Feeding Newborn Puppies: A Guide to Proper Nutrition
Providing proper nutrition is crucial for raising healthy newborn puppies. Whether puppies are nursing from their mother or getting supplemental bottle feedings, their diet in the first weeks of life lays the foundation for lifelong health. This guide covers everything breeders need to know about feeding newborn puppies.
Nursing from Mom
For newborn puppies, mother’s milk provides ideal nutrition. Here are some tips for successful nursing:
- Initiate nursing ASAP - Puppies should nurse within the first few hours after birth. The mother's first milk called colostrum provides essential antibodies.
- Assist weak puppies - If a newborn puppy is too weak to nurse, place it on a nipple and gently open its mouth to get it started.
- Frequent feedings - Newborns need to nurse every 2-3 hours. Their stomachs are small so they take in little per feeding.
- Equal time nursing - Rotate which pup starts nursing first. Even slight size differences among littermates can lead to bullying at mealtime.
- Stimulate to urinate - Gently stimulate puppies to urinate before and after nursing by massaging genitals with warm damp cloth.
- Monitor intake - Make sure each pup is getting adequate nursing time. Supplement bottle feed any undernourished pups.
With a commitment to supervision and rotation, mom can provide all the nutrition newborns need in their first weeks of life.
Bottle Feeding Fundamentals
Bottle feeding may be necessary if the mother dog cannot produce enough milk for a large litter. Here are tips for proper bottle feeding:
- Select a bottle - Use a specialty puppy nursing bottle. Never use human infant bottles as the nipple flow is too fast.
- Pick a puppy formula - Consult your vet on the best canine milk replacer formula for puppy supplementation.
- Warm formula - Heat formula to around 100 ̊F. Test temperature on your wrist before feeding. It should feel warm but not hot.
- Feeding technique - Hold a pup in an upright "burping" position. Gently open mouth over nipple and stroke throat to initiate swallowing.
- Frequent feeds - Use the same 2-3 hour schedule as nursing for feedings. Slowly increase formula volume as puppies grow.
- Gentle stimulation - Gently stimulate genitals with warm, damp cloth before and after bottle feeding to encourage urination.
- Wean gradually - As puppies mature, slowly transition them from formula to wet puppy food by 6-8 weeks old.
With some practice and patience, bottle feeding can provide the supplemental nutrition needed to raise vigorous litters.
What To Feed at Each Stage
A puppy's nutritional needs change rapidly in the first 2 months of life. Here are feeding guidelines for each stage:
Week 1
- Mother's milk - If possible, all nutrition should come from nursing mom. Her colostrum and milk provide antibodies and balanced nutrition.
- If supplementing - Only use canine milk replacer formula. Give 2-5ml per feeding every 2-3 hours.
Weeks 2-3
- Mother's milk - Nursing remains the ideal primary nutrition source.
- Supplement if needed - Give puppy formula via bottle/syringe if mom’s milk supply is inadequate. Gradually increase volume to 5-8ml per feeding.
- Introduce gruel - Can introduce canned puppy food blended with warm formula around 3 weeks. Give a few spoonfuls 2-3 times per day.
Weeks 4-6
- Transition to gruel - Increase ratio of canned puppy food mixed with decreasing amounts of formula. Aim for gruel consistency.
- Start self feeding - Place gruel in a shallow dish allowing puppies to start self feeding.
- Reduce night feedings - Can drop middle-of-night bottle feedings as puppies grow bigger stomachs.
- Introduce dry food - Around 5-6 weeks, sprinkle some dry puppy kibble into gruel. Gradually decrease gruel moisture allowing crisp kibble.
By 6 weeks old, puppies should be fully transitioned to moistened dry puppy food. A blended diet provides complete balanced nutrition at this stage.
Supplements for Nursing Mothers
Mother dogs have increased nutritional needs when nursing. Here are some supplements that can support nursing success:
- High quality diet - Feed mother dog a high quality puppy or performance food diet. Avoid substandard brands.
- Multiple small meals - Divide her daily food into 3-5 smaller meals instead of 1-2 large meals.
- Unlimited water - Provide constant access to fresh, clean drinking water. Nursing mothers need increased hydration.
- Calcium - Add calcium supplements to mom's meals to support milk production. Consult your vet on safe dosage.
- Omega-3s - Omega-3 fatty acids support brain and vision development in puppies. Supplement mom’s diet with fish oil.
With her puppies entirely dependent on her, adding these supplements to a nursing mother's diet helps ensure she can fully meet their nutritional needs.
Signs of Undernourishment in Puppies
Despite best efforts, puppies may sometimes fail to thrive. Warning signs of undernourishment include:
- Minimal weight gain or weight loss
- Wrinkled skin, sunken abdomen
- Weakness, lethargy
- Crying, restless from hunger
- Difficulty competing with littermates for nursing time
- Frequent attempts to nurse without milk intake
If any puppy shows these signs, immediately begin supplementing with bottle feedings every 2-3 hours. Nutrition deficits can quickly jeopardize puppies less than 4 weeks old. Have your vet examine any underweight or struggling puppies. With prompt intervention, most undernourished newborns can get back on track.
Weaning Tips
Around 3-4 weeks old, puppies can start transitioning from nursing/bottles to solid food. Here are some weaning tips:
- Gradual process - Mix a little canned puppy food into gruel, slowly decreasing dilution over 2-4 weeks.
- Shallow dishes - Allow puppies to eat gruel from low, stable dishes rather than loose bedding.
- Self feeding - Put down small amounts of gruel frequently, allowing puppies to self feed.
- Dry food - Around 5-6 weeks old, soak dry kibble in water or mix with gruel to introduce dry food.
- Free feed - Provide unlimited access to dry food by 6-8 weeks old so puppies can self-regulate intake.
With some patience, you can successfully wean puppies fully off nursing/formula and onto solid food by ages 7-8 weeks.
Conclusion
From colostrum to kibble, meeting puppies' evolving nutritional needs in their first weeks is essential for healthy development. With commitment to frequent puppy weigh-ins and feedings, plus prompt intervention if undernourishment is detected, breeders can send puppies to their new homes strong, vigorous and ready to thrive.