We are at weaning stage with my litter. They are 4 weeks 1 day and i have been offering them naturdiet and welpi milk since week 3. They lick it off my fingers but show no enthusiasm. Could it be the food that isnt interesting them or should i just keep presenting the food?

Also, mum is naturally losing her coat. Her back legs look sparce and i have just used the furberator on her and half her coat has come out. Is there something i can do to help with this before she turns into a hairless!?!??

I began weaning my pups earlier than this but from the outset ensured that mum was away from them so when they woke hungry the weaning food was their only buffet :)  If the pups still have access to mum and can drink from the milk bar they will prefer that to anything you put down (IME which is admittedly limited to one home raised litter).  Mum obviously was still allowed to feed the pups but after their 'solids' as well as early morning and evening.

Re coat loss, this is inevitable however IMO you're making it even worse and causing it to happen even earlier by the choice of grooming tool (which I think is similar to one with a slightly different spelling?).  I would only use your normal grooming brush and routine (whatever that is, I don't know the breed).

My girl lost most of her coat at the 9-10 weeks onward stage post whelping and, like many double coated breeds, she looked awful but was back in a very plush coat by the time the pups were around 5 months.

regards, Teri

My pups are generally ready for weaning from approx 3-4 weeks. The way that I judge when to start making up their own food (as otherwise you can keep wasting it) is to feed their mum in the whelping crate with the pups, I just pop her bowl of food in there and once the pups start to crawl towards the bowl and show interest in what mum is doing and partaking in the odd nibble, that is when I start to make their own food.

I will generally begin with scrambled egg made with goats milk something light and easy for a first feed, my girl (as with Teri's) is removed from the whelping area and the food is placed down for a eat and swim fest. :-D  Soon they are gobbling up anything you put infront of them and then mum is allowed back in to clean up the mess and to feed them. :-)

> The way that I judge when to start making up their own food (as otherwise you can keep wasting it) is to feed their mum in the whelping crate with the pups, I just pop her bowl of food in there and once the pups start to crawl towards the bowl and show interest in what mum is doing and partaking in the odd nibble, that is when I start to make their own food.
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My bitches are always fed in the whelping crate, because if food isn't close enough, they are reluctant to come away from pups ro eat.  So, exactly the same as Carrington - they tell me when it's time!

> the food is placed down for a eat and swim fest

Aw, happy memories!  I'd totally forgotten about the swim fest part - sooooo cute and then mum eager to get back and give a thorough top and tail to all the little 'porridge people' :-D   (Getting all broody now :-p )

Ok, i thought i would try something different. Mum eats Royal canin junior dry at the moment and i have bought royal canin starter for the pups. I thought they wouldnt be ready for a dry based food yet so started wtih nature diet puppy to keep it easy.

Within 10 seconds of putting the moistened dry food in they showed more interest than they have all week! One even had a meal full.

As for the coat. I have always used a shedding blade tool so am continuing with my usual grooming routine but it is falling out inevitably.

Thanks for all your advice. Will keep going with dry. Makes life a lot easier as i intend to have them on only dry by the time they leave.

Make sure Mum is 'nowhere to be seen' when feeding the pups.  IME the pups will always gravitate towards their Mum for feeding, so hopefully out of sight out of mind. This may concentrate the pups minds more on feeding.  You could also try Goats Milk (slightly warmed in the micro).  Mine have also loved boiled chicken breasts and white fish. (very spoilt!)

The 2 litters we have had are well on their way to being fully weaned at 5 weeks with just the small drink from Mum a couple of times a day.  More than anything, to take the 'strain' off Mum.  I would start a daily routine with their feeding and don't change it at all.  I am sure they will eventually be telling you when their mealtimes are!!

I would just to very gently grooming on your mum's coat.  Hopefully her coat will start improving after a couple of months.

Hi again,

With this breed I find they are interested in solid feed later than most others, so I do'nt start mine unitil 4 weeks.  I make a puppy porridge using soaked puppy Euknauba and warmed goats milk.  Very attractive when smeared all over whole litter after thy fall in, push each other in, and roll all over each other. I can take up to a week of messing about before it clicks in that eating is good.  For such a greedy breed generally th weaning process can be lengthy.  At first I encourage by dipping fingers in, and gently dipping noses in, then leave them to get on with it, just watching that nothing goes up noses too much.

Re Mum's coat - this is very common in the breed!  Some lose loads during seasons, some actually cast during whelping (like delivering pups in an indoor snow storm) and lots  lose during and after feeding the litter - the bitches can look awful for a few weeks - just when you want ot show them off proudly to the new puppy owners!  The consollation is that you get a brand new silky soft coat in, without having ot wait too long.

Thanks Gwen,

I have done the licking off fingers for the last week so am now going to leave them to it now i have found they are more into the softened dry food than the wet naturediet. Mum just loves to clean them up after the bambi act through the food plate.

I wasnt shocked she is losing her coat, her mum did the same and looked like a mutt by the time i collected her at 12 weeks! Because of this i did warn the new owners when they visited the litter that she wouldnt look quite so good next time they come. Have endless photos of her before pregnancy so plenty to prove how gorgeous she is.

Are the pups able to regulate their temperature and live as normal in a ambient house now at 4 weeks? We have tiles on the kitchen floor so dont let them out too long in case their bellies get a chill :)