and a little bit of ground kibble, and within a week or so, made it more soaked mashed kibble and water and less goats milk and cereal. __________________ Jen Visit Brown Dog Go

11-04-2009, 01:54 PM	#12
jrosler04 Senior Dog Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Athens, Ohio Posts: 848	Thanks everyone. I think I may have a rescue who are taking these 2..which will be very helpful, as I work such an odd shift at work. I have them drinking out of a small cat dish, and I mix some canned puppy chow with the milk replacer & make a gruel out of it & they eat it & drink some milk replacer plain as well!

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