Scenario: litter of puppies who will be 4 weeks tomorrow.

Problem: puppies are very slow at starting to eat puppy food. It's a struggle to get most of them to even come near the pan of gruel, let alone eat any. Put some on your finger and get them to take some; they grimace and push it out with their tongue. Food is a premium puppy kibble soaked to mush and mixed with evap. milk.

Have had a few puppies vomiting curdled milk and bile this morning; mom is eager to let them nurse, so they aren't going hungry, but even if she's kept away from them for a few hours, they don't want the gruel. Continuing to gain weight, but they need to start weaning!

Any suggestions?

My suggestion is get rid of the evaporated milk (cow's milk I am assuming) and replace it with goat milk. And then just give it time. Make sure Mom is a treat, not a meal.

Make sure you did not get a bad bag of puppy food. Bags can get pinhole leaks, and the food goes bad. Buy a new bag, and see if it gets better.

What's the idea of soaking it with any milk, cow or goat? I just add warm water to puppy food then let it sit 5 minutes or so and they love it. The food with milk is clearly upsetting their stomachs, I wouldn't eat it either if I were them:) ( I think they must be smart pups, they know how to get what they want.)

All the best.

You might want to just soak the food with water or watered down goats milk. Then begin with small amounts of yogurt drizzling it over the top. If that helps them eat, you can slowly bring down the amount of yogurt slowly.

I found pups that don't want to eat their food in the beginning will be enticed by yogurt. I think they're smart also, they are getting what they want. The milk bar.

Oh, believe me, I've tried with the milk, without the milk, straight pablum, some pablum added........they just didn't want it. BUT, I just ran down to the feed store and picked up some canned puppy food, mixed that with their slurry, and GUESS WHAT? :) They ate better. I also kept the bitch away from them until I'd tried this meal.

I've always used milk in puppy gruel, as do lots of others. I don't find it upsets tummies. I think the evep is better than goats milk, and regular cows milk - don't ever do that.

So maybe that's the ticket with this litter; the addition of a smellier food - more appealing to them, anyway.

Why would you think evaporated milk would be better than goat's milk? Evaporated milk is just dehydrated cow's milk (unless you found a source for evaporated bitch's milk and if you did please share!). Goat's milk has been found to be much closer to canine milk, and cow's milk not very compatible at all. However, as others have stated, they really don't need any milk at all if they are getting a quality kibble.
Cut mom's food back and keep her away from them except for very short periods with long breaks in between and they will get the picture.

My little guys love when I mix some Gerber Rice Cereal with their food and gobble it right up

I do the same, some baby Rice Cereal with some kibble, puts a nice finish on the puppies. I add yogurt too. They dive in the bowls, when they are done, let MOM in to clean up the mess, she is more than happy to do it.

I also use the baby rice with soaked blended kibble (water to soak) - helps prevent loose stools when they first start on gruel.

I slowly eliminate the cereal and go to soaked blended kibble and than soaked non blended kibble and eventually to kibble with water added no soaking.

Years ago we used powdered esbilac with cereal to start than added in soaked kibble, but have found the esbilac is no longer necessary with the quality foods on the market today.

Have never tried goats milk nor felt the need, but I know many use it with success.

Glad they are eating now and hope it continues.

Good luck

I don't soak it with milk, I use hot water. The milk is added as a bit of "top dressing", if you will. Evap milk is recommended for human babies who have trouble getting on to real milk; the processing (heat) to can it breaks down the protein and makes it easy to digest. I've used it with litters prior to this and had no problems. Their dam is getting it as well - no problems.

The bag of food is fine, I'm sure - nothing gone bad. Their dam is eating the same bag, and she's good with it. I really don't think that puppies this age would refuse food if it WERE truly bad; how would they know? They have absolutely no experience or reference point when it comes to eating.

I am asking for others experience; this is the first litter I've had that didn't want to chow down. I'm no rookie, believe me. I just can't believe their inappetence when it comes to solids; they are always ready and eager to nurse!!! Damn these "SuperDams"! They are a quiet and good litter - too good. Never cry with hunger; just wake up when Mom comes into the pen and start nursing.

Not for nothing, but you are upsetting the calcium levels adding the milk. It really isn't good to supplement with calcium before 16 weeks. The canned food worked, then I would go with that and slowly add in the soaked kibble. The kibble just may be grainy feeling to them.

Why worry about the puppies eating? Nothing better than a Mom's milk for puppies. I never wean my puppies, the Mom does that when she is ready. I have never fed my puppies any type of milk, just puppy food soaked in water. No one could ever say my puppies aren't always "bountiful". Sorry, but I can't imagine anyone weaning puppies at 4 wks, they will eat solid food when they are ready. This has always worked for me, I understand most breeders do things differently. JMO

Think she means starting to wean. Goats milk. I soak it in hot water, then put a little goats milk. They love it. I have not use the rice baby cereal in years. But, for sure not the evaporated milk. Think the times I used that in later years they did get loose. And I would be careful with can food which is full of water, for the same reason. Telling you, the goat milk is the trick. Thank goodness Purina can't mess with it.

For crying out loud! You have NO idea how big this litter is, or how badly they are dragging the bitch down - puppies cannot nurse till they die of old age as a 14 year old dog, and eat their dam to death in the meantime! OF COURSE I mean starting them on solid food, so they are not being fed exclusively by breast. I have no intention of taking her away from them point blank; she can quit when she's ready. But in the meantime they have to start on REAL food, in case she decides that she won't nurse anymore!

Jeez, there are some numpties on this board......

As to the rest of you level headed posters, thank you for your ideas. I may go so far as switching foods, as I think it's the texture of this food that is bothering them - too grainy, as one person suggested. It's not like they've eaten enough of it to get stomach upset with a switch. Thanks for all your suggestions!

I hope you've had luck with some of the ideas on this list. I'm sure you've already tried this, but if you can get them to feed before momma can nurse them?

I ran into this one time and thought there was something wrong with pups. Then I found out my husband was letting Mom in while I was getting food ready!!

Dear tired breeder,

As previously stated here, you might want to try goat milk. It's easily digested, it has a nice fat content and is very sweet tasting. My puppies love it, and have never had a problem. I agree that evaporated milk may be the problem, but make sure you've soaked the food well, so that there are no hard (although tiny) chunks of kibble in there.

:-) Best of luck.
Dian

Unless I missed it, you did not mention what kibble you are using. From my experience, if you are using Wellness, your puppies might hate it. Mine did!

I start with a puppy milk replacer and rice cereal for a couple of days. Then I add increasing amount of kibble. Then I drop the milk replacer first and finally the rice. The kibble is ground in a food processor before it is soaked for about a week. Then the kibble is just soaked in warm water to soften it. If I find the stools are loose, I add some rice cereal.

where do you all buy it?

Goat's milk is usually sold fresh in the dairy aisle of a supermarket in quart cartons. If you can't find it there it's sold canned also.

Check the expiration date. It's not sold as heavily as cow milk and could sit on the dairy shelf too long depending on the supermarket.

You soak the kibble for a week? Doesn't it ferment?

Just wanted to update, and thank all those with sensible and matter of fact stories and ideas.

The pups are now eating; I switched to ProPlan Chicken and Rice Puppy and goat's milk. Problems solved!