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Topic Dog Boards / Breeding / more feeding problems
- By newyork [gb] Date 21.09.12 14:48 UTC
My puppy is now a month old and after the problems to start with mum has fed her extremely well. Too well in fact. To the extent that baby is just not interested in trying anything else. I have offered raw mince, soaked puppy food, scrambled egg etc. I have made sure she is kept away from mum for a time before I offer her food to try to ensure that she is hungry but she will not eat anything. Mum is still happy to feed her and she is growing well but obviously I need to get her eating solids. Any suggestions?
- By Brainless [gb] Date 21.09.12 15:16 UTC
She will eat when she is ready there's no great hurry. 

I usually start my pups on semi solid food at 18 dauys, but ahve ahd litters wehre they were so satisfied on Mum that they hardly ate anythign until foru weeks,a dn thsi is a medium size breed with normal size litter.

Even were you not keeping her usually toy breeds go to their new homes later than 8 weeks, and I am sure by then she will be eating.

Just keep offering her food, and let Mum have it if she doesn't want it, let her see Mum eat it.

At some point Mum will be less giving re the milk-bar and she will eat.
- By LouiseDDB [gb] Date 21.09.12 16:38 UTC
the first solid food i offered my puppies was fish4dogs salmon mousse. Then tripe, beef mince, i did offer up soaked and blitzed puppy kibble but they were not interested but tucked straight into the tripe.
- By Rhodach [gb] Date 21.09.12 18:49 UTC
Are you offering the food off your fingers, having no litter mates there is no rush to move on so will need more enticing,once she is licking from your fingers move them onto the dish and the pup will follow, had a member recently with similar problem and this worked well for that pup, it got so greedy it progressed to the dish very quickly.
- By newyork [gb] Date 21.09.12 19:44 UTC
yes, i am offering the food from my fingers even putting it in her mouth.. sometimes she will eat a bit and I think she has got the idea but then at the next meal she refuses to take anything. I have been trying for over a week now.
- By Rhodach [gb] Date 22.09.12 21:43 UTC
Don't really know what to suggest, if she is well and continuing to gain weight then it may just being a case of letting her do it in her own good time.

Keep offering solids twice a day, hand feeding Mum in front of her what she won't eat to show her that eating solids is normal or alternate between giving pup a bit and Mum a bit, don't allow pup to suckle during these sessions.

Is Mum in good condition? Longer periods of feeding pups can bring their condition down which may in turn reduce the quality of her milk.

Has the pup got teeth yet? Once they appear then natural weaning by Mum normally follows on as they are needle sharp and the pup may bite in their eagerness to feed which is not pleasant or encouraged.

Keep us updated with any progress.
- By newyork [gb] Date 23.09.12 04:29 UTC
thanks Rhodach. Mum is eating well and is certainly not thin, infact I have cut her meals down a bit recently as I think she is putting on weight! Pup is a little round blob. certainly not thin so not starving. I guess she isn't using the energy that a pup from a normal sized litter would use as she doesn't have siblings to play with. She is out and about  now and mixing with my other dogs but of course they don't play the same as a litter of puppies would.
I do have mum around when trying to feed her but spend most of the time trying to stop mum eating the puppy food.
i have been encouraging mum to spend longer periods away from puppy and she is getting back into the normal routine and is quite happy to be apart from baby. I guess I will just have to keep persevering. After all as she is staying here I suppose there is no rush to get her eating. Just not sure I still want her suckling at 6 months!
- By Brainless [gb] Date 23.09.12 12:17 UTC

> Just not sure I still want her suckling at 6 months!


No need to worry there Mum won't let her.
Topic Dog Boards / Breeding / more feeding problems

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