Breastfeeding is essential for the puppy, not only is it a source of food, but also a source of bacteria that will start the colonization of its digestive system and a source of antibodies. In fact, as happens with humans, the dog is not born with defenses but rather acquires them directly from its mother's milk until its immune system begins to mature.
The essential time for breastfeeding is 4 weeks, however, the ideal is for breastfeeding to continue for 8 weeks, since it is not only about feeding the puppy, but also about letting its mother initiates the learning process, through soft bites, licks and growls.
Sometimes maintaining lactation for 4 or 8 weeks is not possible due to various problems that can affect the mother, therefore, in this AnimalWised article we show you howshould be feeding prematurely weaned puppies.
Do not foster puppies under 2 months
We must resort to a good nutrition plan for prematurely weaned puppies when complete lactation has not been possible due to some medical problem, such as mastitis in bitches.
Therefore, This information should not be used to separate a puppy from its mother prematurely, as this brings very negative consequences for the dog, in addition to being deprived of the sense of belonging to a group, it can present the following problems during its first growth stage:
- Separation Anxiety
- Aggressiveness
- Hyperactivity
- Sucks other objects, such as cotton or cloth
We know that the arrival of a puppy at home is a highly positive experience, but to be responsible owners we must ensure that this is also a positive experience for the puppy, therefore, whenever we can avoid it, we should not take in a puppy younger than 2 months.
What type of food to use?
For a minimum period of 4 weeks it will be essential to feed the puppy with an artificial milk whose composition is as similar as possible to that of its mother's milk, for this you must go to a specialized store.
Under no circumstances can cow's milk be offered, as it is very rich in lactose and the dog's stomach cannot digest it. If it is not possible to find an artificial milk for prematurely weaned puppies, we will then opt for pasteurized goat's milk, whose lactose content is the most similar to mother's milk.
The milk must be at a lukewarm temperature and to offer it we will use a bottle purchased at a pharmacy and specific for premature babies, since the flow output offered by these bottles is the most suitable for a puppy with such a short life span.
Once the first 4 weeks have elapsed, specific solid food for puppies will begin to be introduced, such as pâtés or grain feed. Initially it will alternate with drinking milk until very progressively, after 8 weeks, the puppy's food is completely solid.
How often does a prematurely weaned puppy need to be fed?
The first three days he should be fed continuously, that is, every 2 hours, both during the day and at night, once the first three days have elapsed we will feed it every 3 hours.
This feeding frequency must be maintained during the first 4 weeks, later, we will begin to alternate feedings from the bottle with the administration of solid food.
Other care for the prematurely weaned puppy
In addition to providing the puppy with a diet as similar as possible to what its mother would offer it, we must provide it with specific care to keep it he althy:
- Stimulate the sphincters: During the first days of life a puppy is unable to defecate or urinate on its own, therefore, we must stimulate him by gently rubbing a cotton ball on his anus and genital area.
- Avoid hypothermia: A newborn puppy is prone to hypothermia, therefore, we must provide a heat source and keep it warm. in a temperature between 24 and 26 degrees centigrade.
- Provide contact: All dogs need contact, but especially puppies. We must spend time with them and stimulate them, but never interrupt their sleeping hours.
- He althy environment: The immune system of a puppy weaned prematurely is very weak, to avoid any infectious disease we must keep the puppy in a adequate and completely hygienic environment.
