So my dog had puppies and they'll be 5 weeks old tomorrow. But for the past few days, momma dog hasn't been wanting to let them nurse. We have to practically force her to stay laying down to feed them. She had mastitis at the beginning after they were born, but her breasts feel completely fine now. She eats, drinks and everything else well. We feed her cottage cheese twice a day as recommended by the vet. We've started to give the pups softened puppy food now. So why isn't she wanting to feed? Is she just getting tired of them? Or perhaps their teeth hurt her too much?
Shay2015-08-06T20:52:09Z
Favorite Answer
This is a NORMAL part of the mother dog teaching the puppies to eat for themselves. She will feed them if they really need it. STOP forcing her to feed them. Keep offering the puppies food and water. The more they learn to eat on their own, the less she will need to feed them. This is normal and right on time for most dogs.
If they have teeth, she's probably trying to wean them. Mother dogs know their puppies best, so it's a good idea to just let her do what she does. She'll continue to take care of them but they're getting older so feeding from their mother is becoming less necessary. Continue to give them their softened chow and just let the mother feed them when she does, or else it could push back their development. Weening in dogs usually begins at 4 weeks, so this is right on time!