Correct methods and precautions for weaning puppies

If all goes well, a litter of newborn puppies will happily nurse from their mother until around 3 to 5 weeks of age. During this period, in addition to the mother dog's milk, some other foods can be supplemented. At the same time, the puppies can also be taught to lap food from a shallow dish. Doing so can prevent the mother's reduced milk supply from affecting the puppies' growth, and can also allow the mother dog's milk production to decrease naturally.

The first step in weaning puppies is to mix baby cereal with heated milk into a liquid mixture, dip a finger or the end of a teaspoon handle into a little of it, and place it into each puppy's mouth. After feeding the puppies this mixture by this method, put the mixture into a shallow dish twice a day and place it inside the puppies' pen. During the first week, the puppies will crawl through their meal, so they need to be wiped clean after feeding. Any bit of milk or food left on the skin will cause dermatitis or hair loss in the puppies. When feeding, the mother dog should usually be separated and kept outside to prevent her from interfering too much.

When feeding puppies solid food for the first time, bone meal should be added to supplement calcium. If the puppies are already over 3 weeks old, they can be fed minced raw beef directly, with bone meal added.

In addition, specially formulated canned puppy food can be used alternately. Even canned all-meat adult dog food is more nutritionally balanced than fresh meat. However, no matter which canned food is chosen, it must be finely mashed so that the canned meat is easier for the puppies to eat. A small amount of hot water (less than 10%) can be poured in, mashed with a small knife, and then fed to the puppies. When the amount of milk the mother dog can provide decreases, the puppies should be given more hand-feeding.

If the mother dog still has enough milk to raise the puppies, there is no need to be overly anxious to wean a litter of puppies.