QUESTIONS....Pups 3 weeks old...PLEASE....
 

I have to go out of town and I AM having someone come and stay with the pups. I tried a few days ago giving them some kibble soaked in water, and they did fine licking it off my finger, but wasn't toooooo enthuiastic about it. When I put the plate down, only one licked a little off the plate. They were 3weeks old last Wednesday, so they are 3 1/2 weeks right now. I will ONLY be gone for one night. So my question is, should I at this point be offering them the dried SOAKED dog food? They are not crying, or acting hungry, but I also don't want the Mom to stop feeding them and I am not there to recognize it, and they are hungry. So do you think, that at this age, they should DEFINITELY be supplementing with dry food? Can the milk be enough if the pups are not crying? Should I tell the Dog Sitter, as long as the pups are not crying, just leave them be? Also if I soak kibble in water, can i do that before I leave, and leave it for the dog sitter to feed, or would it have to be made fresh at the time of giving it to the pups (I don't want it to spoil being left out)?

I just want to add that the pups are peeing and pooping, and gaining weight regularly. They currently range between 1 to 1 1/2 lbs right now and I am just afraid if the mom feeds them less while I am gone, that their sugar can drop QUICKLY!


THANKS!

PLEASE if anyone can tell me if I need to start supplementing them, or if the breast milk alone is enough, I would GREATLY appreciate it!

At this point, I soak my dry kibble with warm water (they also have a couple teeth coming through). If need be I'll do that in the microwave and test, you know how the microwave is. My pups usually do like it a little warm.

BTW, I'm sure the breast milk is plenty enough for them, some don't start supplementing until a a week or so later.

mine are four weeks old today and I just started feeding them yesterday. Once yesterday, twice today, three times tomorrow and then every three-four hours after that. i start with puppy supplement mixed with a few drops of Karo syrup and Gerber's baby ricee cereal. Three weeks is a little young but I have started mine that young when they were getting in mom's food. This litter hasn't done that yet so I waited.

yorkies
 

they are fine just nursing with their momma till 6 weeks....mine didn't get teeth till then...and i blended dry food and then wet it a few times till they got the hang of things and then i just gave them dry food....cottage cheese is good a tea spoon twice daily is a good supplement and helps with weight gain. i have 5 babies left here and i know that watching their intake is important....don't worry they will be fine.

Thank you guys, I am going to just leave them be. I just weighed them all, and they are all gaining nicely, they are pottying on their own, ALOT ;-) and they are not crying, so I am going assume they will be fine with just the Mama'a milk while I am gone, and then I can start supplementing when I get home on Sunday. Thank you for the reassurance that they will be fine at this age with just the Mommy's milk.

I REALLY appreciate it!

They will be fine. Also something to remember, when you start feeding them, usually mama quits her job of pottying them and you don't her to do that while you are gone.

Thank you! No I didn't know that. I have noticed them peeing, even without me offering them food....is that normal?

With puppies crawling around, the floor and blankets are stimulating them to pee when they have too and they just go. Dee's right you have to keep an eye on bowels ( for constipation) when you switch.