Prydenjoy Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Can someone please give me a rundown of what/when they introduce foods to their puppies? Mango's pups have just started showing an interest in food. Yesterday the bigger one ate a little Innova tinned food, which I offered simply because it was easy, but now that I know she is ready to eat I will start offering more food. I like the idea of a part raw/part dry food diet. I soaked some dry food yesterday but she wasn't so keen on that. I'm thinking a little egg and puppy formula, and perhaps some puppy formula with a bit of mince. Am I on the right track? This is my first litter. The little one doesn't seem too interested in eating yet, further to licking a bit of food off my finger. They are 2 x 3.5 week old Papillons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakway Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I always start my puppies on raw mince and then slowly introduce soaked dry food by mixing it into the mince. Has worked for me for many years. As the pup increases in size and age I then introduce chicken necks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
**Super_Dogs** Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 My last litter, 8 labs, I started introducing food about 3.5 weeks, just one meal and day, then a second meal and by 5 weeks they were on 3 meals a day. The food was a combination of Biolac (I wanted to use it up) wet food and dry food. I used a wizz/blender to make it into a slop. Over time I slowly decreased the Biolac and wet food so when the puppies left me they were eating soacked dry. Hope this help :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoL Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I first of all introduce the babes to some scraped beef mince and let them suck it off the end of my finger. My main weaning food is Advance Puppy Rehydratable, soaked with water and Di Vetelact. It breaks down to a complete mush so it's perfect for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancinbcs Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 I always start my puppies on raw mince and then slowly introduce soaked dry food by mixing it into the mince. Has worked for me for many years. As the pup increases in size and age I then introduce chicken necks. Same here. Mince in tiny balls fed to each one individually for a couple of days, then mixed with warm water to form a slurry so they learn to lap. Then I gradually add soaked puppy kibble to the mix until it is about 70% with the mince just 30%. From 5 weeks I start to add variety with eggs, tuna or salmon, etc and give di-vetelact as a drink as mum's milk starts to decrease. At 6 weeks I soak the dry food less and less until they eat it dry and introduce chicken wings and hard biscuits to chew on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandra777 Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 My pups' first food is always scraped beef. I don't give them anything sloppy ever, IMO that's why they have teeth. Tiny toy breed pups are no doubt a bit different to Stafford pups - but I'd personally still be inclined to avoid sloppy stuff if you intend for them to grow up chewing their food, earlier they learn the better. The age I start weaning depends on the mum and the pups, usually closer to 4 weeks than 3 though. First few meals are scraped beef (about 1/2 the size of a golf ball to start with, much smaller amount for a Pap baby I'm sure!), then finely minced highest grade human beef mince, then I forgo the beef and move on to lamb and/or chicken mince, all human grade until the pups are about 5.5 weeks old, then they get roo, pork, lamb, beef or chicken meat (usually chunks rather than minced) as well as chicken wings (necks might suit you're guys better??), small lamb bones, basically anything of a size they can pick up and carry. Whole egg is usually hilarious, I initially introduce it broken over a meat meal, and they get canned fish at least once a week (and usually hate it the first time) They do get dry food but I never soak it - they play with in, chew it, swallow it whole and generally have lots of fun with it. I use medium breed puppy (Royal Canin last time) and find the size quite OK - I would think the toy breed puppy would be small enough for yours? IMO, the wider the variation the better provided the pups are doing OK and you aren't offering alternatives and so encouraging them to be fussy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prydenjoy Posted July 13, 2011 Author Share Posted July 13, 2011 Thanks all, that's very helpful! Is there a way around giving them the required meals whilst being away from home 7 hours a day? Can I leave dry food out for them when this happens? Or should I get a live in puppy sitter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandra777 Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 (edited) A 7 hour gap isn't much, but again probably toy breed pups are a bit different to what I'm used to! I would be happy leaving a bowl of dry food (not soaked) and twice as many bones as there are puppies for them to mess about with while I was away. Again, probably not the best option for your sized pups but I frequently leave my 6-8 week olds with a couple of handfuls of broken up 2 x 4 biscuits - keep them occupied and gives them something to swallow if they think they're hungry. Not sure you'd want to fill up your smaller tummies with basically 'rubbish' - do you have blood sugar issues with Paps like Chis can do?? Edited July 13, 2011 by Sandra777 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Baggins Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 I feed my pups twice a day around 7am and around 7pm. I am work inbetween and is ffod was left down the other dogs would eat it. Mum weans when she is ready. That said the last litter I gave Mum away at 6 weeks to rasise another litter, the pups survived and learnt very quickly to drink from the waterbottle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prydenjoy Posted July 13, 2011 Author Share Posted July 13, 2011 I've never had blood sugar problems with my Paps, but that's not to say it can't happen. I'll have to assess the situation next week, before I start going to Uni every day. Mum is a food guarder, she never used to be so bad, but growls when she is eating and can hear the puppies moving around. I can pen the pups separately from the mother while I'm out if needs be, if that is the case - What age should I be penning the pups away from their mother, so that they can have access to food all day rather than mothers milk? Bearing in mind that I will be able to give them access to food at the times I am home, just not while I'm out if mum is going to be a grumpy bum about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandra777 Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 I wouldn't even start thinking about separating mum and pups until they're at least 6 weeks old, and then only for an hour or so. Arrange an area that mum can get to but the pups can't so she can get away from them if she chooses to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prydenjoy Posted July 14, 2011 Author Share Posted July 14, 2011 She can jump out of the pen. I was thinking more along the lines of puppy's having food readily available through the day. Hopefully when the pups are big enough for kibble mum wont guard their food. Perhaps I will cross that bridge if I come to it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
becks Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 best solution is to get a friend to pop in at lunchtime to give the pups their lunch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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