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Author
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Topic: Weening my 3 week old pups!
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Nathan
Member
Member # 843
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posted April 28, 2004 03:31 PM
My pups are 3 weeks old. I need help weening. How do you suggest i do it? They are doing really great!! but please help. THANKS! ![[Confused]](confused.gif)
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Nathan Tucker
Posts: 33 | From: Jeffersonville, Indiana | Registered: Apr 2004
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lou3
Member
Member # 343
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posted April 28, 2004 03:46 PM
Pups can be encouraged to eat soft wet food at 3-4 weeks of age. Weaning should be a gradual process completed at 8 weeks at the very earliest. At this stage the energy requirements per unit weight are twice those of an adult of the same breed and four times daily feeidng is recommended. Twice daily feeding should not be reverted to until the pup has acheived 50% of its adult weight which will be at about 6months.
ok theres the technical stuff here's the practical stuff.
Make sure the food is very moist, completely soft - but paste not soup. Encourage the pups gently by putting a small amount of paste on your finger and smearing it on their tongue. They will soon learn where the food bowl is. You can get several brands of puppy food, choose one with high energy, protein and calcium/phosphorus concentration. Feed amounts according to the manufacturers instructions but introduce them slowly on very small amounts to avoid tummy upsets.
Hope this helps
Lou
Posts: 461 | From: uk | Registered: Nov 2003
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sander
Junior Member
Member # 885
Rate Member
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posted April 30, 2004 04:29 PM
Weaning your puppies is a messy job, but a necessity. I use to mix a combination of dry food, wet food and milk togeather with some water. Microwave to heat up and let stand until to can mash it up with a fork. Add some more milk to make it into a liquidy mass and place it on a cookie sheet. Place the puppies in it and let them go at it. They will lick some up at first, but not accomplish much at the beginning. Eventually they get the hang of things, but at the beginning things are really messy.
By the way weaning should begin as soon as your puppies eyes open around 10 days of age. This makes it easier on the mom.
Good luck
Sander
Posts: 9 | From: canada | Registered: Apr 2004
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