When To Give Artificial Formula Milk To A Puppy?

As with babies, the best food for puppies is breast milk. However, it is sometimes necessary to use artificial formula milk. We will see below what these situations are, in addition to what is artificial formula milk, and how and when it should be given to a puppy.

What is artificial formula milk?

This milk is a mixture created to meet the nutritional needs of puppies that, due to some extraordinary situation, cannot be breastfed. This type of milk can never be replaced by cow’s milk, as this is not suitable for dogs and can be very harmful to these pets.

A special milk for puppies should be light and digestive, free of starch and with a high caloric content, which gives them the energy they need. In addition, it must be rich in Omega 3 and Omega 6 and must have the necessary components to strengthen your immune system.

The first month of life is when you need to pay more attention to your puppies’ digestive system, in addition to taking good care of their immune system, which is why good nutrition is the key for them to grow up in a healthy and happy way.

When to give artificial formula milk to puppies

There are several circumstances that lead a puppy to need to take artificial formula milk. The best known are as follows:

weak puppies

Sometimes, some puppies are underweight, which is why they are rejected by the mother, who does not want to breastfeed them. Or maybe because of their weakness, they don’t have enough strength to breastfeed. The artificial formula milk is essential, in these cases, for the animals to be fed and gain the necessary weight.

orphan puppies

It is not uncommon for a female dog to die giving birth to her puppies. Consequently, the little animals are helpless and without maternal food to feed. To ensure they have what they need, artificial formula milk is ideal.

It must be provided to the puppy through syringes or bottles, and always by the owners, who must be aware that the puppies must be fed every two hours, which will require effort on the part of their adoptive parents.

The mother does not produce milk

This may be an unusual case, but it can happen sometimes. Perhaps,  Mom’s mammary glands don’t produce enough milk for all of her puppies or simply don’t produce any milk at all. Another reason that mom can reject her puppies can be mastitis.

To feed them continuously and supply all the needs of the puppies, artificial formula milk is the ideal complement to keep them alive.

How to prepare homemade artificial formula milk

If where you live you can find this type of milk, or maybe it has finished and there is nowhere to find it at the moment, then we will show you how you can prepare it at home economically and quickly.

For this you will need:

• 350 ml of water. Use filtered or distilled water as a puppy’s stomach is very sensitive in the first few months of life.
• 1,100 grams of goat’s milk or evaporated goat’s milk (those sold in pots). Although it is possible to replace it with lactose-free cow’s milk, we do not highly recommend its use.
• 2 tablespoons of corn syrup. If it’s hard for you to find it, replace it with honey.
• 4 cups natural Greek yogurt (about 800 to 900 grams). Greek yogurt is ideal for this mix, as its 10% fat will provide the calories we need for puppies to have enough energy.
• 4 raw egg yolks.

This formula is designed for two puppies and for one day, but if you only have one puppy, you can divide the amounts in half and you will have enough.

The preparation is very easy: mix the egg yolks with the corn syrup, then mix everything with the Greek yogurt, avoiding lumps so that the bottle or syringe does not become clogged. Finally, add water and milk.