Puppies in the first 2-3 weeks of life feed on their mother's milk. The breastfeeding period lasts about 4 weeks.
If the mother-dog has little or no milk at all, artificial feeding is necessary.
Newborn puppies should also be fed 12 times a day using a sterilized bottle and milk should be fed around 30-35 °.
On the market there are excellent milk products reconstituted on the formula of bitch's milk. After a week, meals can be reduced to 10 per day. They will then decrease to 4 meals a day at four weeks of age.
Breastfeeding lasts 40/50 days but as early as day 25 you can start administering specific solid food. NEVER GIVE COW'S MILK !!! In addition to having a low protein content, it is not metabolizable by the puppy and the lactose content makes it difficult to digest.
By the fourth week, the puppy takes on the appearance of a small dog and can be a nuisance to the mother due to the grown nails.
Weaning begins in the sixth week. The transition from breast milk in which fiber is absent, to adult food, in which fiber is present must take place gradually in order not to cause gastro-intestinal disturbances. You can start by giving oatmeal with the addition of milk, minced meat and grated carrots will be added.
As an alternative to meat, you can use puppy food , a special food that can be administered starting from 3/4 week and until the puppies are able to feed themselves.
