Hi all,

Sorry, I feel like I'm hogging this forum lately. Litter are 3 weeks and 3 days...started them on soaked Arden Grange at 3 weeks as I always do and few interested not many which I've never had before, usually they are very keen for it with past litters. Persevered and now all of the litter are getting stuck in except the smallest bitch. She just shows no interest at all when the food is put down.
I've never been a lover of adding this and that to weaning puppies but by adding some goats milk yoghurt I can get her to eat quite a reasonable amount but only if I feed her by hand. They were wormed last weekend with the last day being Tuesday so wondering if she is feeling queasy due to the Panacur. She has an appetite for Mums milk though .

Has anyone else had a slow pup in a litter that needed coaxing...any tips you can share? It's a new one on me

the smaller pups are often not as ready and if there is plenty of mothers milk and the other pups are eating well that leaves more of the best stuff for 'little bit' assuming she is gaining weight in proportion to her size and is otherwise healthy I'd not worry.

I have had many pups really only play at eating until 4 weeks.

Also it's rather hot at the moment and I find that reduces appetites for daytime feeds and mine eat more breakfast time and last thing..

I reared my recent litter on AG as usual First weaning then puppy.
Mum went on feeding them for several weeks and they were very slow to wean. I thought I had a bunch of poor eaters.
Then between 5 and 6 weeks it was like the light bulb being switched on. They was always healthy looking size ( one was smaller)
I just think they were still getting enough and preferred Mum's milk.
None of then turned out to be a problem feeding.

Brainless..thankyou..yes..she is looking in proportion.

Hazenaide...that is interesting,thankyou. Was the Dam being fed the Arden Grange Prestige? I wonder if it's so rich that the pups just aren't hungry? I used to wean onto Eukanuba and they devoured it but don't seem as keen on the Arden Grange weaning food. Did you just persevere with the AG puppy?

Thankyou for the replies.

I meant to ask...if anyone has weaned onto AG weaning puppy food did you do the portion control they recommend? I'm really not keen on leaving pups looking for more but equally I know it's a rich food and don't want to give them the runs....I've just given them way over the recommended amount and they cleared the lot (apart from little 'fusspot')

I'm weaning mine on the same food and mum is also on the same food.
One is a little slower to eat and will pick bits off the ground which others have dropped.
I have tried hand feeding her and she is much better with that too, she is far from the smallest either and does get a good drink off her mum too.
I did start with mixing goats milk in but then I didn't want to over do it on the calcium side as that can lead to problems.
I did out down some water and they weren't interested, a small bowl of goats milk and they were lapping away before they upturned it everywhere lol. I wanted to get them used to lapping so hoping they do start on the water and lapping won't be an alien concept

> ....I've just given them way over the recommended amount and they cleared the lot

I have always fed to appetite totally ignoring recommendations.  It hasn't done any of mine any harm.  I have to admit that I do like my pups a bit on the chubby side.  I always feel that there is something to fall back on if they do get poorly.  They soon run it off in the garden as they grow.

Thanks Jean....it's not the weight that worries me...I was more concerned with giving them the runs due to the food being so rich. Just wonder why AG recommend portion control which is pretty impossible with a litter feeding together. I have weighed it out going by pups weight x number in litter but really feel they need to eat to appetite at this age....I guess I'll carry on and maybe cut back if they get loose.

Thanks Suejaw...are you feeding AG weaner puppy? do  you feed to appetite? tummies ok?

Can't say with AG as I raw feed.... but I always feed enough so that mum has some left to clean up. IME young puppies stop when they are full (whereas the adults will eat until they waddle) so I know that left over food is just that and mum would eat it, that way I know the pups are getting enough. Never had an issue with runny bums either (with exception of worming and a small sickness bug that swept its way through the last litter). My last litter are massive pups, but they were also born well over the average weight, but having only 5 (giant breed), its wasn't much of a surprise.

Yes AG weaning and feed to appetitie; always have some left over after they've nodded off and no to runny bums at this time.

I fed AG puppy to Mum for a few weeks and then returned her to Adult as I started weaning. She ate well and was not thin ( just 5 pups)
I don't take any notice of what is on the bag. When feeding a litter together if they eat it all I put more down and vice versa. Never had any problems doing that.
I've used AG for a few litters and the pups have done very well on it but I do hate that stage before they really get the idea and before they have all taken to drinking water regularly.
I used to worry but try now not too. They usually get there in the end but probably 7-to 10 days before they are all accomplished.

Thankyou Suejaw and Hazenaide .....I did find AG recommendation of portion control odd and tbh a bit unrealistic at 3 to 4 weeks. Have always fed by appetite on others litters but wondered if AG had a good reason for advising this....probably just so you don't get very fat or thin pups,but as you say they stop and wander off when full.

It doesn't seem as palatable to them as the Eukanuba was,whether that's because the Prestige the bitch is on is so rich they are more content or just not as enticing I don't know but will persevere with it.

Thanks again for your replies

> Also it's rather hot at the moment and I find that reduces appetites for daytime feeds and mine eat more breakfast time and last thing..

Good point about the heat!!   Mine are fed early and late, usually before it gets to the worst heat of the day.   Having lived in S.Ontario through numerous hot and HUMID summers, we learnt what worked best with our lot.   And it was the humidity that affected them most.   Tough doing a litter through a hot summer.

But not all pups develop at the same pace.   As suggested, if she's happy to be taking milk from mum for a while yet - and mum is happy about that too, so be it.   Far better than forcing the issue with this smaller puppy.