What is the most suitable food to wean puppies on?  I tried weaning my last litter on Beta, and to be honest i didnt like it, this time i would like to try a raw diet would best mince beef be suitable? Can anyone suggest anything else? Thanks in advance.

You can start weaning them on to raw anything, even well bashed chicken wings.

hello  i start of around 3 1/2 weeks to just get them lapping i use goats milk (not cows) this milk is good for them. 1 pint half goats (warm) half water must have water in as it to rich just give a small bowl all sharing around twice a day dont let then have loads just take the bowl away when you think they had enough i would do this for a few day just to get this get  them use to lapping the food. The food i use is arden grange puppy is a good food as you can soak in down really well and use it like a liquid which is also better for them. I soak it in hot water leave for 15 min mush up really well mix some cold with it to get it the runny porrige do this twice aday about table spoon between then when they star to eat it all start giving 3 feeds aday and then on to 4  you would start to increase the food but it best to look on the back of the bag how much to feed. hope this hepls you. if not ask again x    

Hi Sue

Goat's milk is not as rich as bitches milk - just different as it is meant for kids rather than pups :)

Ive started weaning mine a week ago on sloppy soaked biscuit with ready brek ( once a day then twice and so on, increasing the amount each time). They are now on on cooked minced beef and well soaked puppy complete biscuits, then I liquidise it to a porridge. They have this four times a day (as much as they will eat) and Mum finishes the rest ;) They also have a little rice pudding or scrambled egg, and puppy milk, as Mum wont go into feed them anymore during the day. They are four weeks old and are doing very well on this diet :)

I usually start weaning at 2 to 3 weeks, nearer 2 if they are licking, I start them on pedigree puppy porridge, we have used this on the last 3 litter we have had and all of them have turned unto solid healthy pups with glowing reports from my vets and the new owners not runny tummy's the gradually make the porridge thicker untill it is the same consistancy as the mashed down soaked complete food, we usually use. I do not normally feed pedigree but this has worked well for us.

We have large breeds that have had large litters so try and take the stress of mum as soon as possible.

I always start them between 2 and 3 weeks old if they are hungry, but if the bitch has a lot of milk and they are contented little tubs I wait until over 3 weeks.  I once had only 3 in a litter, they were enormous and the bitch had loads of milk, so I didn't wean them until 5 weeks and even then they didn't really want to know.  I soak Arden Grange puppy in hot water.  It goes easily into a mush.  Then for the first couple of days I add a little made up puppy milk (Welpi) just to make it tasty and encourage them to lap.  First couple of days - one meal a day- then up to two meals and so on.  After a few days I add a little tinned puppy food to two of the meals, to give a slight meaty taste.  After a week or so, they have four meals a day (or three and a last drink of puppy milk - depending on how many times a day mum is feeding them).  By 4 to 5 weeks, I add a little minced tripe to the mushed up Arden Grange instead of tinned food. 

This way they are keen on the food, the poos are lovely and firm (can't believe I've just said poos are lovely!).  I know the complete foods shouldn't need anything added, but I add very little and it does encourage them to eat it all up.

I start giving mine chicken wings or carcasses to "play" with and chew at around 3 weeks when their teeth start to come though, if the Mum is in good condition then she should still be able to feed them on their ideal, and natural, menu at this age and for a few weeks to come. 

When weaning really starts I will give minced or finely chopped meat then a few days later introduce a small amount of minced veg and fruit to the mix.  By the time they are six weeks old they should be able to eat chicken wings, tripe etc.  Mushy foods are not necessary for puppies as they have teeth to crunch and tear at their food with (notice I don't say chew as dogs are incapable of the side to side movements that omnivores use for chewing).  If the dam is removed from the pups for some reason and not allowed to wean them off naturally or cannot produce sufficient milk then mushy foods for a week or so will probably encourage a pup to eat but once they have teeth they I feel they should be encouraged to use them.

"Best" beef mince is not the most suitable as a sole diet as this is purely muscle meat and with a raw diet as many parts of the body as possible should be fed (bones with calcium/potassium/fat etc - Tohme can tell you more about the various parts and reasons for feeding better than I can)

but unlike you kerioak I have never actually raised a litter(s) on raw :D

(Only because I don't breed) :D