Feeding 5 Wk Old Pups

[raineth]

Hello everyone,

Next week I will be fostering two puppies. They are cattle dog x something small (possibly foxie), they weigh 1 kg at the moment.

So I just wondered if you could give me advise on what to give them to eat, how many meals. And any other advise would be welcome actually :rolleyes:

thanks

[Sandra777]

Have they come from a bad background - so will be not properly weaned/badly fed?

If so, small meals often - 5 or 6 meals a day for a start.

If they've not had a good start I would concentrate on high quality protein in small amounts to begin with, don't bog their stomachs down with biscuit and starches.

Don't be tempted to throw masses of worm pills at them if they're in a poor state - let them settle for at least 24 hours then try with half the recommended dose and see what happens.

(If they're in good shape then don't worry about that one and just put them on a regular worming schedule)

They're a similar size to some of my Stafford pups at this age and they generally get 4 meals a day, a mixture of meat bones and commercial food - I mix it around and don't have any set plan.

Roughly speaking a ball of mince or a piece of meaty bone the size of their head per feed is a good guide at this age, but if they've been hard done by then multiple this by four and divide into 5 or 6 meals - not that much food each meal to begin with!

Good quality mince (low fat to start with if the budget stretches that far), puppy biscuits maybe even soaked in broth, and some eggs either scrambled on their own or raw in some milk (goats milk if you want, I don't use milk but goats milk is easier on the stomach.)

Once they improve, or settle in if they're not hard done by, chicken bodies (1/2 each), lamb offcuts (trim the fat), sheep hearts, chicken mince (bone in), chopped liver and/or kidney, roo mince, puppy biscuits (a handful each once a day), mixed with sardines or egg.

[raineth]

Thank you Sandra, that sounds excellent.

I think they are in reasonable condition. They are in quarantine from being at the pound, and I haven't actually seen them yet!

[alanglen]

Me personally, I would start with the same food as where they are now! too many changes will cause diarrhoea and gastro upsets and I certainly wouldn't be putting in heaps of mince and eggs quickly, slowly perhaps but not quickly. Small meals frequently and talk to the pound staff about what they have had already.

[raineth]

Hi Everyone,

thanks again for your responses. the puppies are going well - they have grown so much in the 10 days I have them!

I have made a video of each of them here are the links:

Oh and I have kept them on the kibble were previously being fed and have gradually also introduced them to a very small amount of mince, chicken necks, and yesterday I fed them two tiny pieces each of home-made liver treats - which they adored

I have also been giving them a teeny bit of fish oil to help their little growing brains

with the day time meals they won't really bother eating them if they're just kibble - I think the heat takes away their appetite. But when I put a bit of mince in or give them a chicken neck it is enough to make them eat up