Newborn puppies often get the milk they need from their mothers. However, this might not always be the case. Situations such as caring for orphaned puppies or a nursing mother unable to produce enough milk can be a challenge. The right milk replacer can overcome this challenge to ensure puppies can thrive.
This guide will discuss the best puppy milk replacement options that you can consider. As a pet parent, you already know that the early weeks of a puppy’s life are most critical for their development. To address the challenges of a possible lack of natural milk, this guide will talk about the puppy’s nutritional needs and what you can do to help them.
A Puppy’s Nutritional Needs: What to Know About Them
Puppies have different nutritional requirements. They are very different compared to adult dogs. A mother dog’s milk is packed with plenty of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and antibodies, all of which are critical for a puppy’s long-term growth. Did you know that dog milk is richer in protein and fats than cow’s milk?
For this reason, standard milk product substitutes might not be as sufficient as a puppy milk replacement. Here’s the rub: newborn puppies need to consume milk every 2 to 3 hours over 24 hours. Frequent feeding is critical to their rapid growth and development. At the same time, dog milk is easily digestible given the fact that their stomachs can hold small amounts. The mother dog provides colostrum to their nursing puppies during the first 24 to 48 hours of a puppy’s life (and beyond), giving them vital antibodies that help fend off diseases while supporting the overall growth of puppies through other vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.
The best puppy milk replacers should provide puppies with the appropriate immunity protection. Your standard milk product substitute won’t be able to do this effectively.
What Are the Key Ingredients for Puppy Milk Replacers?
As you look for the best puppy milk replacement, looking out for the key ingredients is essential. Some of them can be excellent indicators that the product you are looking for is appropriate for thriving puppies. A non-negotiable to look for is high-quality protein sources such as casein and whey. Both of these proteins are easily digestible and contain the necessary amino acids that contribute to a puppy’s growth and development.
One other non-negotiable to look for is fat content. Puppies need a significant amount of healthy fats as they are critical for a puppy’s energy and brain development. The target fat to look out for is DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), which is an omega-3 fatty acid proven to aid in eye health and cognitive development. As such, this ingredient is found in a dog mother’s milk, so if you can find a puppy milk replacement that contains DHA, you’re on the right track.
Digestive health is important to dogs at any stage of their life, including puppies. For this reason, it is necessary to find a puppy milk replacer that contains prebiotics and probiotics. Since they have developing digestive systems, these bacteria, while beneficial, can ensure a healthy gut that will make it better to absorb essential nutrients and keep digestive upset to a minimum.
Finally, vitamins and minerals are essential to a puppy’s development, whether it’s their immune functions or bone development. Look out for things like calcium and phosphorus that can strengthen bones, along with vitamins A, D, and E, for excellent bodily function support. Spend time reading the labels of puppy milk replacement products that stand out.
What Are the Signs a Puppy Needs Milk Replacement?
A situation may arise where the need for puppy milk replacers may arise. This may be a complete replacement or supplementation, whichever is the best fit. Puppies that are orphaned will need complete nutritional support since they won't have a mother dog to depend on. In other situations, milk replacers, possibly as a supplement, are necessary.
For example, a mother dog can have large litters. As a result, this could overwhelm their milk production capacity. This also means that smaller or weaker puppies of the litter may be pushed away from nursing, resulting in not being able to get those all-important nutrients for growth. It’s a situation where supplementation can be the best solution for such puppies.
There could be a chance that milk production can decrease due to the mother becoming ill, injured, or stressed. A mother dog may also reject one or more puppies from their litter. If any of these are the case, then hand-feeding these puppies milk replacers will be your best option. Note that if the mother dog is having puppies for the first time, maternal instincts for them may become challenging to develop at first, making it more than necessary to intervene with her litter, especially when it comes to nutrition.
It is crucial to monitor the weight of puppies during the first few weeks. With proper nutrition, they can gain weight daily. They’ll feel warm and firm to the touch. This is in contrast to puppies who cry excessively, feel cool to the touch, appear lethargic, and continually struggle with a lack of weight gain. If you have any questions or concerns, a veterinarian can always be of assistance to help you determine the best course of action.
What Is the Appropriate Feeding Technique and Schedule?
The important thing to note is that successfully feeding puppies will require timing and attention to technique. To properly feed them, you’ll want to consider the following steps:
- Ensure the temperature of the milk is warm at all times. Ideally, it should be anywhere from 95 to 100 degrees (F). This is approximately the same body temperature as a mother dog. Test the temperature on your wrist. If the warmth is comfortable, then the temperature is sufficient. It should never be hot (cool down for a few minutes and consistently test until it’s comfortably warm).
- The feeding frequency will depend on the age and size of the puppy. However, newborn puppies will need to be fed every 2 to 3 hours, even overnight. You can extend the time between feedings as they grow and their stomach capacity increases. Once puppies reach 3 to 4 weeks, the in-between meal period is around 4 to 6 hours.
- Knowing how to feed them is critical. Use nursing bottles that are designed for puppies. However, if the puppy is very small or weak, syringe or tube feeding is likely required. It can be an even more challenging approach, especially when it needs to be done right. With veterinary guidance, you can provide puppies with adequate feeding through a syringe or tube. It is important to never feed puppies on their backs as this can increase the chances of aspiration pneumonia. Make sure they are slightly upright or on their stomachs during the feeding process.
- Mother dogs will often lick their puppies during the post-feeding elimination process. However, if you are hand-raising them, you will need to gently stimulate the genital and anal areas using a warm, damp cloth. This will allow them to urinate and defecate as intended.
When Should a Puppy Develop into Solid Foods?
While mother’s milk tends to be the best nutritional source at the beginning of their lives, puppies will eventually wean off their mother. At that point, it may be a good time to consider transitioning from milk (or milk replacers) to solid food for puppies. Ideally, this should begin at around 3 to 4 weeks of age. At the outset, consider starting with foods of a gruel-like texture made from high-quality puppy food that can be mixed with milk replacer.
Make sure that the consistency is soupy at first. Over time, you can thicken the consistency as the puppies begin to adapt to eating solid food. The transition period can be a time when puppies can continue taking bottles while also learning to eat solid foods from a shallow dish. Patience and consistency are key during this phase and expect messy eating as this is part of the entire process. Puppies are learning to eat as if it were a new skill, and you can be the one who helps them along with the growing process as the pet parent you were meant to be. When looking for food for puppies, make sure you look for any pet food ingredients that are beneficial for their overall growth.
As they get older, you can also consider the idea of providing them with supplements that can help with their overall health. At Under the Weather, we’ve got plenty of options to choose from when it comes to your dog’s health. Whether it’s their digestion or to keep them calm during car rides, we’ve got something for your mighty pup that they might enjoy.
From Puppies to Adults, Under the Weather Has You Covered
When it comes to nutritional needs, puppies have a lot of them that are essential to their growth. Nevertheless, it is important to make sure that you use the right puppy milk replacement or formula that will ensure they grow as usual and become the healthy adults they can be. At every stage of life, Under the Weather has different nutritional solutions and supplements that will be essential to them. From the bland diets to the chews that keep them calm (and everything in between), Under the Weather is proud to serve pet parents like you and the four-legged friends you call family. See what we have in stock today!
