leaving moms milk

by Nikki
(Austin, Tx)

I have 3 1/2 week old puppies & read that they should stop drinking from the mother at this time, she also has not been letting them feed often which I also read will happen.

Is dry kibble really the best way to go? What about canned foods?

I may just be being paranoid but I'm afraid the dry food would be too hard.



Hi Nikki
You're not being paranoid, just want the best for your puppies. That's exactly as it should be!

Dry puppy food IS better for puppies, but it can be a bit tricky for tiny mouths and teeth at first. What I recommend is soaking the dry food in hot water for about 15 minutes before feeding it to them.(Obviously it needs to cool to room temperature before they get to touch it though)

This releases some of the aroma which makes the food more appetizing, and also softens it so that it's much easier for little puppies to manage.

To begin with you can add some special puppy formula to the food along with the water if you would like. It's not absolutely necessary but gives them a little more nutrition and is tasty.

It's important to choose a high quality puppy food as growing pups need optimum nutrition. As you've noticed the momma won't allow them to nurse for long at this point, and may even get quite 'cranky' with them. That's natural. Some dogs regurgitate their own food to provide their pups with a 'starter meal', but many are not that nurturing :o)

Best of luck with your puppies!