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02-21-2009, 01:21 PM | #1 |
Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Modesto, CA
Posts: 60
| Mama weaning too early?? ok guys, our yorkie had puppies about 3 weeks and 3 days ago.....she has been trying to wean her puppies, is this too early? if she hears them cry she will go and check on them but she doesn't want to feed them....I called our vet and told me to go buy some baby cereal and mix it with puppy milk and water, i have been trying to feed them that and they don't want to eat it, i have it in a small bowl, should i get a pan so it might be easier? if i leave the bowl they walk in it and get very messy.....i know they need to eat 3 times a day....is there any other suggestions? |
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02-21-2009, 01:49 PM | #2 |
BANNED! | 3 weeks old is too young imo for weaning puppies. You might sit with mom while she feeds her babies. Weaning puppies at such an early age can actually increase liver shunt issues I've been told. I usually start weaning at 4 to 5 weeks old, but the puppies always show interest in mom's food before I start them on the puppy milk gruel mixture. I also use a saucer when its time to start them being weaned. They make a mess and I'm sure they wear more then they eat the first few times, but they do look adorable with the milk faces,lol. |
02-21-2009, 02:30 PM | #3 |
Donating YT 5000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Southeast Texas
Posts: 7,959
| The momma might just be cutting back on how often she lets them nurse. Just like human babies will sometimes cry when momma puts them down. Just because they cry does not necessarily mean they are hungry. At 3 1/2 weeks they should only be eating maybe every four hours or so. If the puppies are walking then it would be fine for you to put down a small bowl of finely ground dry puppy food. Grind it in a blender until it is fine like corn meal. I use the small double sided bowls they sell at wal-mart. Put the food in both sides of the bowl. The puppies will come over and start licking it. Be sure to put down a small bowl of water too. Where are you keeping the puppies? Do they have room to get up and move around? Could it be too hot where the puppies are? Have you cut the toenails of the puppies? The puppies need to continue to nurse their momma for several more weeks. By leaving out the ground up dry food you will make the weaning process so much easier. As they start eating more of the dry food, momma will feed them less and she will slowly start drying up. |
02-21-2009, 04:23 PM | #4 | |
Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Modesto, CA
Posts: 60
| Yea I sit down with mom while she feeds and make sure they are eating... ok yeah I never thought about using a saucer, that might help better than what I'm using now...and I do have to agree it is really cute with milk faces.... thank you for your time answering my questions Quote:
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02-21-2009, 04:29 PM | #5 | |
Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Modesto, CA
Posts: 60
| Yes they are walking, even if they are only 3 weeks old I can put down ground up dog food? I've noticed that If I let the puppies out they will go over to mama's food and start sniffing it.... I still have the puppies in a large box, they do have enough room to roam around...mama is very attached to us and we live in a 2 story house, I bought a large metal pin for the downstairs.... Should they still be with a heating pad or was that just for when they were born? No i have not cut their toenails....I've noticed she isn't producing as much milk as she was.... thank you for answering my questions.... Quote:
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02-21-2009, 04:50 PM | #6 |
Donating YT 5000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Southeast Texas
Posts: 7,959
| Yes, you can put down the ground up dry food. Just make sure it is finely ground. I always grind it in the blender then pour it in a colander to sift out any large chunks. I make up several cups and just put out a little and I store the rest in a air tight container. It is important to clip the puppies nail. Just feel of them, they probably feel like little razors and that hurts the momma. I just use little fingernail clippers and clip off the little points. You pups probably need more room now. When mine are that age I remove the whelping box from the x-pen and I put a board up across the middle of the x-pen so the momma can still go in and out but the pups cannot. For the bottom of the x-pen I spread out a sheet doubled up, they will have a thicker comforter on one end, I put food and water in the middle and then potty pads. As the puppies get bigger I give them more room in the x-pen. Your puppies do not need the heating pad unless you have really cold floors. When mine are that age in the winter I will leave the pad longer but they have room to get off of it if they need too. How many puppies is she nursing? Is the momma eating a lot of food? You need make sure she is eating about 4 times a day. |
02-24-2009, 09:01 PM | #7 | |
Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Modesto, CA
Posts: 60
| Yeah I was thinking I should put them in the x-pen but I don't have enough room in our bedroom for the pen where they are now.....I have the X-pen downstairs, but mama likes to sleep with us so I didn't want to seperate everyone....Or do you think it's ok to do that??? She is nursing 3 puppies, Yea mama is eating ALOT! Quote:
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02-25-2009, 06:00 AM | #8 |
Donating YT 5000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Southeast Texas
Posts: 7,959
| The pups will need more room real soon. Your momma will be be unhappy with the pups down stairs. Do you have other dogs downstairs that will have access to the puppies? I always have my pups in an x-pen in the spare bedroom next to our bedroom so they are within an ears distance. I have my setup where mom and pups have plenty of room but other dogs don't have access to the pups until they are about 6 weeks old and even then I am very careful which dogs I let in to see them. If you are not already doing it, I would suggest that during the day you move the pups to the x-pen and let them start getting used to it. |
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