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Chrissy asked in PetsDogs · 9 years ago

Orphan puppy Information:?

Last week my friend brought over a three week Pitbull/Rottweiler puppy. Her mother was young and abandoned them, so she took it home. They couldn't keep her themselves, so I took her in. She's a plump little thing and is healthy; walking around, even has started to howl. I've had her for almost a week now and this is the schedule she and I have set:

5:00am she wakes me up hungry. I just started introducing her to starter food, only a teaspoon at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. After she eats that I make four ounces of milk (she drinks goat milk, that is what they put her on and the vet told me not to change it because she was already use to it) she only drinks half of it and then we usually go back to bed until 7am or 8am and then she drinks the other half. Then goes to sleep.

At 12:30pm she wakes up and starts to cry to eat. Once again I feed her a teaspoon of started wet puppy food and the four ounces, but she only drinks two.

2:00pm she finished the other half.

6:00pm or 7:00pm she's hungry again and I give her the teaspoon of wet food and she drinks two ounces of milk. Then finally at 11pm or 12am she finishes the other half off.

This is what she has been doing since I've got her. She's doing really well, goes to the bathroom good, walks around, barks a little and is a little playful but loves to sleep. This monday she will be four weeks and I've been told to move her to three feedings. How would I fix the schedule up so it wouldn't leave her hungry or crying through the night? Also, at 6 weeks I read she should be off the milk and onto dry puppy food mixed with wet until about 9 weeks. Is this correct? So when she gets to 5 weeks, right before I ween her off the milk should I move it to two bottel feedings a day and more wet food?

Thanks everyone for your help. And please, don't go on about how it's dangerous to have her at this age, and how she should be with her mother--I know. But, as I stated, she was abandoned. I've taken care of a few litters of abandon kittens but not younger than four or five weeks and never a puppy at this age. Thanks for you help.

Update:

Because of one of the comments I should explain it better, it isn't called wet food. It's called "Royal Canin: Starter Mousse Mother & babydog" that I started her on. I got it from Petsmart as it was recommended by one of the workers.

4 Answers

Relevance
  • 9 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    You do need to get up at least once in the middle of the night to feed her. This will help. Once the potty training starts, you will be getting up every 1-2 hours all day & all night. If you don't have kids, this is good practice!

    The starter food is ok, but the pup will be better off on puppy milk replacer mixed with small amounts of starter mousse or other puppy food. The starter mousse is designed to be an addition to mothers milk, not a replacement for it. So the milk you use should be designed for nursing puppies, not just plain goats milk. When my puppy was weaning, I mixed Northwest Naturals with puppy milk replacer as his first food. Gradually you can reduce the amount of milk replacer and increase the puppy food until you are using just dog food. Around 8 weeks old you can stop the milk replacer, although there is no harm in continuing with it. My puppy nursed until he was 12 weeks.

    There are many philosophies on what is best to feed a dog. Technically they can be on dry food only at 8 weeks. They have teeth and can chew just fine. Personally, I think fresh food with a high meat and water content is best for dog's of all ages. At 8 weeks, I started my puppy on Honest Kitchen. He loved it and did very well. Better brands at Petco or Petsmart include Merrick, Wellness, Solid Gold, Innova, and Natures Variety. I would encourage you to find an independent pet store and consider Orijen, Acana, Honest Kitchen, Primal, or Northwest Naturals.

    Good luck with your puppy!

  • ?
    Lv 4
    5 years ago

    Call your vet. A puppy that young is too little to be away from her mom. If mom is not available, you need to act in her place. Several times a day take a paper towel dampened with warm water and rub it on her vagina and anus. Her mom would do this with her tongue to stimulate her to urinate and defecate.

  • 9 years ago

    rather than wet food start her on puppy mash now it will make it easier to get her on to dry food. Puppy mash, puppy food and puppy milk.

  • Anonymous
    9 years ago

    She'll get used to it.

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