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Old December 7th, 2006, 11:11 PM
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Puppy Formula?

Hi

For those of you who don't know, I am getting a pup this weekend (yay! finally!) but he is coming from... bad conditions. Due to his current situation I am getting him early, a little over 5 weeks old. While he is a baby, he will be eating DVP Natural balance and Merrick if I can get it, as well as a home-made diet. When MY mother deems him old enough, I will switch him to raw, but I am getting off topic.

Would it be good for me to add puppy formula used for bottle feeding to his diet? If so, how much? Should I bottle feed it or add it to the food? How long should I feed it to him?

Thanks everybody.
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Old December 7th, 2006, 11:36 PM
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i'm so happy kaiden is finally coming home. he really needs to be pulled from his horrid living conditions asap, even if that means he is not quite 6 weeks old yet - better that than be snatched up by a coyote or freeze to death

the first thing you need to do is bring kaiden to a vet and have his health assessed, get him dewormed, explain the situation and ask for feeding advice (do NOT buy any of their crap food! just ask about the puppy formula). never give cow's milk as puppies are lactose intolerant, but you can search the web for a replacement forumla using goat's milk if you need. at almost 6 weeks of age though, a high-quality mush made from soaked kibble and canned food should be ok.

can't wait to see photos of the little guy! you must be so excited! and thank you for bringing the puppies some good food in the meantime, you can only do so much... :love:
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Old December 8th, 2006, 05:57 AM
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Congrats!

One thing to consider, its usually a better idea to feed raw from day one as a pup then to switch when their older. At first you can grind the meats for them, but very quickly they will be able to handle solids. 5 weeks is probably too early, but by 7 weeks Id say youd be safe. I knew of a good website that talked about this. I'll see what I can dig up.

hmm, what I've found so far http://www.rawlearning.com/breeders.html

Quote:
Puppies are introduced to raw food from approximately 3.5 weeks of age, depending on how they are doing. I buy ground meaty bones from my butcher. Into that I mix a small amount of goat's milk, some water, eggs, and perhaps a small amount of fish and/or liver. I only feed a small amount of goat's milk, with no more provided after the age of 6 weeks. I will try and mix in 1 egg a day, which is then fed in the mix to all 10 puppies.

Pups are introduced to raw meaty bones from 4 weeks of age. They are invariably excited by the bones, and suck terrifically on them, but they don't eat the bones. I allow their mother to clean up what is left. By 7 weeks of age, the puppies are managing chicken necks fairly well. They are fed whole raw sardines 2-3 times weekly by this stage. I eliminate all ground food by 8 weeks of age.

If people pick up their puppy from me directly, I provide them with at least a week's supply of food, sometimes more, depending on their freezer space.

The puppies eat exactly the same as the adult dogs, but in smaller quantities, and in manageable sizes. Pups as they grow must have plenty of raw bones to eat. This is a critical part of their development.

And, with my dogs, puppies are only placed in homes which commit to feeding a raw diet.
And here is another link on weaning puppies onto raw.

http://b-naturals.com/Spr2000.php
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Last edited by Scott_B; December 8th, 2006 at 06:13 AM.
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Old December 8th, 2006, 09:38 AM
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scott, TS's mom won't let her feed raw until she deems the puppy settled in, healthy and "old enough" in her opinion to eat a raw diet... TS has done all her homework and is ready to go, it's just a questions of convincing the parents at this point.
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Old December 8th, 2006, 10:58 AM
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print those off and offer them to mom!

Show her its normal and actual beter for pups to start young!
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Please please please give Maggie the steak! Its not too big for her little mouth!

Their impression of power is remarkable. They give one the feeling of immense reserves of energy, of great reservoirs of knowledge, of tolerance of disposition, obstinacy of purpose, and tenacity of principle. They are responsive, and they have a lot of quiet, good sense.

-J. Wentworth Day, from The Dog in Sport, 1938
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Old December 8th, 2006, 09:55 PM
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Thanks Scott. Thanks TD. I get him tomorrow -dances- My best friend is getting one of his brothers too! She won't do raw... I tried to get her to. But at least, she is feeding a quality kibble (DVP) and supplementing with fresh food, particularly extra protein. We are taking them to the vet to be checked on the same day. She has to get puppy vaccinations because where she lives, they WILL and DO take your dog if it isn't licensed, and the only way to get one is to have all the rounds of vaccines. I am doing the minimum vaccine thing because my area doesn't have laws like that.

I found a nice recipe for replacement puppy milk, it has more protein than the store-bought kind. I called my vet for advice on it and he said to supplement him with the formula until he is at least 7 weeks by bottle feeding and/or mixing it in his food. He wants me to wean him on to Science Diet Puppy formula -rolls eyes- big surprise there. I thanked him for the advice and left it at that... I didn't want to deal with a big argument.

When I get him, should I get a towel and rub it on his mom and siblings and put it in his bed so he'll be more comfortable?

Thanks Again.
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Old December 8th, 2006, 10:06 PM
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TA, it sounds like you have everything under control - hope you get a few hours of sleep tonight for the towel, i wouldn't bother as it sounds like the mom has never had a bath in her life, and who knows what's on her fur? some people recommend a warm blanket for the first few nights, and a wind-up clock nestled in the corner as the ticking can emulate the mom's heartbeat. but i think that's for super young puppies, kaiden's almost 6 weeks old so he'll be ok! just make sure he gets lots of playdates with his sibling your friend is adopting (vaccines at the same level, avoid exposing him to other dogs or places where many dogs frequent until he has had his full set of vaccines (8, 12, and 16 weeks normally).

of course we will all want a photo here, presto pronto!
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Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints.

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Old December 8th, 2006, 10:38 PM
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Thanks. You have been SOO much help. The replacement cable for my digital camera should arrive by next week, so you will have as many pics as you can handle by next weekend. I spent a little quality time with him today when I took the pups their canned food. Boy does he have an attitude! SO bossy! lol. He thinks he is a big dog already.
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