Hi, I’m new here so hope I’ve managed to get this in the right place! My dog has had a pretty large litter and we have had to take the decision to start weaning early. By early I mean it was 2 and half weeks. Mamma dog was getting overwhelmed the more boisterous they became and was tending to them less and less.

So the first couple days I blitzed some kibble in a nutribullet and added formula to make a watery paste, then last couple days I’ve been blitzing natures menu puppy pouches into a disgusting slop with some water added, they all love this. They will be 3 weeks old on Monday morning.

Their mum has to be seriously coaxed to go lie down at all for them which I’m trying to get her to do at least 4 times a day. This is hard as I totally empathise with her when they ambush her.

So my question is - does anyone have any recommendations or ideas for shallow water bowls that a 3 week old large breed pup could manage? In the past I’ve always used the bowls that have a floating inner to keep what’s available shallow, but these are over 3 inches high with a lip and would be a bit of a struggle for the little ones.

Also am I right that they should have access to water now that they are eating a little and feeding less of their mamma?

Many thanks in advance

Have you thought about supplementing the litter using warmed goats milk?  This is close in makeup to bitch milk and young puppies should be able to tolerate it without having digestive upsets.   Supplement by doing a half on, half on mum, alternating.

I think, and this is only my personal feeling, that 2.5 weeks is rather young to be giving them solids (yes once on solids they will need water down but be careful as a puppy could drown in inches of water).   I'd prefer to leave weaning until the end of week three.  How are they tolerating solids?  We started the weaning process by holding each puppy in our laps, using warmed goats milk, to teach them to lap (not all get it immediately).  Once they could all lap, then we introduced puppy food, blended either with more goats milk, or water and again holding each one individually to make sure they were able to cope with it.  Once all was ok, then we used our puppy bowl (circular with a knob in the centre), on the floor of the whelping box.   Mum out until they finished and then back in to clean up.

I can't specifically help you re the sort of bowl you'd need for baby puppies, sorry.

Hi, thanks for your reply - and yes I agree, it’s not ideal to be weaning so young. There are 13 pups and she’s a first time mum.  Shes been much happier since I started to help her out and all pups are so far thriving. 

I’m a believer in as little interference as possible so this litter has been tough.  I tried bottle feeding to help her out - half of them will take a bottle. So I was bottle feeding 7 of them on puppy formula for a couple feeds a day. That half got constipated. After seeking advice we came to the conclusion that we need to start weaning.

They are all lapping the natures menu slop very enthusiastically :) they take it from the circular trough dishes. I add water before I blend it so they’re getting lots of moisture from that too. Have ordered a load of royal canin starter mousse too.

I have a couple cat dishes that might do for the water- very shallow and sturdier than a saucer. I could put 1 or 2cm of water in. Just top them up all day long

I’ve heard so many different takes on goats milk - I have some actually in the house as I was going to try it to help with the constipation but heard and read so many diff arguments for it and against it.
I’m open to trying it, just a little hesitant. Did you bottle feed them on it?

> Did you bottle feed them on it?

No.  Just when weaning started, as said I held each individual one on  my knees (towel needed as it got messy!) encouraging each individual to lep.  Some took to it more readily than others.

I never had any problem with using goats milk - we had a lady in the next village with a Toggie who produced lashings of milk, so she was able to sell us what we needed.  After Toggie dried up and was retired, we sourced a goat farm not too far away and they sold us enough that we could keep our freezer stocked up.

Our biggest litters were of 9.   With 13, I'd have had to seriously be supplementing.

Oh you’re so lucky, although we are in rural Ireland there are no goats with milk nearby :( would supermarket bought suffice? I’m quite eager to try it now. The stuff I have is just strathroy pasteurised whole goats milk from Tesco.  It’s homogenised though so maybe should wait until I can source some raw?

I use goat milk with pups, just bought it in the supermarket - full fat version. I would warm it to be wrist-warm and then mix their raw into it like a slurry.

At 2.5wks, they really should still be getting milk from mum though - no matter if you are helping as well. They are too young not to get anything from her at all, although you can help out some.

You might have to take some food and lure her into a down many times a day, so they can get a top-up after their goat milk slurry. She should really still be producing a decent amount of milk and it should be uncomfortable for her if they don't suckle...

Thanks - great to know I can use the supermarket stuff and the raw arrives next week (found some online).

Yes she is still feeding them reluctantly 3 or 4 times during day and twice at night. She pants like mad and even whines a bit but she still lets them with a mix of encouragement and bribery.  If any slow weight gain I take 6 out and let them feed out of the box and she much prefers this. I did also try two feeding schedules but this was a round the clock mission. And increases risk of eclampsia.

No mastitis and I’m closely watching for any signs of eclampsia other than the panting which I think is more stress with the sheer amount of them fighting for her. They’re old enough now that I can keep the room much cooler for her so that’s helped a little. They’ll be 3 weeks tonight/tomorrow so hoping to get another week off her feeding them as much. Then I was going to let her decide after that.

If it helps, my dog preferred to nurse outside the box for her last two litters. Probably not as early as 2.5wks but when they moved to the weaning pen at 3wks +, she just refused to get in there to see them even if we gave her a chair each side so she could easily jump in.

So we would lift all the puppies out and they would swarm her and she'd nurse them quite happily on the hall floor Then we had to catch them all and put them back in before they pooped everywhere

I’ve always started mine off on a shallow baking tray, one that barely has a lip - works really well, I put them on a corner each (so have multiple trays).

I don't feel that 2.5 weeks is early at all, if the pups are hungry they will eat when ready and I had one, who now is 7 years old, who started solids at 13 days of age. If the mother feeds all the pups well and above all they are gaining weight as they should, then I tend to wait to 3 weeks. If the pups clearly are hungry, I start them on raw beef mince first and then commercial puppy foods -always soaked, as soon as they will eat.
I've had many a bitch that were fed up with their pups at 4 weeks and didn't do much else but feed them a few times a day, but I've never had one lose interest before then. Is she fine otherwise? No mastitis, no signs of eclampsia?

Onetwothreefour This has been revolutionary - been meaning to thank you. She is so much more relaxed feeding them on the tiles.

Great idea madforlabs, I’ve just set this up now in the pen.  Thanks

I think it’s the amount of them at once. As soon as they became very mobile and vocal it was like sharks feeding off a whale. She DID NOT enjoy being that whale. There are 10 teats and 13 pups. She seems a lot happier feeding them now on the floor outside the pen as suggested by someone above.

No mastitis - I’ve had brief moments of panic re eclampsia but apart from the panting (again I think this was stress as it was only when feeding) the only other sign was a day when she was scratching at her face a bit. Nothing progressed obviously. I was under the impression eclampsia comes on pretty quick and isn’t gradual so hoping that’s correct. She’s a large breed, but it is a massive litter.

Reassuring that you don’t think it’s too early. I know some other folk do wean earlier almost as a rule for different reasons but I’m used with letting things take their course.