Puppies less than two weeks of age should be fed every 3-4 hours. Puppies two to four weeks of age do well with feedings every 6-8 hours. Weaning, as described below, should begin at three to four weeks of age.
Age 0-4 Weeks
Throughout the foster period, feed mom as much as she will eat – you cannot over feed a momma dog! Puppies: Puppies should nurse vigorously and compete for nipples. Newborns can nurse up to 45 minutes at a time. Be sure to watch puppies nursing at least once a day, if the mother will permit it.
A healthy puppy is firm, plump, and vigorous. Puppies should nurse every 2 hours or so. If they nurse until their stomachs appear round and they sleep quietly, they are eating enough. If they are crying and moving a lot, they are not eating enough.
Weaning to solid foods
They still nurse, and mothers continue to produce milk for up to 10 weeks. Some nursing is for nutrition, but it is also a comforting, bonding activity for the puppies. Most puppies are fully weaned to solid food between 7 and 10 weeks of age, although the transition can occur earlier.
If the puppies are not getting enough to eat, they will be restless and cry a lot, and of course, they will not have full bellies. It is at that point that you have to try to feed them some extra milk.
What are the signs that the puppies are not doing well and what do I do? Puppies should eat or sleep 90% of the time during the first two weeks of life. "If they are crying during or after eating, they are usually becoming ill, are not receiving adequate milk, or the mother's milk has become infected (mastitis)."
Puppies need to eat frequently throughout the day, so crying may be a sign that they're hungry or thirsty. Make sure to keep their bowl full of food and water. If they're crying and you think they might be hungry, try feeding them a small amount of food.
After birth and for the first few days, puppies should generally be fed every two hours, even at night time. After a couple of weeks, the interval between each feeding will naturally increase and puppies will be able to go for four to six full hours between each suckling session.
At this young age, newborn puppies are incredibly fragile. Puppies under two weeks old need to be fed every 3-4 hours. Slightly older puppies, aged two to four weeks, should be fed every 6-8 hours.
Certain products can help boost milk supply if your dog seems to be struggling. Milk thistle is one natural supplement known to help nursing mothers with their milk-making. Other dogs benefit from taking zinc while providing for their pups. In small doses, apricot can also increase milk production.
Newborn puppies should nurse at least every 2 hours for the first week or two of life. After this, they can stretch the feeding times to 3-4 hours, as long as they are still gaining weight and doing well. Once the puppies are 3 to 4 weeks old, you can begin the weaning process by giving them access to puppy food.
Pups remain contently in their whelping box for the first 20 days of their life.
Newborn puppies typically nurse from their mom about every two hours. As they grow older, the time between nursing increases, and by four or five weeks — or even as early as three — Mom starts weaning her puppies.
Mother dogs do this to their puppies to stimulate urination and defecation. However, excessive licking can lead to irritation and potential infections, so it's necessary to keep an eye on it.
By about three weeks of age, you can—and should! —begin gently handling the puppies1 for short periods for reasons other than basic health care. Once the puppies have their eyes open, you can try carefully picking them up, holding them for a bit, and placing them back in the box.
So if you can't get a puppy to latch on to mom, get some food in the puppy, whether a commercial or homemade formula. As soon as the puppy is stable, try to get it to latch on. Sometimes it just takes warming and a first nutritional boost.
Puppies, unlike older dogs, don't have fat reserves. Therefore, they can't go longer than 12 hours without food. This is particularly true for toy breeds that are prone to hypoglycemia (a drop in blood sugar), which can lead to serious complications. Puppies are also more susceptible to dehydration than older dogs.
As a rule of thumb, remove the food and water bowls about two-to-three hours before bedtime. So, if your lights-out time is at 11 p.m., a puppy should have no food or water after about 8–8:30 p.m. This gives you a chance to take him out for a one last potty break before settling in for the night.
Puppies younger than eight weeks shouldn't go more than five hours without eating. Generally, puppies over two months old can't go longer than 12 hours without food. Take note if you have a toy breed. Fasting can be particularly serious for toy breeds, especially when they're puppies.
The most common cause for a dog not feeding her pups is canine mastitis, which is a bacterial infection which can cause feeding to become very painful for the mother as swelling develops. This can also cause the infection to spread to her milk which can make the milk toxic and unsafe for the puppies to drink.
It's common for mothers to lie on they puppies or at least look like they are lying on them. It's an instinctive behaviour and just means the mother is trying to keep her puppies warm. This behaviour is why it's important to have a whelping box.
Illness or injury. If a dog is at all unwell and suffering from injury or illness after giving birth, this can lead to rejecting a litter. Sometimes, mothers can contract mastitis which causes inflammation, pain and discomfort in the teats which will cause her to avoid nursing her pups.
If the puppies huddle close to each other under the heat source, it may mean they're too cold and are trying to use the group's body heat to stay warm. If the puppies are scattered in different areas of the box, it could mean they're too hot.
Healthy newborn puppies should cry very little. In fact, they should spend most of their time either sleeping or eating. If you notice your puppy crying or whining frequently, be sure to take it to your veterinarian. Increased crying is a common symptom of most neonatal problems.
Puppies are born with their eyes and ear canals closed, and their main activities are sleeping and nursing. They cry or whine to seek contact or care from their mother. At this stage, puppies are helpless; they rely on their mother for everything from food and grooming to a warm and secure place to sleep.