Just started introducing pups to food - don't want to overdo it - how many times a day should I give it to them so as not to upset their tums and how quickly do I increase it?  Gave them a taste at lunchtime yesterday and will do the same today.  Mum has very little milk so don't want to fill them up too much or they won't want what little milk she has!

If mum has very little milk and if they have been keen to take what you gave them yesterday, I would introduce a suitable puppy porridge 4 x daily - if they are not hungry they will not eat it, but it has been offered for those that need extra.   After they have eaten the puppy porridge you then put them back onto mum to finish their meal.

You do not say how old they are, or size of breed, as this may affect the way in which you will wean them.

They are 3.5 weeks and a medium breed.  They enjoyed the kibble yesterday which was soaked in milk and boiled water but I didn't want to upset their tummies by introducing too much, too soon.

if they eat it they need it ,giving 4 meals aday shoudnt upset them at that age thay will only eat what they need ,i have a large breed and have weaned at 2 weeks and 2days old before mum too didnt have much milk ,i started giving 2 meals 1st day then 3meals 2days later and after about 5days pups where on 4/5 meals aday and after eating mum would give them a drink of milk ,by 4weeks mum only feed them a couple times aday her milk was next to nothing.

Same reply as White Lilly if they eat it then they need it, I doubt if you will upset them, if it does you can always drop the amount down a little.

I always start weaning my litters (on average 7/8 pups in litter large breed) at approx 2 weeks of age, once their eyes are open and they are standing.

They have just tucked in to a good meal - can I freeze the batch of food in little portions?

you can but will take quite along time to defrost ,why dont you just make enough for the day and put it in the fridge? as long as you get it out 1h before you feed them it will be fine, this is how i do mine and ive never had any problems ,i think alot of breeders do it this way!

glad to hear they enjoyed it :) x

Thanks for your help - I just made rather a lot and had added formula milk so wasn't sure how long it would be ok in the fridge.  Beginners nerves I guess!!

Just make up each time and any left Mum can have.

Just be careful how you do it.   I did this with one of my litters and the puppy porridge was chicken based and for some reason I could not have cooled it properly and ended giving them camplyobacter, they recovered after a course of erythromycin, but now I always make it fresh for each feed.

Mmmmmmmm.  Won't risk that - have had enough problems already!  Thank-you.

To this day I do not know what I did, other than I was tired and did not cool the food properly and obviously did not re-heat it properly.  Fortunately all the pups (a litter of 10) recovered after the antibiotics but it was a very worrying time.   They were older than yours and were just about due to go to their new homes, I had to wait another week before letting them leave my premises and had to wait for the laboratory tests to come back negative.

If they had been younger possibly the outcome would not have been so good.